Certainly power is important, but ergonomics and overall comfort are more important than raw muscle in the woods and tight trails where these bikes are most likely to be put to the test. We're happy to report that all are excellent bikes in those terms.

The XR won high praise from our testers because it feels the most like a motocrosser. A firm seat, which sits at 36 inches, and high, wide bars garnered the most praise from our taller riders.

The KLX was more of a quandary, standing the tallest with a 36.4-inch saddle height, but its low bars and a "down-in" seating position made many of testers feel a bit cramped. One of the most impressive features of the KLX is how light it is. Weighing in at a lithe 232 pounds, the KLX is very flickable, especially in tight corners.

The DR-Z is completely different from the XR and KLX. While those two battled it out for best motocross impersonator, the Suzuki is content as a docile trail-plodding machine. A soft, wide seat at 35 inches provides plenty of comfort and aids the suspension in softening hard hits. The bars are set high like the XR, which in combination with the low seat height provides plenty of room for taller riders, yet is still user-friendly for vertically challenged people. However, the DR-Z is easily the biggest pig of the bunch, pushing 253 pounds, which caused us to grimace at the thought of tipping it over and having to pick it back up.

The major divergence in opinions amongst our group of testers came in terms of handling. Most favored the Honda with a traditional 41mm Kayaba fork with 20-position compression damping adjustability and 10.6 inches of travel. The overriding feeling is that the suspension combines with the XR riding position to make it more motorcross-like than the others. Furthermore, the XR is easily capable of maneuvering in tight single track, which is commendable for a bike that tips the scales at 240 lbs.

Make:  Kawasaki
Model:  KLX300R
MSRP:  $4,699