Suzuki DR650 vs DRZ400 

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I have a 2013 DRZ400 and a 2017 DR650. The 400 suspension is definitely better suited for heavy riders and rougher terrain,but the 650 is sooooo much nicer to ride any kind of distance on. The 400 is way to buzzy and doesn’t have the transmission for proper road travel. The 650 can do it all. With a few suspension mods the mighty DR will tackle anything and you won’t be fatigued at the end of the day.

Im just about 60 and have owned numerous 30-40 bikes over the years . Cruisers . road bikes , many single cylinder dual sports from 200 to 650 cc and also a Vstrom and a Versys. Favorite bike overall is the DRZ400 hands down.

My '96 DR650 that I bought ten years ago has been fantastic. I've put a ton of mods on it and I've put over 25,000 miles on it and it's been an amazing bike. Cogent Dynamics rear shock is fully adjustable and a stiffer spring works great. Up front I did Gold Valves and stiffer springs. It's just awesome. Future plans include the 790 big bore.

Both bikes have that "japanese thing" that makes you trust the machines you are riding.

Conclusion, take a 650 cc engine and stick it in the DR-Z frame.

Bought my very 1st drz 400 two wks ago, i am thrilled with it, got some new tires an rear lowering linkage on the way as well.

Great review. My 2005 DRZ400S has 26k miles and has been a great bike on motorcross, single-track, dirt roads and highways. It is capable of interstate speeds, but not comfortable and doesn’t have the fuel range for long distance adventure riding. The suspension is awesome, and it is probably the best dual sport bike for it’s price. I now have a KTM 790R (with cruise control), but keeping the DRZ for hardcore dirt.

I like these comparison vids. Keep em comin!

Exactly what i was looking for, thank you! Subscribed!

I've had 2 DRZ's , love the bike

2006 DR650 - done several 10 day 1500 mile mostly dirt adventures, this bike rocks. Super easy maintenance as well. Upgrade skid plate, larger tank, lights, route a spare clutch cable and you are golden!

I love my 2020 DRZ400s!! Perfect for me. Having a blast!

I bought a used drz400 for $2600 3 years ago and it's been awesome since. Very reliable and fun

Have a drz 400 since 2002. . Love that bike

As a tall guy with already a heavy ADV bike for more road oriented use, this video helped me choose. I'm orienting my choice towards the DRZ 400 thanks to you.

I've been thinking of these bikes to replace my KLR. This is the perfect vid to help me decide what I like.

I ended up going with the DR for riding 2up on occasion. Love my bike 🤙🏻

Great review! Happy with the 2 DR650 we have!

The DR650 has always been one of my favorite bikes!

Love both of my DR650s.

Love both of my DR’s!!!

They are both Great, I have put over 30,000 miles on each (and 15,000 on xr650L). Can go back and forth all day on the pros and cons, but in the end unless you have trouble with the height of the DRZ, or plan on riding more than 250 miles per day, the safety and time made up in the dirt outweigh the deficit on the street. Most people always trying to make their heavy, poor handling dualsport bike better in the dirt (suspension, weight, etc.) Get the better dirtbike, and put on a good seat, windscreen, and gearing (taller) to make it better on the street, cheaper mods, much safer, and more fun for the time you are in the dirt.

Loved my 650. Heavier springs and DDCs up front, Cogent shock internals in the rear. It was an awesome 3-5 day adventure bike. Comfortable and capable.

I personally own a DRZ-400 great bike for street, trail, sliding down the pavement at 52mph all great

He failed to mention while talking about the transmission that the DR has a much better spread between gears than the DRZ. The DR will run all day long at 75mph and feel relaxed doing it while the DRZ is screaming at 65-70mph.

Wow, great discovery. Grateful for the content regarding these two bikes I’m interested in.

Great review! I am considering getting one of this and the video helped a lot!! Thanks!

2012 drz400s is awesome 50/50 bike! I was shopping these two 3 years ago and could not for the life of me make up my mind. I found this one with both sets of wheels and tires, hand guards, top storage box, various sprocket sizes, led lights, fender eliminator, fmf exhaust, airbox mod and filter and jet kit and bigger tank. I ride to work daily 25 miles. I built a woods/mx track at my house and it does it all with ease. Your videos helped me make the choice and i would make the same again. If youre on the fence and you do much off roading, take the drz. Its a street legal dirt bike that can rip the trails with the 450s.

I did get another DR650 just getting it broke in 1350 km so far put the Acerbis 5 gal tank on as well as skid plate, heated grips, rear rack for the Givi 46 liter top box, center stand and a few other things. It will be my main ride, going to look in to changing the foot pegs and better lights, This is a keeper, one of the best all round bikes out there.

KLR 650, DR 650 , DR-Z400 , perfect examples of road to dirt transition, the DR 650 was my pick because it does both well but neither as good as the other. offroad there are going to be instances where you simply will not cross a certain obstacle with the KLR without damaging it, the DR is going to be a challenge but you will pass with no damage . On the road as everyone knows the KLR is the comfort king , so if touring mostly highway and doing some dirt roads with a simple single trail here and there then the KLR is your bike. If extended camping trips on backroads and mostly single trail paths and "bush tracking" is your thing with the odd one out highway trip then its DRz all the way. As a daily commuter and adventure bike i'd throw the DRz out of the mix and lean twords the DR instead of the KLR, as the maintenance on the DR is just a tad bit simpler for commuting aswell as field repairs. I could not decide what i wanted to do and then decided i wanted to do a mix bag of everything and there is just one of the three that ticks all the boxes and that is the DR 650. Move along a couple of years and i started doing more local one day outings so i should probably have gotten the DRz , but the DR still does it all, a bit more effort but that is a easy trade-off for the superior highway capability it still has. I'm gonna go up 2 or so teeth on the rear sprocket once its time for replacement and im sure that is gonna make a world of a difference for my current needs ,..... well that was the idea till i broke my femoral neck and was out for a few months and discovered a new hobby , light weight 4X4-ing , bought a cheap beat up terios for the price of a DR or DRz and now i can experience nature with my daughters , i mean we go through all the shrubs big fancy 4X4's dont want to go through because they dont want to get scratches. the suzuki jimny would have been a better idea but yeh water under the bridge , the packing and camping style is more or less the same as with a bike as there is very limited space and 4 people need to pack very light , so keeping the DR for later years when the kids are teenagers and dont like me anymore , but for now i want to experience life with my kids and a light weight 4X4 with a price tag matching that of a DR and not having the fuel consumption of a old cheap V8 is the perfect thing for me , it has no diff locks so there is alot of digging , rock packing and rope pulling involved in simple outings and man is it fun !!!! So for now i'll be a "youtube biker" , just to keep in touch with my free spirited brethren.

Great vid, thanks for being so down to earth.

I had a DRZ400 great bike never had a any problems with it . Went to cape york australia.

I had a 92 DR250 and it was alot of fun! I , mabie one day I'll be able to get a DR650 and bring back the sweet memories with extra power.

I have a pretty much stock DRZ400 , ride trails all over Colorado and have a blast.

Good, useful, practical information. Thanks Justin! I'm new to the moto world and this is the best channel I've found.

A great review of both strengths and weaknesses. Finally someone who does not add 5,000 bucks in changes to either bike as well.

I’m 60 and still love my Kaw Concours 14 Over the ten years I’ve had it I’ve dumped a ton of money into it to make it mine so I can’t even think about selling it. I’ve wanted a dual sport forever but just couldn’t justify it. I’ve narrowed my choice clear down to the DR 650 for my age and 250 lbs. Gonna need full suspension kit. Off roading will be mild trails. I’m too old for preventable broken bones. I’m going to shop slowly and patiently for one that someone has already lovingly dumped a wad of money on upgrades. 🤙

Great review. I love my DRZ, I'd love the top end speed of the 650 but after hearing about the suspension (which I do a lot of technical trail riding) I'm glad I have the 400.

Appreciate the information. Thank you!

Very well done. All good to know, tested upgrades. As we are now in the world of 15k- 25k bikes that still need upgrades , I would much rather build my own to my needs. The DRZ and the old DR 650 are still able to do anything the BMW's can do..maybe better and parts are still reasonable. Priced out BMW or Ducati parts lately? Yay for Suzuki and Rocky for the truth, not a sales pitch. No metal soundtrack, no MTV editing, no jive. Love it. Do more and more please. I started in 1971 when a DT250 Yamaha kicked ass..50,years ago. I wanted inside info then and haven't quit yet! Go Rocky Mountain MC ATV

Not even a contest... shim adjusted valves vs wrench, cooling system vs not, wider ratio trans.. low end torque. larger riding layout. Room under the sprocket cover for more teeth. (60mpg capable). I was a mechanic at a Suzuki dealer for 30 years... DRZs are great, but if I'm gonna be somewhere between bumf%$k and hells a hole I'm going with the 650.

Great video, mate. Cheers.

I have five bikes including a Beta 300rr which is the bike I ride the most, also an xr600r, a klx250, a drz400 and a kdx200. If I was to sell all my bikes but one, I'd keep the drz. It's just the most versatile bike I have. Not to mention it's set up for adventure with luggage, an oversize gas tank and all the engine mods except high compression and stroked. It does well enough on the single tracks and good on the highway. It has plenty of power and is very dependable. I have 27,000 miles on the clock and it runs flawlessly and I'm not easy on it. I like to go fast on the dirt. So yeah, drz all day.

Just bought the 650. Low end grunt for me...tractors awesome. Suspension, pegs, bars, etc. can all be modded but modding for lower seat height is not always optimum. I'm shorter so chose the 650 vs. trying to mod the 400 so I could use more feet plant on the trail. There are youtube vids out there showing guys taking the 650 everywhere offroad...single track, climbs, etc. It's quite capable. Having a little more for the on road also makes it nice to get to where you want to go. I had a nice WR before and had to mod suspension to lower it. Have to admit I love the tractor now vs. the winding it up when you want the power. If I have my way...this 650 in the garage plus adding another dirt only bike (coming soon hopefully) is the perfect fit for me.

I love my DRZ, my buddy loves his DR. Win-win

I commute to work almost every day on my drz 400s and go play in the desert when i can. A few months ago i did a 3 days trip from vegas to UT, camping (bushcraft style) it was fun. But loaded with gear, the bike was sometimes very unstable at highway speed, i was mostly doing 75 mph. I have a top case (harborfreight gun case) 2 saddle bags ((rigg gear adv soft bags) plus more stuff on top of them. I had no issues going off road loaded like this, only problem i encountered was when i went over brian head, elevation was super high vs my jetting for vegas.

DRZ400s rider here since 2007. I haven’t modded much. Handlebar risers, hand protectors, luggage rack and rear fender eliminator. I gotta put a pipe on it and maybe 3x3 mod

I'm over 60 years old and find that the limiting factor when you are older is the ability to pick up the bike when you go down. Your lower back past age 50 really gives you fits and picking up a loaded DR650 becomes quite a task, especially if you ride alone as I sometimes do. I believe the 650 is the bike for me, but as I get closer to 70 I have to make hard decisions. I currently ride a KLX250S as its even lighter than the DRZ but would prefer the extra power (no comparison) of the DRZ. The KLX has a hard time maintaining 60 mph on a slight incline @ 5000' elevation. I'm sure that's no problem for the DRZ. It would benefit SUZUKI greatly if they added a 6th gear to the DRZ, even if they still maintained the carb instead of FI. There must be a good reason why they don't upgrade to a 6-speed as the DS riders all agree that the bike would benefit greatly. I owned a 1991 DR350 (kicker) and wish they still offered that bike as it was a great compromise....more power than the 250's, air-cooled and comes with a 6-speed. I remember there was a 441cc kit for the 350 if power was ever an issue.

Great video, more dual sport vids please.

Nice Video, I have to agree with you I have owned several Dual Sports. They are fun to ride and get you where you are going

I was on the fence 2 years ago in between those 2 bikes and I picked the DRZ400sm because of its superior suspension, which on the SM is from previous generations RMZ450. Just swap the front 17 inches wheel for a 21 inches with knobbies and voila!

With the price difference between the two bikes, you could get the 650 and upgrade suspension to something way better than the 400 for around same price. 650 is the better buy, 400 is overpriced.

Love them both

Great great great + fab delivery. Like listening to a fellow Englishman when we were still educated and polite i.e. in the 1950s. Top marks Sir!

I would definitely trade my SM wheels in for dual sport wheels on my DRZ400SM. I am very limited in where i can go with 17'' wheels with street tires. I would love to do some adventure rides this year and take it into the wild.

Bought my drz400s right off the floor last February and couldn't be happier. It was a close call between the DR and the DRZ, what sold me was the weight. I commute 50 miles a day but I also ride single track and it does both well. Thanks for the great videos!

Awesome video, I always wondered why they were the same price when the 650 seemed like more bike. The suspension on the drz is what I want!

Very good review, thank you

Nice, thanks!!

Have had both and would choose the drz400 everytime.

Riding across Australia the DR650 all day long.

yeah good review! looking for a long trip-dr650 is currently top of the list!

Find a used DR650 on the cheap. Put on RMZ450 forks, change out the CV carb for a TM 40 and change out that crappy rear shock and you're kickin butt with one of the best ADV bikes there is. Bigger aftermarket tank, better seat, and a few other little things that's up to preference to make it perfect for you.

Thank you very much ,l learned a lot about these to bikes impressed!

Thanks for your test.

I’ve had a dr650se since 08 it’s a super bike . I have a Vstrom and a TW 200 , my dr is my favorite

Been wanting a good comparison video on these 2 bikes. Well done! I bought a brand new 2017 drz400sm in early 2018 and have been kitting it out since. I think I'm finally done now lol! I think the 400 does a great job of pretending to be a dirt bike and a road bike. Best of both worlds.

You forgot about the biggest advantage of the DR650! It has a nice wide ratio 5spd, the DRZ400 has a very narrow range 5spd. It sucks on the highway, and you cant fix it with a sprocket change because 1st gear will be way too high. I originally owned a DRZ400 and switched to a DR650 because of this. If you were just doing small stints on paved backroads to get between trails (AKA dual sporting), it is fine. If you need to ride significant miles on the road (aka adventure riding) it's a huge drawback.

Miss that west coast riding! My weapon was a 500 Exc

Good comparison. My DR560SE cracked the cylinder head cover almost immediately after purchase and lost the top end dramatically (cam journal failure) at around 68,000 miles. I'm thinking of the four hundo as a replacement. With some simple mods the 650 made a perfect commuter. I think that the 400 is a slightly higher spec bike that should theoretically last longer with similar maintenance requirements.

Like your video. I have a Dr 350 and love it.

I own both and couldn't argue with anything in the videoà

I had a DRZ Supermoto for commuting and then I switched to a dr650 Supermoto for commuting and it made a hell of a difference!!, for the street I recommended dr650 hands down.....

Nice video, I appreciated your strong useful information.for me No more highway long drive long trips over varied terrain then take the 650 , the DR 650 is a Tiger tank, bomb proof ..the DR650 is the newest and technologically advanced Japanese air-cooled big single, strong and easy to maintain and there are a ton of parts available in North America at very low cost.If you like to play in the dirt and fun so take the DRZ.

Race Tech cartridge emulators in my DRs forks and gold valve in the shock makes a world of difference. Adjusting the forks is a pain, but now possible.

Got both. Originally had a DRZ S. Revalved suspension and heavier springs. Good on dirt. Buzzy and not as stable on the highway. S motor is OK with FCR and exhaust. Sold it when I found a mint DR 650. Race Tech emulators in forks with Gold valves in shock really transforms ride off road. Again, heavier springs. S.C. seat, lowered pegs, Protaper bars etc. Built an 18" rear wheel. Can pretty much do as DRZ on dirt, but more satisfying on road. Found a lightly ridden DRZ400E for all dirt days. Lighter than the S with more power. Wish I could plate it in Ca...

I bought a brand new 2001 drz in 2003. It was awesome. Loved it. Very fun on and off road. Wheelie monster. I went everywhere on one wheel. Cops didn't like it too much.

Great video. Can't really go wrong with either. 👍

Good Choice Thanks

If you're in the market for a DR 650, don't get anything older than 1996..before then, they were just awful bikes, both on and off-road. I had a 1992 DR 650 as my first bike. Learnt to ride in sand with it, but it was just a pig of a bike, and underpowered for it's weight. Now I have a DRZ400S from 2000, which have a few mods on it. 440 big bore kit, hot cams, 3x3 mod, yoshi full system FCR 39 mm carb, ACT wide ratio gear kit and ohlins suspension in the rear. I love this bike! It's a keeper. I also have a motard kit for it, when the urge for paved twisty roads becomes too big :)

Good comparison

Good video. I would love go on a ride in places like in the video

I have a 2020 DR 650.... don't do much interstate driving... I put a 14 tooth sprocket on the front ...it's perfect now...

Great video, it's good to hear an opinion from an owner that has both models.

Tanks a lot

DR650 is right for me, with a 10.5:1 compression piston and opened up a little more.

great video !!!

It depends if you want to do a lot of highway get the dr 650, but if you want more off-road with less weight get the drz 400. You'll be amazed, here in Texas sometimes the speed limit is 80 MPH, the Dr 650 can do that all day.

I Leave in Swiss , and i have a old DR - 650 , y love my bike ,

I'm about to buy the 400. I found one with 2600mi for $3900. Am pretty stoked as this will be my 1st enduro. Very pleased by what I'm hearing.

Tbh I think if you have a drz400 or a drz650 you are in possession of a an amazing bike that gives an insanely high smile per dollar ratio.

I have one of each. Comparable hp but 650 has large torque advantage. I'm 6 foot tall 245 lbs I never choose the 400. The 650 feels more stable.

I've had them both. Put 5,000 miles on the DRZ and over 50,000 on the DR. Once modded I took my DR anywhere off road the DRZ would go. The DRs gear ratios are much better for the road. DR gets my vote for versatility but the DRZ is a fine bike.

Ok I want a DRZ400 now. I don't think I'd get the 650, based on this vid, but the 400 seems awesome

Nice comparison

Great review

Go for a DRZ400 rolling chassis with a DR650SE motor in it = Best of both worlds

Have you considered getting another better quality rear shock and getting the forks uprated too. Great video and looking forward to watching the rest of you DR650 vids. Thanks

DRZ 400 la moto que tuve. DR 650 la moto que siempre quise.