Great All-Around Bike, Great Price And Quality, Very Versatile
I have owned the bike since late April, 2012. I have taken it on the trails, dunes and the tracks. It has performed well in all conditions.
Unless you're buying a dirt bike specifically made for one purpose, I recommend the DR-Z400S to everyone. It's quality and value surpass the price tag by far.
It easily sets a new bar for the phase "you get what you pay for."
I like to keep it on the dirt myself and found that it takes very minimal modifications to excel in this type of riding, but works great for other types of riding as well.
For example, if you're using the bike as a daily commute to and from work or other places on the road, simply change the sprockets to your liking "if" you are not satisfied with the ratio on it from the factory. It's very simple and very cheap.
The same goes for the dirt. I have replaced the dual sport tires with knobbies and changed the sprockets from standard 15/44 to 13/47. That takes away from the top speed which is ridiculously high and gives so much more torque at a twist of the throttle.
There are many more ways to modify this bike to conform to your liking and because of the popularity of this bike there are videos on You Tube.
There are explanations on forums and just so much reference on the Internet that you will find with ease the "how to" and result of any thing you'd like to modify.
When I did some research on this bike prior to buying it, I found people who have successfully tailored their DR-Z400S to their style.
Freestyle - as hard as it is to think how, it has been done.
Of course, trail riding needs nothing for that except sprockets maybe, depending on how tight the trails are.
Asphalt - a lot of people love to do that and it takes little to nothing to make it a specialty road pounder.
It handles great, has low maintenance and by reading and conversing with other's, these DRZ's will last a long time and they have a incredibly high resale value.
I give it two thumbs up.
Upgrades/Accessories: I changed from 15/44 sprockets to 13/47. It cost $45.00. I also changed dual sport tires to Knobbies for $150.00.
Reviews are provided on an "as is" basis with no warranty and should be considered entertainment only. Reviews should not be used for any purpose whatsoever, including but not limited to, making decisions about any referenced vehicles, products, modifications or other information.