Words: Bill Hunter.
Sometimes you just yearn for a lightweight motorcycle with ample power, which is ideal for tearing around on but, power aside, it also needs to look cool, display a trusted household name on the tank, make you proud to be aboard it and, most important of all, it needs an exceptional build quality! Well, let me tell you right now that Suzuki has the answer with its new DR-Z4SM, a quality machine for street use and then some!
Now, before we begin, let’s get the elephant in the sushi bowl out of the way and talk about the price. Yes, at R159,950 it may sound a bit on the expensive side for a 400cc road bike and a part of me agrees, or did, until I rode the bike for a week
Firstly, it’s made in Japan, and that particular label now oozes quality in today’s world. Can you remember, maybe not unless you’re around my age, when 'made in Japan' was an era of tin toys and questionable quality? Should you happen to have any of those tin toys lying around, they’re probably worth a truckload of cash, but I digress.
Made in Japan most certainly now relates to superior build quality, especially in the world of motorcycling. Or ask Toyota with its Land Cruiser range and the like; they're built to last for sure and that’s exactly how the new Suzuki DR-Z4SM feels!
The 398cc, dry-sump, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, DOHC, four-valve engine may look the same as the one from 2000 (when the DR-Z was first launched) but inside it’s 80% new. Now it’s fuel-injected, has a new forged piston, new camshaft, new crankcases, a new twin-spark cylinder head, new and bigger radiator, new exhaust, new air box, new titanium intake valves and new sodium filled exhaust valves. That’s a lot of ‘new’ right and, If you didn’t already know, sodium filled valve stems run cooler, are a little lighter and are regularly found inside race engines?
After all of this internal surgery, the engine makes about the same as the old bike, which is 38hp@8,000rpm and 37Nm@6,500rpm, which doesn’t sound a lot, but strangely I never found myself asking for more (well maybe just a little). But what you do get is perfect, seamless fuelling and more mid-range performance. Unfortunately the Euro knob-heads have pulled their emission blanket over the DR-Z4SM with all kinds of stuff cluttering the engine, like the bottle thing hanging to the right side of the rear mudguard for fuel fume recirculation or whatever. Maybe convert it for contraband smuggling instead, just a thought? I’m sure tuning specialists have already ripped this shite off and fitted a less restrictive pipe (well actually I know Yoshimura has, and I’ve seen the video, sounds fantastic) and I’d imagine a decent amount of weight shedding will occur in the process. I’d certainly look at doing the same in a similar fashion or maybe not because sometimes it’s nice to just leave the bike alone. It actually sounds quite good in standard form with a deep throb coming out of the tight, shiny new air box (sorry I wandered off after a saucy message!).
Anyway, back to the DR-Z4SM, which now also enjoys entertaining and new electronic delights. Oh yes, Suzuki has, or had to, slap on rider aids, again adding to the cost and, in some cases, I don’t think really necessary. So, with the Suzuki Intelligent Ride System (S.I.R.S.), found on many of its bikes, we now have the Suzuki Drive Mode Selector (SDMS). This gives the rider the choice of three power modes; A, B, and C. A has the most torque output while B and C are progressively softer and, yes you’re right, I just left it in A thank you very much. Traction control is now installed (STCS) with four modes; two with varying levels of intervention and (G) or gravel mode, which I believe allows for more controlled slippage of the rear wheel and, of course, ‘Off’ for wheelies and other silly antics!
These various modes can all be set, and on the fly, while looking down on the new and compact LCD display. The whole interface is refreshingly easy to access using the left side ‘bar switch, however, I did find the excessively long and looping brake hose which passes over the top of the LCD display slightly irritating (and it’s the same on their DR-Z4S more off-road derived sibling) very odd. Still, the huge 310mm disc it feeds is super-powerful and you’ll never need more. I was quite amazed how strong this single disc setup is even though it only has a twin-piston Nissin calliper which, on paper, it really shouldn’t be. It does raise the question if more elaborate versions are worth the cost
What IS worth the cost is the outstanding KYB suspension found on the DR-Z4SM. These components, both front and rear, justify the price tag alone. The beefy 49mm forks and exemplary rear shock all enjoy full compression and rebound damping facilitation, and pre-load adjustment to tailor for any type of rider. I have a road near to my house that looks like something from the Ukraine and I always test a bike’s springy bits through there. Many motorbikes I’ve tried are dreadful here but the DR-Z4SM just floated over the surface and has, without doubt, the best suspension I’ve come across for quite a while, say no more!
So the new components are commendable on all counts and, when they all gel together, you have a world of two-wheeled fun, especially around town! I saw an indicated top speed of 162km/h but that’s not what this bike is about. Due to its tall stance and a seat height of 890mm, it’s ideal through congested traffic. The thin Supermoto design, with it’s 8.7-litre tank, simply makes any traffic negotiation quite entertaining. It also has enough power to leave 'them' all behind from the lights. We did take the bike around our local kart track and were, again, impressed with the agility, which isn’t really so surprising with a wet weight of only 154kg. The sticky Dunlop Sportmax tyres wrapped around those chunky spoke 17-inch wheels never complained either.
No matter when, or where, you ride the DR-Z4SM you always end up with a smile on your face, and that sums up the new bike perfectly. It’s also exceedingly easy to ride for either a new or old rider. Sure it has a thin ‘cheek-spreading’ seat, zero wind protection, and a focussed attitude, but you would already know that if you choose to buy one. Did only five gears bother me? No. Did I ever think it needed a quick-shifter? No. Is it beautifully put together? Yes! You see a bike like this has its limitations but I believe it’s worthy of the price tag for such a quality street machine so need I say more?
Images: BB and Sudoku.
Visit: www.suzukimotorcycle.co.za for more technical information and to view the latest 2026 range.
