@@SwankyCatProductions thank you for highlighting all of your modifications and your gear. You make it easy for us old timers to ponder through your stuff and decide which things we want to purchase. A very nice touch. Old man approved... Taxes on the prairie
I have a 2016 drz400s that i have turned into a rally/light weight adventure bike. I swapped the carb for a n mx39, cams, higher out put ignition coil, full yoshi rs2 carbon exhaust. I have also swapped alot of heavy parts for lighter metals such as titanium. Levers, shifter, brake pedal, brackets etc. And also outfitted an ARX rally tower with a trailtech vapor and gps. Suspension was also resprung for my wieght. I did a lot of work to the carb, venturi jets, different fuel bowl and accelerator pump...etc. it pulls away from any 650 without issue, handles unreal for a dual sport on rough stuff...and actually does alot better with distance loaded down with 100lbs or more of camping gear. It was a lot of work but it suits my needs better than i would have expected.
That’s pretty much what I built out of my DRZ/KLX 400. Love the bike and have zero complaints because it does exactly what I need a dual sport / light adventure bike should. Seems to me the five speed bothers people that don’t own DRZs more than those that ride them daily. LOL.
@@motobro1998 I think they would have if they could but I imagine there isn't enough room in the existing engine cases. New case design would have increased production cost dramatically I would imagine.
Oh man I just about had a heart attack seeing that thumbnail. I literally exclaimed "They did it!". Imagine my disappointment. Someone will do it, it's just a matter of time. Hopefully sooner than later. Since it's a world wide bike there will be aftermarket tanks and rally fairings available. Straight from factory would be more cost effective and ideal though. I really thought a crf450 rally would have come to fruition by now. I'm hoping Yamaha is smart enough to make a tenere 450 (tenere rally styling but single cylinder more of a dual sport).
Haha sorry! I do think it's important to start bouncing ideas like this around though, even if only to stir the aftermarket pot a bit. Beyond that though, the big Japanese companies have to at least be considering this. Unless they just can't do it at an affordable price for the amount they'd sell, I cannot think of a reason not to!
@SwankyCatProductions Honda should have done it years ago, especially considering the success of the 300 rally. People have been begging them for it. I feel like Yamaha is the only company with the cahones to actually do something like this. Worst case like you say we will just have to build one up. Hoping Suzuki got the gear ratios right in this update. Looking forward to people reviewing the bike to find out.
@ true, but they made completely new cases so there was room to add capacity for a 6 speed. Most riders don’t miss it, but given the option I’m sure 90% would choose a 6 speed if they could. Still a good bike though, with fuel injection and better suspension. Hopefully the price will still be low enough to make it worthwhile.
Maybe the fact that the patent drawings were missing the headlight and headlight shroud are a clue to several variants of the new DR-Z coming out from Suzuki! Let's hope so.
suzuki does actually buy aftermarket Australian made products and put oem suzuki part numbers and sell as standard and dealer accessories for the current Australian drz400e. on the cape york edition the radiator gaurds and bash plate are made by force accessories with the force logo replaced by the suzuki s, the barkbuster ego have a suzuki decal on them. you could buy a staintune exhaust off their website or from a dealer as a "genuine approved" accessory. so it's not out of the question that suzuki could use a company like arx to offer a genuine approved rally tower if they don't want to design and manufactur one themselves. it's a way to give people what they want with very little risk and i'm sure dealers don't mind the extra money from the sale and fitting.
Wow! No way!? That's awesome!!! Sounds like it shouldn't be too hard for them at all then. Design a bigger tank that replaces the side fairings and connects to the ARX tower. Swap in the wide range gear set and BAM! DRZ4S Rally Edition!!! How crazy would that be!? I'd buy one!
@@SwankyCatProductions people have been doing that in australia for decades. drz400e safari tank, comfort seat, luggage rack, suspension spring and revalve, big bore, wide ratio in that order. bulletproof powerful do it all adv bike with long service intervals and minimal maintenance.
Fantastic concept! Suzuki should definitely make the concept but, it would HAVE to have a 6th gear! It still baffles me that with the new model they didn't include that! At least maybe with the DRZ4s they made it a wider ratio gearbox? (totally off topic but, I own a modded WR250R and would love to see you get you hands on one to do an ADV build!)
I've been building my 22' Beta 390 RR-S into an ultralight adventure bike. It will go freeway speeds no problem, with 6 gears and plenty of power, and only 244 lbs wet. However, a light bike does not a good highway bike make. I'm still working on it, but there's no doubt that in order to have such a great enduro for off road, comfort on the highway will suffer... a lot. Why on earth didn't Suzuki give the DRZ-4S 6 gears? Same reason Honda gave the 300LR such terrible suspension... I don't think they're listening. I hope KTM makes it through because the 390 Adventure looks like a cool bike. So does the Kove 450!
Nice!!! Yeah, that's why I'm thinking the DRZ may not be a half bad bike as is. It's too heavy and underpowered to be an Enduro, but might not make a half bad, somewhat tame, lightweight adv bike. A 6th would be cool, but I really think a wide ratio 5 might be better. Less weight, less width, and much cheaper since all they need to do is drop it in the existing case. I'm also pretty interested in the 390 ADV-R though! Looks awesome!!!
It would be awesome if Suzuki down the road designed a DR4s Rally like the Honda CRF 300 Rally. Larger fuel tank wind screen larger ferrings. Either way depending on pricing and performance. This a potential for a grand slam or at least a three run homer.
I like it. Would definitely be cool to get more factory rally options. I’m sure the aftermarket will take up some slack, but the economy of scale from the manufacturer would probably make it more affordable. I’ve seen rally kits for different bikes get pretty expensive, where the crf300l rally isn’t that much more than the base even with pretty substantial upgrades. To start with though, I’d like to see them announce the price of the 4S ;).
Yeah! Especially with how well the CRF Rally seems to be doing, I sure thought other manufacturers would jump on board. Hopefully they still will!!! I'm glad we have the option to make aftermarket mods like the ARX tower, but if I could walk into a dealer and ride away with one all put together for me, it'd be pretty hard to turn down. Especially since as you mentioned, it would probably be much more economical!
Always wanted to build a custom DRZ. I'm an ATV enthusiast, and hadn't ridden on the street since I had a Honda Valkyrie in the late 90s. I ended up with a pair of TW200s, and recently picked up an XR150L. The success of the XR, incessant success of the TW, and the emergence of Chinese clones, proves the legitimacy of the small dual sport market. If it can do 60 MPH on the road, and provide an unthreatening off road experience that leaves your face hurting from a sh!t eating grin, it sells. That said, the DR200 could be the sleeping dog Suzuki need not let lie. I get that it's not your wheelhouse, but some public push in this direction could be one of the biggest ROI moves Suzuki could make IMO. Revamped fuel delivery (non vacuum actuated), suspension, ergonomics, and a modernized facelift, could put Suzuki squarely in the front of the low powered, carbureted, rear drum braking, two valve air cooled market. My $.02.
Hmm interesting. I do always enjoy ripping around on my TW. There is just something fun about a bike you can easily whip around and pick up! How does the XR compare to the TW? I've always sort of wanted to try one!
@@SwankyCatProductions I just picked it up the day after Xmas, so I've only ridden it long enough to shift through the gears and ensure it functioned properly. First blush? Between the TW and the XR.. If I was trying to choose one over the other as a first dual sport, or little funster to kick around, it'd probably come down to whether I wanted fat tires or not. They basically share the same advantages/disadvantages. I'd offer to loan it to you, but I haven't even registered it.
@@ogoshikimura5621Stupid a2 requirements ruined lightweight aspect of 450cc adventure bikes. I wish bmw did smart thing and added lots of detachable ballast, but they probably did not.
I used my DRZ-S as a lightweight adventure bike. Like you, I sold it because it didn't have enough power on the street. I did the usual mods (jetting, airbox, exhaust, gearing and rally screen) and they helped, but at the end of the day it was still a 390cc single. I was really hoping they would bump up the displacement of the new version and give us 5-10 more horsepower and a 6th gear. 38 hp and a 5 speed just ain't gonna cut it on long trips, loaded down with gear on the highway.
The 6-speed gearbox excluded, the newer DRZ4S with EFI and ECU I am sure has much more potential for aftermarket HP gains. I am sometimes curious why a 5-speed does not cut it for some people on long trips (rhetorical question) because every bike maker for decades all had 5-speed boxes and less HP for years until a few decades ago. People rode their 5-speed bikes (street and dual-sport) everywhere.
I was set on a new ktm adventure r, but with ktm's financial problems, I bought a '21 crf300L with 3,400 miles on it for $3,600. On black friday deals I got a bigger acerbis tank, skid plate, t-rex tall windscreen with nav bar, cyclops led headlight conversion, and a carpuride 702pro nav screen to connect to my phone. Even when I upgrade the suspension and get the camel side tank, it'll be a budget adv bike. We'll see what happens with ktm, and the new 390.
The primary competition for the DR-Z4S will be the CRF-300 Rally and several 450cc light adventure bikes that are currently or about to be available. Suzuki really needs to provide a Rally option for the DR-Z4S. It will need a rally fairing and a larger tank. The DR-Z400S had a close ratio gearbox. My understanding is that the DR-Z4S has a wide ratio gearbox. It should be fine. When riding the DR-Z400S on the highway, I was either leaning into the wind or hanging on for dear life. It was exhausting. I purchased a fairing from Britannia Composites. It was a bolt on plug in mod. If I remember correctly, there was space for accessories and connections to power them. It also provided tall and short windshields. Range is of paramount importance on any adventure bike. My 650 V-Strom and my Africa Twin AS had/has a range of about 250 miles. I have challenged that range on a few occasions. The 120 mile range on the DR-Z400S was not adequate. I replaced the stock fuel tank with a large Safari tank. With 7.3 gallons of fuel, I could go over 350 miles between stops. If the weight of the fuel is a concern to you, don't fill your tank. A DR-Z4S Rally will need at least a 4 gallon tank to reach that 250 mile range. It's worth it. Aftermarket tanks were easy for the DR-Z400S. It was carbureted, fuel was gravity fed, and there was no fuel gauge. The DR-Z4S is fuel injected. It likely has a fuel pump and filter inside the tank, plus a fuel gauge. The seat on the DR-Z400S was held on with two bolts instead of a latch. The steel bolts threaded into an aluminum frame. I was always concerned that I might cross-thread the bolt and ruin the threads in the frame.
There is a gulf after the relatively techy low cc stuff like the crf300 and modern larger bikes like the Tenere. This gulf is full of ancient stuff like the DR and the KLR. A 400cc higher tech bike with features like the CRF would be very interesting to me. Until then, my highly modified CRF will do just fine.
I think the Japenese will need to compete with the CF moto and the Royal Enfield to compete with the 450 size...A crf450 Rally would be the easiest from Honda. Time to catch up guys. Garth
It's funny, this video is well timed. I had planned on getting a DRZ4S and installing a rally tower for added light and some, if minor wind protection, and of course a mounting platform for my Garmin GPS. The other thing of course is a larger fuel tank, of which I HOPE Acerbis is working on.
It's a global bike so there will be a lot of options. I've been in contact with safari and they may be planning rally style tanks for it similar to what they have done for the tenere 700.
My dream bike doesn't have a seat height of 36.8" . Unless I wake up one day and have longer legs . Looks like that Kove 450 is about as close we are going to get to that sweet spot , just wish it had better graphics but that would be easy enough to change .
Have you see Una Motos channel? He has a klx 300 and got this awesome kit to turn it into a rally style bike w huge gas tanks but it looks sweet. Check out episode 4 on his big spiral series. If someone could mass produce a kit like that for the drz i think they would make a killing!
Mr. Swanky Cat if you had to choose only one bike between the Suzuki DR650 and the Honda XR 650L which would you choose (let’s take seat height out of the equation on the Honda)
If I was going to do a lot of road riding and trips I'd take the DR since it's more comfy and built more for longer hauls. But if I was going to trailer a bit more and ride off road a lot, then I'd take the XR as it's a bit more fun.
@@SwankyCatProductionssafari is planning rally style tanks like what they made for the tenere 700. I've been doing some back and forth with them about it.
@@SwankyCatProductions Yeah plastic gas tanks are cheap in regards to manufacturing. Not sure why they keep putting 2.1 gallon tanks on these bikes. Some of us actually ride them. LOL The 3.9 on my DRZ is about perfect.
I'm not sure that there is enough demand for a bike that can handle everything from single track to freeway. The trend I see is for larger adventure bikes that will spend more time on paved roads than gravel.
Yeah? Possibly. Most of my viewers seem to want something a lot like this, and the CRF300 Rally seems to be doing pretty well. Most of what I hear about that bike is that it needs more power... which the new DRZ should have in comparison.
Im sure someone has mentioned it...but if not....the reason we wanted a 6 speed is the difference between the DR and the XR is they have wide ratio 5speeds. The DRZ400 has a close ratio 5speed. Huge difference. So the ACT gears change it to a wide ratio 5 speed. But its not a simple thing. Takes splitting the cases. I realize yes its not hard just time consuming. But yes if they gave us a wide ratio 5 speed, most of us would be happy. But from all i have found, they kept the same gears to save money. The bottom end as far as block is the same. But with all the emissions its got less power. While i love the upgrades, they miss the most important one. My 2011 DRZ400S has 55,000 miles of mostly trouble free miles. Only self inflicted issues. ARX is cool. I habe spoken to them too. They have many models and if you beg them, they will send you a bare bones version. So lights or winshield. At least i was offered it. Instead i built my own. 3rd rendition is about to startm this one will go to market eventually. Absolutely love it. 1st gen i built was pretty sad IMO, yet tons of compliments. Current one i have built its close to what the final version will be like. Got some pointers from the new untralight rally fairing from i think its rebel X makes it. Mine i built before they built theirs. But i like the way their mounts, so thats how the final version will be. But i perfer mine and my windshield i spent a few years searching for. Will be making a video of it. But can look at my channel profile pic to see it.
Oh yeah, I definitely get that! My hope/suggestion is that Suzuki would add a rally fairing larger tank and a wide ratio gear set directly from the factory and offer it as a Rally Edition. It's nice to know we could build one on our own, but most people (probably myself included) wouldn't want to split the case of a brand new motorcycle. That's part of the beauty of the wide ratio 5 speed though, they could keep the same ratios they have for the dual sport, and drop in the wide ratios for the Rally. Should be much less work (and weight) than adding a 6th gear. Nice looking tower, that's awesome!
I'm interested. My only reservation, because I'm not crashed up is. Reliability. I'd be a bit nervous if there is too many changes mechanically speaking.
Yeah, they certainly seem to have made a lot of small changes. My guess is Suzuki has been at work on this for a while though, which may be why we didn't get anything more than a dual sport (so far). Of course there is still some room for error.
Suzuki has had a quarter century to identify improvements for the drz as well as a wealth of aftermarket mod's both aftermarket and homemade to study. The meh improvements apparent so far show a complete lack of innovative ambition at suzuki.
Possibly. I think their intention was to keep the formula as close to the original as possible though. It should (hopefully) keep the price down and sales similar to that of the original. If they want to do something wild, there's always room for a new model.
The five speed is a non issue. It seems to bother non owners more than those of us that ride DRZs daily. LOL My DRZ is my unicorn light adv bike build. Not much of anything I can think of that would I change.
Nice! That's awesome! Yeah, I think a lot of it is probably perception. That being said, I think a wider range 5 speed tans on an adv edition would make most everyone happy.
Rally ADV. A DS to rally build is different than a DS to ADV build. If you want an ADV build then make an ADV build. No need for marketing gimmicks like ‘rally’ when most people will use it for ADV riding, not rally racing.
If the bike ends up being as good as we hope, the aftermarket will immediately (6 months) start making parts for its shortcomings. I like your Rallye fairing rendition far better than Suzuki's. I still think the bike will fall short of expectation unless youre staying within "city limits".
Yeah I'd bet they can't wait to get their hands on one to start making parts for! It sure would be neat to see a rally version with more range and a wide ratio gear set directly from Suzuki, but I suppose if they don't build one, at least we can!
Thanks! Yeah I thought about a rear rack and bash plate, but I've yet to come across a bike with one that I didn't end up replacing anyways, so I just stuck to the basics. I think a 6th would be nice, but a wide range 5 speed would keep weight, width and cost down!
I'll wait till this Bike hits the floors and the aftermarket companies have a field day with it...I'm assuming about 18 months before larger tanks, seats and exhausts are out there before I buy.....
The first shots I saw are of a water-cooled XR 650R and an XR650L. I figure they are spy shots from Thailand. Probably nothing to do with the US market. The other bikes that I saw were a XR650 air-cooled engine as a scrambler. It also looked to be fuel injected, so that may be a real bike for the rest of the world but not in the US. I would so like to have the water cooled 650 L. I am not counting on it coming here yet. I hope I didn't get you too excited, but I hope I made you look it up. The pictures from Thailand look very promising.
I understand why they did some of the things they did so other countries can run them, but as you said, "Why no Rally?" Why not a larger tank on both standard and Rally version? Why not a wide ratio 5-speed? It is only a 400, not a 650. Why buy a bike that will be higher in price and have to put another few grand into it?! In my opinion the bike was not well thought out. Suzuki can keep it.
Indeed. I think if they replace the side fairings with fuel tank that connects to a rally tower, and drop in a wide range 5 speed gear set we'd probably have everything we need!
your fuel economy figures are way off what is quoted for the drz4s they can supposedly get 295km to a tank (183 miles) for australia fuel range for long distance adv needs to be about 350km (220 miles) with some areas still requiring extra fuel. my current 400e has a fuel range of 550km (341 miles) and still required extra fuel to cross the simpson desert which is about that distance but is mostly sand with 1100 sand dunes so fuel range is reduced and if you run out you may die.
Mmm, yeah possibly. I was using 45 miles per gallon which is probably way too conservative. Most lighter riders without gear probably get around 50 or better?
@@SwankyCatProductions 2.95 litres per hundred kilometres is the claimed economy for the drz4s. you can convert that to whatever gallon you use and speculate on how much it will really use. the e model with 11hp more uses 5 litres per hundred km.
I think some DRZ riders like them as is for the terrain they ride. But that's the great part about the drop in wide range 5 speed gear set. Suzuki could use the originals for the dual sport and the wide range ones for the adv edition!
@@SwankyCatProductions I rode a DRZ400SM for 9 years and 35,000 miles, so I'm familar with it. Not only is there an annoying lack of a 6th gear, the other 5 are poorly spaced with 2nd being too close to 3rd causing gaps elsewhere. I now ride a Kawasaki KLX300SM and the difference is night and day. It's gearbox is like a sportbike with each suceeding gear proportionally closer to the one before it. I use my KLX every day for utility transportation in my business, and is an absolute JOY to ride.🙂
I'm currently in the process of installing an arx rally tower in my KTM exc f. It is a very well made product and customer service has been great. I'm glad to see you give them a shout out
@SwankyCatProductions I think they are a little less plug and play compared to other more expensive brands, but if your not afraid of wiring it's no big deal
I put an arx tower on my exc. It works fantastic, in fact I just did 9 hours worth of riding today. I hope you bought the fuse box with the tower. I wanted to save money and now I have electrical problems coming out of my rear end, so I think I'll tear it all back down and start again. It looks the business with a 24l acerbis tank too, just fyi
no fuel injection , no radiator, basic bike way way more dependable. People not wanting something that is tech'ed BS'ed is not even desirable much more so affordable...people want a ride, not make a statement
I WILL NEVER BUY ONE!!!!! Suzuki screwed up a great bike. No 6th gear is the ending stake through it's heart, DONE, and by the way, why are you the one to come out with these cool ideas and Suzuki sat on their ass all these years and come up with next to nothing?!!!!!!! Heavier, less horse power even with fuel injection, they should go to their drawing board, tear up their drawing and trash it and start from square one. If they do, let them come up with a version with a lower seat height like the Honda CRF 300 LS. We all know the price of the new DRZ-4S will be nuts. I would find an older DRZ and do your rally mods to it. Suzuki needs to wake up.
I definitely understand the frustration, but I think they're probably doing the bare minimum with precise intention. My bet is, the old model sold well enough that they just made what changes they needed to sell them in markets their lack of features and fuel economy got them kicked out of, and kept the cost down as much as possible. That being said, I think they still could really make something pretty cool with just a slightly bigger tank that replaces the side fairings and connects to a rally tower, and if they swap in some wider range gears, we could still run highway speeds without the added width and weight of a 6th gear. My guess is, it won't ever happen... but they did put together a pretty nice Tenere 700 competitor with the 800DE, so you never know!
Legitimate concept from a mechanical designer with manufacturing experience that could easily be brought to market either by the manufacturer or a custom shop. Click bate refers to a bate and switch tactic, not when your perception of a thumbnail and title doesn't match reality.
Hey, thanks for checking out this DRZ-4S Rally Concept with me today! If you saw anything in the video you'd like to know more about, here are some affiliate links for all my parts & gear!
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Cold: www.rockymountainatvmc.com/riding-gear/msr-adv-cold-weather-gloves-p?ref=1042&
Reload Heated: www.rockymountainatvmc.com/riding-gear/msr-reload-heated-gloves-p?ref=1042&
@@SwankyCatProductions thank you for highlighting all of your modifications and your gear. You make it easy for us old timers to ponder through your stuff and decide which things we want to purchase. A very nice touch. Old man approved...
Taxes on the prairie
I have a 2016 drz400s that i have turned into a rally/light weight adventure bike. I swapped the carb for a n mx39, cams, higher out put ignition coil, full yoshi rs2 carbon exhaust. I have also swapped alot of heavy parts for lighter metals such as titanium. Levers, shifter, brake pedal, brackets etc. And also outfitted an ARX rally tower with a trailtech vapor and gps. Suspension was also resprung for my wieght. I did a lot of work to the carb, venturi jets, different fuel bowl and accelerator pump...etc. it pulls away from any 650 without issue, handles unreal for a dual sport on rough stuff...and actually does alot better with distance loaded down with 100lbs or more of camping gear. It was a lot of work but it suits my needs better than i would have expected.
Wide ratio 5 speed, larger gas tank, more comfortable seat, and rally windscreen would be pretty close to the unicorn bike.
Indeed!
My thoughts exactly.
That’s pretty much what I built out of my DRZ/KLX 400. Love the bike and have zero complaints because it does exactly what I need a dual sport / light adventure bike should. Seems to me the five speed bothers people that don’t own DRZs more than those that ride them daily. LOL.
I get it but why not make it 6 with the 6th tunned for highswayspeeds?
@@motobro1998 I think they would have if they could but I imagine there isn't enough room in the existing engine cases. New case design would have increased production cost dramatically I would imagine.
Oh man I just about had a heart attack seeing that thumbnail. I literally exclaimed "They did it!". Imagine my disappointment. Someone will do it, it's just a matter of time. Hopefully sooner than later. Since it's a world wide bike there will be aftermarket tanks and rally fairings available. Straight from factory would be more cost effective and ideal though. I really thought a crf450 rally would have come to fruition by now. I'm hoping Yamaha is smart enough to make a tenere 450 (tenere rally styling but single cylinder more of a dual sport).
Haha sorry! I do think it's important to start bouncing ideas like this around though, even if only to stir the aftermarket pot a bit. Beyond that though, the big Japanese companies have to at least be considering this. Unless they just can't do it at an affordable price for the amount they'd sell, I cannot think of a reason not to!
@SwankyCatProductions Honda should have done it years ago, especially considering the success of the 300 rally. People have been begging them for it. I feel like Yamaha is the only company with the cahones to actually do something like this. Worst case like you say we will just have to build one up. Hoping Suzuki got the gear ratios right in this update. Looking forward to people reviewing the bike to find out.
Not without a 6 speed gearbox.
Suzuki missed an opportunity with this bike.
@RealHooksy doesn't matter if they nail the gear ratios.
@ true, but they made completely new cases so there was room to add capacity for a 6 speed.
Most riders don’t miss it, but given the option I’m sure 90% would choose a 6 speed if they could.
Still a good bike though, with fuel injection and better suspension.
Hopefully the price will still be low enough to make it worthwhile.
Maybe the fact that the patent drawings were missing the headlight and headlight shroud are a clue to several variants of the new DR-Z coming out from Suzuki! Let's hope so.
That's what I'm hoping!!!
The concept looks great, as this bike will probably remain unchanged for another 20 years, plenty of time for the aftermarket to add some goodies .
Thanks! Yes, indeed!!
That thumbnail looks great! Email this to suzuki man haha
Thanks! Haha, I do hope they catch wind of it, but I won't be holding my breath 🤣
I agree. Why aren’t any manufacturers doing the CRF300 Rally thing in their 450s. I don’t think a single Kove would sell if Honda made a 450 Rally
Right?!?!
An updated 450RL with a better map, larger tank, and a rally tower would be tough to beat.
Indeed! I'd buy one!!!
suzuki does actually buy aftermarket Australian made products and put oem suzuki part numbers and sell as standard and dealer accessories for the current Australian drz400e.
on the cape york edition the radiator gaurds and bash plate are made by force accessories with the force logo replaced by the suzuki s, the barkbuster ego have a suzuki decal on them. you could buy a staintune exhaust off their website or from a dealer as a "genuine approved" accessory. so it's not out of the question that suzuki could use a company like arx to offer a genuine approved rally tower if they don't want to design and manufactur one themselves. it's a way to give people what they want with very little risk and i'm sure dealers don't mind the extra money from the sale and fitting.
Wow! No way!? That's awesome!!! Sounds like it shouldn't be too hard for them at all then. Design a bigger tank that replaces the side fairings and connects to the ARX tower. Swap in the wide range gear set and BAM! DRZ4S Rally Edition!!! How crazy would that be!? I'd buy one!
@@SwankyCatProductions people have been doing that in australia for decades.
drz400e safari tank, comfort seat, luggage rack, suspension spring and revalve, big bore, wide ratio in that order. bulletproof powerful do it all adv bike with long service intervals and minimal maintenance.
Fantastic concept! Suzuki should definitely make the concept but, it would HAVE to have a 6th gear! It still baffles me that with the new model they didn't include that! At least maybe with the DRZ4s they made it a wider ratio gearbox? (totally off topic but, I own a modded WR250R and would love to see you get you hands on one to do an ADV build!)
Thanks! Yeah, the wide range 5 speed gear set would be an extremely important part of the Rally Edition!
I've been building my 22' Beta 390 RR-S into an ultralight adventure bike. It will go freeway speeds no problem, with 6 gears and plenty of power, and only 244 lbs wet. However, a light bike does not a good highway bike make. I'm still working on it, but there's no doubt that in order to have such a great enduro for off road, comfort on the highway will suffer... a lot. Why on earth didn't Suzuki give the DRZ-4S 6 gears? Same reason Honda gave the 300LR such terrible suspension... I don't think they're listening. I hope KTM makes it through because the 390 Adventure looks like a cool bike. So does the Kove 450!
Nice!!! Yeah, that's why I'm thinking the DRZ may not be a half bad bike as is. It's too heavy and underpowered to be an Enduro, but might not make a half bad, somewhat tame, lightweight adv bike. A 6th would be cool, but I really think a wide ratio 5 might be better. Less weight, less width, and much cheaper since all they need to do is drop it in the existing case. I'm also pretty interested in the 390 ADV-R though! Looks awesome!!!
The bike I want to see is a new XR650R with 6 gears, e-start and a plate from the factory.
It would be awesome if Suzuki down the road designed a DR4s Rally like the Honda CRF 300 Rally. Larger fuel tank wind screen larger ferrings. Either way depending on pricing and performance. This a potential for a grand slam or at least a three run homer.
Yeah. I'd imagine better wind protection, rally styling, a bigger tank, and a wide ratio 5 speed would do really, really well in today's market!
Merry Christmas! Hope you can get the DRZ4s this year.
Merry Christmas! I'm thinking I might have too!
I like it. Would definitely be cool to get more factory rally options. I’m sure the aftermarket will take up some slack, but the economy of scale from the manufacturer would probably make it more affordable. I’ve seen rally kits for different bikes get pretty expensive, where the crf300l rally isn’t that much more than the base even with pretty substantial upgrades. To start with though, I’d like to see them announce the price of the 4S ;).
Yeah! Especially with how well the CRF Rally seems to be doing, I sure thought other manufacturers would jump on board. Hopefully they still will!!! I'm glad we have the option to make aftermarket mods like the ARX tower, but if I could walk into a dealer and ride away with one all put together for me, it'd be pretty hard to turn down. Especially since as you mentioned, it would probably be much more economical!
Yes please, do it Suzuki!
Let's hope they hear us!
I’d buy that.
Me too!!!
Always wanted to build a custom DRZ. I'm an ATV enthusiast, and hadn't ridden on the street since I had a Honda Valkyrie in the late 90s. I ended up with a pair of TW200s, and recently picked up an XR150L. The success of the XR, incessant success of the TW, and the emergence of Chinese clones, proves the legitimacy of the small dual sport market. If it can do 60 MPH on the road, and provide an unthreatening off road experience that leaves your face hurting from a sh!t eating grin, it sells. That said, the DR200 could be the sleeping dog Suzuki need not let lie. I get that it's not your wheelhouse, but some public push in this direction could be one of the biggest ROI moves Suzuki could make IMO. Revamped fuel delivery (non vacuum actuated), suspension, ergonomics, and a modernized facelift, could put Suzuki squarely in the front of the low powered, carbureted, rear drum braking, two valve air cooled market. My $.02.
Hmm interesting. I do always enjoy ripping around on my TW. There is just something fun about a bike you can easily whip around and pick up! How does the XR compare to the TW? I've always sort of wanted to try one!
@@SwankyCatProductions I just picked it up the day after Xmas, so I've only ridden it long enough to shift through the gears and ensure it functioned properly. First blush? Between the TW and the XR.. If I was trying to choose one over the other as a first dual sport, or little funster to kick around, it'd probably come down to whether I wanted fat tires or not. They basically share the same advantages/disadvantages. I'd offer to loan it to you, but I haven't even registered it.
I’m excited about the baby GS! I heard that the concept bike weighs 370lbs.
WOW really??? I'll have to look into that!
It’s 385lbs- which is the maximum allowed weight by law for this bike.
@@ogoshikimura5621Stupid a2 requirements ruined lightweight aspect of 450cc adventure bikes. I wish bmw did smart thing and added lots of detachable ballast, but they probably did not.
I used my DRZ-S as a lightweight adventure bike. Like you, I sold it because it didn't have enough power on the street. I did the usual mods (jetting, airbox, exhaust, gearing and rally screen) and they helped, but at the end of the day it was still a 390cc single. I was really hoping they would bump up the displacement of the new version and give us 5-10 more horsepower and a 6th gear. 38 hp and a 5 speed just ain't gonna cut it on long trips, loaded down with gear on the highway.
The 6-speed gearbox excluded, the newer DRZ4S with EFI and ECU I am sure has much more potential for aftermarket HP gains. I am sometimes curious why a 5-speed does not cut it for some people on long trips (rhetorical question) because every bike maker for decades all had 5-speed boxes and less HP for years until a few decades ago. People rode their 5-speed bikes (street and dual-sport) everywhere.
I think a wider range gear box would help, but with the same sized engine, I'd agree - it's adv potential would still be limited to some extent.
Give it a bigger tank and you're onto something here. Good job. New subscriber here. Cheers.
Sounds like you have your next build planned out!
I'm hoping Suzuki will build it for me, but if not, someone should!!!
I was set on a new ktm adventure r, but with ktm's financial problems, I bought a '21 crf300L with 3,400 miles on it for $3,600. On black friday deals I got a bigger acerbis tank, skid plate, t-rex tall windscreen with nav bar, cyclops led headlight conversion, and a carpuride 702pro nav screen to connect to my phone. Even when I upgrade the suspension and get the camel side tank, it'll be a budget adv bike. We'll see what happens with ktm, and the new 390.
That new rally set up you showed would look good on one of your bikes .
It would! I'd really like to put one on the DR...
The primary competition for the DR-Z4S will be the CRF-300 Rally and several 450cc light adventure bikes that are currently or about to be available. Suzuki really needs to provide a Rally option for the DR-Z4S. It will need a rally fairing and a larger tank.
The DR-Z400S had a close ratio gearbox. My understanding is that the DR-Z4S has a wide ratio gearbox. It should be fine.
When riding the DR-Z400S on the highway, I was either leaning into the wind or hanging on for dear life. It was exhausting. I purchased a fairing from Britannia Composites. It was a bolt on plug in mod. If I remember correctly, there was space for accessories and connections to power them. It also provided tall and short windshields.
Range is of paramount importance on any adventure bike. My 650 V-Strom and my Africa Twin AS had/has a range of about 250 miles. I have challenged that range on a few occasions. The 120 mile range on the DR-Z400S was not adequate. I replaced the stock fuel tank with a large Safari tank. With 7.3 gallons of fuel, I could go over 350 miles between stops. If the weight of the fuel is a concern to you, don't fill your tank. A DR-Z4S Rally will need at least a 4 gallon tank to reach that 250 mile range. It's worth it.
Aftermarket tanks were easy for the DR-Z400S. It was carbureted, fuel was gravity fed, and there was no fuel gauge. The DR-Z4S is fuel injected. It likely has a fuel pump and filter inside the tank, plus a fuel gauge.
The seat on the DR-Z400S was held on with two bolts instead of a latch. The steel bolts threaded into an aluminum frame. I was always concerned that I might cross-thread the bolt and ruin the threads in the frame.
Since KTM are floating down the creek without a paddle,maybe Rade Garage need to do a Suzuki project?
Haha yeah there ya go!
The auxiliary tank/skid they make for the 2024 500 EXC looks brilliant. They would be smart to consider it for a long run model like this new DRZ.
There is a gulf after the relatively techy low cc stuff like the crf300 and modern larger bikes like the Tenere. This gulf is full of ancient stuff like the DR and the KLR. A 400cc higher tech bike with features like the CRF would be very interesting to me. Until then, my highly modified CRF will do just fine.
I think the Japenese will need to compete with the CF moto and the Royal Enfield to compete with the 450 size...A crf450 Rally would be the easiest from Honda. Time to catch up guys. Garth
Definitely!!! As much as I'd like to see this bike, I think I'd actually be happier if Honda made a 450 Rally. I've been waiting forever!!! Haha.
It would sell like hotcakes! Hopefully they'll do a rally version 🤞🏽
Seriously, where is the CRF450 Rally??
First they need to invent a CRF450 without a dirt bike engine
Ha ha, yeah I'd really like to know!
It's funny, this video is well timed. I had planned on getting a DRZ4S and installing a rally tower for added light and some, if minor wind protection, and of course a mounting platform for my Garmin GPS. The other thing of course is a larger fuel tank, of which I HOPE Acerbis is working on.
It's a global bike so there will be a lot of options. I've been in contact with safari and they may be planning rally style tanks for it similar to what they have done for the tenere 700.
@@joshdoddadbod Thanks for the heads up! 👍
I sure hope Suzuki is thinking this as well! I have to imagine there would be a sizable market!
My dream bike doesn't have a seat height of 36.8" . Unless I wake up one day and have longer legs . Looks like that Kove 450 is about as close we are going to get to that sweet spot , just wish it had better graphics but that would be easy enough to change .
Have you see Una Motos channel? He has a klx 300 and got this awesome kit to turn it into a rally style bike w huge gas tanks but it looks sweet. Check out episode 4 on his big spiral series. If someone could mass produce a kit like that for the drz i think they would make a killing!
Mr. Swanky Cat if you had to choose only one bike between the Suzuki DR650 and the Honda XR 650L which would you choose (let’s take seat height out of the equation on the Honda)
If I was going to do a lot of road riding and trips I'd take the DR since it's more comfy and built more for longer hauls. But if I was going to trailer a bit more and ride off road a lot, then I'd take the XR as it's a bit more fun.
To mitigate the fuel issue just bring 2 or 3 fuel bottles on the longer trips
There is always that option! I just think it'd be neat if they'd offer a bike made more for longer range riding.
@@SwankyCatProductionssafari is planning rally style tanks like what they made for the tenere 700. I've been doing some back and forth with them about it.
@@SwankyCatProductions Yeah plastic gas tanks are cheap in regards to manufacturing. Not sure why they keep putting 2.1 gallon tanks on these bikes. Some of us actually ride them. LOL The 3.9 on my DRZ is about perfect.
great vid. great channel !
I'm not sure that there is enough demand for a bike that can handle everything from single track to freeway.
The trend I see is for larger adventure bikes that will spend more time on paved roads than gravel.
Yeah? Possibly. Most of my viewers seem to want something a lot like this, and the CRF300 Rally seems to be doing pretty well. Most of what I hear about that bike is that it needs more power... which the new DRZ should have in comparison.
There’s definitely a market for ready made lightweight adventure bikes.
Definitely.
Im sure someone has mentioned it...but if not....the reason we wanted a 6 speed is the difference between the DR and the XR is they have wide ratio 5speeds. The DRZ400 has a close ratio 5speed. Huge difference. So the ACT gears change it to a wide ratio 5 speed. But its not a simple thing. Takes splitting the cases. I realize yes its not hard just time consuming. But yes if they gave us a wide ratio 5 speed, most of us would be happy. But from all i have found, they kept the same gears to save money. The bottom end as far as block is the same. But with all the emissions its got less power. While i love the upgrades, they miss the most important one. My 2011 DRZ400S has 55,000 miles of mostly trouble free miles. Only self inflicted issues. ARX is cool. I habe spoken to them too. They have many models and if you beg them, they will send you a bare bones version. So lights or winshield. At least i was offered it. Instead i built my own. 3rd rendition is about to startm this one will go to market eventually. Absolutely love it. 1st gen i built was pretty sad IMO, yet tons of compliments. Current one i have built its close to what the final version will be like. Got some pointers from the new untralight rally fairing from i think its rebel X makes it. Mine i built before they built theirs. But i like the way their mounts, so thats how the final version will be. But i perfer mine and my windshield i spent a few years searching for. Will be making a video of it. But can look at my channel profile pic to see it.
Oh yeah, I definitely get that! My hope/suggestion is that Suzuki would add a rally fairing larger tank and a wide ratio gear set directly from the factory and offer it as a Rally Edition. It's nice to know we could build one on our own, but most people (probably myself included) wouldn't want to split the case of a brand new motorcycle. That's part of the beauty of the wide ratio 5 speed though, they could keep the same ratios they have for the dual sport, and drop in the wide ratios for the Rally. Should be much less work (and weight) than adding a 6th gear. Nice looking tower, that's awesome!
I'm interested. My only reservation, because I'm not crashed up is. Reliability. I'd be a bit nervous if there is too many changes mechanically speaking.
Adding a rally screen and fairing isn't going to affect mechanical reliability
Yeah, they certainly seem to have made a lot of small changes. My guess is Suzuki has been at work on this for a while though, which may be why we didn't get anything more than a dual sport (so far). Of course there is still some room for error.
Love my DRZ400’s but…. Saving my cash for the KLE500!! Think it will be an amazing bike for the money
Indeed! That will probably be a little more street bias, but still has the potential to be an amazing lighterweight adv!
how about the husq,ktm,gas gas enduro?
Safari, IMS, Clarke, and Acerbis will be making bigger tanks for the new DRZ before next year, mark my words.
I love the XR 650 but it needs a bigger fuel tank in my opinion
Haha yeah, it really, really does.
Suzuki has had a quarter century to identify improvements for the drz as well as a wealth of aftermarket mod's both aftermarket and homemade to study. The meh improvements apparent so far show a complete lack of innovative ambition at suzuki.
“Let’s add 14lbs of additional weight for improved performance…”🤔
Possibly. I think their intention was to keep the formula as close to the original as possible though. It should (hopefully) keep the price down and sales similar to that of the original. If they want to do something wild, there's always room for a new model.
@@SwankyCatProductions I'll repeat, they'll ask close to $10k.
duuuude, i click faster then i wanted to after seeing that thumbnail 😅
Haha it's definitely a good looking machine! Let's hope Suzuki sees it and likes our ideas!!!
About 185-200miles would be good for range. Especially in Australia.
shame there is no Caballero Rally w\ the CFMOTO 450cc crossplane engine
but CFMOTO could've made a smaller 450cc version of the CL-X Adventure
That'd be cool!!!
The five speed is a non issue. It seems to bother non owners more than those of us that ride DRZs daily. LOL My DRZ is my unicorn light adv bike build. Not much of anything I can think of that would I change.
Nice! That's awesome! Yeah, I think a lot of it is probably perception. That being said, I think a wider range 5 speed tans on an adv edition would make most everyone happy.
I just want a 6 speed wr450f.
Dude, what is that knife on your shelf? I have one that looks just like it, from my grandfather.
No way!?!? That's where mine came from too! My Dad's dad.
Call Indian motorcycle Co. And tell them you have their next top saler!😁😁
Rally ADV. A DS to rally build is different than a DS to ADV build. If you want an ADV build then make an ADV build. No need for marketing gimmicks like ‘rally’ when most people will use it for ADV riding, not rally racing.
They need to drop the weight of the bike and add some power. Step in the right direction but not enough.
Yeah, I'd agree more power would be better. Especially if they do a wide range gear box, but my guess is they kept it this way to improve longevity.
If the bike ends up being as good as we hope, the aftermarket will immediately (6 months) start making parts for its shortcomings. I like your Rallye fairing rendition far better than Suzuki's. I still think the bike will fall short of expectation unless youre staying within "city limits".
Yeah I'd bet they can't wait to get their hands on one to start making parts for! It sure would be neat to see a rally version with more range and a wide ratio gear set directly from Suzuki, but I suppose if they don't build one, at least we can!
@SwankyCatProductions I'm honestly excited for you to get one and tastefully pick it apart and fix what Suzuki fell short on.
They could just put it as an add on like gytr parts for Yamaha.
Yeah definitely!
concept looks good.. minus a bash plate.. but i'd sooner stick with my ol crf250l rally then loose my 6th gear...
Thanks! Yeah I thought about a rear rack and bash plate, but I've yet to come across a bike with one that I didn't end up replacing anyways, so I just stuck to the basics. I think a 6th would be nice, but a wide range 5 speed would keep weight, width and cost down!
I'll wait till this Bike hits the floors and the aftermarket companies have a field day with it...I'm assuming about 18 months before larger tanks, seats and exhausts are out there before I buy.....
Yeah, unfortunately it'll be awhile. Hopefully not too long though!
Check out the new XR650R and the XL650L, I'm excited
Texas on the prairie
New XR650L & R?
@SwankyCatProductions although to me there were conflicting pictures of the bike. It is still pretty exciting
The first shots I saw are of a water-cooled XR 650R and an XR650L. I figure they are spy shots from Thailand. Probably nothing to do with the US market. The other bikes that I saw were a XR650 air-cooled engine as a scrambler. It also looked to be fuel injected, so that may be a real bike for the rest of the world but not in the US.
I would so like to have the water cooled 650 L. I am not counting on it coming here yet. I hope I didn't get you too excited, but I hope I made you look it up. The pictures from Thailand look very promising.
I understand why they did some of the things they did so other countries can run them, but as you said, "Why no Rally?" Why not a larger tank on both standard and Rally version? Why not a wide ratio 5-speed? It is only a 400, not a 650. Why buy a bike that will be higher in price and have to put another few grand into it?! In my opinion the bike was not well thought out. Suzuki can keep it.
You'd need a much bigger tank to call it "rally.."
Indeed. I think if they replace the side fairings with fuel tank that connects to a rally tower, and drop in a wide range 5 speed gear set we'd probably have everything we need!
@SwankyCatProductions it's that or the Kove 450...
your fuel economy figures are way off what is quoted for the drz4s they can supposedly get 295km to a tank (183 miles) for australia fuel range for long distance adv needs to be about 350km (220 miles) with some areas still requiring extra fuel.
my current 400e has a fuel range of 550km (341 miles) and still required extra fuel to cross the simpson desert which is about that distance but is mostly sand with 1100 sand dunes so fuel range is reduced and if you run out you may die.
Mmm, yeah possibly. I was using 45 miles per gallon which is probably way too conservative. Most lighter riders without gear probably get around 50 or better?
@@SwankyCatProductions 2.95 litres per hundred kilometres is the claimed economy for the drz4s. you can convert that to whatever gallon you use and speculate on how much it will really use. the e model with 11hp more uses 5 litres per hundred km.
Who would want a bike with an outdated 5 speed?
I think some DRZ riders like them as is for the terrain they ride. But that's the great part about the drop in wide range 5 speed gear set. Suzuki could use the originals for the dual sport and the wide range ones for the adv edition!
@@SwankyCatProductions I rode a DRZ400SM for 9 years and 35,000 miles, so I'm familar with it. Not only is there an annoying lack of a 6th gear, the other 5 are poorly spaced with 2nd being too close to 3rd causing gaps elsewhere.
I now ride a Kawasaki KLX300SM and the difference is night and day. It's gearbox is like a sportbike with each suceeding gear proportionally closer to the one before it.
I use my KLX every day for utility transportation in my business, and is an absolute JOY to ride.🙂
I'm currently in the process of installing an arx rally tower in my KTM exc f. It is a very well made product and customer service has been great. I'm glad to see you give them a shout out
NICE! Yeah, I've looked at just about ever option out there and as far as I can tell, ARX's cost and quality almost seem to good to be true!
@SwankyCatProductions I think they are a little less plug and play compared to other more expensive brands, but if your not afraid of wiring it's no big deal
I put an arx tower on my exc. It works fantastic, in fact I just did 9 hours worth of riding today. I hope you bought the fuse box with the tower. I wanted to save money and now I have electrical problems coming out of my rear end, so I think I'll tear it all back down and start again. It looks the business with a 24l acerbis tank too, just fyi
no fuel injection , no radiator, basic bike way way more dependable. People not wanting something that is tech'ed BS'ed is not even desirable much more so affordable...people want a ride, not make a statement
Try a Beta
I rode a 300 at one point! WOW was that fun!
Imagine if it had 6 gears..😅
no fifth gear so the honda 300crf will out do this one. unless you haul your bike everywhere like most people
Yeah, I don't know. I think the wide range gear set could be just as good!
Stop trying to build a Rally bike and buy one. Kove 450 is a ready to race rally bike that does what you are trying to make other bikes do.
😍💯
My thoughts exactly!
I WILL NEVER BUY ONE!!!!! Suzuki screwed up a great bike. No 6th gear is the ending stake through it's heart, DONE, and by the way, why are you the one to come out with these cool ideas and Suzuki sat on their ass all these years and come up with next to nothing?!!!!!!! Heavier, less horse power even with fuel injection, they should go to their drawing board, tear up their drawing and trash it and start from square one. If they do, let them come up with a version with a lower seat height like the Honda CRF 300 LS. We all know the price of the new DRZ-4S will be nuts. I would find an older DRZ and do your rally mods to it. Suzuki needs to wake up.
I definitely understand the frustration, but I think they're probably doing the bare minimum with precise intention. My bet is, the old model sold well enough that they just made what changes they needed to sell them in markets their lack of features and fuel economy got them kicked out of, and kept the cost down as much as possible. That being said, I think they still could really make something pretty cool with just a slightly bigger tank that replaces the side fairings and connects to a rally tower, and if they swap in some wider range gears, we could still run highway speeds without the added width and weight of a 6th gear. My guess is, it won't ever happen... but they did put together a pretty nice Tenere 700 competitor with the 800DE, so you never know!
Click bait
Legitimate concept from a mechanical designer with manufacturing experience that could easily be brought to market either by the manufacturer or a custom shop. Click bate refers to a bate and switch tactic, not when your perception of a thumbnail and title doesn't match reality.
Sell a kit for it.
Huh?
@SwankyCatProductions kit sorry was ment to be