Suzuki has finally updated the most versatile and dependable dirt bike on the market — and the internet promptly lost its collective mind. So, how does it compare to the DR-Z400?

Words: Pete Vorst / Photography: Motohead Media

Suzuki’s DR-Z400 has sat on showroom floors, solid as a red desert monolith, essentially unchanged since the turn of the millennium, back when everyone was convinced their Windows 98-powered PC was about to explode. In the 26 years since, the rest of the industry charged ahead into fuel injection, rider aids and TFT screens with more pixels than a TV, while the DR-Z just kept chugging along largely unchanged. Over that time the DR-Z amassed a loyal following who valued its easy-going nature, anvil-tough reliability and affordability. But tightening regulations, shifting expectations and the slow grind of time eventually caught up with it, forcing Suzuki’s hand after more than two decades of polite neglect. The new DR-Z4S is the result — an all-new machine built to satisfy Euro 5+ and modern safety rules. Almost nothing carries over, and Suzuki appears to have delivered a bike that ticks all the boxes… well, almost.

Despite the neglect, riders trusted the DR-Z, and although it was designed for fanging around in the bush, countless examples have been turned into adventure bikes, commuters, flat track racers and even farm hacks. The DR-Z was a true king of versatility — one people trusted to cross deserts, jungles and continents without complaint — so it was essential Suzuki retained what riders loved while dragging the bike into the modern world.

The new bike still uses a 398cc single-cylinder engine, and if you squint it even looks familiar from the outside, but that’s where the familiarity largely ends. The DR-Z4S engine has been comprehensively updated. Fuel injection replaces the carburettor, and the throttle is now ride-by-wire. The cylinder head uses dual spark plugs, lightweight titanium intake valves and sodium-filled exhaust valves, all aimed at improving combustion efficiency, emissions and throttle response. Bore, stroke and compression remain unchanged, so it’s still not a highly strung mill — which should help preserve the legendary reliability.

Power reaches the rear wheel via a five-speed gearbox — yep, Suzuki chose not to join the rest of the world and add a sixth ratio. In the bush this omission isn’t an issue, but given how many riders used the DR-Z400 as a lightweight adventure rig, I’m genuinely surprised Suzuki didn’t take the opportunity to add the extra cog after all these years. There’s been some hand-waving from Team Yellow about keeping the cases narrow, but considering svelte enduro hardware like KTM’s 500 EXC and Yamaha’s WR250F run six-speed boxes, I call horseshit on that.

The four-valve DOHC engine sits in a new steel frame with an aluminium subframe and swingarm, with fully adjustable KYB suspension at both ends. Travel on the 4S is 280 mm up front and 290 mm at the rear, and with 300 mm of ground clearance it remains firmly in serious dual-sport territory rather than soft adventure-bike land.

Braking duties are still handled by Nissin, with disc sizes growing from 250 mm to 270 mm at the front and 220 mm to 240 mm at the rear.

The ride-by-wire throttle also ushers in more electronics. The DR-Z400 had the electronic sophistication of a playing card, but the DR-Z4S now runs Suzuki’s Intelligent Ride System, bundling ride modes, traction control and ABS. Suzuki’s Drive Mode Selector offers four ride modes — A, B, C and Gravel — all delivering full peak output but altering power delivery. Traction control now offers three levels plus off, and ABS is standard and fully defeatable, though it resets when you cycle the ignition. For a bike that previously had almost no electronics, this is a massive philosophical shift.

The DR-Z now runs full LED lighting, and the stone-age dash has been replaced with a multifunction LCD panel that provides such luxuries as a gear position indicator, fuel gauge and consumption data.

Suzuki has reworked the DR-Z4S cockpit around improved control and easier movement. A modern tapered aluminium fat bar sits higher and slightly closer to the rider, while the footpegs are higher and further back, creating a more upright, off-road-focused stance. The reshaped seat makes weight shifts easier and remains 935 mm off the ground. A new slim 8.7-litre tank (up 1.7 litres) keeps the bike narrow between the knees, and the old rear tool bag is replaced by a lockable side-mounted toolbox.

That’s an extensive list of changes — and I’ve only lifted the hemline — but you can’t festoon a bike with gadgets without increasing price or weight. In the DR-Z4S case, both have risen. Weight is up 11 kg to 151 kg, and the price has climbed $2,900 to $14,490 ride-away.

If you’re coming from the outgoing DR-Z400, the first thing you notice when riding the DR-Z4S isn’t speed — it’s civility. The new bike fires instantly, idles properly and no longer requires a cold-start choke ritual. EFI and ride-by-wire have taken the rough edges off the engine without sanding away its character. It still feels like a DR-Z — torquey and willing — but the delivery is cleaner and more predictable, especially in low-speed technical terrain where the old bike could get cranky or flame out. Peak power feels broadly similar from memory, but low- and midrange strength feel improved, fuelling is spot-on, and the DR-Z4S is simply easier to ride smoothly when precision matters.

Of course, the ride mode you choose will influence your chances of whisky-throttling into the wilderness. Mode A gives the sharpest response, Mode B softens the initial hit for smoother control in technical terrain, Mode C dulls things further, and Gravel mode is tuned for loose surfaces, smoothing throttle inputs while working with traction control to allow controlled slides without things getting silly.

Traction control offers three levels plus off. On a bike like this, most experienced dirt riders will switch it off — I certainly did — but it’s better to have it and not need it than the other way around. ABS can be disabled with a single button press and is fairly unobtrusive, and can be comfortably left on for sealed roads and dirt-road fun. It’ll lose its mind in proper off-road sections, so you’ll need to switch it off — and remember to do it again after cycling the ignition before dropping into a rocky downhill.

While the addition of fuel injection and electronics has stolen much of the fanfare, it’s the new suspension where the DR-Z4S truly separates itself from the old model. The previous bike was competent — if you were light or not particularly fast — but it tied itself in knots once speeds crept up or terrain got ugly. The new KYB suspension is firmer; for the trail riding I was doing it suited my 105 kg frame well, although it was brand new and will likely soften slightly. The fully adjustable boingers offer better control and remain composed when you’re hard on the gas. It’s still sprung and valved for real-world riders rather than motocross heroes, but the improvement over the old bike is substantial.

Steering is more precise, the bike holds a line better in rough ground, and it simply feels better everywhere. It still feels like a DR-Z — just more stable, predictable and capable.

Brakes have improved, but I’d still call them adequate rather than exceptional. Pad material can influence feel, as do the garbage rubber brake lines Suzuki continues to lash to its bikes. When you buy your DR-Z4S, replace the lines with steel braided versions and throw the rubber ones in the bin — the difference will be night and day.

Ergonomics have improved and it’s easier to move around, though the change isn’t dramatic. That said, the new bike feels slimmer, particularly around the tank-seat junction — less chunky, more modern and refined, less agricultural if you will. The higher bar is better than the junk on the old bike, but still a bit low for my 186 cm frame. That’s no deal breaker; I’ve fitted risers or swapped bars on plenty of bikes.

So, with a better engine, a splash of modern niceties like fuel injection and electronic wizardry, and seriously upgraded suspension, the DR-Z4S is a no-brainer, right? For many, apparently not if you read Facebook comments. The two sticking points seem to be the lack of a six-speed box and the price hike. I can understand the bleating about the missing sixth gear — it simply should have happened, and from the riding public’s perspective there’s no reasonable excuse. Suzuki may have its reasons, but the buying public doesn’t care.

Should the DR-Z be panned because of this? No. Would the DR-Z4S be a better all-rounder and satisfy more riders with an extra cog? Yes.

I’m more of a fence sitter on the price. A $2,900 hike for such an extensive overhaul doesn’t seem unreasonable. That said, the DR-Z4S won’t be judged in isolation unless you’re a rusted-on DR-Z fan, and there are plenty of alternatives. If you want a relatively lightweight adventure machine, CFMOTO’s 450MT and Royal Enfield’s Himalayan 450 tick plenty of boxes for less money, with greater comfort and better sealed-road manners. If you want something light and fast in the bush, there are bikes that do it better — but you’ll pay more and spend far more time maintaining them. It’s the space between these worlds where the DR-Z4S lives — a true dual-sport in the purest sense. There’s very little it can’t do, and it’ll keep doing it longer than arguably any dirt bike on the market.

As a fan of the DR-Z400, I love that Suzuki has delivered a vastly improved and modernised bike that still somehow feels like a DR-Z. So much has changed yet stayed the same — it remains easy and forgiving to ride, and that rock-solid reliability feels baked in. I reckon the DR-Z4S retains the mantle as the most versatile and dependable dirt bike on the market. Prove me wrong.

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