2009 Suzuki DR-Z400S Review

Exterior

2009 Suzuki DR-Z400S

Inspired on the Suzuki DR650SE, the subject of today’s review could easily be mistaken with the middleweight all-rounder if there wasn’t for some minor details such as the lack of cooling fins on the engine (as the 400 is liquid-cooled), a smaller silencer and new sharper side plates and graphics.

Though colors available are the same, Black or White, the seat on the DR-Z400S is Gray as well as the graphics, leaving no doubt that Suzuki knows how to set their models apart with great finesse if you ever doubted it.

Like any veritable dual-sport motorcycle, this Suzuki if fitted with spoke wheels (21-inches front and 18-inches rear), a high mounted front fender and a square headlight for that nice 1980s look. The mirrors also feature the square shape, allowing great rear visibility, but that’s pretty much all there is to remind you of that farm motorcycle look.

Test Ride

2008 Suzuki DR-Z400S

I couldn’t resist not getting my hands on one of these things and not regret doing so as the DR-Z400S isn’t anything of a disappointment as long as you understand its creation purpose. Suzuki built it both as a commuter and a veritable off-roader and the bike performs congruent with that.

A versatile and very reliable piece of machinery, the DR stands as a great balance established between a light and nimble chassis and a both powerful and torquey engine depending on where you choose to ride it.

The city isn’t a harsh environment for it as it handles very easy and provides proper feedback while the upright riding position allows for easy analysis of the things happening around you, which gives better reaction times. The suspensions are nice and soft and work together with the spoked wheels in order for you to not feel any of the road’s bumps. That also makes it forgiving on the starting rider who would have normally felt overwhelmed when passing over a steep curb in a quest for urban dual-sport excitement.

Great purring and fun to play with, the liquid-cooled 398cc DOHC engine requires a little bit of skill in order to power you first off from red lights. That’s where the five-speed gearbox intervenes and smoothly transforms that plan into a plausible possibility.

Although perfectly stable at higher speeds and backed up by the plush suspensions, the DR has the disadvantage of narrow, motocross-like seat which won’t allow you to stay on it more than a couple of hours or the time it takes to empty a full tank of gas (2.6 gallons).

Yet, when testing the bike off the road, that narrow seat proved its point as it is very effective when the going gets rough and you’d rather feel a little bit of back stress than your helmet hitting a tree. The powerplant unveils its racier side as you widely open the throttle on flat trails and the 41 Nm of torque allows even third-speed cornering apart from the usual rocket launch-like departures.

The front telescopic and rear link-type suspensions allow high speed jumping over all kinds of natural obstacles such as bumps and rocks, but if things get risky simply hit both brakes at a time and you’ll be supplied with all the stopping power needed as the DR has front and rear brake discs that meet modern rider demands.

Vibrations aren’t that much of a problem so you’ll be enjoying the best of four-stroke trail riding without mechanically shaking your bones.

Price

Having no competition to say otherwise, the 2009 Suzuki DR-Z400S is an economical (65 mpg) and cheap all around motorcycle. I guess you really can’t argue with a $5,699 MSRP.

Conclusion

Overall, the 2009 Suzuki DR-Z400S may not stand for refinement itself, but is indeed good at what claims to know doing and things split both ways here: commuting and off-road riding. If you demand both types, than the 400 DR is a highly recommended bike, but if you’re not so into trail riding, there are more comfortable ways to move around.

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