Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Frame • Weight reduced by a cl aimed 20 ounces • Rake slackened (changed from 27 to 27.5) • Increased trail from III mm to I 15mm • Downtube dim ension s change d from 50 x 45m m to 40 x 45m m (tubing thic k ness rema ins unchanged ) • Side tubes are now coupling-pr ess type instead of soli d tubi ng for more rigidity • Redesigned seat rail s • Peg mo unts relocated 9mm rearward & 9mm upwa rd to like it, an opim o n verba lly backed up b y most of the people w ho w alk ed up to gawk at the new b ike. Th os e This photo shows the new li ne s of t he RM's bodywork, but there were also many more technical updates. who d is liked th e appea ra n ce , however, RMs ha ve l o n g been known as w ere typ ica lly veh emen t in t h eir d isap- razor-sharp c o rn erers t hat shake their prova l, holding their noses and mak - h eads on occasion , so Suzuki decided in g choking n o ises as if c o u g hin g up a to add a b it of stabi lity for 200 I, ki ck- fur ba ll. As is usually the case , t hough, ing o u t the fork ang le a h al f- d egree Bodywork • Seat, tank & rear fender redesigned for a flatter ridin g surface and im proved ride r mobility • Plastic bodywork is redesigned to be li ghter and m ore compact • Fro nt fender has slots in rear section fo r increased radiator cooling • Rear fender has grab handle • Sma ll front brake-hose cover replaces disc -only cover • Handlebar has less pullback and is wider the i n i t i a ll y s hock i ng RM grows on and increa si ng t ra il b y half a centime - o ne , a n d even t he c r itics eventually ter. The resu lt is certa inly n otic eable. backed off on their over-acting. That We tested t he RM o n three diffe rent sa id , eve n the fa ns' enthusiasm Southern California tracks , and fo und it t o res ist wagging its head in a vari - st opped sh o r t at th e c h e e s e - b a ll grap h ics , w hich l a c k n umber -plate ety of conditions. We d id get a bi t of backgro unds . Actually , it's poss ible h ead shak e o n port ions o f fas t -and - that the backgro unds s imp ly fe ll off so mew here be tween Japan and t he ro ug h Glen Helen Raceway, b u t most of it w en t away w he n we b ack ed o ff U . S . , as the s h ro ud s t ic kers begi n the rebound d amping one c lick and peal ing off if you sneeze in t h ei r gen er- tha t you shou ld practice reg u larly on ing o n th e su pe rfi ci al a fter this, but we t he 2001 S uz uki MXe rs . The ba ck t hink it a shame that Su zuki went to en d is pre tt y m uch pla nted, t h ough Brakes • Rear brake caliper bracke t redesign ed • Rear m aster cy linder reserv oir tank relocat ed from rear of frame rail to front (el imi nating need for guard) • Master cy linder body is sim plified • Mate ria l th ickness of rear brak e pedal reduced by 1mm ble d th e fo rk s ; t he l a t t er is a ritua l al direc ti on. W e prom ise t o sto p h arp - Wheels • Front hub width reduced from 102 to 82mm • Front axle spacer ma terial change d from steel to alum inum • Fron t axle dia meter increased from 25 to 26 mm • Fewer, larger cuto uts on fro nt & rear brake discs . • Rear brake disc th ickn ess reduced fro m 4.5 to 4.0mm • Chain- adju ster blocks are now cha mfered such le n g th s t o create a to p -drawer you m ight want to feed it a b it more motorcycle , o n ly to s lap on a set of rebo und damping if it ki cks o v e r b raking bumps. Pic-n -S av e graphics . Suzuki says thi s was d one sinc e most peop le replac e thei r stock graphics anyway . Suzuki we n t t o a lot of effort to cu t weight o n the RM , and fo rtun ately , it Fort unately , t h e feel of the n e w show s. Judging strictly from claimed bodywork is all good . The sea t -t a n k dry we ight , the bike 's 211 pounds is ju ncti o n is na rrow, and the seat is the li g hte st o f the big fou r and KTM, and i t feels it even when yo u ' r e fla t , ba nishi ng the ol d " sitt in g in " feel of p revious RMs . It's easy to sl ide u nl oad ing it from t he truck. On t h e yo ur weig h t back and fort h , a n d th e track, th e ' l o o k fee ls ve ry n imble an d h an d lebar , w hi c h fe atu res le ss p u ll- m a neu v era b l e b a c k , d oes n 't force y our elbows in t o fr om s id e t o side, an d con tro lla b le - very ea sy to flick you r ribs. A g ain , the new l o ok's fee l whil e in th e ai r. Despit e th e geometry is aki n to a Yl, a b ik e th at t y p ic ally c h an ges , it sti ll doesn 't res ist tak in g a ge ts hi g h m a r ks i n th e co m fo rt t ight l in e , givi n g o ne th e op t ion o f depa rtmen t . h ugg ing t h e i n s i de l in e or r a i l in g ENGINE TYPE: DISPLACEMENT: BORE x STROKE: COMPRESSION RATIO : CARBURETOR: IGNITION: FRONT SUSPENSION : REAR SUSPENSION : RA KE/T RAIL: FRONT BRAKE: REAR BRAKE: FRO NT TIRE: REAR TIRE: FUEL CAPACITY : OVERALL LENGTH: OVERA LL HEIGHT : WHEELBASE: GROUND CLEARANCE: SEAT HEIGHT : CLAIM ED DRY WEIGHT : MSRP: 2-strok e, singl e-cylinder 249 cc 66.4mm x 72 .0mm 9 .0/10.5:1 Keih in PWK38PWJ (w{TPS) CDI Inv ert ed KYB w/1 2.2 in. travel Link -type KYB w/1 2.6 in . travel 27 °30 ·/1 15m m Single disc (hyd raulic) Single disc (hydrauli c) 80/100-2 1 110/ 90 - 19 2. 1 gal. 85 .6 in. .50 .2 in. .57.9 in. 13.8 in . 38.0 in. 211 Ibs. $5899 Suspension • For k 's inner tub e size reduc ed from 49 to 46m m • For k 's air spring now sensitive to both damper strok e and damp er speed • For k 's inner tube is div ided into two cham bers by a washer and separa to r on th e cartrid ge cylinde r • Shock bod y 's cy linde r diameter is reduced from 50 to 46mm • Upper shock moun t changed fro m ball bearing to needle-roller bearing • Shock compression adjuste r now has high - and low -speed adjustment • Swing arm spacer diameter reduced from 32 to 28m m • Linkage lever th ick ness reduced by vary ing amounts to save weight • Improved linkage seals Engine • Weig ht reduced by ove r 2 Ibs. • Length (fron t to rear) shorte ned by 2 1.4mm • Outside diameter of cylinder head reduced by 4 .0m m • Dia meter of cy llnder head's stud- bolt ci rcle patt ern is redyced by 4. 0m m • Cylinder head's material thi ckness reduced where possibl e • Cy linder' s wall th ickness is reduced where possibl e • Stud bolt flange height on cy linder is reduced • Outs ide diameter of m agneto roto r is reduced from 77 ,5 to 73.5mm • Crankshaft inerti a increased to make up for sm aller m agneto rotor • Shape of prim ary drive gear is changed • Clutch push rod changed from one- piece steel to th ree-pi ece steel/aluminum • Lightening hol e added to clutch push piece • Gear-shift ing mechanism changed fro m lin k -typ e to gear -type • Li ghtening hol e added to shift shaft • Shift lever changed from soli d steel to steel tu be • Main, side, mi ddl e & lowe r exhaust val ves redesigned from one -piece/one-stage to two -p iece/ two -stage system for mo re low -end and mid range powe r • Mai n & sub-port shapes cha nged to optimize new inde pendent valve exhaust system • Redesigne d exhaust syste m with reduced thickness • Mat erial on exhaust-pipe mount changed from steel to aluminum • Silen cer tail shape is changed for less weigh t • Keihin power -jet carburetor now has th rottl e position sensor atta ched (ignition timing is now determined by engine rpm and throttl e opening) • New carburetor is 16mm shorter from inlet to outlet for bette r thro ttle respons e • Water pump now has external access and has been relocated • Crank case is 21.4mm shorter , front to rear • Engi ne-oil capaci ty is reduced by 100cc • Radiator hose routing has been sim plified Other • Chai n buffer size reduced • Chai n-guide thi ckness reduced from 3.5 to 3.0mm • Outside diameter of chain roller reduced from 40mm to 35mm • Throttle cable's meta l end redesigned to save we ight • Clutc h cable's outer diameter reduced from 7.0 to 6 .1mm • Updated leverage ratio • Dogbone linkage rod is narrower and thi nner cue . e n e vv S • AUG UST 1 6 , 200 0 33

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