Some things age better than others, a fancy round of cheese for example, or an expensive scotch. Motorcycles though, not so much. Consumers expect their favorite models to march through generations in step with evolving technologies. And then there are the anomalies, bikes that keep selling well in part because they remain old school. Suzuki’s Y2K-born DR-Z400S is a perfect example, a dual sport that remains a favorite for its balanced capabilities,  simple and reliable construction and approachable price. 

Since 2000, the bike has seen few upgrades, save for the addition of fully adjustable suspension, and nothing as remarkable as that since the early aughts. Looking at newly filed patents published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, however, it appears Suzuki is finally ready to take the DR-Z400 into the 21st century by adding electronic fuel injection and ride-by-wire throttle action. While a few old faithfuls will be sad to see the carburetor go, many more will be excited by the possibilities EFI brings, including the addition of power maps, ride modes and improved fuel efficiency. Who knows, there could even be cruise control. 

We can see the exhaust has been rerouted to make space the EFI system, and while the engine does look like the trusty 389cc liquid-cooled DOHC single, there’s no reason a bump in displacement is out of the question, especially when considering how common aftermarket DRZ big-bore kits are on the market. 

Another hope many fans of the DR-Z400 hold dear would be the addition of a sixth gear, or at least a revised ratio, though nothing in these images hints at that update. Perhaps if Kawasaki had upgraded its KLR650 to a six speed gearbox when it was resurrected in 2022 Suzuki would feel more pressure to invest in that department. 

The mockup’s frame and tank shape look traditional, but we can see Suzuki is sprucing up the bike’s chunky 90s vibe with some modern styling cues that look to be inspired by the company’s RM-Z dirt bike family, including the shape of the muffler.  

The drawings also leave a lot to the imagination. The rendered bike’s headlamp assembly and cockpit is a mystery, as well as potential changes to the ergonomic triangle or suspension. 

We would expect much of this popular dual sport bike to remain the same, a rock solid, yet no frills formula that helps anchor it to an approachable price range. In 2024 a new DR-Z400S set buyers back $7,199. For contrast a new DR-Z400S in the year 2000 was $5,349.

In an interesting twist, a look through Suzuki’s website and its recent new model press releases confirms the maker hasn’t announced any DRZ400 models in its 2025 lineup, including the specialized DR-Z400SM SuperMoto that’s been a fixture in the DR-Z family since 2005. This could only mean one of two things, there will be a major standalone reveal of an upgraded DR-Z as Suzuki leans into the model’s 25 year anniversary, which might even come as a mid-year model release, or less likely, 2025 will be a gap year for the DR-Z400 line. 

Either way, you’ve got to hand it to Suzuki for producing a machine back in 2000 that would become an instant legend and carry that status for a quarter century. 

And of course it was no accident. Suzuki will forever be remembered as one of the pioneers of the on/off-road segment, dropping a whole line of dual sport bikes in 1990, that included the venerable and still beloved DR650, at a time when the categories of off-road and legal on-road riding were just beginning to overlap.  

And yes, Kawasaki’s KLRs were already lighting up trails with their street-legal headlamps as early as the mid-80s, but Suzuki will be remembered as the company that really got its hands dirty shepherding the dual sport movement with its heavy involvement in the creationtion of regional, dealer-supported rides, as well as its conjuring and support of The Suzuki DualSport Riders Club, whose collective voice directed the manufacturer to develop the DR-Z400S we still know and appreciate to this day. 

Author: Jamie Elvidge

Jamie has been a motorcycle journalist for more than 30 years, testing the entire range of bikes for the major print magazines and specializing in adventure-travel related stories. To date she’s written and supplied photography for articles describing what it’s like to ride in all 50 states and 43 foreign countries, receiving two Lowell Thomas Society of American Travel Writer’s Awards along the way. Her most-challenging adventure yet has been riding in the 2018 GS Trophy in Mongolia as Team AusAmerica’s embedded journalist.