XR400 - advice please

[XF650]

I'm posting this on behalf of a mate who has been looking for a trail bike to replace a DR250 - he wants more power, but on a limited budget.
He has an option to buy a 1999 XR400 for $3,500 that looks good & goes great.
We would appreciate comments on that price & any vices to watch out for with the XR400's of that era e.g. 2nd gear issue?
Thanks

[cheese]

All I remember is that they were pretty good bikes?

[merv]

Never ever heard of any issues with them, but as always with trail bikes it depends how hard it has been ridden as some people can break anything.

[scott411]

thier was a few issues with gear boxs for the guys that raced them very hard, but normal riding thier is not issues, as much as i hate honda's these are not bad bikes for trail riding

[XF650]

Thanks for those comments.
He's not familair with 2 strokes so have suggested he tries a KDX200 or similair, just to be sure.

[dammad1]

KDXers are excellent trail bikes with the fun of a two stroke.

[F5 Dave]

Jumping off my old KDX onto a newish condition XR400 I was astounded that it was so tall but still landed like a block of flats. Then it stalled & I couldn't start the silly thing. When 4 strokes get big or too high compression they are a pig. Heck even my TT500 wasn't as hard to start. Another friend is selling his XR as it is so damn heavy.

If he is bigger than he might be fine with it

[Wired1]

I too am looking at an XR400 and don't know much about them. I had an XR500 a few years back and it was a bit too heavy on the trail, especially when you dropped it the wrong way on a fire-break, so I have been looking at an XR250 or 400. The XR250 I figure will be underpowered so the 400 is looking pretty good. I'm hoping it will be more like the 250 weight but closer to the 500 performance. Are there any years to avoid? I want something less than ten years old I figure, maybe after 2000 if I can squeeze the budget.
(I was going to write the same post but fortunately this time I checked first - that'll piss off the train spotters!)

[barty5]

mate has one had to replace the frame as it rusted out from the foot pegs up past the exhaust (bike had never been to the beach) he was told it was a common problem so pay to carefully check those areas other wise bike still gose great.

[F5 Dave]

. . . I'm hoping it will be more like the 250 weight but closer to the 500 performance.

Well it will have the old 500 performance covered but after that you're on you're own. My friend sold his as a fairly fit average height guy he found it too heavy, esp when he rode his bro's modern 250. If you are tall (leverage) & burly then it won't be a problem. If I had one as average height & average build & average dirt riding ability I think my enthusiasm for riding would drop about 1/2 way.

The technicality of the trails you ride would alter opinion, open easy stuff would be no sweat.

[xwhatsit]

Go and ask on www.thumpertalk.com . They are fanatical about XRs of all shapes and sizes. Probably the best dedicated forum to talk about that kind of stuff.

That old XR500, how old was it? Not the original pre-RFVC jobbie? If so, then that is a serious lump; modern 400 has to be waaaaay lighter

[F5 Dave]

The 400 isn't modern. Really. All the XRs were heavy & the weight high up so if they drop over you have to lift the heaviest part.

[xwhatsit]

Might be right there, the XR500 is around 130kgs; XR400 is supposedly 116kgs. 116kgs is still a bit hefty for a filthy-dirty, no?

[Wired1]

Go and ask on www.thumpertalk.com . They are fanatical about XRs of all shapes and sizes. Probably the best dedicated forum to talk about that kind of stuff.

That old XR500, how old was it? Not the original pre-RFVC jobbie? If so, then that is a serious lump; modern 400 has to be waaaaay lighter

My last XR500 was the old twin shocker, this was about 20+ years ago when I weighed 70kgs and was 5 foot eight. I haven't gotten any taller but I've put on another 20kgs so I can't see me picking up my bike on the side of a hill.

[spookytooth]

had alot of the old thumpers over the years tts xrs ect. Swore by them Till i had a blat on a ktm 250 sold the xr i had at the time and went out and got a ktm 350 exc If it was me i would be looking 2 stroke liter more power all round more fun. But then some ppl like sports bikes haha go figure