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/128219
~~WBikesl • 2004 Suzuki RMs The all-new RM-Z2S0 is here (well, almost) The RM-Z250 is Suzuki's first offering in the four-stroke motocross class. bviously, the big news coming out of the Suzuki camp is the allnew RM-Z250, Suzuki's first fourstroke motocrosser. As you probably know by know, the bike is the result of a combined effort of the two manufacturers, Suzuki and Kawasaki. The two companies put their heads together, combined resources and produced what looks to be a formidable first-time effort in the production four-stroke motocross wars. Suzuki's role in the development of the RMZ250 (and the Kawasaki KX250F, for that matter) was in the motor department. Partly because of Suzuki's previous experience with its off-road race team and the Yoshimura DR-Z400s, it was responsible for the RM-Z250's motor. Kawasaki, on the other hand, was in charge of the chassis; hence the twin-spar D-section perimeter frame and Kayaha suspension components. But Kawasaki did borrow some of Suzuki's suspension technology. The motor offers a four-valve cylinder head design with a narrow O 56 JUNE 18, 2003' cue I e 25-degree included valve angle and titanium valves (31mm intake, 25mm exhaust), a Keihin FCR37 carburetor with throttle position sensor and accelerator pump and a hot-start circuit. The 249cc motor also features an automatic decompression system and a semi-dry-sump lubrication system, which features separate oil chambers for the transmission and crankshaft, using the transmission as the oil sump. To keep things as light as possible, several engine components are made from lightweight materials, including magnesium generator, outer clutch and cylinder head covers, titanium exhaust headpipe and aluminum silencer. Suspension is handled by Kayaba, a 48mm inverted, bladder-style fork up front, and a fully adjustable shock in the back that rides on swingarmmounted linkages. Kawasaki traditionally mounts its Uni- Trak link to the frame, whereas Suzuki, as well as some of the other manufacturers, anchors the linkage to the swingarm, n e vv s which is the case for the RM-Z250 and all of the '04 full-size KXs. Suzuki has not yet released an official claimed qry weight for the bike (nor has Kawasaki), but we did get the chance to see and sit on the RMZ250 recently, and the bike certainly looks agile and feels fairly light. The new RM-Z250 will retail for $5599 and should start showing up on showroom floors sometime in the fall. As for the two-stroke RMs - the RM125 and 250 - they certainly weren't tossed aside and forgotten in wake of the arrival of their new family member. Both machines see significant updates for '04. The 125 is said to have improved mid-to-high rpm performance, while the 250 has been tweaked to improve overall power and torque at high rpm. An effort was made to relax the 250's ergonomics by lowering the seat height 10mm, moving the footpegs back 10mm and raising the handlebars 7mm. For '04, the 250 gets Showa suspension com- ponents just like the RM125 has used in the past. As for the "little" RMs, all they get for '04 are BNGs (bold new graphics). The RM250 will sell for $5899 and the RM 125 $4999, and they'll be released sometime before the RMZ250. Once again, Suzuki will be offering a fairly extensive motocross contingency program for 2004, with over $6 million in the offering. RM60, RM65, RM85L and RMI00 will now be eligible for the first time. Suzuki is also bringing back its Good Scholar Program worth $500 and free - with purchase of a new RM - enrollment in the Tony D Motocross School. eN What They Cost: RM60 RM65 RM85/85L RM100 RM125 RM250 RM-Z250 $2299 $2849 $3099/$3199 $3499 $4999 $5899 $5599