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/127362
potent low-end makes it especiall y su itable for supercros s-style tracks. Novices should ha ve no problem going fas t on the 125, although pros will wa n t to hit the afterm ar ket tu ners for more top-end power. The RM250 also has a fat powerband ·tha t will appeal to a wide range of riders. Alth o u g h the suspension doesn't work quite as well as the 125's, most rid ers should still find it satisfactory. Like, the 125, it also appears to be built to work best on supercrosstype tracks , For those wh o still can't get over the RM's new loo k, there 's also the 1991 RM Contingency Program. More than $2.5 milli on is u p for gra bs in a vari ety of major pro and amateur events, and purchasers of new '91 RM s will get a free course in the Tony D. Motocross School to hel p them ha ve a better chance of collecting that mo ney. T ha t mo ney could then be used to change the RM's look, if so desired. Both th e RMI 25 and 250 share sim ila r handling and power characteristics on the track. RM in recent years, although th e power still tends to fall off rather quickl y on top. This power works best on tight, supercross-type tracks wi tho u t long stra igh ts. In th ese conditions, the RMI25 can stay with or even surpass larger-d isp lacement riva ls. On faster courses the R MI25 cou ld use more top end power. The R M250 has similar power characteristics. There's a hard h it in the midrange, but as th e revs rise the motor tends' to sp in without making much usable power. T he quick acceleration often lofts the fro nt end in the air, but it gets th e ride r swiftly from comer to corner. Its quickness also gives the R M250 an advan tag e on tight supercross tracks. Last year th e abru p t power was difficu lt to control, even factory Suzuki rider Gu y Cooper said he wa sn ' t com p letely comfortab le with it. Bu t wi th 10%more flywhee l inertia and the other engine changes, the '91's power delivery is mu ch smoother and pre dic tabl e. Li ke Cooper, we like it much better that way. Shifting o n both mach ines was superb, with or without the clutch. Past RMs shifted a little too easily so that just bumping th e lever wi th your boo t could kn ock the transmission into neutral. With the improved shift cam stopper, gear changes are much more positive and missed sh ifts nonexistent. Using the clutch on either bike is a breeze. In fact the RM250's clu tch has a slightly lighter pull than th e 125. Enga gement was a bit grabby when we first rode the R MI25, but with tim e this grabbiness disappeared . Both clutches have held up well to abuse. When you have a good th ing, wh y ... change it? That's what man y prob abl y wonder ed wh en Su zuki m ad e ' the switch to Sho wa suspensior. components when their Kayaba sus pen sion was alrea dy at the top. Our tester could only feel a sligh t improvement in th e 125's su spension , wh ile it was a bit mor e noti ceabl e on the 250. The suspension seemed to wo rk better on the 125 th an on the 250. Both ends of the 125 were mo re com p liant to the bumps, whi le th e 250 tended to bou nce off th e sharper obstacles more often. Each mach ine soa ked up th e bi g jumps without harsh botto m ing . Rou gh straights crea ted more head shake for th e RM250 than for th e 125, although th e 250 still has better frontend stability than last year's machine. T he increased steeri ng angle a llo ws th e RMs to tu m quickly, and they comer equally well in fast , sweeping turns as they do in tight ru ts or berm s. Both RM s h ave p o werfu l front brakes; but th e feel at th e lever is (Above) The RM250 has a smooth er power delivery thanks to a heavier flywheel, revised intake tract and redesigned exhaust pipe, (Left ) Highq uali ty bearings and dust seals are used for smoother linkage movement. After a long associa tio n with Kayaba suspe nsion, Suzuki changed to Showa suspension components for 1991. Big 45mm forks are mounted to th e front end of both machin es. mushy, even with the adjustment all the way in. A no n-expanding brake line would li kely cure the proble m. The 125's rear brake is the better of the two as our 250 rear bind er tended to fade when it got hot. Neither brake is overl y gra bby. Be prepared to bu y handlebars when you crash. A simp le fall will easily bend th e wimpy stock bars. It might not be a bad idea to replace the grips as well - the stock ones are a bit too hard and can cause blisters. Maintain in g the RMs is relatively sim ple. Ch a in adj ust me n t requires three wre nches, one for the axle and two for the adj usters, bu t after a few rides the cha in requires less freq uent adjustment. Getting to the ai r filter is simp le, although dirt can easily fall into th e ai rbox bo ot, The spokes loosen considerably in th e first few rides before settl ing in. Never m ind the looks The Suzuki PR gu y was right - don' t pa ss up the RM I25 or 250if you don't . like the looks. A wide powerband and excellen t suspensi on makes the RMI25 easy to rid e for a wide range of racers, and its RM260M _ 0') 0') -