Has The DRZ Had Its Day? | DRZ400 vs CRF300L

#suzukidrz400 #hondacrf300l #chroniclesofsolid

Sometimes you get a question so much that you have to compare apples to oranges. Despite the DRZ400 and CRF300L being quite different bikes a lot of people want to know which one to go with for their next dual sport motorcycle. In this video I break down both bikes and try and identify which bike will suit which rider having owned both myself.

Chapter Times:
00:00 Intro
00:33 Power
01:58 Maintenance
02:47 EFI vs Carby
03:37 Dead Dinosaur
04:34 Weight
05:42 Ground Clearance
06:09 Seat Height
07:06 Safety
07:55 Squishy Stuff
08:49 Five or Six?
09:39 Shiny's
10:28 $$$
11:35 Ownership and Which Bike For You?

Thanks for watching,
COS

[chroniclesofsolid]

Both great dual sports, just different flavors for different folks 👍

[sicf]

By dirtbike standards the DRZ is quite tame and easy to ride in my book they just need to release a modernized version. Slightly lighter, EFI, 6speed...sign me up.

[badoldbiker]

Good honest Solid comparison. However, "comparison is the thief of joy".

[pimpshark]

The DRZ 400 is such an iconic looking bike. I always smile when I see one out on the road or in the bush.

[rafaolszewski]

Most valuable opinion on YT about both bikes, great stuff. Honest opinions are kind of rare nowadays…. Thank you!

[MotoPassport]

for someone who was very hesitant making this vid you bloody well nailed it! What a rippa review! Cheers man 😎

[slakk]

Apparently Suzuki is sending surveys to drz owners about what they would like to see in a new drz. The old drz is dead, many markets that Suzuki can no longer sell the drz in because of euro regulations etc, abs laws, etc.. all they need to do is add FI, ABS, and put in a new gearbox with an overdrive 6th. If they do it, I will be buying one new (unless Yamaha release a WR300-350!). Until then, crf300L. At least we can thank Honda for reminding the big 4 Japanese brands how popular dualsports are.. Yammy and Suzuki must be watching the sales of the 300L and kicking themselves

[sharky]

Great video. I have a 1999 dr350 with the 6 gear box and it needed it a highway speeds. Great bike and has been stock reliable for 23 years now. I just put down deposit for a crf300l. The fuel injection and 6th gear was the main reason. Price also helped.
You really can’t go wrong with either bike for dual sport riding. Ride safe!!!

[BahWeepGranahWeepNiniBong]

Great comparison 👍
Despite the painful price rise, I'm still going to get a Drz. I want the horses, suspension and ease of working on it.
I'll look at the aftermarket gearset later on 🙂

[warrenpeers]

Wow. Hello Neighbour! Just found your channel as Im tossing up between a DRZ and CRF and I was watching your video going, hang on, thats our shopping centre, then hang on, thats OUR STREET and thats OUR HOUSE! .. too funny. Anyway just seems so random that the first video I picked is from someone who must live with nearbye.

[Ronald-fm]

I have a 2021 Honda CRF 300L and an older 2002 Honda XR 650L and thought I was strictly a Honda rider until I noticed a 2023 Suzuki DRZ 400 in the Bike store that I go to the other day. I talked with sales and I'm getting it. I can't wait. Might have to make some more room in my garage, but for this bike, it's worth it. Thank you for the videos.

[TommyNitro]

I would argue yes, for one reason: that narrow ratio five speed. You run out of transmission well before engine. I think that is the Achilles heel of the drz.

[the_H]

Solid, as a DRZ owner, you needn't apologise. Your commentary & comparison is informative & well measured. These types of comparison videos are gold for people looking to buy a new machine. Keep up the great work. 👍

[ronaldsands]

I wish all reviews were as straight forward and informative as this..well done.

[Motoboo_Marine]

A note about the carb thing, Fortnine basically concluded that the main reason they're not so viable now is due to the amount of ethanol in modern gasoline. Fuel injectors can simply power through the gunk it leaves behind but carbs can't, which is why they need to be cleaned so much especially when left idle during the winter months. The only way to make carburetors less labor-intensive is to use ethanol-free gasoline, which isn't exactly widely available.

[SB-fegt]

I have owned both and still own a DRZ...if that tells you anything. Only advantages for the 300 are EFI and the windscreen. Power, suspension, handling, ease of working on the bike, grin factor when you twist the throttle, etc. are all better for the DRZ. The thing that really made the Honda NOT work for me is the way the tank flares really wide really quickly...so sitting against the tank was not an option because I had to spread my legs very wide which made my hips hurt. I bleed HONDA Red so keeping my DRZ and selling my CRF300L was a major change in my way of thinking :).

[JohannesDalen]

Another excellent video Solid. I'm a happy owner of a DRZ, but I will test ride the 300L and try to compare them myself as soon as I can get my hands on one. They are rare here in Norway.

[starlordstarlordman]

Another great video. Love the comparison, seems very fair-minded. Great job sharing attributes instead of pulling one up or pushing the other one down. I always look forward to your videos. Keep up the good work.

[driller]

The 300l is good no doubt but I'm still waiting for a 450l rally (with long maintenance intervals). *Insert skeleton waiting meme here* . I'm sticking with trusty my DR650 for now.

[toddclarke]

I couldn't pass up the opportunity of buying a DRZ with absolutely everything already on it plus and this was the kicker, a 28l safari tank all for 5k! And only 12k kms!
She's loud and proud and likes a drink but that's ok by me because I know I can rely on her to get me home everytime.
I really like this review and think you did a fair job on the points of view. Great video and Thankyou for sharing.