Suzuki DR-Z4S and DR-Z4SM (2025) – Technical Review

We’ve got used to the idea of bikes disappearing from sale as the noose of emissions regulations tightens around them but rarely have we seen a resurrection quite like this as the Suzuki DR-Z range returns to the market a full 15 years after it was axed by the then-new Euro3 regulations.

Euro3 itself is a distant memory now and seems incredibly lax compared to the regulations that replaced it. The Euro3 regs came into force in 2007, with non-compliant machines like the DR-Z400S and DR-Z400SM given two years grace before they were forced off sale in 2009.

For context, Euro3 introduced a 2g/km limit on carbon monoxide, down from 5.5g/km, and slashed hydrocarbons from 1g/km to 0.3g/km while halving NOx limits from 0.3g/km to 0.15g/km. Harsh? Sure, but the Euro5 limits today make those restrictions look like a walk in the park, cutting CO by three quarters to 0.5g/km, HC by two thirds to 0.1g/km and NOx to just 0.06g/km. The fact that the latest DR-Z models, now called DR-Z4S for the street enduro version and DR-Z4SM for the supermoto to align with Suzuki’s latest model naming style, manage to meet the current rules is a measure of how much work has gone into the latest machines.

Pros & Cons

2025 Suzuki DR-Z4S/SM - Price

There’s still quite a wait ahead before DR-Z4s find their way into the hands of customers – Suzuki expects deliveries to commence in summer 2025 – so the prices won’t be confirmed until sometime in the early part of the year.

Looking back, the old DR-Z400 models had a reputation for affordability, garnering a loyal fanbase of riders who appreciated what they brought to the table for the price and were prepared to overlook their shortcomings. If Suzuki can repeat that trick the new DR-Z4S and DR-Z4SM it could be in a strong position to cash in on growing market for bikes in the 400cc capacity class, which is being driven in part by off-road-oriented models like the Royal Enfield Himalayan.

2025 Suzuki DR-Z4S/SM - Engine & Performance

While the essence of the single-cylinder, DOHC engine is borrowed from the age-old DR-Z400 models, the changes needed to bring the DR-Z4S and SM into compliance with emissions rules three generations newer than the ones their predecessors complied with are extensive to say the least.

What’s unchanged? The layout, with a single cylinder, 398cc capacity, 90mm bore and 62.6mm stroke are all the same as the old model, as is the use of dry-sump lubrication. But the list of differences includes a new cylinder head design with revised ports and combustion chamber, a new piston and crankcase that cuts mechanical losses by 20%, new titanium intake valves and sodium-filled exhaust valves. Add to that list new camshafts, a new ride-by-wire, 42mm throttle body, dual spark plugs to improve combustion efficiency, and a new airbox intake tube design to boost low-end torque. The compression ratio is down slightly, from 11.3:1 to 11.1:1, too, and compared to the existing DR-Z400 – essentially much the same as the last model to be sold here, it lives on in other markets including the States – power is down a fraction from 39.4hp to 37.5hp, arriving at 8000rpm instead of the previous 7500rpm. Max torque is 27.3lbft (37Nm) and peaks at 6500rpm.

All that goes through a five-speed transmission, not a six-speed, via an assist and slipper clutch and gets tamed by both a choice of three riding modes and three traction control settings – two standard ones and a third, ‘G’ for ‘gravel’, that allows a bit more wheelspin before it starts to intervene.

2025 Suzuki DR-Z4S/SM - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

The engine might share some elements with its predecessor, but Suzuki says the chassis is all-new. It’s a steel twin-spar frame with an aluminium subframe and swingarm, sharing a similar overall layout to earlier models but not the actual components.

The suspension comes from KYB, with slightly different setups for the two models. The enduro-style S, with 21-inch front wheel and 18-inch rear, gets 280mm of fork travel and a whopping 296mm of rear wheel movement, while the SM variant, which uses 17-inch wheels at each end with substantially wider, road-oriented rubber, has 260mm of fork travel and 277mm at the rear. Both machines get a full array of compression and rebound adjustment at each end.

The brakes are discs at each end, but again differ between the two models. The SM, with more outright grip available thanks to its wider Dunlop Sportmax Q5A street rubber where the S uses IRC GP-410 block-tread tyres for dual-purpose riding, gets a single 310mm front disc. The S, meanwhile, has a smaller 270mm disc at the front, and both models share the same 240mm rear disc. There’s ABS, of course, but given the bikes’ roles it’s switchable. You can turn the rear wheel ABS off on both the SM and the S, and the S also has the ability to turn off the system on both wheels for off-road situations.

Weight? That’s an area where the machines shine, with a ready-to-run kerb mass of just 151kg for the DR-Z4S and just 3kg more, 154kg, for the road-biased DR-Z4SM.

2025 Suzuki DR-Z4S/SM - Comfort & Economy

Comfort? Well, that depends on your definition of the term and how the bikes are being used. Neither machine is going to be a great companion for continent-crossing, high-speed rides on motorways, but they’re designed to be comfortable in their own element with a long, flat, motocross-style seat that gives plenty of scope for shifting your body weight around. It’s also narrow, so you don’t have to adopt a bow-legged pose when standing on the pegs.

One of the downsides of that seat shape is that the fuel tank is positively miniscule, measuring in at only 8.7 litres. However, that might not be quite the disadvantage it initially seems as the engine is remarkably efficient, with the knobbly-tyred S model achieving a WMTC-tested 80.22mpg and the SM version doing better still at 83.05mpg. If you can manage to replicate those numbers, it would equate to a potential 153.5 miles per tank for the S and 158.9 miles for the SM.

2025 Suzuki DR-Z4S/SM - Equipment

These aren’t bikes that are loaded with luxuries, but the simple LCD dash – which looks very last-century now that we’ve got used to seeing full-colour TFTs sprouting from virtually everything else on the market – includes information on gear position, traction control mode, fuel consumption and riding mode setting, as well as the usual speed and fuel readouts. There’s even a voltmeter and a clock, but riders who are used to smartphone connectivity, music and emails on their dashboards will have to learn to go without.

Other kit includes LED lighting – allowing a tiny headlight set into the front number board for a more genuine off-road look than the previous generation could manage with its old-school rectangular lamp – and indicators that also double as position lights.

2025 Suzuki DR-Z4S/SM- Rivals

Without knowing where Suzuki will position the new DR-Z4 models in terms of price it’s tricky to pick out direct competitors – most seem to be either in a league higher, like KTM’s supermoto and enduro offerings, or slightly downmarket from the Suzuki, like Honda’s CRF300L. Alternatively, the Suzukis could be seen to be competing with small adventure bikes like the BMW G310GS and KTM 390 Adventure, but those are more relaxed propositions that will be happier over long distances but proved fewer thrills on short rides.

You might also consider Triumph’s Scrambler 400 X, which despite its retro style is close in terms of power and engine spec, but rather heavier and more equipment-laden than the Suzukis.

Honda CRF300L | Price: £5829

Read more

Power/Torque

27bhp / 19.6lb-ft

Weight

142kg

BMW G310 GS | Price: £5890

Read more

Power/Torque

34bhp / 20.7lb-ft

Weight

175kg

Triumph Scrambler 400 X | Price: £5795

Read more

Power/Torque

39.5bhp / 27.7lb-ft

Weight

179kg

2025 Suzuki DR-Z4S/SM - Verdict

We’re as keen as you are to swing a leg over each of these two revitalised Suzuki’s, and you’ll be the first to know as soon as we’ve given them a thorough going over.

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2025 Suzuki DR-Z4S/SM- Technical Specification

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As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.

MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:

• A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard

• An ignition immobiliser system

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• An alarm system

• A vehicle tracking system with subscription

The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.