Whether you are a beginner or a vet, any of these three will put a smile on your face and extra cash in your pocket.
The XR250 received two of our five votes. Starting troubles aside, they believed the Honda was the best bike for the money. Its bountiful torque and rational ergonomics were too much to overlook, and the XR250 was their choice for romping on the trails. They believe the XR's starting troubles could likely be alleviated in some manner.
"The XR just felt like it did everything really well," said MCUSA president Don Becklin. "The Kawi had better power and the Suzuki had the electric start, but overall I just felt like Honda has a better bike overall."
Two more votes went to the DR-Z250, and one of them was a Honda convert. Despite the fact that our graphics guru Chamberlain enjoyed riding the Honda most, the electric start of the Suzuki won him over.
"For that type of bike, I don't think there was enough discrepancy between each machine to go with anything other than the bike with the electric start," deduced Chamberlain. "My rationale is that if I'm buying one of these bikes, I'm looking to just cruise trails, and the minimal extra power and handling doesn't overcome the electric start."
As for editorial director Ken Hutchison, his vote also went to Suzuki, though not for the same reason as Chamberlain. He picked the yellow bike for its overall usability.
"The DR-Z has taller gearing, a plush seat, and it just seemed like it was a better beginner bike," said Hutchsion. "Obviously, the electric start was a really nice feature, but even without it Suzuki has a pretty good bike in the DR-Z."
The deciding vote was mine. I had the ability to break the tie and declare a clear winner, but instead I went with the bike I like best. I was the only one of our group to choose the KLX300. In the end I felt like the Kawasaki bridged the gap between a trail bike and the motocross machines that dominate showroom floors. The KLX300 offers so many extra features that I appreciate from the inverted fork to the liquid cooling to the easy kick start that it was tough for me to pass on the green machine.
So there you have it, three bikes, and three different final decisions. It doesn't get more ambiguous than that. So you'll just have to ask yourself what you're looking for in a trail bike and make a decision.
While we were unable to come to a unanimous decision, we believe that's a good thing for the consumer. Even though this trio is designed for the same general purpose, each bike has its own particular strengths. Take our notes into consideration and make your pick. All of us agreed that anyone in the market for one of these bikes will emerge happy with their purchase, regardless of the marque.
Share your thoughts on the '04 Trail Bike Shootout in the MCUSA Forum.
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