13/02/2026
Suzuki DR350
The DR350 was presented in 1990, as an small and affordable trail bike with a single cylinder four-stroke engine. As for some other DR models, the DR350 available in different versions. At first, there was the DR350S (a street-legal version of the the pure trail version) DR350 (with no license plate holder or mirrors). In 1994 an electric starter was added, and the street legal version's name was changed to DR350SE. The DR350 (without the S) was introduced in 1991. It was a pure trail machine, different from the DR350S in many details. The DR350 had plastic fuel tank (instead of steel), different carburetor, other type of tyres and better suspension than the DR350S. In 1992 Suzuki added an SHC (Suzuki Height Control) function to the DR350. That made it possible to lower the seat height as much as 40 mm (1.6 inches).
Honda XR400R
The Honda XR series was a line of off-road motorcycles manufactured by Honda. The bikes were powered by four-stroke engines and, designed in Japan but built worldwide. Some XR models were available in "R" and "L" versions, where "R" indicated off-road motorcycles and "L" street-legal ones. For 1996, the Honda XR was powered by a 397cc air-cooled engine. This engine shared the same radial four-valve combustion chamber design as the XR line since 1984, but was otherwise all new. The 85 x 70mm bore and stroke pistons were said to provide the best free-revving power of any combination tried, producing strong low- and mid-range pull, while still having plenty of over-rev. A dry sump design kept oil out of the engine and in cooler areas of the frame and handlebar-mounted oil cooler. Looks-wise, the motor appears traditionally XR. Sizewise, it is a bit smaller than an XR600 motor and utilizes a swingarm-pivot shaft on the rear of the engine cases, eliminating an extra mounting point. Its weight is 15.2 pounds less than the XR600 motor. Shared with the 600 is a cammounted automatic decompression release for easy starting, as well as a handlebar-mounted manual lever. Internally, the designs of the shifting mechanism and gearshafts are entirely new to the XR line, aimed at smoothing out shifting action. A two-piece clutch cover makes accessing the plates a 10-minute job.
