Suzuki DR-Z4SM Buyer's Guide

The Machine's Character

The DR-Z4SM is Suzuki doing what Suzuki does best: no theater, just a liquid-cooled 398 cc single with fuel injection and dual spark plugs, bolted into a steel perimeter frame with an aluminum subframe and swingarm. You get 38 hp at 8,000 rpm and 27 lb-ft at 6,500 rpm, which sounds modest until you look at the 340 lb (154 kg) wet weight. The long-travel suspension is fully adjustable at both ends, and the electronics cover what matters: ABS you can switch to front-only, switchable traction control and selectable throttle maps. In the supermoto class this is the accessible one, built for fun and not for outright speed. Honest hardware.

On the road it's light, quick to turn and almost impossible to run out of lean clearance on, which is exactly what you want from a supermoto. It's at its best in town and on tight back roads, where a compact bike on 17-inch wheels matters more than horsepower. Running costs stay low, the build is rugged and the aftermarket potential is huge, so it ages well and grows with you. The caveat is plain: a 5-speed gearbox, a 2.3 gal (8.7 L) tank and no cruise control make this a short-range machine. It's for riders who measure a day in corners, not miles. Not a highway bike.

Hard Numbers

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

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Key specifications
Power	38 hp (28 kW) @ 8,000 rpm
Torque	27 lb-ft (37 Nm) @ 6,500 rpm
Displacement	398 cc
Engine	Single-cylinder
Cooling	Liquid-cooled
Gearbox	5-speed
Final drive	Chain
Fork	Upside-down (USD)
Front tire	120/70-17
Rear tire	140/70-17
Ground clearance	10.2 in (259 mm)
Front travel	10.2 in (259 mm)
Rear travel	10.8 in (274 mm)
Seat height	35.0 in (889 mm)
Wet weight	340 lb (154 kg)
Fuel capacity	2.3 gal (8.7 L)

Equipment check

Chassis

Front Suspension Adjustable Standard
Rear Suspension Adjustable Standard

Safety

ABS Standard
Traction Control Standard
Ride Modes Standard

The Truth on the Trail

I've spent years listening to riders: in the paddock, at club nights, in owner chats and in the messages you send me. On the DR-Z4SM the picture is consistent. Owners love how much it eggs them on, then grumble once the road opens up.

The hooligan owners keep praising

Riders consistently say the torquey single and upright stance push you toward wheelies and slides, and that even the ride to work turns into a small adventure. The rider aids get credit for adding safety without getting in the way. The suspension surprises people: owners describe it as plush over broken pavement yet supportive when you push hard in corners. An urban toy, they say.

Hunting for a sixth gear

The loudest complaint is the missing sixth gear: at highway speeds riders report a buzzing engine and a constant hunt for one more shift. Power comes next. Owners say it feels breathless at high revs and that passing on faster roads takes planning. Less often you hear about a thin seat that passes the vibration through and gets uncomfortable after an hour or so, and about a price that has climbed above the old model's. Longer trips get tiring, they say.

The Expert Benchmark

Where this Suzuki DR-Z4SM 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

Pure Hooligan Flickability

Instant Punch Delivery

Brake-to-Apex Control

Front-End Playfulness

Hard-Use Suspension Control

Urban Mischief Potential

Ownership Reality Check

This bike Class average

Head-to-head: Suzuki DR-Z4SM vs. its rivals

Power

38 hp This bike 45 hp KTM 390 SMC R 15 hp Aprilia SX 125 80 hp Stark Future VARG SM

Torque

27 lb-ft This bike 29 lb-ft KTM 390 SMC R 9 lb-ft Aprilia SX 125

Displacement

398 cc This bike 399 cc KTM 390 SMC R 124 cc Aprilia SX 125

Wet weight

340 lb This bike 300 lb Aprilia SX 125 274 lb Stark Future VARG SM

Seat height

35.0 in This bike 34.6 in Aprilia SX 125 36.8 in Stark Future VARG SM

The 'Should I Buy It?' Score

Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the DR-Z4SM is actually built for.

Aerial photograph of downtown Austin, Texas, showing modern high-rise buildings against a clear blue sky. Urban infrastructure, highways, and parking structures visible in the foreground. — Thomas Balabaud / Pexels

Best motorcycle for Angeles Crest?

In the tight stuff you'll love how light it is and how far it leans. With 38 hp you won't win on fast, open sweepers, but the city traffic on the way there is easy.

Made for Angeles Crest Highway · Coronado Trail / US 191 · Highway 1 / Big Sur

Best motorcycle for Tail of the Dragon?

If skill matters more to you than speed, this fits: light, sharp-steering and loaded with lean clearance. Just plan your fuel stops, because 2.3 gal goes quickly.

Made for Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway

Best motorcycle for Bay Area?

Great for city commuting during the week and a ridge-road blast on the weekend. If you love tech, know this: there's no phone connectivity, no navigation and no USB port.

Made for Bay Area Ridge Roads · San Francisco / Bay Area · Skyline Boulevard / Alice's Restaurant

Alternatives to the Suzuki DR-Z4SM

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-Z4SM. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.