With the prospect of an 11-bike 450 motocross shootout next month, we’ve been spending a fair amount of time wrestling with the obvious question: How the heck are we going to do that? So, we’ve been looking at mega shootouts from past years. The one that really stands out was the 12-bike shootout from 2022. But there have been others. In the June, 2000 print issue of Dirt Bike, we had a nine-bike off-road shootout. In truth, it was a seven-bike 400 four-stroke shootout with two versions of the Suzuki DR-Z400 (kickstart and E-start). Then we had the ultimate showdown between the best four-stroke and the best  two-stroke, which was the KTM 250EXC. Here’s how we rated them.

HONDA XR400R TECH

• Air-cooled, single overhead cam
• Oil carried in frame
• Five-speed gearbox
• No-tool side-access air filter
• Nearly unchanged since 1996
• Price: $5299
• Weight w/o fuel: 265 lb.

XR STRONG POINTS

• Excellent low-rpm power delivery
• Easy to ride
• Excellent brakes, clutch

XR WEAK POINTS

• Old-fashion ergonomics
• Dated motor
• Poor top-end power
• Kickstarter flops in and out
• Steel rear brake pedal

HUSABERG TECH

• Simple, SOHC liquid-cooled engine
• Uses crank pressure as oil pump
• Hydraulic clutch
• No linkage
• Only one air filter element for 2000
• Load-sensitive ignition
• Price: $7068
• Weight w/o fuel: 240 lb.

‘BERG STRONG POINTS

• Super light weight
• Great torque
• Revs so high only dogs can hear it 
• Competitive racer at any level

‘BERG WEAK POINTS

• Weird clutch feel
• Hard-turn throttle
• Wide fuel tank
• Requires aggressive riding

HUSQVARNA TE410 TECH

• New bodywork & ergos
• New steering geometry Single-sided pipe
• Side-access air filter
• Price: $6199
• Weight w/o fuel: 260 lb.

HUSKY STRONG POINTS

• Smooth tractable power
• Strong brakes
• Spread out, comfortable rider position
• Tractable, smooth power

HUSKY WEAK POINTS

• Sleepy throttle response
• Kind of slow
• Creaky clutch cable
• Hard-turn throttle
• Too much vibration

KTM 400EXC TECH

• Liquid-cooled, SOHC motor
• Same carb as a 1999 YZ400
• Japanese ignition
• Electric starter AND kickstarter
• Price: $6995
• Weight w/o fuel 257 lb.

KTM STRONG POINTS

• Unbelievably light for an E-start bike
• Feels light, too
• Versatile suspension
• Great throttle response
• Roomy layout
• Hydraulic clutch works flawlessly

KTM WEAK POINTS

• Mushy front brake
• Slight headshake at speed
• Rejetting necessary for mild elevation increases

SUZUKI DRZ400 TECH

• Available in electric or kick start
• A kickstarter can be installed on the E version
• Liquid-cooled, DOHC engine very YZ-like
• Side-access airbox
• Electric start version: $5349
• Kick start version: $5249
• Weight w/o fuel: kick version: 268 lb.
• Weight w/o fuel: E-version: 277 lb.

DRZ STRONG POINTS

• Great low-end power
• Great top-end power
• Slim
• Super-quiet muffler you don’t have to chuck

DRZ WEAK POINTS

• Tall seat height
• Rearward-sloping seat
• Cramped riding position
• Mushy suspension
• Battery can be drained by leaving key on.

YAMAHA WR400 TECH

• DOHC liquid-cooled five-valve
• Electric sensors & gadgets everywhere
• New steering geometry
• Price: $5899
• Weight w/o fuel: 265 lb.

WR STRONG POINTS

• Excellent top-end power
• Great suspension
• Super-stable at speed

WR WEAK POINTS

• Sleepy low-end power
• Seat position too far back
• Goofy throttle stop is standard
• Stock pipe is too loud or too quiet

VOR 400 TECH

• Gear-driven SOHC
• Backwards kickstarter
• Bolt-together frame
• Crank pressure works as oil pump
• Magnesium cases
• Price: $7500
• Weight w/o fuel: 258 lb.

VOR STRONG POINTS

• Super smooth power delivery
• Beautiful workmanship
• Easy to start
• Surprisingly agile
• Flawless hydraulic clutch

VOR WEAK POINTS

• Big feel
• Harsh suspension
• Slightly unstable at speed

RATINGS 

OVERALL SUSPENSION, HIGH SPEED

PEAK POWER

1. Yamaha
2. Husaberg
3. Suzuki
4. KTM
5. VOR
6. Husky
7. Honda

LOW-END POWER

1. Honda
2. Suzuki
3. KTM
4. Husaberg
5. VOR
6. Yamaha
7. Husky

The Honda and Suzuki are super close on the bottom. The Yamaha could be boosted to the top if it had YZ cam timing.

SUSPENSION, SLOW SPEED

1. KTM
2. Yamaha
3. Husaberg
4. Honda
5. Suzuki
6. Husky
7. VOR

Both the KTM and the Yamaha are a notch above the others. The Suzuki and Honda are good in the slow stuff, but don’t try to upshift.

SUSPENSION, HIGH-SPEED

1. Yamaha
2. KTM
3. Husaberg
4. Honda
5. VOR
6. Husqvarna
7. Suzuki

The Yamaha clearly has a western heritage. The Suzuki is truly bad in high-speed whoops.

TURNS

1. Honda
2. KTM
3. Suzuki
4. Husaberg
5. VOR
6. Yamaha
7. Husky

There are all kinds of turns. This is a rating for super tight stuff. As the speeds increase, the Suzuki and the Honda drop in the standings while the VOR, the Husky and the Yamaha go up.

STABILITY

1. Husky
2. Yamaha
3. KTM
4. Husaberg
5. Honda
6. Suzuki
7. VOR

Actually, only the Husky and the Yamaha are truly stable at speed. The other five are just different shades of twitchy.

DETAILS

1. VOR
2. KTM
3. Yamaha
4. Husqvarna
5. Suzuki
6. Husaberg
7. Honda

The VOR is a virtual museum piece, with amazing attention to detail. Honda should be embarrassed by the floppy kickstarter, bendable brake levers and ill-fitting air filters that their riders have to put up with.

CONCLUSION

It might be a question without an answer. Every time a hot new four-stroke hits us between the eyes, the Question comes up again. If it’s so good, is it better than a top two-stroke? The answer usually is the same: It depends.

Now The Question is even more confounding than ever. We just finished a comparison of the hottest 400cc four-stroke enduro bikes ever, with the new KTM 400EXC coming out on top. And last month we declared that the KTM 250EXC was the best 250cc two-stroke enduro bike. So there was no question in our minds that a KTM is the ultimate off-road bike. We just had no idea which one.

250EXC vs. 400EXC

• 38 horsepower vs. 39.5
• 235 pounds vs. 257
• Five-speed vs. six
• 78 mph top speed vs. 91
• Kick vs. electric start
• $5898 vs. $6698

BOTTOM LINE: 

We love the 400, and given a choice we’ll ride it for fun. But the 250 still is a more efficient tool for conquering the worst trails. It’s a no-frills, race-oriented machine. So it’s a question of whether you ride for pure fun, or you ride to go faster than the next guy. Frankly, we believe you need to have both.