It’s hard to believe the DR-Z400S has been around since the Y2K days. You know a bike is good when it remains popular for 25 years, without a single major update. That’s saying something — especially when even the KLR got two overhauls during that same stretch. Despite its aging design, the venerable DR-Z continued to be a top seller for Suzuki, thanks to its versatility, solid performance and legendary reliability.

In spite of its long-running success, Suzuki finally felt it was time to stop resting on their laurels. Enter the all-new DR-Z4S —  a complete revamp, with practically nothing carried over from the previous iteration. 

The basic concept hasn’t been changed much though. It’s still a 398cc water-cooled DOHC single with a 5-speed transmission riding on fully-adjustable off-road suspension with a 21” front wheel and 18” in the back. The overall enduro dimensions remain the same and it still has that coveted ‘Made In Japan’ mark.

What’s New

Take a glance at the engine and you might assume it’s the same powerplant from the DR-Z400S. It looks quite similar on the exterior and would probably bolt right into your old DR-Z, but internally it’s seen significant updates. Electronic fuel injection has been added and everything from the piston shape, camshaft and crank design to valve sizes and oil passages have been painstakingly redesigned by a team of Suzuki engineers in an effort to make it quieter, smoother, cleaner, more fuel efficient.

The main goal at hand was to get this old-school engine to pass the stringent EURO 5+ emissions standard, while maintaining or exceeding current performance. The old DRZ was EURO 2 compliant, which meant they could only sell it in North America after about 2008. Even the Suzuki employees in Japan who built the bikes would watch them roll off the assembly line year after year, knowing they could never own one.

This new DR-Z4S is designed to be a world bike, which opens up a much larger market and potential sales for this model. Yet with such a huge following for the DR-Z400S, they tried to be careful not to mess with the formula too much. Styling-wise, it looks more modern with new streamlined bodywork, LED lighting all around, a beefy USD fork, and a tiny pindrop LED headlight. Although, the display is still an old school LCD unit.

As part of the EURO 5+ compliance, they’ve redesigned the airbox, given it dual spark plugs, added fuel injection, ride-by-wire throttle, and added catalytic converters. Europe gets one Cat in the header and one in the muffler, while the North American model only has one in the header. Suzuki says the new weight and power specs are the same though for EU and North America models.

With the addition of fuel injection and all the improvements in engine efficiency, the new DR-Z now gets 5% better fuel mileage. This allowed the engineers to shrink the fuel tank from 2.6 gallons to 2.3 and maintain the same range. Horsepower and torque have also been improved in the low end and top end. However, peak power in the mid-range has dropped slightly. The result is a flatter power curve and a tractable engine with an over-rev option. Max output of the updated engine is now 38 horsepower and 27 ft-lbs of torque. Maintenance intervals remain the same, which are 3,500 miles for oil changes and 14,500 miles for valve clearance checks.

Besides the aforementioned engine updates, the DR-Z4S also gets a new Clutch Assist system which includes a slipper clutch and a softer pull. Suzuki has also added a new radiator with a larger cooling fan, along with an Easy Start System that starts the engine with just one quick press of the starter button. The ride-by-wire throttle uses a cable to the throttle body but after that, it’s electronically controlled. This allows for the addition of new power maps (they call them  modes). The ‘A’ mode is the most aggressive, opening the throttle early for a brappier feel, while ‘C’ mode is more of a smooth, delayed throttle opening, ideal for slippery surfaces. ‘B’ mode is a linear throttle curve that more closely mimics what your wrist is doing.

Another new electronic upgrade is an advanced traction control system. You get two levels of intervention for the street (1 and 2) and a ‘G’ mode (i.e. gravel) for the dirt, plus you can turn it off completely. It’s similar to the system used on the V-Stroms with a mode button on the left handlebar but it’s been tuned specifically for the lighter, smaller, more dirt-capable DR-Z. ABS is also new standard equipment with a simple push-and-hold button on the dash to turn it ‘off’ for either rear wheel only or both wheels.

Continuing down the list, we have several chassis upgrades. The new DR-Z4S rides on a completely different frame with a semi-double cradle design rather than the old single backbone frame with front downtube. However, the dry-sump lubrication system that carries engine oil in the frame is still carried over. The new fully-adjustable KYB USD front fork now has 11.0 inches of travel (down from 11.3 inches) and it is a completely different unit than the USD fork on last year’s DR-Z400SM supermoto model.

Out back, there’s a new swing arm and a new Pro Link linkage designed to give the bike improved bump absorption. The rear shock retains the same 11.6 inches of suspension travel and it’s also still fully adjustable, including high/low rebound damping settings. Braking has been enhanced as well with rotors front and rear that are 30mm larger.

Besides that, the new bodywork comes with new ergos. A new slimmer tank makes it easier to grip and a wider, flatter seat is more comfortable and easier to get your weight forward. Footpegs have been widened for an improved stance and there’s a new tapered aluminum fat bar instead of the old 1” steel bar. The seat height has been lowered 0.6 inches, now at 36.2 inches, making it more accessible for shorter riders. And one thing I personally miss is the classic rear fender tool bag, which has been removed.

Among the extensive list of changes, there’s been some weight gain. The old DR-Z400S was never a lightweight enduro machine at 317 pounds wet. But it’s now added 16 pounds, weighing in at 333 pounds wet. That’s roughly the weight of a bowling ball spread evenly across the bike. The Suzuki engineers say they initially shaved some weight from the bike’s design with all the changes, but the addition of the fuel injection system and catalytic converters added it back, plus some.

As far as off-road protection, there’s a small sump guard that sits between the frame rails — similar to the DR-Z400S. Handguards are not standard but they do offer floppy-style guards as optional equipment, as well as a wrap-around aluminum skid plate. The new LED turn signals look like they are the same as those found on the V-Strom 800DE, with hard stalks that seem like they could break fairly easily. We didn’t see any broken turn signals during testing but I’d be curious to see what happens when they are impacted by a solid branch. The mirrors seem to be taken from the 800DE as well but have a robust design.

First Impressions

We got an opportunity to test the new DR-Z4S at the international press launch held in Oregon’s Tillamook rainforest, and somehow we were blessed with perfect sunny weather and blue skies. The Pacific Northwest is the perfect kind of place for a ‘true’ dual sport, as those living around major cities like Portland and Seattle have short commutes to get out to some epic trails and incredible backroads. For this test, we got a little of everything from twisty asphalt and short highway stretches to forest single track and slick gravel roads.

Getting on the new 4S for the first time, the saddle height feels a tad lower than most enduros and it has a smaller feel in general. I rolled the bars forward slightly to open up the cockpit a bit for my tallish 6’2” frame. Standing up on the pegs was awkward with the rubber vibration damping inserts installed, as they had a rounded shape that made you feel like you were rocking back and forth. After quickly removing them, the stance on the new wider footpegs was quite nice. Luckily, the new EURO 5+ engine is super smooth and really doesn’t have much of any vibration at the pegs.

The bike is very quiet too. The sound is so subdued that you hardly feel like you are riding a 400cc thumper. Everything seems highly refined, the suspension doesn’t feel bouncy, the fueling is spot on. Despite the dirt bike ergos, it feels much more like a street bike in demeanor than a capable enduro machine. The high-rev capability of the new engine only adds to that polished streetbike feel.

On The Road

We spent a good portion of the first day on asphalt and that gave us the opportunity to test what many have been concerned about — the 5 speed. Suzuki engineers said they decided not to add an extra gear in an effort to keep the engine as light and streamlined as possible. I’m sure there were some cost considerations in that decision as well but that wasn’t mentioned. We also got confirmation that the gear ratios are unchanged. The only thing that has changed in regards to the bike’s highway cruising speed is the amount of vibes the engine puts out. 

Having ridden the old DR-Z400S in the past and speaking with another tester who currently owns one, the differences at cruising speed are noticeable but aren’t dramatic. It’s a very smooth motor for a 4-stroke single for sure but as you start to get into the higher revs at 68 mph,  you begin to feel some mild vibration. We didn’t have many sections on the backcountry roads where we could maintain those speeds for long but I felt like I would be comfortable cruising around 68-70 mph for an hour if needed. 

Of course, there’s no windscreen either, so getting blasted by wind at those speeds may be more discomforting than the vibes. Overall though, it’s still not a bike you would want to cruise on the open highway for hours on end. And if you live in a place like Los Angeles where the flow of traffic on the 5-lane freeways is closer to 80mph, you are likely throwing this bike on a trailer or truck to get to the trails.

In Oregon, the backroads that took us out to the trails were fantastic. The DR-Z likes to be pushed on pavement and offers some Supermoto character. The damping seemed to be cranked up, so the suspension felt very composed with no dipping or diving under braking. The IRC 50/50 tires had excellent grip on the road too and you could lean the bike way over, never worrying about when it would scrape pegs. The new ABS enabled 270mm front and 240mm rear discs offered ample power and excellent modulation on the street for emergency braking. One finger on the front lever is all that was needed to bring it to a quick halt. 

As for the comfort, the new wider seat is one of the best I’ve tried on an enduro bike. I can think of some adventure bikes I’d like to have this seat on. The upright seating was comfortable with an easy reach to the bars. I think the only ergo issue for me was that my legs felt a bit cramped. I had to lower the rear brake pedal substantially to be able to work the rear brake from the seated position. However, the lower seat height makes this bike more accessible for the average height or shorter riders. I saw a couple of testers in the 5’5” range and they didn’t seem to be having much problem getting a foot down at all.

In terms of passing power, I never felt limited. It’s a non-intimidating power though. The quiet motor makes it feel more mellow than it is. Although, when you need to pass a slow moving car from 50-80mph, you can do it without too much stress. Top speed is probably just under triple digits. I got the bike up to 89 on a long straight and it was still pulling. I’d say it’s noticeably more powerful than a Kawasaki KLX300 but not on par with the acceleration of a KTM 350 EXC-F. On the top end, it’s significantly faster than the old DR-Z400S, but it doesn’t have quite the same midrange braaap power. The flat power curve makes it a little harder to pop a power wheelie in the mid RPMs, but you can still get it up in 1st, 2nd and 3rd (with a yank).

The power maps (modes) make it easy to change the character of the engine. For aggressive style riding, I liked the feel of map A on the road. But if I was carrying a passenger or to-go food in my strapped on milk crate, I’d likely throw it into C. The ABS just did its thing on the street and I never felt like it wasn’t braking hard enough or that I could do better with my own hand. The same could be said for traction control. I was not able to push it hard enough to feel it kicking in on the street. There’s really not enough HPs in this bike to make TC necessary on the street but I like the idea of having it for a safety net on rainy days, especially if you live in a notoriously wet place like the PNW.

In The Dirt

Riding the rainforest trails in the Tillamook State Park was an incredible experience and the DR-Z4S seemed like it was made for this environment. In fact, one of the Suzuki test riders involved in the development of the bike, said it looked just like back home in Japan. The place is covered in single-track, challenging double-track, and criss-crossed with groomed fire roads. We just did a portion of the trails, and we didn’t encounter anything too technically challenging, but I made sure to find a few off-shoots during the two days of riding to give the chassis a proper test.

In the dirt, the stand up ergos were comfortable after rolling the bars forward a tad and removing the rubber footpeg covers. The length and bend of the new tapered bars feels a little swept back for a more casual feel. And with the cushy seat, this thing is a comfortable cruiser ideally suited for exploring trails. The flat seat-to-tank junction makes it easy to slide forward for aggressive cornering as well. Personally, I might want a taller bar for the stand up position but it wasn’t a necessity. I also felt the seated position was a little cramped in the knees, so a taller seat option might be nice to have too.

Pretty early into our first day of riding, we were launching the DRZ through a big set of whoops and water bars. While the suspension is on the plush side, there is a good amount of travel in the KYB springers. The settings we were given were actually a little over-damped, more of a street setting. If there had been more time, I would have liked to play around with the settings a bit. Rebound and compression damping can be adjusted with a simple screwdriver and wrench.

Throughout two days of riding, I only went through the stroke on the rear shock on one occasion. It was a nice soft bounce off the stoppers. No clunks or other strange suspension characteristics revealed themselves on either the front or rear during two days. This was without adjusting preload for my weight (210 pounds +gear) either, so perhaps even that bottoming could have been preventable.

In short, the suspension is on the plush side and feels great over smaller rocks and roots at midrange speeds. Perhaps out in the open desert, at higher speeds with bigger bumps, it might display more limitations, but for woods riding, it didn’t let me down when I pushed the envelope. And the fact that the suspension is fully adjustable allows you to fine tune it to your taste and the terrain.

About the only limitation in the handling I noticed was on some of the more technical single-track trails. In terms of the bike’s size and ergos, it feels like riding a typical enduro bike but the extra weight and perhaps the mild tread on the tires caused it to push wide on loose turns — very predictably though I might add. I never felt out of control, but as speeds ramp up it’s harder to hit your line. Keep in mind this is intended to be a ‘true’ dual sport and for that category, it feels quite nimble and maneuverable. And while we didn’t go through any major rock gardens, the bike’s 11.8 inches of ground clearance is a tad on the low side compared to a performance dual sport. My guess is that it might have some challenges on serious rock crawling trails. Overall though, there are few places I’d hesitate to take a DR-Z4S.

So how were those electronic rider aids off-road? Surprisingly good. I spent most of the first day riding with everything off to get a feel for the bike’s character and limits, without any intervention. Next I started testing the throttle maps. The ‘A’ mode is the one that makes the bike feel the most fun to ride but it has a more jerky feel that isn’t the best choice on cliff-lined single track trails with loose rocks. For the technical tight trails, I preferred mode ‘B’ for a more predictable punch. 

On loose uphills, I liked to keep it in B or even C, and no Traction Control. That way the engine would never cut the power on you at the wrong time, it just smooths out that throttle hand so it comes on with minimal slip. On the loose uphills, riding in Gravel mode worked great with A or B. However, I felt like throttle map C (think rain mode) with traction control on G was way too sluggish. It did keep things smooth and never failed to get me up the hill though, so those two settings together might work like a charm for a new off-road rider, or if you are going up a ‘known’ sketchy hill for the first time.

As a quick test, we found a steep, loose uphill that we could repeat over and over in different modes. It really helped us understand the benefits of the electronics. On the first pass, without any TC, I was kicking out a lot just figuring out how much traction was available. Turning on G mode for the next pass, it was smooth and consistent power without any bogging down when you needed more oomph. If you trust the computer and let it do its thing, the traction control will just figure it out. And at the end of the day when you are tired and you want to just enjoy the ride, it’s nice to be able to throw it into B-Mode Throttle Map with G-Mode Traction Control for a nice casual trail ride experience. On a super gnarly hill climb, I’d probably still want to keep it off though.

As for the ABS, I was riding with it off most of the time on day one. It’s quite easy to turn off with a button on the dash. As long as you don’t cycle the key when you stop and just use the kill switch, it won’t reset the ABS. And by the way, if you cycle the key, you won’t lose your mode or TC settings. On one occasion I did cycle the key and forgot to turn the ABS back on. I just happened to try out the sketchiest descent (not part of the prescribed route) of my entire test. It was deeply rutted and dug in by giant jeep tires on a previous muddy day and the soil was loose and choppy. Mid descent, I started to feel the rear wheel give the unmistakable ABS chatter and I realized I’d forgotten to turn it off. But at this point, I was fully committed. Despite the user error, the brakes never gave me that full pucker factor and they kept giving me just enough braking force to make it down unscathed. 

After this incident, I was pretty confident in the capabilities of the ABS and just left it in the ‘Front On’ setting for the rest of the trip. There were a few times when I felt like I would have liked to brake harder in a section, and I went a little wide sometimes, but never did it try to send me off a cliff. I also wondered how many times it might have saved me from grabbing too much brake and washing out the front.

Probably the most impressive thing about this bike is the fact that they were able to make the electronics work so well off-road. G-mode still lets you pop up the front wheel, you can still get a little slide before ABS kicks in on the front, and the chances of those whiskey throttle moments you see on social media are practically eliminated. The electronic aids just do their thing and rarely do you ever notice them. 

Another stand out feature of the bike was the slow-speed smoothness. The clutch is butter soft and has lots of feel for modulating the power over loose terrain at slow speeds. The engine is also so smooth and torquey at low RPMs that it’s impossible to bog and almost unstallable. I tested taking off in 4th gear and it did it with ease.  

The Bottom Line

In a nutshell, the new DR-Z4S is the same do-it-all, dependable, Japanese-built dual sport that’s comfortable on the road and ready to take on challenging trails. Now it’s even smoother, easier to ride, more refined, and has improved power where you need it. Suzuki didn’t add the 6-speed many had hoped for, but it’s still one of the smoothest thumpers out there for highway cruising. Could it be better? Sure. 

It may have gained some weight in this overhaul but now there’s no more carb idiosyncrasies to deal with like gummed up jets or stumbling at elevation. Overall it’s an improved off-road bike with the chassis updates, plus there’s plenty of weight savings to be had from aftermarket mods (e.g. exhaust system, tail tidy kit, etc).

Not everyone is excited about electronic rider aids on adventure bikes, let alone a dual sport. But I have seen them improve over the years to the point that I realize they have benefits for all types of riders, not just beginner and intermediate off-road riders. While I ‘think’ I could probably ride faster with it all turned off, I’m really not sure these days. And as long as they aren’t intervening at the wrong time, it’s probably a good thing for most of us who are not professional racers to have it on. As they say, smooth is fast, and that’s what the electronics do, make you smoother.  

The question is whether dual sport riders value the advancement in technology enough to pay the higher price tag for the new DR-Z4S. Personally, I was a little shocked like many readers that it’s now $1,800 more than last year’s model ($8,999 vs $7,199), especially when you realize you could buy a DR-Z400S in 2017 for $6,599 ($2,400 increase). Plus, the fact that it didn’t get a 6th gear as one of the upgrades is turning out to be a sticking point for a lot of riders too. 

On that question of value, how does it stack up against the competition? For those looking to save some dough, bikes like the Honda CRF300L ($5,749) and Kawasaki KLX300 ($5,449) could save somewhere in the range of $3,500. These bikes are lighter and sport a 6th gear, but arguably only the KLX300 is a better highway bike. They also don’t have the power, suspension or electronics of the DR-Z. Then there’s the all-new KTM 390 Enduro R ($5,499). While we haven’t tested it yet, on the specs sheet it has more power and similar electronics but is also heavier and has significantly less suspension travel. 

For those that value Japanese build quality, the fact that the DR-Z4S is made in Japan may be a strong selling point. In contrast, all of the other budget dual sport bikes mentioned are either made in Thailand or India. What about the Made-in-Japan Suzuki DR650S ($7,199) or Honda XR650L ($6,999)? Well those are great bikes and many love the simplicity of their air-cooled carbureted engines, but they’re living relics from the 1990s — bigger, heavier, not significantly more powerful, nor smoother on the highway (still have 5 speeds). But if you like low tech, you could save $2,000 there.

With a price tag of $9,000, you’re starting to sniff models in the performance dual sport category. Bikes like the Honda CRF450RL, Beta 350 RS or a KTM 350 EXC-F will put you back somewhere in the neighborhood of $10k-$12k. While they may offer an improvement in off-road performance, they aren’t as good on the highway despite their 6th gears, have more-stringent maintenance requirements (think 600-mile oil changes), and are generally less-versatile if you want to use the bike for getting around town or commuting.

Clearly there are a lot of options out there in the Enduro Dual Sport category to suit the varied needs of riders. The new DR-Z4S sits in a unique space though with its combination of good suspension and power, advanced tech, perceived reliability of Japanese manufacturing, and its versatile, low-maintenance Dual Sport design. Will the new DR-Z4S be embraced in the North American market at this price? Is this iteration of the DR-Z good enough to last another 25 years unchanged? Only time will tell, but maybe we’ll finally get that 6th gear in 2050 (wink!). In the meantime, it’s a dang good bike that I would enjoy having in the garage and I’m eager to explore its capabilities further — especially using it as a lightweight ADV Bike. Stay tuned for more to come!

Suzuki DR-Z4S Specs

Photos by Kevin Wing

Author: Rob Dabney

Rob Dabney started a lifelong obsession with motorcycles at the age of 15 when he purchased his first bike – a 1982 Honda MB5. Through his 20’s and 30’s he competed in off-road desert races, including the Baja 250, 500 and 1000. Eventually, his proclivity for exploration led him to dual sport and adventure riding. Rob’s never-ending quest to discover what’s around the next bend has taken him on Adventures in Latin America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and throughout the American West. As a moto journalist, he enjoys inspiring others to seek adventure across horizons both near and far.