Suzuki DR-Z4S 2025: Specs & Facts

The Machine's Character

The DR-Z4S is built around a 398 cc liquid-cooled single making 38 hp, and the figure matters far less than the way the motor hands it to you. Ride-by-wire fueling, the Suzuki Drive Mode Selector, switchable traction control with a gravel setting and ABS give it a real rider-aid package on a dual-sport this straightforward. Underneath sits a steel frame, a KYB upside-down fork with 11.0 in (279 mm) of travel, 11.8 in (300 mm) of ground clearance and a 21-inch front wheel. It sits between budget trail bikes and high-strung competition enduros: street-legal, and set up to be ridden every day.

In the dirt it hunts for traction instead of lighting up the rear, which is exactly why it works for a novice building skill and for somebody who already knows how to read rough ground. It's easy to own, too. Service work is straightforward and running costs stay low. The honest catch is packaging. The seat is high at 36.2 in (920 mm).

Hard Numbers

Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.

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Key specifications
Power	38 hp (28 kW)
Displacement	398 cc
Engine	Single-cylinder
Cooling	Liquid-cooled
Gearbox	5-speed
Fork	Upside-down (USD)
Front tire	80/100-21
Rear tire	120/80-18
Ground clearance	11.8 in (300 mm)
Front travel	11.0 in (279 mm)
Seat height	36.2 in (920 mm)
Wet weight	333 lb (151 kg)
Fuel capacity	2.3 gal (8.7 L)

Equipment check

Chassis

Front Suspension Adjustable Standard
Rear Suspension Adjustable Standard

Lighting

LED Headlight Standard

Safety

Ride Modes Suzuki Drive Mode Selector (SDMS) Standard

The Truth on the Trail

None of this comes from a press launch. It's what I've gathered over years of listening: paddock talk, club nights, owner conversations, and the messages riders send me directly. On the DR-Z4S the reports line up tightly, heavy on praise, with only a couple of recurring gripes.

The engine riders talk about first

The fuel-injected single draws the steadiest praise. Riders describe crisp throttle response and strong pull down low, tractable on pavement and in the dirt alike. From there it's how the bike carries itself: light, flickable, less tiring over a long day than a heavy adventure bike. The fork and shock come up as balanced and supportive at a range of paces, and owners often call the handling friendly for a newer rider without feeling limiting to an experienced one. Road manners get credit too, better than a pure enduro on the ride out.

Where the mode switch splits opinion

The electronics are the one place the chatter pulls apart. Some riders say the Gravel setting earns its keep, letting enough wheelspin through that a less experienced rider can hold traction without the system intruding. Others find the selectable modes largely unnecessary and expect most owners to pick one and leave it, or switch traction control off.

The Expert Benchmark

Where this Suzuki DR-Z4S pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.

What kind of bike this is — character vs. the class

Technical Terrain Survival

Low-End Tractability

Clutch-and-Throttle Modulation

Robust Crash Tolerance

Fatigue Resistance Over Hours

Standing-Rider Balance

Grip Before Horsepower

This bike Class average

Head-to-head: Suzuki DR-Z4S vs. its rivals

Power

38 hp This bike 45 hp KTM 390 Enduro R 27 hp Honda CRF300L 37 hp Beta RR X-PRO 250 36 hp Yamaha WR250F

Displacement

398 cc This bike 399 cc KTM 390 Enduro R 286 cc Honda CRF300L 249 cc Beta RR X-PRO 250 249 cc Yamaha WR250F

Wet weight

333 lb This bike 364 lb KTM 390 Enduro R 309 lb Honda CRF300L 240 lb Beta RR X-PRO 250 249 lb Yamaha WR250F

Seat height

36.2 in This bike 35.0 in KTM 390 Enduro R 34.6 in Honda CRF300L 35.8 in Beta RR X-PRO 250 38.1 in Yamaha WR250F

The 'Should I Buy It?' Score

Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the DR-Z4S is actually built for.

Factory Butte in Utah's high desert badlands, captured in daylight under clear blue sky. The formation's distinctive multi-colored strata and steep erosional gullies dominate the frame. Arid terrain with minimal vegetation stretches across the foreground and background. Typical American Southwest landscape. — NastyNils / Nastynils.com

Best motorcycle for Moab?

This is the terrain the DR-Z4S is happiest in. It is light, tough and easy to place on technical ground, and the fuel range is the only thing you really have to plan a long day around.

Made for Bar M / Kane Creek · Imperial Sand Dunes · Johnson Valley OHV Area

Best motorcycle for BDR routes?

On the dirt sections it is tougher and more capable than most of what gets hauled out there. The catch is logistics: 2.3 gal (8.7 L) and no factory luggage mean the route gets built around fuel and packing.

Made for AZBDR — Arizona Backcountry Discovery Route · California BDR South · COBDR — Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route

What's new versus the previous generation

If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.

Previous generation · 2000–2024

Suzuki DR-Z 400 S (MY2000)

Twenty-Five Years Of Bombproof Dirt

Compare to the previous model →

Alternatives to the Suzuki DR-Z4S

If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.

Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Suzuki DR-Z4S. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.