Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

(Left) The 49mm Showa conventional forks are too soft In stock condition. (Right) The RM250 has an excellent motor. The new powerband is much tamer than previous Suzuki offerings. (Left) The RM can carve an inside line as well as any of its competitors. The bike is a great allaround package. shroud design in favor of the traditional fuel-tank/ shroud combo, claiming that the "old school" design is sleeker and not as bulky. Everything from the rear fender to the front-disc guard was redesigned well, maybe the front fender was left alone - and the result is an aggressivelooking yellow, purple and red machine. Last year, the RM250 was the leastfavorite of all the machines in the Cycle News garage. As a matter of fact, we even returned the machine to Suzuki before its due date. Why? There were two main reasons: First, the case-reed induction motor produced a violent, hard-te-control burst of power that made riding the RM more work than pleasure. Second, the bike was a big-time swapper. More than one test rider was caught off guard by the RM's tendency to wag its tail, and the abrupt power delivery of the motor did nothing . but amplify the bike's sketchy handling traits. Don't worry, the new RM250 is far from being the same. The new RM engine is impressive. Power starts way down low and throttle response is immediate. It seems as though the Honda CR250 is the standard by which many go, so that's what we'll compare the RM to. The RM actually feels as if it has more low end than the CR, and throttle response down low is definitely better. Though the mid-range surge produced by th.e all-new powerplant isn't as impressive as the Honda's, it's pretty stinkin' close. For the first time in recent memory, the RM250 engine doeSn't light up the rear wheel and break traction. Instead, the transition between low-end and midrange power is smooth and predictable. The motor is equally happy being chugged or revved. Top-enq power isn't as incredible as it was on the old RM engine, but there were few mortals who could use all that high-end power, anyway. The RM begins to taper off at about 8000 rpm, but continues to pull with authority. The RM was fun to ride on every track we visited - Carlsbad Raceway (slippery hard-pack), Starwest Supercross (moist and tacky), Castaic MX Park (tacky /hardpack), Perris Raceway (sandy) and Rainbow MX Park (loamy). The bike finds traction where the '95 RM could only dream of doing so. On stadium-type jumps, a quick twist of the throttle and stab at the dutch lever was all that was needed to send the RM skyward. And speaking of the clutch, the feel and actiort are buttery-smooth. RMs have always had great-feeling clutches and gearboxes - this one is better yet. The only complaint that we had with the new powerplant is the amount of engine noise it emits. In low-rpm situations when the aforementioned quick twist of the throttle and stab at the clutch lever are taken, the RM emits a clanky sound that you might expect from a much older machine. Maybe the silencer is too . quiet and it allows you to hear too much of the engine - who knows? We bolted on a Bill's Pipe exhaust and silencer that was a bit louder than the stock units and instantly forgot about the clapped-out sounds. In addition, the pipe livened up the midrange and added a tad up on top. Right out of the crate, the RM's front and rear suspension are on the soft side for most riders. The bike worked well on the choppy surfaces at Perris Raceway and Carlsbad - the plush settings soaked up the small holes and square edges admirably. The larger hits found at Rainbow and the stadium-style tracks, however, caused the RM's suspenders to bottom with regularity. Even under the harshest landings, however, the front end never transmitted a metal-te-metal sensation to the rider. The bottoming sensation encountered on the conventional Showas is much easier to deal with than that of an inverted fork. As always, slap-down landings are magical with the conventional forks. The conventional design exhibits just enough flex to keep such landings from transmitting a bone-jarring impact up through the rider' 5 arms. When are the conventioI.\a1 forks too flexy? Testers said that they felt the front end wallowa bit in the stadium whoops at Rainbow, as well as in high-speed loamy berms. Slamming into a soft wall of dirt causes the front end to exhibit an overly flexy feel. The rear end is surprisingly good, in comparison to past RMs. Uncontrollable swaps are a thing of the past, but we can't decide whether that's a result of a better suspension design or the new riderfriendly power delivery. But who cares? It works. Like the front end, the rear is a bit soft in stock condition. A stiffer spring would likely help. Though the chassis and geometry are all-new, the RM hasn't lost any of it's cutand-thrust prowess. Inside lines are a dream come true aboard the RM - point it, and it shall go. The bike is an exceptional slider when in the hands of a rider with good throttle control. Where does the RM falter? High speeds are the RM's weak point. No, headshake isn't the problem the bike just has a twitchy feeling while at high speed. Without a doubt, this is the easiest to maneuver on and most comfortable RM ever made. The new bodywork and low center of gravity give the RM a light feel that inspires confidence, especially in the air. Go from standing to sitting on the RM, and you're almost automatically positioned up front over the gas tank, where you should be. It's almost impossible to "goon ride" on the back of the seat, as the bike sucks you into the proper position. As for the rest of the bike, most of the fine details get the thumbs up. Brake action is strong and controllable. Routine maintenance is easier to perform, thanks to the new bodywork. The stock han.d1ebars offer a comfortable rider position. The twe-material seat cover is strong and resists knee-brace abuse. The rear fender no longer looks like a pit signal board. The front-number-plate design is clean and keeps the front brake cable out of harm's way. New, wider footpegs are easy on the rider's feet. Obviously, the RM250 has gone from being the least-favorite to one of the favorites among the Cycle News staff. As a matter of fact, we're trying to convince American Suzuki to let us add our earlyreturn ~5 bike time to the '% loan -period. Our fingers are crossed... c:N While Cycle News believes the faregoing test reliable, it is the opinion of the reviewers only and should not be relied upon in delennining the perfor-. manee or safety oj the vehicle. The reader slwuld make his or her own investixatinn. Ust PrIce Displacement Engine type $5499 249cc Liquid-cooled, si~inder two-stroke Bore I slroIl8 67 X70.8mm Compression nIllo 9.D-9.8:1 CarblnlIon 38mm Keihin Ignllion Electronic Transmlsllon speeds 5 StartIng system Kick Fuel capadty .2.2 gal. Wheelbase 58.1 in. Rakellrall. .28"/117mm Sell height ....•...... . 37.4 in. Front Ure 8OI10D-21 R_Ute ............•....... 110190-19 Front wheel travel ........•....... 1.8 in. R.... wheel travel ......•.•...... 12.4 in. Front brake Disc R..-brake ...........•........... Disc Fillll drive Chain CIIinlecI dry WIIgIlt .2131bs. U") 0\ 0\ ,.....; cr) ,.....; l-< (J) S (J) u (J) Cl 21

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