It has a broad, tractable
power deliver and is very
user friendly
and lastly a few sandy forest trails with some
whoops. On the open road it’s pretty good,
and quite happy at 100km/h. While it feels
every bit the dirt-orientated machine it is, the
DR-Z gets the job done fuss free. At higher
revs there is a little vibration through the
handlebars, but I would say the level is quite
acceptable for a 400cc four-stroke single. The
knobbly tyres grip okay, they did not vibrate
or hum and were more than adequate on dry
tarmac.
Next up, hitting the gravel road, the DR-Z was
right in its element. It tracks with confidence;
the steering is sharp and accurate. It is
very light and has a nimble feeling when
compared to a multi-cylinder adventure bike.
The engine is not a power house by today’s
standards. However, it does have broad,
tractable power and very user friendly. Huge
powerslides are not really the 400’s strength,
but that doesn’t mean it can’t be hustled
along. It will certainly cover the ground as
quickly, and with a lot less effort, than some
much larger, more powerful machines –
barring the straight line stuff.
I really enjoyed blasting the Suzuki up the
beach. The tyres work well on the sand and
the broad spread of power made it great fun
for feet up drifting. The gearing was fine too,
with it pulling top gear up to about 120km/h
on the hard-packed sand when held open.
Turning off the beach onto soft deep sand
trails is where the DRZ started to show its
age. In these conditions the ergo’s felt a little
off; the bars felt low and a little narrow, and
steering-wise the front wheel would tuck in
KIWI RIDER 55