Suzuki DR-Z4SM 400 2026 — Specifications

Twenty years of absence and here it is, back from the dead. The 2026 Suzuki DR-Z4SM 400 resurrects a name many thought was buried since 2006, when the Japanese supermoto quietly vanished from the catalogs without a fuss. Suzuki could have settled for a simple cosmetic dusting-off to ride the nostalgia wave. The manufacturer chose a different path — a near-complete overhaul, from the frame to the single-cylinder engine. The result is a machine built for urban thrills, a 154 kg wet-weight toy that doesn't pretend to be anything other than a grin generator on tarmac.

Style-wise, Suzuki made a clean break with the past. The lines are sharper, more modern, with a compact headlight mask, contemporary radiator shrouds, and a flat seat that confirms the machine's sporty vocation. You climb on as you would a large bicycle — the slimness of the chassis is immediately striking. A word of caution, though: the seat perched at 890 mm won't do any favors for shorter riders. The luggage rack is still there, discreet, but forget about a top case if you value your credibility. The 8.7-liter tank demands frequent stops at the pump — that's the price you pay for this slender silhouette. The instrumentation stays understated: an LCD screen with no TFT frills, but displaying the essentials — gear indicator, fuel gauge, speedometer. Nothing to brag about at the local café racer hangout, but it's consistent with the spirit of the beast.

Beneath the bodywork, the engineering is serious. The steel twin-spar frame with split cradle gains rigidity over the previous model. The swingarm switches to aluminum with a redesigned layout. The inverted fork offers 260 mm of travel, while the rear monoshock climbs to 277 mm. Enough to soak up curbs and pavement seams without flinching. Braking also improves over the trail version: a 310 mm Nissin front disc gripped by a twin-piston caliper, and a 240 mm rear disc. ABS is present, switchable off on the rear wheel for guilt-free rear-end slides. At 154 kg on the scales, the setup should prove adequate, even if the lack of radial mounting on the front caliper leaves a slight taste of compromise.

The 398 cc single-cylinder has been reworked from the ground up to meet the Euro 5+ standard. Piston, ignition, injection, exhaust, cooling — practically every component has been redesigned or modified. The spec sheet reads 38 horsepower at 8,000 rpm and 37 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm, two horsepower less than the 2004 model. The loss is minimal, and Suzuki promises in return a more usable power curve for everyday riding. The ride-by-wire throttle opens the door to three engine maps and a three-level adjustable traction control, all grouped under the Suzuki Intelligent Ride System banner. A slipper-assist clutch rounds out the package — genuine comfort for aggressive downshifts on corner approach.

That leaves the uncomfortable question: what's the price of the Suzuki DR-Z4SM 400 in France? The bill comes to €8,999, a figure that stings for a 38-horsepower single. Up against a Husqvarna 701 Supermoto or even a KTM 690 SMC R, both significantly more powerful, the price positioning is hard to defend on paper. Suzuki is banking on its legendary mechanical reliability, Japanese manufacturing, and the goodwill capital of the DR-Z name. For the urban rider seeking a light, nimble, and endearing toy capable of turning every commute into playtime, the proposition remains appealing. But at this price point, you're entitled to expect a bit more horsepower under the tank.