Just to differentiate the 2 machines, the Kawi should get the more powerful motor out of the dirt model of the DRZ. The Z400 has the motor from the street version, which I think was a mistake on Suzuki's part. They should have gone full bore with the motor to ensure they wipe out Honda's 400EX as well as the Raptor. But IMHO, Kawi has had a better, more competitive dirtbike over the years and it would only be right if they would get the 38 HP DRZ motor to remain the competitive force in the offroad market they have been for so many years.

It's also too bad that one manufacturer could be forced out of the market because of joint ventures. The more competition we have, the better machines we, the consumers, get in return. Honda has been the leader in chassis design of stock machines. With the exception of Cannondale, everyone has been playing catch-up for the last 10 years because Honda invested in their R&D right off the bat. Now it's Honda's turn to start using better components in the manufacture of their machines such as disc brakes and more powerful engines.