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/126938
inner shock body is treated with an Alamite coating. Up front, the Hmm air-assisted Kayaba fork is totally new. It now features a cartridge damper design to keep air from mixing in with the damping rods for smoother and more positive action, similar to the Showa forks used on the 1986 Honda CR250R and 500. The fork on the Suzuki also contains 20 external compression and rebound damping adjustments. The blue-painted chrome-molybdenum steel tubing frame is slightly changed. It now features a removable rearJrame section on the left side for easier suspension access and geometry is different for a more level sitting position. Stopping pow.er is handled by a drum brake in the rear and a 9.4-inch double-piston disc up fronl. Last year's RM used a rubber front brake hose, but that's been replaced by a hard-plastic hose that Suzuki claims works as good as a steel-braided hose but is less costly to produce. Other chassis features include straight-pull spokes, a folding shift Lever and brake pedal, a brighter shade of yellow plastic, a reshaped seat and gas tank, a beefed up plastic chain guide and Dunlop tires. Claimed dry weight is 194 pounds. Riding The most noticeably changed feature on the RMI25H compared to last year's G-model is the motor. Suzuki's goal to give the new RM more low-end and mid-range punch has become a reality with the new full-reed, piston-port, AETC engine. The power hits much harder off tbe bottom and continues to pull stronger throughout the powerband. Low-end and mid-range is where the RM works best, but it still pulls respectively on top, stronger than the RM-G. The Suzuki isn't the fastest 125cc machine around when tapped out, but getting there is a different story. Clicking it through the gears, the Suzuki likes to be shoTt-shifted to benefit its strong mid-range, and when "done right, the RM will reward the rider with plenty of holeshots. Even though the RM-H has gobs of low-end grunt, it still helps to fan the clutch for blasting out of turns. The cl u tch lever is easy to reach and has a light pull while engagement is smooth and positive. One finger is all that's needed to get the job done. The transmission gave us. no hassles; missed shifts were uncommon and a It might look like last year's bike, but on the track, the '87 Suzuki RM125H performs 100% better. light nudge on the shiftlever is all' that's needed to catch.another gear with or without using the clutch. The Suzuki is one of the quietest )25cc motocrossers we've ever ridden. It has a crisp and somewhat low, but quiet, tone that may be an advantage in race situations when sneaking up on 'riders. Starting the RM left a little to be desired. Using the kickstarter is as easy as ever, and the bottom of the stroke doesn't use your foot as cushion between the kickstarter lever and the [ootpeg, 'but the Suzuki was reluctant to fire up, especially when hal. Sometimes it would take up to five or six kicks before it would crank over, but on the average, it usually took three stabs. And if the bike was-' dropped or crashed, it varied between five to 10 kicks, sometimes even more, When cold and with the choke in use, the Suzuki was much more cooperative; usually one or two kicks brought it to life. Suzuki RM125H Engine type ..... Liquid-cooled, two-stroke, single Bore x' stroke 54.0x54.0mm Displacement : .. 1 24cc Compression ratio •...... 9.0:1 Cerburetor .•.. 34mm, flat-slide Mikuni Horsepower. . . . . . .. . . . .. N/A Torque N/A Starting system Primary kick Ignition Suzuki PEl Lubrication. . . . . . . . . . .. Premix Primary drive Straight-cut gear Final drive #520 chain Gear ratios Primary ....•.. 3.158; 60/19 Final •...•.... 4.416; 53/12 6th 0.950; 19/20 5th 1.052; 20/19 4th 1.200; 24/20 3rd l.437;23/16 2nd 1.692; 22/13 1st 2.000; 26/13 Theoretical speed in gears (12,500 rpm) 6th 71.9 MPH 5th 64.9 MPH 4th 56.9 MPH 3rd •... '.' 47.6 MPH 2nd .•........... 40.4 MPH 1st .•......•..... 34.2MP.H Frame ..'..... Single downtube, split double cradle Rake 63° Trail ......•............ 4.3 in. Front suspension type ••.. telescopic fork Fork tube diameter 43mm Front wheel travel 12.2 in. Rear suspenSion type Single shock, swingarm Rear wheel travel 12.7 in. Front brake •.•...•. 9.4 in. disc Rear brake 4.7 in. drum Fronttire .. 80/100-21 Dunlop Rear tire .. 100/100-18 Dunlop Claimed dry weight 196 Ibs. Overall length 83.9 in. Overall width 33.7 in. Overall height .•....... 49.8 in. Wheelbase 56.9 in. Fuel capacity 1.8 gal. Ground clearance , 3.4 in. Seat height 36.4 in. Colors Yellow/blue Retail price ......•..... $2399 Cutaway drawing of the engine reveals the new AETC power-valve. Two' guillotine-type valves above the exhaust chamber alters exl1aust timing. Last year's Suzuki RMI25G had one of the best suspension units in its class, but Suzuki managed to make the '87 RM's suspension work even better. Not just marginally better but a lot better. The biggest improvement over last year's RM is the fork. The new cartidge Kayaba fork has super smooth action over all sorts of terrain. Landing off steep jumps or braking over small, sharp-edged stutter bumps doesn't even phase the new Kayabas. Sometimes the front end twitches when slowing down for turns and jumps over rough ground, but usually never enough to require a tighter grip on the handlebars. In stock condition, the fork actually feels a little on the soft side but bottoming is still rare. Also appreciated on the Suzuki is that the new rear Full Floating suspension performs equally as good as the fork. Both front and rear suspension work in harmony, creating a . confident and secure feeling when riding the RMI25-H. The back end on the Suzuki is extremely stable and tracks better than an y 125 we've ever ridden. The rear tire stays close to the ground when powering out of turns and hardly ever kicks out to the sides. Like the fork, the rear Kayaba shock feels a tad soft, making the overall feeling on the Suzuki a little spongy and bouncy. Even so, the Full Floating rear suspension is tough to bottom out, and we did so only on a few occasions. Right out of the crate, the Suzuki's suspension is first rate and ready to race. Both the fork and shock produce a Cadillac-like, ride over the smaller, choppy bumps but are strong enough (0 handle the harder impact such as high-speed whoops and jumps. Suzuki's overall suspension package will be tough to beal. Handling is another Suzuki strongpoint. It cuts quick lines through the 9