The Suzuki DR-Z4SM drags the supermoto concept into the modern era… while still feeling like a dirtbike on slick 17s.
It’s hard to believe it’s been two decades since Suzuki launched the DR-Z400SM supermoto in Australia. When the SM arrived in 2006 at $9090 +ORC, it was a left-field weapon — a trail bike turned street scrapper, aimed as much at giggles and backroad mischief as it was at any kind of lap-time credibility. And it worked. The DR-Z400SM wasn’t fast in the modern sense, but it was alive — narrow, tall, light, and eager to turn every commute into a mini special stage.
Like the new bike, the DR-Z400SM was based on Suzuki’s DR-Z400E trail bike, a platform that first surfaced here back in 2000. It ran a 398cc carby-fed single with a five-speed gearbox, long travel Showa suspension, and the kind of rugged simplicity that made owners forgive the parts it didn’t have: fuel injection, sophistication, refinement.
Fast-forward to 2026 and Suzuki has now delivered what DR-Z diehards have been asking for: keep the character, but bring the package up to date. That’s essentially the DR-Z4SM’s brief. The name change is a neat way of signalling it’s more than just another colour-and-graphics refresh. Compared to the 10-year anniversary update in 2016 — which largely amounted to fresh colours and shiny gold wheels — the DR-Z4SM is a genuine overhaul.
And here’s the key: even with all its modernisation, the DR-Z4SM still feels like a dirtbike the moment you throw a leg over it.
A DIRTBIKE IN DIFFERENT BOOTS
Other than the sticky Dunlop Sportmax Q5A tyres on 17-inch rims, everything about the DR-Z4SM screams dirtbike. The tall 890mm seat. The narrow waist. The angular plastics. The wide handlebar. The long-legged suspension with big travel. Even the way the bike sits underneath you — upright, slim and ready to be thrown around.
That riding position isn’t one for long-distance hauls, and Suzuki doesn’t pretend otherwise. But the narrow seat and slim midsection make it easy to move around on, and — importantly for shorter riders — easier to get your feet down than the 890mm seat height suggests. It’s tall on paper, but manageable in the real world.
The other big “feel” factor is weight. Suzuki quotes 154kg kerb for the DR-Z4SM, which is heavier than the old bike (the 2016 DR-Z400SM was around 146kg wet), but still light enough that it’s easy to lift off the stand, shuffle around the garage, and thread through traffic at walking pace. That wide handlebar does the rest — the bike is narrow everywhere except the ’bar, so if the ’bar fits through the gap, the rest of the DR-Z will follow.
In town, that makes the DR-Z4SM exactly what a supermoto should be: a nimble, easy-to-place machine that feels like it can change direction with a thought.
EFI, RIDE-BY-WIRE & ELECTRONICS
Let’s deal with the biggest shift first: the DR-Z4SM finally goes fuel injected. Gone is the Mikuni carburettor with 36mm throttle body and in its place is a ride-by-wire setup with a 42mm throttle body and a 10-hole injector, backed by Suzuki’s Intelligent Ride System (S.I.R.S.) that changes how the DR-Z responds — not just to your right wrist, but to the different ways you’ll ride it.
Suzuki’s Drive Mode Selector gives you three throttle maps — A, B and C. Suzuki calls them Active, Basic and Comfort. In practice, it’s sport/normal/wet logic. A mode is the sharpest and most immediate. B mode softens the response into something more linear and everyday. C mode backs it right off for slippery conditions or relaxed cruising.
I found A mode the most fun — and on a bike like this, fun is the whole point. The throttle is crisp, the engine responds quickly, and the DR-Z feels eager in a way that suits its hooligan brief. B mode is the sensible setting and is well suited to those times you just want to get where you’re going. C is there when you’re riding in the wet, on questionable surfaces, or you just want to calm down the bike.
Traction control is similarly well thought out for the bike’s mission. There are TC1, TC2, a Gravel mode (G) and Off. The system monitors wheel speeds, throttle opening, engine speed and gear position, then trims output by managing ignition timing and throttle plate movement. Most of the time I ran TC Off. Not because the system is bad, but because the DR-Z is the kind of bike that’s more fun when it’s allowed to be a DR-Z. TC Off makes it easier to loft the front wheel in the lower gears. It’s a hoon bike, after all, geared low and tuned for exactly that kind of riding.
There’s also ABS — and crucially, Suzuki allows the rear ABS function to be switched off. If you’re the sort of rider who likes to lock the rear into corners or slide the bike on entry, rear ABS Off will make you very happy. The front remains ABS-assisted, which is a sensible safety net on a road-going supermoto.
MORE THAN THE NUMBERS
On paper, the DR-Z4SM is hardly a power monster. Suzuki quotes a claimed 28kW at 8000rpm and 38Nm at 6500rpm. The outgoing 2016 DR-Z400SM made a claimed 29.4kW at 8500rpm and 39Nm at 6600rpm. So the new bike is down slightly on peak figures.
But the peak numbers don’t really tell you much about the experience. Thanks partially to its low overall gearing, in the real world, the DR-Z4SM feels lively, responsive and punchy where it matters. It has plenty of poke from low in the rev range, and it spins up quickly, helped by its gearing and that sharper throttle response in A mode.
The fuelling on the carby-fed DR-Z400SM was always good, and Suzuki has done a fabulous job of ensuring the injected DR-Z4SM is equally impressive. The ride-by-wire throttle provides crisp response and the fuel injection a smooth idle, even when the engine is cold. And starts are a fuss-free affair thanks to a Suzuki’s fabulous one-touch Easy Start system.
One driveline carryover that seems like it belongs in the past is the five-speed gearbox. But it shifts smoothly enough and there’s a decent spread of ratios – it’s just that after riding so many bikes with six speeds, it takes a little brain reprogramming. The DR-Z’s gearing is low and the steps are noticeable, but top gear is still tall enough to cruise at more than 100km/h without feeling like the engine is being tortured. There’s no wind protection, of course — you’re basically a sail with that wide handlebar — but the bike will sit on highway speeds if you need it to.
This is where the DR-Z reminds you what it is: a bike built for short, sharp fun. You can travel on it, but it’s happier bouncing between suburbs and carving tight backroads.
SUSPENSION UPGRADE
Suzuki has replaced the previous Showa fork and shock with KYB kit on the DR-Z4SM. There’s compression and rebound adjustment at both ends, and preload at the rear.
On the road, the setup gives the DR-Z that tall, dirtbike stance but without feeling vague. It soaks up rough surfaces well, which is exactly what you want from a road bike with dirtbike DNA. Hammered potholes, chopped-up urban backstreets and sketchy country bitumen are handled with the kind of composure you’d expect from long travel suspension.
The flip side is that there’s fork dive when you brake hard. That’s not a flaw as much as it’s physics. With 260mm of travel up front, the bike will pitch under hard braking. It’s part of the supermoto feel and it can actually help with front-end communication when you’re leaning on the front tyre into corners.
Rear travel is quoted at 277mm, and the linkage and swingarm look the part. Suzuki’s build quality on this bike is genuinely impressive: the sculpted alloy swingarm, the clean finish on the frame, the shock linkage and the tidy details around the chassis all suggest Suzuki has invested real effort in the hardware on this bike.
GRIP & CONTROL
Suzuki keeps it simple on braking hardware — a single 310mm front disc with a Nissin dual-piston caliper and a 240mm rear disc with a single-piston caliper. No, it’s not cutting-edge superbike kit, but the package suits the DR-Z4SM perfectly.
Front brake feel at the lever is strong and predictable. There’s plenty of stopping power for a lightweight machine and the braking is easy to modulate, but you’ll need a firm squeeze to get the bike to stand on its nose. The rear brake does its job without fuss and becomes part of the steering toolkit for those who want to switch off rear ABS.
Tyres are another key update, but as a result of evolution rather than a change in direction (excuse the pun). Where the older SM ran Dunlop Sportmax D208 radials, the DR-Z4SM comes on updated Dunlop Sportmax Q5A rubber — a 120/70R17 up front and a 140/70R17 at the rear. On-road feel is excellent from the sticky hoops, and the rounded profile of the Dunlops no doubt aids corner tip in. Combine the sticky 17s and the tall, light chassis, and the DR-Z4SM encourages you to brake late, turn quick and pick the bike up hard on the exit. It wants to be ridden with intent.
MODERN TOUCH
The DR-Z4SM’s new LCD display is far more legible than the old unit and gives you plenty of easily accessible information: fuel gauge across the top, gear position, big digital speedo, trip meters, fuel consumption, voltage and the mode indicators for SDMS and traction control. It also makes it easy to see what setting you’re in — important when the bike has proper electronics for the first time.
Would a colour TFT have been nicer? Sure. Suzuki has them in other ranges. But you can see where the money went on this bike — KYB suspension, revised engine internals, ride-by-wire and a new chassis. The LCD does the job cleanly and clearly, which is more important than fancy graphics.
There is one glaring omission, however: no tachometer. Sure, it’s not really a necessity, but it seems like an odd thing to leave off a $15k bike.
There’s a 12V outlet on the handlebar (a cigarette-style socket), which means you’ll need an adapter to run USB devices. The wide handlebar gives you heaps of space for a phone mount, a GPS bracket or action camera setup.
Switchgear is fairly basic but feels solid, with a left switchblock designed around mode selection. Levers, though, are non-adjustable, which is another small miss on a bike that otherwise feels well specified.
Lighting is LED all round, and the compact projector-style headlight is brighter than you’d expect from something so small. Both low and high beam are genuinely effective.
PRACTICALITY
You can put a pillion on the DR-Z4SM, but there isn’t much seat space back there. You can strap luggage on, but the plastics will cop it — so if you’re planning to tour on one, protect the panels or consider a graphics kit.
Fuel capacity is only 8.7L, but the bike is economical enough that that range isn’t terrible. On test we recorded 3.8L/100km, giving a theoretical range of just over 200km, but the reality is you’ll want to stop and take the pressure off your rear end before you run out of fuel anyway. Seat comfort, not fuel range, is the limiter.
The fuel tank is accessed via an old-school twist-off lockable cap, and as the DR-Z’s revised frame still forms part of the oil tank for the dry-sump engine, there’s an oil dipstick right in front of said fuel tank.
The muffler looks great and is extremely civilised — it really takes the bark out of the single. Having previously run a DR-Z400E with a Yoshimura pipe, it’s hard not to imagine how good an aftermarket exhaust would sound on this bike. It’s also easy to imagine plenty of owners will go that route — not because the stock system is bad, but because most supermoto buyers tend to like their bikes with a bit more attitude.
THE POINT OF IT ALL
Here’s the thing: the DR-Z4SM isn’t cheap. At $14,290 ride away in Australia, it sits in a different world to the old DR-Z400SM’s original sub-$10k bargain appeal. But Suzuki has clearly spent money where it matters — the fully adjustable KYB suspension, the ride-by-wire electronics suite, the revised 398cc single and the overall finish of the package.
And once you ride it, the “why” becomes obvious. This is a LAMS-approved bike that feels like it was designed to be ridden with intent. It’s not overly powerful, but it accelerates harder than you might expect thanks to the low gearing and crisp throttle response. It’s light, narrow, agile and willing. It makes you want to ride like a hoon — responsibly, of course — because that’s exactly what a supermoto is for.
VERDICT
The DR-Z4SM is Suzuki doing the right things by a cult favourite. It keeps the essential DR-Z character — that tall, slim, dirtbike feel — and adds the modern features many riders expect these days: fuel injection, ride-by-wire, proper electronics, LED lighting and a new chassis with quality suspension.
Is it perfect? No. The five-speed gearbox will feel old school to some, the seat and wind protection limit long-distance comfort, and a TFT display would have been a nice touch. But the DR-Z4SM’s mission isn’t to be everything. It’s to be a supermoto — a lightweight, lively machine that makes everyday riding entertaining.
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, DOHC, 4-valve
Capacity: 398cc
Bore x stroke: 90.0mm x 62.6mm
Compression ratio: 11.1:1
Engine management: Electronic fuel injection, 42mm throttle body, ride-by-wire
Fuel consumption: 3.8L/100km (measured)
PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 28kW (37.5hp) @8000rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 38Nm@6500rpm
DRIVELINE
Transmission: 5-speed
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Wet multiplate, slip & assist (SCAS)
CHASSIS & RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Steel twin-spar frame, alloy subframe
Front suspension: 49mm USD KYB fork, adjustable compression and rebound, 260mm travel
Rear suspension: Link-type KYB monoshock, fully adjustable, 277mm wheel travel
Front brake: 310mm disc, twin-piston caliper, ABS
Rear brake: 240mm disc, single-piston caliper, switchable ABS
Front tyre: Dunlop Sportmax Q5A, 120/70R17
Rear tyre: Dunlop Sportmax Q5A, 140/70R17
DIMENSIONS & CAPACITIES
Wheelbase: 1465mm
Ground clearance: 260mm
Seat height: 890mm
Kerb weight: 154kg
Fuel capacity: 8.7L
Length: 2195mm
Width: 885mm
Height: 1190mm
ELECTRONICS, RIDER AIDS & CONVENIENCE FEATURES
Riding modes: Suzuki Drive Mode Selector (A, B, C)
Rider aids: Traction control (TC1, TC2, G, OFF); ABS with rear ABS OFF
Instrumentation: LCD display with gear indicator, fuel gauge, ride modes and TC display
Lighting: Full LED
Other equipment: Suzuki Easy Start; 12V DC power socket
ETCETERA
Price: $14,290 ride away
Colours: Solid Special White No.2; Sky Gray
Warranty: 12 months/unlimited km
URL: Suzuki DR-Z4SM
