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I Took the 2026 Suzuki DR-Z4S On-Road AND Off-Road… Here’s What Happened

Usernamekate

17,544 views

The 2026 Suzuki DR-Z4S is built to do it all… but how good is it really on-road vs off-road?

In this review, I take the new DR-Z4S across both environments to see where it truly shines - from road manners and comfort, to its real off-road capability (even if not displayed by me as such!!).

If you’re considering a dual-sport for 2026, this is everything you need to know.

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20 Comments

@twowheelsdown2002 5 months ago

The people who say this isn't different from the old model, haven't ridden both. The engine is smooth, and it is an absolute tractor that is very hard to stall. And the chassis and suspension is truly excellent. They nailed the settings so that it is comfortable for sit down exploring, and still really good when you pick up the pace and ride more aggressively. My friend has a new Husky 450, and on a local track that is nothing but lava rock baby heads, the DRZ is way more planted and comfortable. The Husky is harsh and a bit bouncy feeling. Maybe for a racer the Husky is better, but not for most riders. Another YouTuber, KC Outside has a KTM350 and says he feels the DRZ suspension is better, unless you're at race pace. The specifications don't tell the story at all. It really is way nicer than spec sheet warriors give it credit for.

@Joshtube7776 4 months ago

I love my DR-Z4S.

@RogueMontanaMoto 4 months ago

I own this bike after I sold an antique 1983 Honda XL600R. This DR-Z4S is one of the best runaround bikes and dual sport bike I've owned. It's a good all rounder, and fast enough for most purposes.

@simoncollins6529 5 months ago

Kate getting up on that was the funniest thing, had me in stitches 😂

@GligaChaz 4 months ago (edited)

For any short asses out there like myself (5ft 8 with 29" inside leg), there are boots out there like the Daytona max sport Goretex that raise your height by 6cm at heel and about 2.5cm at toe. I have a pair and test rode the DRZ 4S the other day and it made the bike genuinely ok to ride for me. Didn't really have any problems changing gear with the thicker sole, but did take a bit of getting used to. I'm considering getting the bike now.

@F3udF1st 4 months ago

That trail was well knackered! Can't believe you tackled that being so short on the bike, geez

@davidsouthwell9997 5 months ago

I like watching your channel Kate and all the different bikes you ride 😊

@BodenBikes 5 months ago

Great, honest review Kate. You are looking more confident off road and those rocky lanes looked intimidating... fair play. Hope you managed to find your microphone 🎤. I did see you can get a DJI mini for just £23 off their website ( and possibly Amazon) thanks for the video Kate, hope you and Mike are well.

@larulrich7417 5 months ago

I have the SM. I havent ridden the 4S model yet, but I can tell you that you will like the 4SM. Its a great bike. Cant wait to throw some 4S wheels on my 4SM and go camping this summer!

@RetArm 5 months ago (edited)

Damn phone was on airplane mode for some reason! Didn't get the notification quick enough :(
That ride height example was hilarious.

Request:
Kate. Is there any way you could get your hands on a Ducati Diavel V4? I would love to see a review on that.

@travisdonaldstanley6420 3 months ago

Well done!

Great video showing how this MC is so user friendly.

Imagine how many times you would have stalled the MC with a CRF450RL.

@simoncollins6529 5 months ago

I bought my DRZ4S from Bolton Motorcycles and it's fully run in now.
It's proper little hooligan bike.
Plastics are great quality, painted parts are Pretty good quality too, but bare metal/aluminium parts go white and furry really quickly so you need to stay on top of cleaning and polishing etc.
Bigger bash plate, hand guards and rear carrier rack are available as accessories.
In my opinion at £7,999 those accessories should have come as standard.

@alexugur 5 months ago

Great adventure. Thanks.

@artiexr222 5 months ago

Well done Kate for putting the DRZ through its paces both on and off road really enjoyed your review as always.
As a long time DRZ400 owner (albeit the SM version) I must say I do like the new 4S but struggle with the 8k asking price and cannot see it is worth the 5k it would cost me to change and at 65yo and 5'7 it's probably a bit too tall lol.

@TwistedTherapy 5 months ago

Great review, very entertaining as usual (never stop moving on that bike and you’ll be fine lol). £8k feels mad! I guess the R&D for the updated Euro 5+ engine is where that cost goes? It still seems massively overpriced, but I’m not the target market so maybe I’ve missed the point.

@kingsqueak1 2 months ago (edited)

How did I miss this one? I keep finding more videos you've done that I've missed. My KTM 690R, just got tires, new battery, oil change setup to find a mouse ate my whole wiring harness. Pretty sure insurance is going to total it and it's minty. A real shame. Thankfully my GSA is just fine. This bike is most likely going to be in my garage soon since I live in dirt road (on one) and fire road land here, it should be perfect.

For a laugh, I'll need a tall seat for sure and some bar risers.

@kingsqueak1 2 months ago

You've probably figured it out, you are better off on the pegs than dangling as you lose your connection to the bike once your feet are off the pegs. Though I'm not sure I'd ride a bike I couldn't get a foot down myself so no judgement. You've made sooooo much progress since those Sinnis 125 videos. What you were riding in this is very much like my local terrain, it was white knuckles for me coming from just dirt and mud before I moved here and I've been at it for a while. Rocks take adjustment to just letting the bike slop around.

@ragerider6283 5 months ago

Nice review & bike. Although I tried one & soon realised I just couldn't have it as my only bike. As an aside I think you did really well off road. I would have been like a pinball machine on that track bouncing off everything every 2 minutes lol.

@D-Nuggett 5 months ago

Kate is the best!

@dudeonabike1 5 months ago (edited)

Great videos Kate. Just an FYI they sold the drz400e in Australia and other countries new up to 2026, last stock just cleared. I have a 2009. The new bike is the same as the old one with some modern updates and current emissions compliance.