Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1060787
2019 SUZUKI RM-Z250 FIRST IMPRESSION P68 T he 2019 Suzuki RM-Z250 is finally here. As we write this, our test bike has only been in America for a few days and we threw it into the shootout mix right away. It's so new that we've barely broken it in with some good motos over a couple days. Luckily, one of those days was the first day of our 2019 250 shootout, so we had many riders jumping on and trying the bike out. Right now, we feel like we have a good baseline opinion of the bike, which includes having tweaked on its suspension settings as far as our flat blades will allow. So, here's our first impression of the new RM-Z250. There is a lot of new in this new bike. Engine updates from intake forward look to get the Suzuki up to speed in the class. A new frame, swingarm and some new suspension componentry on both ends hope to attract more rac- ers. Bigger brakes hope to step up the stopping game. On paper, Suzuki has brought a valiant effort to the 250 class this year. Suzuki brings a significantly updated engine to the RM-Z250 this year. Twin- injector fuel delivery (the first for Suzuki's MX models) aims at getting fuel into the intact tract more efficiently and in a more controlled manner. The primary injec- tor is at the throttle body, fueling at the butterfly valve. The secondary injector is upstream in the air cleaner inlet tract. The purpose is to mix the incoming air and fuel earlier here—allowing for more mixture time before combustion and allowing it to cool before hitting the cylinder head. Inside, the air/fuel mix will duck through revised porting on the intake side and suck into the combus- tion chamber through valves operated by a new cam profile. At the first crack of the throttle you can tell the new RM-Z is healthier in the engine department with nice throttle response and a direct rear-wheel con- nection to the twisty grip. It is clean and responsive and it has bottom-end power that equates into a fun ride out of corners and certainly in tighter track conditions. CAN THE 2019 SUZUKI RM-Z250 RETURN SUZUKI TO PRODUCTION-CLASS GREATNESS? TO HELP ANSWER THAT QUESTION, WE GOT OUR FIRST CHANCE TO TRY OUT THE ALL-NEW RM-Z We've only had the 2019 Suzuki RM-Z250 in our hands for less than a week, but our six test riders who have already ridden the bike all agree that it's improved significantly over the previous model. Hot Off The Line BY JESSE ZIEGLER PHOTOS BY KIT PALMER AND SPENCER OWENS