Suzuki DR-Z400SM
More fun, less fuel
Having fun and getting good fuel mileage seem to have an inverse relationship. Bore yourself into a coma on a straight freeway and you get good figures; entertain your inner speed freak on a fast run through the canyons and your gas card takes a beating. Why compromise when there's one bike that delivers both? Suzuki's DR-Z400SM is the perfect balance of excellent fuel mileage and outrageous fun. Wheelie it, slide it, pin it WFO everywhere and you'll still get 40 to 45 mpg. Relax your throttle hand just a smidge and you'll witness somewhere in the vicinity of 150 miles on the LCD tripmeter when you roll into the station to fill up your miserly 2.6-gallon tank with 87 octane.
That's right, this fun-machine still drinks the cheap stuff, thanks to a reasonable 11.3:1 compression ratio. The engine and the majority of the SM's components are borrowed from Suzuki's DR-Z400S dual-sport, with the addition of some motard-specific parts and a few trick components from the RM250 motocrosser. This four-valve DOHC thumper only puts 32.5 horsepower to the ground, but that's enough to put a childish grin on your face. Not enough thrust for you? Performance parts abound, as this popular powerplant is charging into its sixth year of production.
Suzuki's supermoto ends up...
Suzuki's supermoto ends up quicker than the Ninja through the twisty bits by virtue of its extra power, stickier rubber and superior brakes. On the flip side, it'll set you back another $2800.
The stock DR-Z400SM is a pretty slick setup, though. A Renthal Fatbar is mounted atop a gold-anodized 47mm inverted Showa fork taken from the RM. Wide-rimmed, 17-inch wheels are shod with sticky Dunlop Sportmax street tires, with a full-floating 300mm disc and powerful Nissin two-piston caliper up front that enables stoppies with the greatest of ease.
Over 10 inches of fully adjustable travel front and rear tame the most unruly riding surfaces, the rear wheel pivoting on a tapered-aluminum swingarm adopted from the racy RM. Bodywork is supermoto aggressive, with a short front fender, compact headlight fairing and side numberplates. Factory-installed axle sliders are an appreciated touch, helping to insure the bike withstands the inevitable abuse it is intended to endure.
Convenient civilian features like push-button electric start, helmet/steering locks and a rear fender-mounted tool bag make the SM a practical everyday rider. Mirrors are well positioned and sizable, resisting vibration-induced distortion and providing a consistently good view of the past. Digitized information is displayed on a simple rectangular screen, with myriad enduro-derived distance and timing functions we've yet to figure out. Seat height is high at 35 inches-putting the DR-Z out of reach of anyone shorter than 5 feet 8 inches-but places you in an upright position that allows you to see far ahead and strategize your way through traffic. Smooth clutch action and a short first gear permit wheel-lofting launches from traffic lights, and the torquey motor, snappy handling and narrow width make this supermoto a superb navigator of gridlocked surface streets.
Stock gearing is perfectly suited to expedite suburban transit, but merging onto the freeway had me banging my toe against an immobile shift lever looking for a nonexistent sixth gear. The bike will accelerate to 80 mph easily enough, but the engine sounds stressed at high speeds. Adding a tooth to the countershaft or taking a few off the wheel sprocket would yield a better arrangement for extended high-speed cruising and promote better fuel mileage, though it would make the gap between gears bigger.
Weighing 335 pounds with all requisite liquids, the DR-Z lends itself to rapid direction changes with a surefooted manner that is best suited to twisty roads-the tighter and nastier, the better. It's fun skittering into corners and bwaa-bwaa-ing off bumpy apexes. Power is abundant across the rev range and you can ride the SM hard, using every cog in the gearbox without undue speed or a shrieking exhaust note like a sportbike would produce.
The DR-Z rates high on the fun factor and doesn't put too big a hole in your bank account. At $6199, you get a lot of bang for your buck, so much so that the DR-Z was runner-up in that category in Motorcyclist's 2007 MOTY awards. Being one of the most fuel-efficient bikes around only adds to the appeal.
 |  The best brake of the bunch:...  The best brake of the bunch: a 300mm rotor pinched by a dual-piston caliper. Sticky front Dunlop provides stellar grip. |  Valve, clutch and magneto...  Valve, clutch and magneto covers are magnesium to shave weight. Separate outer cover makes clutch maintenance easier. |
Off The Record
Julia LaPalme
Of the four bikes in this comparison, I like the DR-Z best. The upright seating position and handlebars combined with the high ground clearance make for a comfortable and versatile ride. Its lightweight build makes it very flickable and it's fun to just tool around on. Putting my foot down at stops was a slight challenge, though doable.
The Ninja 250 was fun, too: a bit buzzy, but fully capable through the corners. I felt a little cramped on it, though, as I've become accustomed to riding larger bikes. The low bars and high pegs almost had me in the fetal position, which my knees weren't happy about. But that's to be expected from a sportbike, right?
The Rebel was a blast from the past, as I took my MSF course on one. I love the turning radius, but I don't think I could ever become accustomed to the low cruiser seating position again.
Age: 27 Height: 5' 5" Weight: 130 lbs. Inseam: 30 in.