The DR-Z400S is Suzuki's answer to the search for the perfect all-rounder, a motorcycle capable of taking you to work on weekdays and performing on the berms and ruts of a motocross track at the weekends. Hey, you could even fulfil that dream and finally ride around the world on one of these.
With lights and a proper silencer this is a fully street legal version of Suzuki's dedicated DR-Z400E off-roader. The punchy liquid cooled 398cc, four-stroke DOHC single grunts out torque for grinding through traffic or deep mud, as well as giving the sort of top end power you'll appreciate when it comes to nipping through gaps in the traffic or launching off a jump.
To keep weight down the Suzi features a thin wall chrome-moly steel frame that has been designed to achieve torsional rigidity in spite of its minimal weight.
The long travel front fork with 49mm stanchion tubes can soak up just about anything you are going to throw at it, while the long travel rear shock connects to the swingarm via a progressive linkage so that the action is more controlled.
A nice touch is the clutch cover which can be removed without draining the engine coolant for easier maintenance. The air filter can be replaced without tools.
This is one all-rounder that is tops off-road, so you'll appreciate the aluminium bash plate that protects the engine. But you won't miss out on the usual road-going equipment. The DR-Z400S comes with an electric start and the instrument cluster includes a speedometer, odometer, twin trip meters with addition and subtraction facility, a clock, timer and stopwatch.
With long-travel suspension and bodywork plastics designed for a hard life, the DR-Z400S can take anything you throw at it.
