2005 Suzuki DR-Z400S Sport Bike reviews

Have rode and raced offroad for 10 years in the deserts of Nevada. Have rode Yamaha's and KTM's both were excellent race and practice bikes. When I decided to slow it down I went looking for a reliable/durable dual sport. I think I found it in the DRZ. Have gone on several day long rides and a couple of 500 mile weekend rides, 90% of it off road. When I get back all the stock stuff still works ie turn signals, lights, etc... My friends on KTM's can not say that. Personally I hade to do a few aftermarket items to improve power and suspension. I did go on a couple of rides prior to the upgrades and the bike was ok, although it did not have the throttle response and the suspension was soft. Went to the a pumper carb, and front springs, did not change valving and large tank. Best of all they are a great $ value even if you choose to do the upgrades it is less money than anything else in it's class. Show less

The 2005 DRZ400S was my first bike. This thing is perfect!! I ride it hard in the dirt, and hard on the street up to 105mph (that's what the speedo said!). I have ridden for hours on the street and the seat has been no problem for me but like the bike, I am skinny. I have had it for 2 yrs and still love it!! Show less

After returning to motorcycling after 30 years I'm really glad I started riding again on this bike. It has plenty of spunk for a lightweight bike and it's easy to handle. I used it to practice riding "the cones course" as a prelude to taking my motorcycle license exam and was glad I did. Fifty percent of the people taking the test were riding cruisers and almost every one of them flunked the test. It seems like only those riding sport bikes or dual sports passed because of the more responsive handling aspects and smaller size of these bikes. <br /> I was also glad I bought the Dual sport because I have plenty of legally ride-able trails in my area that I can get to by driving a short distance on asphalt. By being street legal, I don't have to load my bike into the back of my truck just to get to the trails.<br /> The 2005 Suzuki DR-Z400S is great for short trips around town or riding the dirt roads. Great clearance and suspension that is able to handle a heavyweight like me. It's also perfect for taller riders. In fact, several of my friends that I've offered to ride the bike can't comfortably straddle the bike at a standstill. The rear suspension can be lowered, but I like it as it is because it's nice and high. One of my friends has described the seat as like sitting on a fence post. It really is uncomfortable at first and it takes some getting used to. For about the first week of owning it my butt went to sleep after about 30 minutes in the saddle. However, I must have toughened up because I don't notice it for up to an hour now. I know there are upgrade seats you can get for it, but I haven't bothered. Besides, while riding in the dirt you are standing on the pegs half the time anyway. <br /> Even though others say it's good at 60 - 65 mph, I feel that at those speeds the bike is pretty unstable. don't let them convince you that this is a highway cruiser because it's not. Windblast from larger vehicles should definitely be considered, and it blows around pretty well on a windy day. But on the asphalt of twisty side roads, and in the dirt it's great fun. <br /> So far I get about 110 miles on a tank of gas before I have to switch to reserve and head for a gas station. This translates to anywhere between 50 - 70 mpg depending on how hard I push this little one cylinder and on what terrain. I'm now looking for a larger, more comfortable highway bike for commuting to work. However, I'm definitely going to keep the DR-Z400S for weekend fun. Show less

I wanted something to compliment my SV-650, so I bought a KLR-650. I was at the shop picking up some parts and they had a close out special on a 2003 DR-Z400S. The deal was too good to pass up. I bought the bike and once I got home it only took me 30 minutes to know I had to get rid of my KLR-650. This bike is much faster and much smoother. It is just a lot of fun to dink around on and it goes anywhere. The 60-65 mph cruising speed and 45-55 MPG make it just perfect. Show less

Fantastic dual sport! A little buzzy on the street at speed, but corners and leans like crazy even with knobbies. On the dirt it's great! That is until you ride a real dirt bike without the dreaded CV carb and big weight of the DRZ. But hey, it's a dual sport and excels at what it is designed to do. Drop a tooth on the counter sprocket &#038; open up the air box/jet and it will turn it to a wheelie machine. Bike is so great all around, I sold my sport bike and power cruiser because I never ride them now. Show less

I bought a DRZ400 about a month ago. The bike runs perfectly and handles any terrain you want to tackle. It's not that bad on the street, either. I only gave the perfromance and comfort 4 stars because the stock seat is very uncomfortable and the stock tires will put you in the dirt. I replaced the seat with the gel seat and added a set of decent dirt tires and it is awesome. If you want a fun bike at a great price, I would strongly recommend it. If you're looking at getting your first bike this is a decnet choice as well. The new seat makes the bike comfortable but also makes it lower to the ground. Also, the brakes are excellent on this bike, the rear brake is pretty much all you need but in a sticky situation the front brake will stop you on a dime. Show less

I wasn't sure about buying the bike but my mind was made-up when the dealer said Suzuki was offering the bike for $89 per mo.. The bike is fast and has a lot of torque. It was able to reach 80 mph at my weight on the open road. I was happy with the speed and it handles great because it is narrow and light. My friends describe it as a dirt-bike with turn signals and they are correct. Show less

Retired in BHC Arizona I needed a street legal dirt bike to take me two blocks to the open desert for fun and exploration not work! After a lot of research the DRZ400 seemed the best over all value. Being a dual sport I never exspected this bike to perform so well. Performance was made perfect with a set of DOT nobbie tires, and adjustment of the front and rear suspension. The price $5800 out the door was incredable. Show less

Bought the DRZ for a playbike to go along with my street bike. Having a blast, took it to two Superbike races to cruise around. Am getting ready to do some trail riding, but for the time being awesome houligan bike. Doesn't wheelie as easy as my old XT600, but just alot of fun. Handle bar vibration is a bit much on longer rides, but I filled them with lead shot and it helped a lot. Only major downfall is that the seat is a torture device. Have to figure out a seat fix for longer street rides when you are down on it for more than a half hour. Show less

Overall, I'm quite impressed with the quality and performance (even all stock). The bike's reliable, starts easy... just need to pull choke out one click when cold and let run for 1 minute, then good to go. My buddy has one and has been hard on the bike and it just keeps going and going and going. Its just plain fun to ride. Suspension is better than I thought, especially with my weight. Seat is hard if you plan to ride for more than 1 hour sitting. But, why would you be doing that??? If you bought this bike, it's because you want a street legal dirt bike.b Would strongly recommend the bike. Show less