1602 DT final

companies that do the same thing, some
for a bit less money, but CYMA are the
original. They’ve been doing it non-stop
for 25 years and their tours run like welloiled
machines.
MY RIDE: SUZUKI DR-Z400E
You would be hard pressed to find an
enduro bikes as divisive as Suzuki’s
DR-Z400 series. Those who swear by
them are quick to point out that for
less than $8,000, the DR-Z represents
incredible bang for your buck. “It’s half
the price of a KTM, requires a quarter
as much maintenance, receives a better
resale price and suites novice and expert
riders alike on the trails we cover,” says
Renae Kundra Cape York Motorcycles
Adventures. I was quite skeptical at
first, but after three days on a DR-Z, I’ll
happily to admit there are few bikes in its
class and none near its price range that
are as good for tackling long, hot, dusty
stretches of gravel. The top end power
is awesome and I didn’t get shaken to
bits the way Roy did on his Husaberg.
Yet it was a different story when we hit
the trails, where I had to work twice as
hard to stay upright as I would have on
a KTM or Husaberg. The DR-Z’s frontend
suspension is stuck in the 1990s. It
handles like a dog’s breakfast around
corners at both low and high speeds.
And at 140kg (119kg dry plus a 20L safari
petrol tank), my ride was heavy as hell.
On the one occasion my bars hit the
ground, it took all of my strength – and
two attempts – to get the DR-Z up again.
Do that three or four times in the tropical
heat and you’ll hate yourself for getting
out of bed in the morning. For this reason
alone, I would never buy a DR-Z. But
that’s just me. Let’s not forget, this is
one of the world’s best-selling enduro
machines.
1602 DT Telegraph track.indd 68 2016/01/24 9:42 PM