Suzuki DR-Z400S

...the two and purchase a Suzuki DR-Z 400s, Suzuki’s new Dual sport 4-stroke.

I have now had this for two weeks and must say what a pleasure it is to ride, both off and on the road.
It is not to heavy at approx. 140kgs with a tank full of fuel. Which means I can still throw it around a bit, and pick it up with ease should I happen to put it down, which I do occasionally, and even though I have put this bike down a few times. ...
...that it is nice and durable.

Now for some technical bits. The engine is a single cylinder 4 stroke that is liquid cooled. It is started via an electric starter, so no more kick starting and decompression levers here.
It has a five speed box which typically of all 4-strokes has a good amount of power and torque, which combined with the lightness of this bike makes it exceptionally nimble for a large enduro.
Front suspension ... more

Having a liking to a little off-road riding and needing a set of wheels as the wife is using the car for work, I decided to combine the two and purchase a Suzuki DR-Z 400s, Suzuki’s new Dual sport 4-stroke.

I have now had this for two weeks and must say what a pleasure it is to ride, both off and on the road.
It is not to heavy at approx. 140kgs with a tank full of fuel. Which means I can still throw it around a bit, and pick it up with ease should I happen to put it down, which I do occasionally, and even though I have put this bike down a few times. I have yet to do any damage to it, proving that it is nice and durable.

Now for some technical bits. The engine is a single cylinder 4 stroke that is liquid cooled. It is started via an electric starter, so no more kick starting and decompression levers here.
It has a five speed box which typically of all 4-strokes has a good amount of power and torque, which combined with the lightness of this bike makes it exceptionally nimble for a large enduro.
Front suspension is by a telescopic oil damped coil spring.
Rear suspension is by a link type oil damped coil spring.
This actually holds the bike up quite high at 49 inches, but you do get a respectable 12 inches of ground clearance because of this. But it helps if you have a long inside leg.
Disc brakes to the front (dual caliper) and rear (single caliper) make stopping easy.
Gone is the usual round dial Speedo, replaced by a smart digital Speedo with clock, timer and stopwatch which is reasonably easy to use.
A pouch on the rear fender carries a toolkit and users manual, but I wouldn’t advise you to leave these on the bike, as there are to many people about with light fingers.

Available in only two colours in the UK, yellow and blue. I opted for the yellow. Which is nice but does show up all the dirt. But then this makes me clean it, so probably not a bad thing for me.

Although I have only had this bike for a few weeks, I must say I am well happy with it so far, long may it continue.
Cheers Laurence.

 

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