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/128227
2004 Suzuki RM250 mate contender for shootout-winning honors. If not for a few tiny issues, it would be easy to imagine the 2003 model winning our 250cc MX Shootout. It's become the norm for Suzukis to excel in the handling department, but last year the bike started to come on in the power department as well - something of a pleasant surprise for those of us evaluating the bikes in the shootout. Although it was somewhat hard to compare last year's bike to this year's when riding the new one at a sandy, rail-berm-oriented racetrack like Cahuilla Creek, it's not difficult to say that this bike really does rip. After getting over the initial RM adjustment period, we found that the newest middleweight RM has quick throttle response, excellent handling characteristics (as has become expected) and is suspended very well. The front brake is brand new this year as well, as Suzuki went to By STEVE COX PHOTOS BY BLAKE CONNER f:\ t first glance, you might not think (j\J that the 2004 Suzuki RM250 has changed much, but it has. The bike, which we already held in high regard, took on many refinements that all seem to be the right moves that just might make this one a shootout winner. For starters, Suzuki returned to much-liked Showa suspension components, redesigned the suspension linkage system, modified the front brake and supposedly breathed even more life into the motor. Sounds good on paper, but does it work on the track? Well, Suzuki invited us to the sand of Cahuilla Creek MX Park to give us a sneak preview. Even though they only"gave us a day on the bike, we can tell you right now that we came away impressed, and we're eager to ride it some more. Last year's RM250 was a legiti- 18 AUGUST 13, 2003' "" Y "" I e n e _ so the aftermarket-popular "CR-style" routing for its front-brake line and redesigned the bike's front-brake master cylinder for more stopping power. Unfortunately, a sandy track like Cahuilla doesn't really encourage a lot of brake use, because as soon as you get off the gas, the bike practically wants to stop on its own anyway. All we can say about the new front brake is that it was immediate. The RM also features a new seat, which is a welcome change. Last year's seat was Travis Pastrana-like meaning it was really tall, which made cornering more difficult for small to medium-sized riders, since it placed their centers of gravity higher. This year, the seat looks like the type you'd see on anybody else's bike - it actually has a slope to it - and the overall seat height has fallen 10mm. This made getting around corners easier, and the seat is still plush enough not to deliver pothole impacts straight up your spine. With the exception of the seating position, the ergos of the '04 basically feel identical to the '01, '02 and '03 models, except they aren't. The footpegs are moved back 10mm on the new model, and the handlebars have been raised 7mm. This combination of the new seat and higher handlebars move the bars 17mm higher in relation to the seat than they were last year - and it's a good thing. The suspension is all-new this year as well. Instead of the Kayaba units used on last year's machine, Suzuki went back to its more-familiar Showa suspenders for 2004. The new suspension is well-received as well. It doesn't feel much stiffer than last year's, but the fork in particular has much better bottoming resistance and seems to stay higher in the stroke, where last year's might blow through over certain types of obstacles. The new Showa rear shock also