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/127860
Suspensionwise, FMF's Rob Hendrickson had a tall order to fill. Fulfilling Edmondson's request for a suspension package that is supple enough to absorb small bumps, ruts and roots yet will still be stiff enough to handle the ha rd hits - a n d you know with Edmondson, that means really hard hits - would not be an easy task, but, somehow, Hendrickson came up with the perfect medium tu keep Edmondson happy. Up front, Edmondson settled on onestep-lighter .38kg/m m springs, with the spring preload set at 3mm. He uses 5 weight Maxima oi l at 480cc, and the damping positions se t at12 clicks ou t on (Left ) Edmo ndson us es a e ycra l ro nt number plate . (Below) Most of our time on Edmondson's Suz uki was spent in t hird gear, thanks to the bike 's broad powerband. both compression and rebound . Ou t b a ck , Ed mo ndson uses a 5.2kg / m m spring wi th the ride heigh t se t between 95 and 100m m. Maxim a Light shock oil is used , and Edmondso n leaves the damping settings at 16 clicks ou t on the comp ress ion and 12 ou t un the rebound . Ed mondson's Suz u ki is covered wi th mu ch after ma rke t ga dgetry, suc h as E Line carbon- fiber p ipe gua r d, clutch cove r a n d fo rk g u a r ds; Pr o-Taper Ho nda "m id" h and leb ars (c u t to 30 inches); lMS 3.4-ga llon fuel ta nk; EBC bra ke pads; a nd Fac to ry Effex Team Suz uki Off-Roa d grap hics kit, among other items . (See sidebar for a com plete list), Rid ing Edmondson's bi ke is a pure joy. Unlike ridi ng the stars' factory MX bikes, which, from man y of ou r p ast experiences, are basically unridable for us mere mortals, due in pa rt to their usually biza rr e ha ndleba r and lever positions and ultrastiff suspension set tings, Ed mo ndso n's Suzuki is totally ridable. The controls are all in the right places and the suspension is super-pliable. The bike is so easy to ride, it is truly amazing. The motor is exceptionally manageab le, than ks to a su pe r-smooth powerba nd . Low-end isn't anything to get too excited about, but there is enough grunt duwn th ere to get the job do ne. Midran ge is where it' s a t. Lucki ly, the transition from bo ttom to mid is super- s moot h, w hich gives the illusi on tha t th ere ' s m or e bottom-e n d tha n the re actually is. On ce on the pipe, Edmo ndsu n 's Suz uki barks; o pe n the throt tle a nd th e hit is instantaneous, And it 's fas t on top, too . We ran Ed mo nds on 's bike throu ghsom e.seriou s sand washes, and the motor had no pr oblem s getting along in the po we r-rob bing sa nd. We fuund th at yo u ac tually co u ld leave the bike in third gear an d go abou t yo u r b us iness, th r e ad in g your way th rou gh the trees and bu shes at speed, but it' s a good idea to kee p one finger close to th e clutch lever at all times. Edmondson's bike likes to be rid den in the middle of the power band or up high , bu t if you do get in trouble, one quick fan of the clutch will usually bail you out. As mentioned, there is just enough bo ttom-end to keep you happy. We're pretty certain Edmundsun doesn't hit that part of the powerband often. We we re also quite pleased with the bike's suspension and overall handlingno complaints whatsoever. The RM is already a naturally quick-handling motorcycle, which, un the trail. can be very advantageous, especially on the tig h t twisties. You ca n easily flick this bike from one tu rn to the ne xt b u t, some times, the bike feels almost a little too twit chy. We feel the bike could benefit fro m a steering d a mper , which Ed mo ndso n, we a re told , normally uses - a Works End uro Rider damper, to be exact . (Left) The FMFtuned forks are held In place wi th Applied Racing tri ple cl amps. (Below) The large but narrow 3.4gallon fuel tank is bulh by IMS. On race day I he uses a dry-brake filler system for qu ick pit stops. Both the front and rear suspensions work well , too, even if you' re going only half the speed Edmondson does. And just like they were meant to do, bo th the fork an d s hock soak u p bo th the small and big bumps an d ruts, extremely well . Somehow, FMFs Rob Hendrickson did, in fact, find that fine line between supple and solid when it comes to a versatile suspension package. Ride Edmondson's bike a nd yo u'll never know that between your legs is a 3.4-gallon gas tank. The IMS tan k, complete wit h a dry-brake quick-fill system, is no t - or at leas t does no t fee l - any wide r than the stock 2.0-gall on "MX" tan k. The IMS tan k is truly a work of art. After spe nd ing a couple of good rid ing sessions on the Edmo nds on replica Suz uki RM250, we came away exrreme- : ly impressed and wa nting one for our ve ry ow n. The bike was a pure joy to ride and is proof tha t the '97 RM250 is certainly good for something : off-roa ding. c;\ Edmondson's accessories: Appl;ed lriple-c lamp [top and bottom) Cycra front number plate IMS 3 .4ยท9"lIon fuel tonk IMS dry brake qu;ck.fill system Eline carbon-fiber pipe guard Eline carbon-hber clutch cover E Une carbon-floor fork guard Enduro Enginee ring hand guards Uni-Filters Pro Taper Honda mid handlebars (cut to 30 inches) Renthal grips Works Connection off -read skid plate. frame guards Reg Ina chain FMF sprockets (1 3-50 gea ring) KTM Domino clutch adjuster M otion Pro cables ESC broke. Factory Effe. Team Su zuki O ff-Reed graphics kit Bel Ray lubricants a a a ~ r-, 0\ 0\ ...... 00 ... ClJ .g .... u o 35