The Suzuki DRZ400S is counted by many to be one of the better dualsport bikes in current production. I bought a used '03 on the basis of reviews and conversations for use as a short-haul urban commuter. The goal was a freeway-capable machine of minimum weight for use on pothole-infested urban roads. Some obstacle-crossing ability seemed desirable in light of the hazards presented by nature (fire and earthquake). Fun in the twisties was wholly secondary 8-)

Here are a few observations from the perspective of commuter. My only other experience with a dualsport is a tlr200, which is a superb obstacle crosser but too slow for regular freeway use and too uncomfortable for rides longer than about two hours.

The first thing one notices about a drz400s is the height. Being accustomed to sportbikes (vfr800, sv650s) the seat height has a vaguely comic feel, and one quickly learns to "feel" for the ground before committing to stop, for the ground might take a leap of faith to reach.

On paper the drz is relatively light; 300+ pounds wet. Some have called it "A pig, but a good pig". By streetbike standards that's no pig; my sv650s is over 400 pounds, my vfr800 is over 500. Still, the drz really does feel like a pig. The tall seat and high center of gravity make it remarkably hard to muscle. Suzuki's gel seat is noticeably lower; it certainly makes the bike easier to foot but isn't much more comfortable. In fact I think it's slightly less comfortable for riding.

Once in motion thoughts of muscling it tend to fade away. The clutch is butter-smooth, the engine not hesitant to rev but still willing to forgive an overlooked downshift. The gearing seems a little short compared to my streetbikes, but rolling on at 60 mph delivers 70 mph effortlessly. Crosswinds are felt rather acutely but manners are otherwise quite good. There is some handlebar buzz, but not much considering it's a thumper. Mostly it's just "countersteer, twist and go". Potholes and busted pavement are attractive 8-)

Fuel mileage is in the low-to-mid sixties. That's not great, given that the tank holds only 2.5 gallons total. Possibly with very careful riding the mpg could come up to 70, but surely not much more. 150 miles to empty. A bigger tank would help but make the bike feel even more piggish.

And, don't try to stuff any extra fuel in the tank! The tank vent is routed below carb level and then back uphill to the charcoal cannister, so if the line gets fuel in it the vent is blocked and the bike stalls out. No obvious reason for this misfeature, but it's there nonetheless and stalls the bike about a mile from the gas station.

In tight twisties the drz is wonderful fun; easy to ride, forgiving and fairly comfortable, at least in terms of seat/pegs/grips arrangement. The upright position and non-existent windscreen make for a breezy and buggy ride, but below about 40 mph it's nice. Cold and rain are of course felt quite acutely. There seems to be ample power for utilitarian freeway riding; it's wind protection and comfort that lack at high speeds.

City traffic is downright fun, at least insofar as it can be. Progress is made at the speed of the rider's thoughts. The bike does anything asked, the burden is on the rider to ask wisely. The height, so awkward in rough going, becomes a notable asset in peering over cars.

Neither seat is comfortable after about two hours. With a flat top and fairly hard corners the stock seat allows plenty of legroom and space to slide around. The gel seat feels a bit like sitting in funnel; it drops the rider into a hole directly above the pegs, leaving minimal legroom. The pegs still interfere with footwork, but at least there's footwork within reach 8-)

There's enough extra foam in the stock seat to allow quite a bit of contouring; having tried the gel seat I'm not sure how to do it without simply reproducing the flaws the gel seat exhibits.

One nice thing about the S model is having a real rear subframe. That makes it relatively easy to mount a Givi E250 universal top plate in place of the little toolbag, using the toolbag's plastic base as a foundation. Now the bike is a fully-qualified grocery chaser.

An obvious gripe is the headlight; fork mounted lights simply can't work in the bends. The lamp and reflector are not bad, straight and level one can see fairly well. For any serious night riding some sort of auxiliary lighting is required. Note that a brighter bulb won't help; even with an HID lamp the pattern's too low when heeled over.

For folks blessed with long enough legs I think a drz400s would be the heretofore mystical "First bike that won't be outgrown". Those of us with lesser statures will benefit with the gel seat, but after becoming acquainted may well opt for the stock seat in places where dabbing isn't an issue.

There are a couple of surprising omissions: No front preload adjustment and a rather awkward rear preload adjustment.

Oh, that high front fender is not much help. On a wet, dirty road the front tire sprays sludge into the air, which the bike promptly runs through.

Modifications include the gel seat, Givi luggage, a set of Dual-Star heated grips and a set of factory handguards. The previous owner had the airbox opening enlarged but he didn't have the bike rejetted. It presently has a subtle miss at small throttle openings but feels rather good when opened up.

The Dual-Star heated grips deserve a little praise; for the price they work amazingly well. A high-off-low switch gives adequate control, with the addition of handguards it's possible to use summer-weight gloves into the low 50's. The OEM handguards are rather far from the grips, closer fitting designs would be better but then the lack of rider wind protection will likely take over.

Power for the heated grips can be found at the horn terminals; a good ground is still being sought; at the moment a threaded hole on the upper triple clamp is used, meaning the return current probably passes through the steering head bearings.

On balance the drz400s is a well-done machine. Not the lightest, not the fastest, certianly not the lowest seat. But, it's simple, relatively inexpensive and it works without fail.

All the other "features", good and bad, seem to represent rationally chosen engineering compromises. Fix one, and something else gets worse.

The fellow I bought my drz from was upgrading to a KTM. Most likely the only thing KTM could do better was reduce weight by using more expensive materials. In competetive dirt riding that might matter; on the street a drz is just fine.

To those intent on pulling the carb, release the airbox fitting first, and pull the carb out aft end first; else the cable wheel snags in the intake port, with much extra effort required.