Suzuki DR-Z400

I could hear the bark of a hard-working engine disappearing in the distance and one rider didn't come back for a long time - most unusual. He did return eventually. The bop-bop-bop of the engine faded to adrenalin-enriched laughter at the touch of a kill switch.

When his helmet was removed, he had a smile from ear to ear as I asked the usual question: "What are your thoughts on this one?"

The reply was: "Mate... that's f^%#&* hot. That's so good to ride... I had a ball!"

And that's from a 96kg trail rider who's getting harder to impress these days. The other riders who had the opportunity to ride this $9650 machine raved about it too. The exception was a couple of guys who've raced YZ400Fs; they felt the Yamaha still has the edge with better power and suspension. In a way, that's still a thumbs up to the DR-Z as they've compared it with a YZ motocrosser rather than a WR. On that note, the DR-Z400 that we rode was the DR-Z400Y, rather than the street-legal, ADR-approved DR-Z400EY with electric start.

The Suzuki has been built to impress in the face of stiff competition - and it does impress when you ride it. The zappy acceleration bursts from the twist grip as the engine picks-up revs like a two-stroke motor. Yamaha's WR400 has built a solid reputation on this style of power and Suzuki appears to have followed suit - it appears that both manufacturers have mirrored their road-going sportsbike technology to enhance their dirt-based incarnations.

The engine is easy to start, utilising the same methodology that works so well on the WR. Start by winding the kick starter until it stops dead against the 12.2:1 compression ratio. Then use the decompression lever and wind the motor just past this point of greatest resistance. Then let the kick-starter return to the top of its stroke and give it a swift swing through the entire stroke. The motor bursts to life every time with a throaty bark from the exhaust.

The suspension feels a lot like the two-stroke RMX250, where the initial part of the travel feels quite soft. This allows some give that takes the sharp edge off the steering. It reduces any head shake over bumps and this should help the trail riders who are moving up to a machine of this calibre.

The transition to the mid-stroke of the suspension is steeper. You couldn't exactly call it harsh, but it does firm up rather quickly. If you're riding motocross tracks, this firmness changes the character of the bike when you slam it into a berm or charge a jump looking for maximum airtime.

The last bit of suspension travel is firm enough to take the sting out of a hard landing on a motocross track.

Suzuki's motocrossers have been acclaimed for rider comfort and the DR-Z400 is in the same mould. The long, flat seat feels particularly good when you're right up the front over the steel 'bars and it accommodates larger riders well.

In summary, it looks like Suzuki's DR-Z400 is set to muscle-in on the territory that Yamaha's WR400F has carved out in recent years. The DR-Z is a little easier to ride and trail riders might find it's a more suitable bike when the going gets rough.