Suzuki DR-Z4SM 2026 Review

If your riding is made up of short commutes, heavy traffic, back-street shortcuts and the occasional tight strip of back road, the 2026 Suzuki DR-Z4SM makes immediate sense. Its tall, upright stance gives you vision over the chaos, the wide handlebar gives you great leverage and the 17-inch wheels turn dirt bike DNA into sharp, confident road steering. For 2026, Suzuki has finally modernised the DR-Z platform, and that combination makes the DR-Z4SM one of the most entertaining bikes I’ve ridden in a while.

Suzuki had to move the DR-Z platform forward to keep it alive. Euro5 compliance has forced a decent update after years of incremental changes and the DR-Z4SM returns with electronic fuel injection and ride-by-wire for the first time, plus a new twin-spar steel frame and aluminium subframe. It also gains Suzuki’s modern electronics, including selectable ride modes, traction control with a dedicated Gravel setting and switchable ABS.

Getting the DR-Z platform through Euro5 meant Suzuki has reworked the engine and its supporting systems to clean up combustion and emissions, including revised cam timing and lift, updated pistons and a dual spark plug setup. Valve materials have also been updated, and the exhaust has been redesigned around a dual-stage catalytic converter with an oxygen sensor. There’s even an evaporative emissions charcoal canister fitted at the rear for markets like Australia, California and Canada.

The seat height is a lofty 890mm, but the bike is narrow through the middle and feels slim between your knees, which makes a big difference. I’m a short 164cm tall and still found it easy enough to get a foot down when stopping on any surface or camber, and that takes away a lot of the intimidation factor associated with such high seat heights.

On sealed roads, the DR-Z4SM’s 17-inch wheels give it a quicker, more direct steering feel than you’d expect from something with obvious dirt bike DNA. Add the wide handlebar and the narrow chassis and it becomes a bike that responds instantly to small inputs, whether you’re changing lanes, dodging potholes or chucking it into a corner on a favourite back road.

The DR-Z4SM’s updated 398cc single suits the SM’s role perfectly. It’s responsive as soon as you crack the throttle and it pulls cleanly through the midrange, which is where you spend most of your time in real-world riding. It gives the bike that punchy, forward-driving feel out of slower corners and in stop-start riding, without needing to be ridden flat out to be enjoyable.

Suzuki claims 28kW at 8000rpm for the DR-Z4SM, which is only slightly below the outgoing carburettor-fed DR-Z400SM’s claimed 29kW at 8500rpm. On paper it’s a small drop in peak power, but it arrives earlier and feels stronger, the updated fuel injection feels crisp and immediate in the way it responds to throttle inputs.

Ride-by-wire gives the DR-Z4SM Suzuki Drive Mode Selector (SDMS), with three power modes labelled A, B and C. All three deliver the same peak output, but they change how quickly the engine responds to throttle inputs. Mode A feels the sharpest and best suits the DR-Z4SM’s playful road character, Mode B is a more balanced everyday setting and Mode C softens the initial response for smoother control when grip is lower or conditions are iffy.

Suzuki’s Traction Control System adds another layer of flexibility, with two standard road settings, an off option and a dedicated Gravel mode. Called G mode, it is designed to allow a controlled amount of rear-wheel spin on loose surfaces before intervening, which suits the bike’s supermoto intent and makes it less intrusive than a strict road-only setting. The inclusion of traction control is good for confidence, too. Because the bike’s rear end is so light thanks to its dirtbike roots, it often wants to step out when you get on the throttle early out of a tight bend.

The main limitation is the gearing. Suzuki has retained a five-speed gearbox and the ratios feel short, which makes the bike lively around town but also leaves you searching for another gear once speeds rise and the road opens up. It’ll see around 140km/h, but at that point you’re conscious the gearing is doing the bike no favours and the engine is spinning quicker than it really ought to. It doesn’t spoil what the DR-Z4SM does best, but it does narrow its comfort zone, particularly if you regularly ride longer freeway links.

You can reduce the issue with gearing changes, and there are aftermarket wide-ratio gearbox options available, but with Suzuki putting real effort into modernising the DR-Z platform for 2026, keeping the five-speed transmission feels like a bit of an oversight.

Given the long-travel stance, and my previous experience with outgoing platform, I expected the DR-Z4SM to feel a little soft on the road, but it doesn’t. The SM gets dedicated suspension tuning and on bitumen it feels controlled and communicative, giving you heaps of confidence once you start picking up the pace. It’s firm without being harsh, and it handles rough, inconsistent surfaces better than most street-focused bikes.

Up front the DR-Z4SM runs a KYB inverted fork with compression and rebound adjustment and 260mm of travel, while the rear uses a link-type KYB monoshock that’s fully adjustable with 277mm of travel. Those are decent numbers for a roadbike, but in supermoto form they make sense, adding compliance and control on rough back roads and broken urban surfaces, without giving the bike a loose, wallowy feel.

The brakes are a good match for the DR-Z4SM’s purpose. Up front there’s a single 310mm disc with an axial-mount caliper and ABS, backed by a 240mm rear disc. Suzuki lets you switch rear ABS off while front ABS stays active, which gives you more choice on loose surfaces or dirt roads without removing that safety net on the front wheel. On sealed roads the overall braking feel is predictable and easy to modulate, helped by the DR-Z4SM’s relatively low 154kg wet weight.

Suzuki has fitted Dunlop Sportmax Q5A tyres in 120/70R-17 front and 140/70R-17 rear sizing. The DR-Z4SM runs wire-spoked Excel rims, so the tyres are tube type rather than tubeless.

The DR-Z4SM’s fuel tank is small at 8.7L, but I returned a really frugal 3.2L/100km, which on paper puts the range at close to 270km. Real-world conditions will change that, but it’s still a decent figure for a supermoto-style bike, and it means the DR-Z4SM isn’t as range-limited as the tank size would let you believe.

If you care about cockpit tech, the DR-Z4SM’s dash will feel basic. It uses a simple LCD unit rather than a colour TFT, which puts it behind many modern rivals for presentation and features. That said, it covers the essentials well, including a gear position indicator, fuel gauge, real-time fuel consumption readout, dual trip meters, clock, plus clear indicators for ride mode, traction control setting and ABS status. Paired with the updated switchgear, it makes it straightforward to change settings and quickly confirm what you’ve selected.

Ergonomically, the DR-Z4SM is set up to be ridden actively. The seat is tall and narrow, which helps with control and makes it easy to move your weight around, but it’s also skinny and on the hard side. That’s fine for commuting and shorter rides where you’re shifting position and working the bike through traffic or corners, but it’s not a plush perch. The upright stance and wide tapered handlebar make the DR-Z4SM easy to steer and to see above traffic, but if your regular riding involves decent freeway stretches, the seat and gearing combination will make themselves known pretty quickly.

Suzuki has also tucked a small toolkit behind the left-side cover. The keyhole is hidden under a rubber flap and the ignition key opens the panel, revealing basics like a spark plug tool and a double-ended screwdriver bit.

At $14,990 ride-away, the DR-Z4SM isn’t an expensive motorcycle in the broader scheme of things, but it does start to feel overpriced when you look at what else is available in the LAMS-approved, sub-500cc naked bike market. There’s no direct competitor as such, which gives Suzuki a bit of grace, but it’s still hard to ignore that plenty of bikes costing thousands less come with far more tech and more modern presentation. My test bike was also fitted with a few optional extras, including a 12-volt power outlet ($100.73), plastic handguards ($107.46), and front ($73.86) and rear ($73.86) axle sliders, bringing the as-tested price to $15,345.91 ride-away.

Suzuki backs the DR-Z4SM with a three-year unlimited kilometre warranty (two years standard plus a one-year bonus), which is solid enough, even if it’s not at the longer end of what some brands are offering now.

The DR-Z4SM is at its best in the real world, where its supermoto brief makes every ride seriously more fun than it should be. Fuel injection and ride-by-wire bring the platform into the modern era, and the addition of ride modes, traction control with G mode and switchable rear ABS gives you valuable flexibility and peace of mind. 

The catch is the five-speed gearbox and, for some, the price, but the DR-Z4SM delivers a level of real-world entertainment few bikes can match. Just go in with clear expectations around gearing, and with a realistic view of what else your money can buy in 2026. 

Photos by Janette Wilson

ENGINE
Type: Single cylinder, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC, 4-valve
Capacity: 398cc
Bore x stroke: 90.0mm x 62.6mm
Compression ratio: 11.3:1
Fuel system: EFI

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 28kW at 8000rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 37Nm @ 6500rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Five-speed
Clutch: Wet, multiplate, slipper-type
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Twin-spar steel frame, aluminium subframe
Front suspension: KYB inverted fork, compression and rebound adjustable, 260mm travel
Rear suspension: Link-type KYB monoshock, fully adjustable, 277mm travel
Front brakes: Single 310mm disc, axial-mount caliper, ABS
Rear brake: Single 240mm disc, ABS (rear ABS switchable)
Tyres: Wire-spoked wheels, Dunlop Sportmax Q5A, 120/70R-17 (tube type) front, 140/70R-17 (tube type) rear

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed wet weight: 154kg
Seat height: 890mm
Ground clearance: Not given
Wheelbase: 1495mm
Fuel capacity: 8.7 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $14,990 (ride away)
Warranty: Three years/unlimited kilometres