Many DR-Z400S owners abandoned ship because these critical updates
never happened. When it comes to the engine and tranny, we wouldn’t
really need anything else, and by keeping the engine basically the same,
Suzuki could save on R&D, hopefully keeping the price point of a new
DR-Z450 platform relatively low. Most any new fuel-injected bike will
need to meet Euro 5 standards, set to take effect in 2020, so Suzuki
should focus on reliability, low maintenance and value. Besides, the
aftermarket is amazingly creative in finding ways to unlock more
power after the title is in hand.SuspendersThe stock suspension on the current DR-Z is actually quite
good and offers more adjustability than many new bikes in
this category. Still, Suzuki needs to offer lighter inverted
forks to keep up with its competitors. We’re willing to give
up some adjustability in hopes that Suzuki can get the
settings sorted right out of the box while keeping costs
down. How much does it cost to put in the proper metalby Carl Parker and Andrew Nguyen
artwork by Jeremy Han
AdventureMotorcycle.com 47