Funny thing is some of the older 600s now look quite small compared to some of the current high-stepping 650 monsters, while there's a bunch of super-capable 250s out there which leave even good dirt riders gasping.
Still the 400s have a lot to recommend them, particularly for those weekend warriors who don't have the super-sharp skills to eke the most out of a smaller bike, but would cheerfully avoid being jumped on by the bigger toys. A nice compromise.
And now I think of it, there's nothing wrong with lecky start. In fact that's been a pet hate of mine for near two decades - stuffing around with kick levers halfway up bastard slippery hills when I knew damn well there were perfectly good batteries and lecky legs out there somewhere.
Suzuki's leck-leg DRZ400 is hardly a revolutionary idea, but it's about the nicest version we've come across so far. Actually, we really like the powerplant, which (though not big in the bottom end) has a fat midrange and a super-willing top end.
Gearshifting isn't Suzuki's best effort - it tends to be clunky on the downchange.
Suspension takes a middle ground compromise - firm for nuff-nuffs (like me) but able to hack a decent off-road pace, while steering is at the slower end of the spectrum.
Instrumentation is simple but comprehensive and the general finish is good. There's a version with a kick-start back-up that we'd like to see here, but otherwise reckon this is a good toy.
Story: Guy Allen