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/126952
A slightly different frame geometry gives the Suz~ki a more level riding position. making it easier to adapt to. brake hose is a big improvement over last year's flexy rubber hose. The Suzuki's motor has better pull .off the bottom but could use more power on top. The biggest change over last year's Suzuki is throttle response, which is now crisp, clean and snappy compared to last year's slow revving and hard to manage powerband. CombiI;ling the responsive throttle with more low-end allows the Suzuki to power out of turns more quickly and predictably than before. In stock form, the Novice/Junior rider will like the RM's torquey, quick revving and easy-to-manage powerband, while the Intermediatelevel rider will want more midrange and top end. Vibration is still a problem. After a few rides, the exhaust pipe begins to loosen in the exhaust flange and starts to rattle profusely. It's an annoying sound but past Suzuki owners should be used to it. The clutch on this year's RM is much easier to use. Iostead of taking two or three fingers to pull in the clutch lever like it did on the 1986 RM, one finger now gets the job done. Although the pull is much ligh ter than before, the feel is still a little mushy. Shifting the five-speed transmission is precise and accurate; missed shifts are rare. The folding shiftlever is simple to find and use, and all it takes is a light tap on the lever to find the next gear with or without using the cl u tch. . One of the best characteristics of the Suzuki -is its ability to turn quickly. The RM loves to zip in and out of turns in a hurry on both inside and outside lines. It does, however, favor the tight, inside lines in slow speed situations where the Suzuki can dive inside other bikes. The front end steers remarkably well and the rest of the bike- follows where the front wheel's pointed. The Suzuki holds its lines well and doesn't climb up and out of berms too early. The stock Bridgestone tires do tht' Irick. The seating position on the new Suzuki is much more level than before, making it a little easier to adapt to. The 'rider now feds more like he's riding in the motorcycle rather than on top of it. A lot of this has to do with a fairly soft seat and the tall height of the handlebars. Controls on the Suzuki are so-so. The levers have a slight dog-leg bend and are fairly comfortable to use. The grips wear out quickly. Unfortunately, it's a major 'and timeconsuming task to replace the stock grips, which is one of the few nitpicking gri[X's we had with Iht' Suzuki. It's obvious Suzuki doesn't want the right grip to ever come loose because it comes glued solidly to the throttle barrel. It takes a sharp 'knife and tons of musde and scraping to remove the rubber grip. We also disliked the chain adjusting nuts on both sides of the swingarm. The nuts are huge and impossible to get a wrench or an adjustable wrench on since they're inset into the swingarm. The only tool that can get the job done is a big, 36mm socket wrench. Has Hannah successfully accomplished his mission by helping design a competitive 250cc motocrosser for the serious and not-so-serious racer? :The answer is yes. Suzuki has jumped right back into the heat of battle with its latest RM250 motocrosser. Right out of the crate, the new RM can hold its own against anything the competition has to offer. The RM has a strong-enough motor, nimble handling and excellent suspension. The new Suzuki RM250H just plain works. • Drawing shows the retarted position of the quilotine-type exhaust powervalve. The system operates off the crank. Suzuki RM250H Liquid-cool. two-stroke, single Bore x stroke •.••. 67.0x70.0mm Displacement .....•...... 123cc Compression ratio ...•••... 9.0:1 Carburetor ......•• 38mm Mikuni Horsepower ...........•.•. N/A Torque .........•.•...•... N/A Starting system ..••. Primary kick Ignition •............ Suzuki PEl Lubrication •..•.•.•••...• Premix Primary drive Straight-cut gears Final drive .....•...•. #520 chain Gear ratios 2.565: 59/23 Primary Final 3.571; 50/14 5th 1.000; 22/22 4th ....•....•.. 1.166; 21/18 3rd 1.388; 25/18 2nd 1.687; 27/16 1st 2.071; 29/14 Frame Single downtube. split double cradle Engine type •...... 28 0 Rake ......•.•.•••.• Trail ' 4.4 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 12.8 in. Front brakes .......•.•••... Disc Disc Rear brakes Front tire ...•.• M22 Bridgestone Rear tire ....•.• M23 Bridgestone Claimed dry weight ..... 214 lb•. Overall length ........•. 85.0 in. 33.7 in. Overall width Overall height ........•. 49.8 in. Wheelbase : ...•..... 57.5 in. Fuel capacity 2.1 gal. Ground clearance 14.0 in. Seat height ...••....•..• 36.6 in. Colors .•.•••......•.•... Yellow Retail price $2899