- 6/3/2025
Suzuki DR-Z400S Returns to the Market | A True Off-Road Beast!
Get ready, bike lovers! The legendary Suzuki DR-Z400S is making a powerful comeback in 2025 with major updates. Known for its unmatched durability and off-road capabilities, this dual-sport machine is back to rule the roads and the trails.
In this video, we dive into the latest features, engine specs, design upgrades, and why the DR-Z400S is still a favorite among adventure riders. Whether you're a Suzuki fan or a dirt bike enthusiast, this is a bike you don't want to miss!
📌 Key Highlights:
398cc liquid-cooled engine 🔥
Lightweight frame for top off-road performance 🏍️
Street-legal dual-sport ready for adventure
Legendary reliability and control
🔔 Subscribe for the latest updates on new bikes, features, and reviews!
#SuzukiDRZ400S #OffRoadBeast #DualSportBike #BikeNews2025 #MotorcycleReview #SuzukiReturns #AdventureBike #DRZ400
Get ready, bike lovers! The legendary Suzuki DR-Z400S is making a powerful comeback in 2025 with major updates. Known for its unmatched durability and off-road capabilities, this dual-sport machine is back to rule the roads and the trails.
In this video, we dive into the latest features, engine specs, design upgrades, and why the DR-Z400S is still a favorite among adventure riders. Whether you're a Suzuki fan or a dirt bike enthusiast, this is a bike you don't want to miss!
📌 Key Highlights:
398cc liquid-cooled engine 🔥
Lightweight frame for top off-road performance 🏍️
Street-legal dual-sport ready for adventure
Legendary reliability and control
🔔 Subscribe for the latest updates on new bikes, features, and reviews!
#SuzukiDRZ400S #OffRoadBeast #DualSportBike #BikeNews2025 #MotorcycleReview #SuzukiReturns #AdventureBike #DRZ400
Category
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MotorTranscript
00:00The European market has lacked a trail bike for the everyman since the previous DRZ400S was dropped in 2009 when it failed to meet 2 euro plus emissions standards.
00:12It has been on sale in the USA with far more relaxed tailpipe emissions standards until 2024, mind, where it remained a top seller for Suzuki.
00:22Its affordability and reliability on top of a competent on-slash off-road package bridged the gap between entry-level trail bikes like the CRF300L and tougher, more fragile enduro bikes, or heavier.
00:37Less rugged adventure bikes for that matter.
00:39The DRZ400S is more than a warmed-over 25-year-old machine.
00:44The chassis is all-new, while it's now equipped with fly-by-wire fuel injection with traction control-slash-ride modes in tow.
00:53The engine is a serious evolution of the previous model.
00:56It shares fundamental layout and a few parts, but 80% of them are new in order to simply maintain performance while making it cleaner.
01:04The existing overseas DRZ must emit 82% less CO2, as well as 80% less NX, not to mention reduced noise.
01:16So peak figures are all but identical.
01:19There's a little extra power early in the rev range, but the DRZ, for S, isn't here to tear your head off.
01:26It's about usability, capability, and fun, and the package around the unchanged output is what modernizes Suzuki's offering and makes us want one again 25-year later.
01:37Very little jumps out as a-a-glaring issue.
01:40Most of the time, it's able to traverse any trail, nursing the fledgling skills of an off-road novice or stepping up to the demands of seasoned dirt shredders.
01:50The new electronics aren't just mandated, nannying safety devices.
01:54The ride modes are somewhat gimmicky, but the gravel mode for the traction control allows a considered amount of wheel spin typical of the slippage you'll experience when climbing a slope or powering through a loose top layer.
02:08It essentially cuts in at the point where you'd get a wild rev spike or a bigger drift that could catch out the inexperienced.
02:15If you're comfortable in your ability to play with rear traction, it won't be needed, and it's easy to disable fully.
02:21But if you're starting out on the trail, it allows you to be bolder with throttle openings knowing it won't spit you off, but also won't put the dampers on a spirited ride, allowing you to safely get a feel for traction.
02:34It's easy to ride with more power and fewer limitations than budget trail bikes, puts a massive smile on your face, and has better road manners than an enduro bike.
02:45Increasing your ability to travel to the best off-tarmac routes, KYB supply a 46mm fork and ProLink monoshock.
02:54The swingarm is aluminium. The brakes are from Nissan. It's middle-of-the-road kit, but very good.
03:01The spring and damping rates fit the brief well.
03:04Enduro bikes tend to require you to meet a certain load and speed threshold to get the moving and delivering grip-slash-feel,
03:12but the DRZ4SS softer feel helps you get your head in the game much easier.
03:17But once you're on the pace, it doesn't struggle with insufficient support.
03:22It's nimble, but stable, and exceptionally well-balanced with a lowish center of gravity that doesn't cause the bike to topple after a certain point.
03:30It doesn't get too upset if your strength is waning and you need to sit back in the seat for a bit either.
03:36It gets a little fidgety, but it'll still turn and traverse rough spots without beating you up.
03:42IRC dual-sport tires are fitted as standard.
03:45Specifying tires for a bike like this is a thankless task.
03:49Every customer will desire a different mix of dirt-slash-tarmac ability,
03:54and the terrain, even with a single market, will differ by region.
03:59DRZ4SS will likely see the forests of Wales, the desert in Utah, and city streets the world over.
04:06AS they are.
04:07The IRC's coped admirably with a mix of rocky, gravelly, and loamy spots on the launch in Oregon, USA.
04:15As well as staying hooked up on both wet and dry tarmac between dirt sections.
04:21Najari's single track is easy to navigate, as well as nose along fire roads at speed.
04:27Following the guide rider with intimate knowledge of the trail, with speed to match,
04:31I made a few incorrect line choices, but the Suzuki allows you to rectify your mistakes.
04:38The brakes are superb, there's enough power if you squeeze harder,
04:41but there's a progressive build from a soft initial touch that allows precise matching of braking effort with the traction available.
04:49One steep, loose descent had my eyes widen while certain other muscles contracted.
04:54But the ability to moderate the rear brake allowed me to control my speed without issue,
05:00able to steer between trees and get down in one piece, smiling instead of grimacing.
05:05IT sucks up gentle jumps and humps you'll encounter in the forest.
05:10And the soft initial stroke makes bouncing the front end to pop over such obstacles easy.
05:16Ease.
05:16That word again.
05:18But that's a core part of the DRZ4SS appeal.
05:21It'll be a great companion for gentle green landing,
05:25but it'll handle more serious riding 2 to AN unchanged output and gear count.
05:30Just the 5 sounds underwhelming on paper, but the reality is different.
05:35Remember, this isn't built for competition with hard-hitting power.
05:40It's built to accommodate a wide variety of riding ability in the dirt.
05:45Friendly power and torque spread widely over the rev range is the name of the game.
05:49The DRZ4S has that.
05:53The previous DRZ400S had a 36mm carburetor, or 41mm on the warmed-up DRZ400E,
06:02while the DRZ4S breeds through a 42mm throttle body.
06:07A carb that big would produce power, but would be sensitive to large throttle openings
06:12and vulnerable to bogging and stalling.
06:15Electronic management of fuel input sidesteps that.
06:18The twist grip still pushes and pulls a pair of cables,
06:22but they're simply acting on a sensor, which informs the ECU of your demand for power.
06:28Which then makes an informed decision on the right amount of air slash fuel to feed into deliver,
06:33that while maintaining smooth and clean running.
06:36It also allows three throttle response settings, or modes,
06:40all will make peak power at the same point.
06:43But B and C feed torque in more gradually.
06:45I started my test with the bike set to A mode,
06:49and on the road or faster trail,
06:51its keen response doesn't feel snatchy.
06:54It does, in fact, deliver more throttle body opening than you ask for lower down,
07:00making it feel perkier and crisper.
07:02For slower, stand-up off-road riding,
07:06it's too edgy for part throttle work where your every involuntary input on the twist grip
07:11creates an unwanted surge or shutdown.
07:15B mode solves that, with its softer, more carburetor-like feel.
07:19C mode is like a trials bike throttle and feels too slow-witted on a bike
07:24with a softly delivered 38 brake horsepower.
07:27It's all you need for recreational trail riding in most circumstances.
07:32Suzuki's engineers say they chose to rework the basic framework of the old motor,
07:37resulting in new parts requiring new tooling,
07:39because it was already the right tool for the job.
07:42It just wasn't clean enough,
07:44and didn't have the niceties of ride-by-wire either.
07:46And I'm inclined to agree,
07:49given that most of the time you're not even putting the peak power and torque down anyway.
07:54The crucial thing for riders not looking to win an enduro is the usability,
07:58which the DRZ400S always had,
08:02and the DRZ4S improves upon a touch with the ride modes.
08:06There's a new clutch, making life easier too,
08:10a slip-slash-assist unit that uses two ramp mechanisms.
08:13One increases pressure on the clutch plates with RPM,
08:17meaning it can hold power without the need for heavy springs,
08:21resulting in a light, one-finger clutch action.
08:24The other partially disengages the plates on the overrun,
08:27helping prevent excessive back torque from locking the rear wheel.
08:32Suzuki addressed the lack of a 6th gear on this new model with two lines of reasoning.
08:37The first being that they don't believe the typical user will need the extra speed range of a 6th gear.
08:42The second is that they didn't want to add weight, bulk, and cost to the engine.
08:47Both plausible, but it's an outlier with a 5-speed,
08:51and it does start to feel a bit strained over 65 mph.
08:56That said, the internal gear ratios are so low,
08:59it could probably stand a taller final drive ratio,
09:03which would not only bring top gear RPM down,
09:06but it would also extend the useful range of 1st to 1st and a half,
09:10which would make tight single-track riding as we experienced potentially easier
09:15without having to go back and forth.
09:18Suzuki has recently introduced a 7-year warranty for its road bikes,
09:22and the DRZ4S is included despite the inevitable rigors of off-road life most will be subject to.
09:293,750-mile service intervals are fairly typical for smaller-capacity bikes used off-road.
09:36That's a lot of sub, 50 mph greenlane thrashing,
09:40and service costs are low for any engine like this.
09:43Outright reliability remains to be seen with this new generation,
09:47but given there is no change in peak output compared to the old DRZ400S,
09:53itself broadly reliable, neglect notwithstanding.
09:56The more modern engineering introduced in certain areas should solidify its credentials.
10:03The DRZ4S is still built in Japan, and the fit and finish back's set up.
10:09It's well put together, and the launch bikes weren't showing signs of early wear
10:13from boot-slash dirt abrasion around the frame,
10:16which is something we've seen on the likes of the CRF 300L pretty early on.
10:21Mirrors, switchgear, and clocks are of a respectable standard for a trail bike,
10:26and the headlight is surprisingly bright despite its tiny size.
10:30Several bikes suffered minor and moderate drops and bumps,
10:34but none suffered any damage you couldn't fix
10:36by simply tweaking the steel brackets holding the indicators and cowl assembly on.
10:42It appears it'll be a robust bike in all regards.
10:45UK pricing hadn't been set at the time of riding.
10:48The European RRP equates to 8,200 pounds.
10:52If we had to guess, we'd say Suzuki GB is working to get that down a touch more,
10:58but that remains to be seen.
11:00On the face of it, it's a reasonable chunk of cash for a sub, 40 BHP single,
11:05but its spec is somewhat unique.
11:07On one side, you have Britain's most popular new trail bike,
11:12the CRF 300L, the 5,899 pounds.
11:1826 brake horsepower, 142 kilograms,
11:22single continues to find buyers for its outstanding value and novice-friendly fuel.
11:27For 6,599 pounds, you can opt for the rally version that brings nothing more than a ferry.
11:35There's a clear gap in performance, not only power, but chassis-wise,
11:40and the Honda only has ABS.
11:42It's fine for gentle plotting,
11:44but owners often find themselves hitting its limitations or outgrowing it.
11:49It's built in Thailand to a more basic level of finish, too.
11:53There's also Beta's 300 cubic centimeters two-stroke X-Trainer for 6,795 pounds,
12:01which isn't the angry smoker it may sound,
12:04but a light, forgiving trail bike in the same vein as the Suzuki.
12:08The engine configuration limits its appeal,
12:11though, particularly if road use is on the agenda.
12:14On the top side, KTM 690 Enduro comes in at 10,399 pounds
12:21with 73 brake horsepower and a high-grade chassis.
12:25But that power and weight, 149 kilograms minus fuel,
12:31means it's a handful on slower trails for money.
12:34It's set to be joined by the Indian-built 390 Enduro
12:37are for 5,699 pounds,
12:41which claims over 40 brake horsepower with high-grade suspension,
12:44but there's no telling when or if.
12:47It'll arrive given KTM's problems in 2025.
12:51They've got a big job to rebuild customer confidence, too.
12:55All of those considered,
12:56the Japanese-built, well-specced Suzuki is probably fairly priced,
13:01but ultimately the market will decide.
13:04General running costs should be low.
13:06Service intervals are 3,750 miles,
13:10which is less than half the CRF 300 LS theoretical 8,000-mile spacing.
13:16But few owners allow a small single
13:18that spend a lot of time working hard
13:20with minimal oil capacity to go that far anyway.
13:25Suzuki's 7-year warranty applies here, too.
13:29Claimed fuel consumption is 80 miles per gallon,
13:32probably close to achievable on a sensible road ride,
13:35though consumption in the high 40s was typical on our trail-heavy ride.
13:40Trail bikes are spartan by design,
13:42but the DRZ has most of the features you could reasonably hope for.
13:46The Rider 8's package is a plus,
13:49as is the mid-level KYB suspension with a full house of adjustment
13:53and Nissan braking that leaves nothing to be desired.
13:56It's hard to think what else it could reasonably have.
14:00Folding mirrors might be handy,
14:01and we're hoping it spawns a rally-style variant with a tower front fairing.
14:06The lack of 6-gear could be a deal-breaking omission for some,
14:10though taller final drive ratios may alleviate that.
14:13Suzuki has a basic range of accessories.
14:16Two, a sump guard.
14:18Hand guards and small rear rack are likely to be the most popular.
14:23It's some way short of the extensive hop-up parts book KTM tends to offer,
14:27but they're perhaps not the best business role model for the Japanese to follow.
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