P92
2020 450 MOTOCROSS SHOOTOUT
SHOOTOUT
W
hen the competition has advanced
as far as having built-in WiFi while
you still don't even have electric
start, you're already behind the curve before
the riding even begins. That is the case for
the Suzuki RM-Z450. It comes into 2020
with the same platform for the second year
in a row. Even a bike as fantastic as the
RM-Z, with top-notch handling and excellent
suspension, suffers as an overall package
when stacked up against the rest of the
field. But it's like the honors student who
flunked art class. Sure, it's GPA is dragged
down and it's not a valedictorian contender,
but does that mean it's an underachiever?
Hardly. You just need to ask yourself how
important art class is. Can you live without
an electric start? If so, take a look at a
remarkable platform.
Suzuki maintains that nothing has
changed on the RM-Z450, aside from the
triple-clamp going from black to silver, but
you could have fooled us. Nearly all our
testers reported a much better experience
with the 2020 RM-Z over the 2019, with one
even naming the Showa suspension the
best in the field. Perhaps it was because we
started from a more familiar place with the
Zook (given that it's the third iteration of the
same design). We now know that it likes a
lot of sag—110mm, to be exact. Starting from
that point rather than ending at that point
SUZUKI
RM-Z450
6
th
Place
