I’m up to 4,352km on the Suzuki DR-Z4S now and I’ve been riding a wide variety of terrain this month. I’ve taken the DR-Z out on some tight, slick singletrack near Sydney and this is where I’ve found the point where you can really start to feel the bike’s 150kg weight.

It’s an amazing ride getting out to the singletrack via fire roads and highways, but once you’re in the thick of it tackling more enduro-style riding, you can definitely feel the weight of some of the factory ADR components. Things like the ABS module mounted high up in front of the radiator, the hefty stock triple clamp and the standard lead-acid battery all contribute to the overall feel of the bike. Individually they’re only small items, but together they add up when compared to a dedicated enduro bike in the same conditions.

That being said, this isn’t a hardcore enduro bike at all. It’s a bike that seems capable of having a crack at every type of riding and still bringing you home comfortably at the end of the day.

After more than 4,000km of testing, some wear and tear is starting to show. The most noticeable area is frame wear from my boots. I first noticed it during my initial adventure ride within the first 1,000km, but it’s gradually become more pronounced over the past few months to the point where we’re now seeing bare metal on both sides of the frame. It’s one of the downsides of having a steel main frame, although it’s something that could easily be prevented by fitting frame protection as soon as the bike rolls out of the dealership.

I’ve also turned the DR-Z into a bit of a workhorse this month. My ute has been off the road undergoing rust repairs, so the Suzuki has stepped in as transport. I’ve been racing around Sydney picking up supplies, delivering tools to job sites and cramming as much as possible into a pair of saddlebags and a duffle bag. So far, it’s been the perfect ute replacement. I even managed to pick up 10 litres of paint and squeeze it in alongside all my work gear for the day. At this rate, I might end up swapping the ute for the DR-Z permanently.

The next round of modifications will include fitting some fresh tyres and trying out a selection of genuine Suzuki accessories to see if we can transform the DR-Z4S into an even more capable dual-sport machine.

2026 Suzuki DR-Z4S
RRP
$14,490 + Ride Away

WARRANTY
3 years

DISTRIBUTOR
Suzuki Australia

INTERNET
suzukimotorcycles.com.au

SO FAR
TOTAL KM
4352km

MODS THIS MONTH
None

MODS next MONTH
None