If Only Suzuki Would....?

[Nick_2112]

I have been thinking, does anyone agree if Suzuki would bring back the humble DR350 they would sell like hot cakes...... IF the price was right.

There would be little or no R&D, pressumably the production would be able to start relatively easily, Bobs your uncle, everyone's a winner.

Myself and a few guys were talking about it and all agreed they would be hard to resist.... I would buy one definately.

I don't accept that Euro emissions would be a major issue, if the Chinese can solve it with air cooled singles, I'm sure Suzuki can.

The fact is IMO, the DR350 was better than the DRZ that replaced it.

Would it tempt you? .......Thoughts.

[SteveW]

Thoughts......
The DRZ 400 is better than the DR350.
But, probably a modern, simple, light and cheap DR350 would have a market for sure.

[Trev]

I'm surprised they haven't seeing as their whole range is tired old models or 'new' ones with warmed over (detuned and euro 4'ised) versions of 'legenday' motors

I'm a Suzuki person through and through having started out on an TS100A field bike, AP50 at 16, X7 at 17, air cooled TS's of various flavours, GT triples, PE400X and several gixers but unlike all their rivals, they seem content in warming over some existing old tech (or taking so long to launch that the thing is almost irrelevant - GSXR1000) rather than investing in new engines and tech.

I've had to resort to buying a Honda it's that bad

[DavidS]

I was looking at trading my Husky FE450 for a ‘trail’ bike but the current options (CRF and KLX) are way to small for me at 6’3 so I had the Husky lowered last week. Got a horse trial on Sunday and a trail ride on Wednesday so will be interesting to see how it fares.
I wanted something I could still swing my leg over after a long day out (ok.....keep it clean) last weeks horse trial was a mammoth event and elderly tired legs and high seat don’t mix.

I didn’t want to go DR old and they are pretty heavy. Freeride doesn’t seem to work for trails in Sussex as too much road work.

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

I'm a great fan of the DR350...I had one of the first DR350Ss in the country.

You can still get a new bike with a DR350S engine in the UK: the Beta Alp; 4.0.

If Beta would put the same engine in something like the X-Trainer chassis, I'd buy one.

[daveuprite]

It was a beaten up old DR350 that got me into greenlaning after years of sports bikes and race-bikes. Knowing no better, I just thought that all dirt bikes must be vague-steering and fairly unpleasant to ride. Then I flogged it for what I had paid out a year later and bought a DRZ400E. Much much better. The Beta 450 I have now was another big step up again.

But 'if only Suzuki would...' revive and market a great all-round trail bike it's the DRZ400 they should update IMO. A nice clean 40bhp fuel injected liquid cooled single with a wide 6-speed box, proper subframe for luggage, 13-15 litre tank, probably about 125kgs, 900mm seat and some proper suspension borrowed from recent RMs - would all add up to a winner. Lots of DRZ owners wish they would do it and feel they missed a trick in allowing the old DRZ to die out rather than evolving the bike as Yamaha has done with the WRF. The Beta 390RR is kind of a modern day DRZ, but it has more enduro credentials and is probably not quite what drzedders are looking for.

[Brenhden]

Ok so my favorite bike I ever owned was a DR350. I felt better than my DRZ and my DR650. However, a fuel injected (so it could get past emissions) DRZ Rally edition is surely what suits the market these days. Lighter than the Honda 500, more powerful than the CRF rally and a bit more off roady than the REH?

[bill_qaz]

Good old DR 350 memories

spain crater.JPG (63.8 KiB) Viewed 5505 times

[dave h]

summat wrong wi you lot,
if that bike was so good you would all have one ,
you ant ,
dave.

[Tonibe63]

Royal Enfield are showing Suzuki that there is a market for a re-released dr350 but it may not by financially viable for them to do so. CCM also showed Suzuki the way by actually using suzuki engines in their 404 and 644 but again Suzuki may not have been interested in such a small market.
As much as we (fickle) consumers may desire a bike from our younger days Suzuki have big production lines that need to be kept busy.