Riders Preferred Membership
Shop by Vehicle
Track Order
Contact Us
One of the most long-awaited updates regularly asked for by practical-minded motorcyclists has finally happened. Well, mostly.
The 2000 model year marked the debut of the Suzuki DR-Z400S, a new motorcycle that gave a lot of riders what they were looking for: a liquid-cooled engine with electric start and capable suspension for off-road duties, but in a genuinely versatile and easy-to-live-with dual-sport package, not a high-strung, high-maintenance race bike. It's been a part of Suzuki's lineup ever since, joined by an off-road-only E version and a supermoto SM version.
The thing is, the features that made the DR-Z400 a fresh, new option nearly a quarter of a century ago haven't changed since. Now, for 2025, Suzuki is introducing the successor DR-Z4S dual-sport and DR-Z4SM supermoto.
The engine is still a liquid-cooled 398 cc single, but it loses the carburetor for electronic fuel injection and a ride-by-wire throttle. Approximately 1.2 million internet forum posts on tuning DR-Z carbs just took the first step towards becoming obsolete. Intake valves are titanium, exhaust valves are hollow and sodium-filled, and two spark plugs fire the combustion chamber.
More surprising than the fuel injection, the new DR-Z models come with three ride modes and four-level traction control. The three modes, simply labeled A, B, and C, all provide full power but change the throttle response. For traction control, the rider can select TC1, which allows some wheel spin, or TC2, which allows almost no spin. There's also a G (gravel) mode that allows more rear wheel spin for off-road riding or for riding on the track with the SM. The traction control can also be turned off entirely. The drive modes and traction control are the same on both the S and the SM.
Bosch ABS is standard and can be switched off both front and rear on the S and at the rear on the SM. Lighting is upgraded to LEDs.
So why did I say the two Suzukis "mostly" got the expected update? Well, although the transmission has been revised, it's still a five-speed, not the six-speed some owners expected for the next iteration of the DR-Zs. Both bikes do get the Suzuki Clutch Assist System that makes the pull on the cable-operated clutch lever lighter and allows a small amount of clutch slip under deceleration.
While the frame and engine are the same, the S and SM part ways with brakes and suspension, as you'd expect, given their different missions. The front brake disc on the SM is 40 millimeters larger and the suspension travel is a fraction of an inch shorter. Really, though, the differences on the spec sheet between the S and SM are smaller than you might expect. For example, the SM still has more than 10 inches of suspension travel at both ends and the seat height is a rather off-road-like 35 inches.
Personally, I think it's going to be very interesting to see how this revision sells in the U.S. market. Dual-sport sales took off during the pandemic and while they've come back down to earth, it's still a strong segment. At the same time, some riders feel the 250-to-300-class dual-sports are just a little too weak for the necessary highway use and the high-strung off-road race bikes with lights are too maintenance-intensive. In theory, the DR-Z4S hits the sweet spot in between, as its DR-Z400S predecessor always did. You see evidence of that in the asking prices for used DR-Z400S models.
Meanwhile, selling supermotos has always been a challenge in the U.S. market, but the DR-Z400SM probably had the most broad success. Like its dual-sport sibling, it filled a niche bewteen smaller, less powerful machines and race-derived supermotos. The DR-Z4SM aims at that same gap in the market.
Will the new DR-Zs ring Suzuki's cash registers? It's impossible to predict, at this point, since Suzuki hasn't revealed the most important spec: the price. The current DR-Z400S starts at $7,199 — pricier than both larger competitors, like the Kawasaki KLR650, and smaller ones, like the Honda CRF300L. I doubt the DR-Z4S will cost less than the 400 it replaces.
Plus, we've seen before that you can sometimes give the people what they're asking for and they still won't buy it in huge numbers. Suzuki has at long last given DR-Z fans the upgrade they've been waiting for, so now we'll see if that brings buyers into dealerships.
| 2025 Suzuki DR-Z4S | 2025 Suzuki DR-Z4SM | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (MSRP) | TBA | |
| Engine | 398 cc, liquid-cooled, four-valve, single | |
|
Transmission, final drive |
Five-speed, chain | |
| Claimed horsepower | 37.5 @ 8,000 rpm | |
| Claimed torque | 27.9 foot-pounds @ 6,500 rpm | |
| Frame | Twin-spar steel | |
| Front suspension | KYB inverted fork, adjustable for compression and rebound damping; 11.0 inches of travel | KYB inverted fork, adjustable for compression and rebound damping; 10.2 inches of travel |
| Rear suspension | KYB shock, adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping; 11.6 inches of travel | KYB shock, adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping; 10.9 inches of travel |
| Front brake | Single 270 mm disc with ABS | Single 310 mm disc with ABS |
| Rear brake | Single 240 mm disc with ABS | |
| Rake, trail | 27.5 degrees, 4.29 inches | 26.5 degrees, 3.74 inches |
| Wheelbase | 58.9 inches | 57.7 inches |
| Seat height | 36.2 inches | 35.0 inches |
| Fuel capacity | 2.3 gallons | |
| Tires | IRC GP-410, 18/100-21 front, 120/80-18 rear | Dunlop Sportmax Q5A, 120/70R17 front, 140/70R17 rear |
| Claimed weight | 333 pounds | 340 pounds |
| Available | TBA | |
| Warranty | 12 months | |
| More info | suzukicycles.com | suzukicycles.com |
