I’ve now clocked more than 4,800km on the DR-Z4S and it’s holding up remarkably well considering it gets ridden every day. The stock grips are showing almost no signs of wear and will probably outlast the bike. They’re still grippy enough for casual riding, while the original tyres are also wearing surprisingly well. They look to be only about half worn, so I’d expect somewhere between 8,000 and 10,000km of dual-sport riding before they’re ready for replacement. Their road-biased tread pattern also means I’ve been able to use most of the tyre’s width through the corners, something that’s a bit harder to do with a more aggressive off-road tyre.

The stock chain and sprockets are starting to show some wear, though. I’ve already had to adjust the chain tension a couple of times, which isn’t unexpected given the amount of road riding this bike has done. One thing I’ve started thinking about is fitting an aftermarket cush drive. The DR-Z4S doesn’t come with one from the factory and, considering the kilometres I’m putting on it, I can definitely see the benefit of reducing some of the shock loads being transferred through the gearbox and drivetrain.

I’ve also managed to run the bike very low on fuel a couple of times now and, on average, I’m seeing around 200km from a tank, even with both fuel lights flashing for at least the last 15km. Suzuki has done a great job with the shape of the fuel tank because, even with less than half a litre left, the bike has never cut out while I was trying to limp it to the nearest servo. The only starting issue I’ve experienced came when I parked the bike on a slope with very little fuel left in the tank. It took several fuel pump priming cycles before it finally fired back into life.

One modification that was well overdue was fitting a tail tidy. Like most ADR-compliant bikes, the factory number plate holder is enormous. I’ve fitted a flexible tail tidy from Roo Enduro, which tucks the brake light and number plate much higher into the rear guard while bringing the indicators closer together to stop them getting snagged in the bush.

The flexible design has already proven its worth on some tight Sydney singletrack. Even when the indicators catch on trees or the bike ends up on its side after an unplanned dismount, the tail tidy simply flexes out of the way rather than breaking. So far, it’s doing exactly what it was designed to do, with all the lights and the number plate still intact after a month of testing.

2026 Suzuki DR-Z4S

 

RRP
$14,490 + Ride Away

WARRANTY
3 years

DISTRIBUTOR
Suzuki Australia

INTERNET
suzukimotorcycles.com.au

SO FAR

TOTAL KM
4800km+

MODS THIS MONTH
Roo Enduro flexible tail tidy

MODS NEXT MONTH
None planned