Hello everyone,
My name is Joe, 59 years old, I live in east Tennessee but spent most of my life in SW Michigan.  It was the neighbor's 100cc Yamaha enduro that hooked me on motorcycles many years ago.  Personally, I have never owned a DT (I realize not all years were called DT's) but between my brothers and my kids we've had a 60cc, 80cc, and 100cc.  Currently I have a handful of bikes ranging from 1947 to 2017, and a few scooters too.  I love anything with two wheels.  I am curious as to what the best DT would be.  I am guessing a 400 (I'm 260 pounds) but maybe the best combo of cc's and performance was a different size - a 250 maybe??  Anyway I hope to learn that here.  Thanks.  Joe
 

Welcome from NZ.
My reccomendation would be a late model DT250 [not DT3 "73 250 although nothing wrong with those].
Later design is a stronger motor in my opinion & last of them--think "79--has a 'good cdi ignition' from the 400.
250 is easier to ride & far less temperamental & is the same bike physicaly as the 400 so far as bike size goes.

Greetings from Germantown Tennessee 
  I agree with RT325

Greetings from OC California!

you pose a great question - I have a ‘71 dt1e, ‘74 dt360a, ‘78 dt400e and each one becomes my “favorite” after a ride!  My advice is to buy several!

Hey msavitt, any significant performance difference between he 360 and the 400?

Joe

I have the 250, 360, and 400. If I were to choose one of the three for an all day excursion it would be the 250. It's just an all around enjoyable ride. The 360 is the strongest runner of the three.

Hi - 

all subjective….
My 360 and 400 both have lots of torque.  I think the 400 has a bit more top end. 400 has a bigger carb. My 400 mono shock and more suspension travel seems a bit more comfy and agile on really rough terrain. Both pull nice at low rpm when crawling up hills.  The 360 has more of the chugging than 360 but both have.  I went up a size on the pilot jet on 360 and it helped. You didn’t ask but the 250 is less powerful but the motor is not all snarly and chugging it’s just perfectly smooth.