CN
III ARCHIVES
L
ast year, the beloved Suzuki
DR-Z400S celebrated its
20th birthday, which, for hu-
mans isn't considered old, but in
motorcycle years, whew, that's
getting up there.
The DR-Z400S story begins in
1990 when Suzuki brought a full
stable of new dual-sport motor-
cycles to the market. In addition
to the conventional marketing
efforts that accompanied the
launch of the DR650S, DR350S
P116
and DR250S, Suzuki under-
took an educational project to
show dealers and event promot-
ers across the country how to
organize and present dual-sport
rides.
Led by industry visionary
Mark Blackwell, Suzuki's U.S.
staff and others went across the
country explaining ride layout,
creation of the roll charts and
actually riding the new Suzuki's
with influencers decades before
20 YEARS
BY KIT PALMER
HAPPY BELATED
Cycle News was there when
Suzuki introduced the very first
Suzuki DR-Z400S to the media in
Death Valley in 2000.
that label became part of the
lexicon.
The Suzuki DualSport Rider's
Club was the focal point with
newsletters and physical sup-
port at the events led by Team
Suzuki Off-Road mechanic and
tuner extraordinaire Mark Hyde
east of the Mississippi and
Avery Innis of Suzuki's Technical
Service Department at select
western events. Often joined by
other Suzuki professionals like
racing managers' Pat Alexander
and Mike Webb, this group was
charged with making sure Suzuki
riders would have a good time
at these formal rides. They also
rode and passionately shared
what they learned, and more
importantly, what they learned
from Suzuki DR riders with
their comrades at Suzuki Motor
Corporation in Japan. The fruits
of the reports first came with
every dual-purpose DR receiving
electric start in 1993, just a few
years after the entire line was
launched.
But there was more to come
as the reports and the dialog be-
