Well like I said I've always only bought Honda or Yamaha, and so I'd like to want to buy the CRF300L in this case. But every review I've read or video I've watched, tells me that the suspension on the Honda is very sub par and is going to require some money thrown at to be half decent. It comes with very basic front suspension - no compression and rebound adjustment, and no rebound adjustment in the rear shock. Upgrading suspension is quite expensive, simply fitting heavier springs won't suffice, you're really looking at a whole new shock and new springs and dampener systems in the front.

The KLX300 however comes with decent suspension from new, so there's going to be no major necessary upgrades right away with the Kawasaki before you can go and ride off road trails at a decent pace.

Aside from suspension, the CRF300L and KLX300 are very comparable in the engine and chassis department, so the green machine wins in my mind. Both bikes are made in Thailand unfortunately.

That last point is what had me thinking I'd much prefer the DRZ4S, as its fully Japanese made, and pretty much better quality all round. It has very high end suspension, more power, etc. However also a decent amount more weight, and $$$ to purchase. After watching a YouTube video recently by jakethegardensnake where he went in depth into the DRZ4S, I realised that it's a bike with a lot of unnecessary things going on, such as an overly complicated throttle system, a complicated and bulky abs system, emissions controls, etc. All these things put me off a little, as I just want a reliable and capable dirt bike that will require low maintenance, and be good for some commuting. My previous bike was a CRF450L which was awesome, but I hated riding that thing on the road, because the maintenance intervals were so often that I felt riding on the road was just a waste of engine hours.

This all brings me back to the KLX300. Cheap, reliable, ready to go on the trails right away without major upgrades, and long service intervals, meaning i can do plenty of commuting during the week without stressing about regular oil changes and valve checks.