Kit Palmer | January 29, 2016
The DR-Z400S has been around a long, long time. And there is a reason for that: it’s a great bike.
The DR-Z400S has been in Suzuki’s dual-sport lineup since 2001, before that it happily roamed the back roads—dirt or pavement—very capably as a 350. The DR350S made its debut in 1991 and I remember being one of the first in the U.S. to ride it when Suzuki introduced it to the press in the Mojave Desert in California; I was so impressed with it—or perhaps more accurately had so much fun on it—that I purchased one shortly thereafter, though I probably should’ve waited a few more years when the electric-start version came out. (But that would’ve been five long years.) Man, was that kick-start 350 a pain to start! Suzuki billed the DR350S as the first “barely street-legal dual sport bike.” At that time, it pretty much was.
You can read the original magazine story by clicking HERE.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADAM BOOTH
Suzuki introduced the all-new DR-Z400S in 1999 (as a 2000 model) in Death Valley, California, and, yes, I quickly bought one of those, too (for the same reasons as the 350) and kept it for many years until someone wanted to buy it so badly that he gave me an offer I just couldn’t refuse. I miss that bike like no other.
Fast-forward at least 10 years, as I rip down the dirt road making dust in the rain-starved California Mountains on the latest DR-Z400S, and I’m happily reminded of my old DR-Z400S again, because the new one is so similar. Actually, they’re the same bike! And that means it’s just as fun to ride, old-school technology or not.
Even though the Suzuki DR-Z400S hasn’t changed much over the years, it’s still a very capable dual sport bike. Pictured here is the 2015 model, but the 2016 is no different (except for color).
The DR-Z400S hasn’t changed much—if at all—over the years, it just keeps getting a color update every 12 months; but, man, I wish they’d bring back the all-yellow color scheme! Not only did the yellow DRZ just look so good, it also matched its distant cousin, the RM-Z, and that’s always a good thing.
Today, the DR-Z400S is still the same laid back, un-intimating and easy-going bike to ride as it ever was. The 398cc, DOHC, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder four-stroke engine delivers smooth power and decent torque that keeps you grinning while riding on both the pavement and the dirt. Its midsize displacement means it has enough ponies to keep up with the flow of traffic on the highways without too much wincing and enough power to pull you out of trouble on the dirt.
Ultra-plush suspension and a user-friendly motor result in a comfort ride for those long excursions.
Suspension is still way too soft for aggressive riding or for those who might’ve put on a few extra pounds over the holidays, but for casual riding, the ultra-plush ride is kind of a relief.
Suspension components are pretty decent, too. The rather larger 49mm conventional forks are of the cartridge variety, and both the fork and shock offer compression and rebound damping, and preload adjustments. Back in the day, having comp/rebound damping adjustment was a huge deal and still is today, really.
Bump up the preload a bit and the DR-Z can be ridden fairly aggressively on the trail, but it doesn’t take much for an experienced off-road rider to peg the DR-Z’s suspension limit. Still, the important part is that this bike can pretty much take you wherever you want to go—street or dirt—maybe not always as fast as you want to but you’ll get there.
The DR-Z400S comes with a fairly sophisticated digital meter.
Unfortunately, at well over 300 pounds (claimed curb weight is 317 pounds), the DR-Z400S is not light; in fact, it’s downright friggin’ heavy. Combine that with its somewhat tall near-37-inch seat height and you might have a problem if you’re shorter in stature or not quite capable of competing in the Mr. Universe contest.
Another strike against the DR-Z is that it’s still carbureted, via a 36mm Mikuni. The DR-Z400 would benefit greatly from fuel-injection which has become the norm now.
Since the DR-Z400S has been around for so long, there are plenty of aftermarket goodies for it. Consider a larger fuel tank.
From my past experience, the DR-Z is bulletproof—as long as you don’t modify the motor! At least internally. I found that a good aftermarket exhaust system—at least a muffler—and a perfectly tuned carburetor are about as far as you should go if you want to perk things up a bit and don’t want to compromise durability.
The Suzuki DR400R might be an “old” bike on paper and doesn’t get much press anymore, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not a great dual-sport bike that really can take you almost anywhere, street or dirt.
The 2016 Suzuki DR-Z400S features Black bodywork, and has a retail price of $6,599. It also has a 12-month unlimited mileage/limited warranty.
The DR-Z400S also comes in Supermoto form with dual 17-inch wheels. It’s known as the DR-Z400SM ($7,199) and is also street legal.
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SPECIFICATIONS
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2016 Suzuki DR-Z400S ($6,599)
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ENGINE:
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Liquid-cooled, DOHC, 4-stroke, single
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DISPLACEMENT:
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398cc
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BORE X STROKE:
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90.0mm x 62.6mm
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COMPRESSION RATIO:
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11.3:1
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FUEL SYSTEM:
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Mikuni BSR26 single carburetor
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STARTING SYSTEM:
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Electric
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LUBRICATION SYSTEM:
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Dry sump
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TRANSMISSION:
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5-speed
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FRAME:
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Chromoly steel
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FRONT SUSPENSION:
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Conventional, 49mm, cartridge-type, fully adjustable
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REAR SUSPENSION:
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Single shock, linkage, fully adjustable
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FRONT BRAKE:
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Single floating disc
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REAR BRAKE:
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Single disc
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FRONT TIRE:
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80/100-21 in.
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REAR TIRE:
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120/90-18 in.
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WHEELBASE:
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58.5 in.
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GROUND CLEARANCE:
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11.8 in.
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SEAT HEIGHT:
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36.8 in.
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FUEL CAPACITY:
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2.5 gal.
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CURB WEIGHT (claimed):
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317 lbs.
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COLORS:
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Solid Special White No. 2 and solid Iron gray
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You can read the original magazine story by clicking HERE.
For more Cycle News Off-Road motorcycle reviews, click HERE.
For more Suzuki motorcycle reviews, click HERE.
