2015 250F MOTOCROSS SHOOTOUT
P52
SHOOTOUT
T
he seemingly "outdated" Su-
zuki RM-Z250 ranked high
among most of our testers. In
fact, one of them, a fast novice,
rated it second (one position be-
hind the Yamaha) on his list. Most
of our testers like the Suzuki for
its extreme agility, quick handling
and, of course, razor-sharp turn-
ing capabilities. There is no bike
that the Suzuki can't dive under,
making it perfect for tight, Super-
cross-style tracks. Don't let the
fact that there are few Suzukis on
the Supercross circuit right now
(Suzuki does not field any 250 SX
teams) worry you, the little RM-Z
is a fine machine, not only for Su-
percross but for MX as well.
The Suzuki isn't the fastest
bike of the six but it's certainly
fast enough. One of our expert
testers said that the Suzuki's
motor has good character and
usable power across the board.
It shifts well, and the clutch has
excellent feel but doesn't have a
great reputation for being dura-
ble. Engine response is snappy,
and we like the RM-Z's easy-to-
swap fueling couplers.
The RM-Z's suspension is set
up from the factory a little on the
stiff side, which could be a good
or bad thing, depending on your
weight and speed. However,
overall action of the fork and
shock is very likable. We haven't
been a huge fan of the RM-Z's
Showa SFF fork in the past, but
this year, their in-house suspen-
sion guys found a much better
standard setting. Overall handling
is on target, but the bike can feel
a little busy at speed.
The RM-Z has satisfactory
brakes and feels comfortable at
the controls, though it does have
a somewhat smallish feel from
the saddle and would benefit with
more handlebar/mounting posi-
tion options. There are none.
SUMMARY
Don't let the RM-Z's tiresome
looks fool you, the Suzuki is the
sleeper bike of the group. It still
does everything well.
3
RD
PLACE
SUZUKI RM-Z250
COUNTDOWN
