2016 450 MOTOCROSS SHOOTOUT
P162
SHOOTOUT
Not good for the RM-Z.
One of these shortfalls is
handling. The frame has a rigid
feel, which means that hitting
potholes on the track feels more
like hitting curbs. We heard the
word "harsh" a lot when our test
riders where describing the RM-
Z's handling and overall feel. We
love this bike on smooth tracks
with big jumps—aka Supercross-
style tracks—not so much on
rough tracks like Glen Helen on a
Thursday afternoon. The RM-Z also
feels heavy compared to the other
bikes, and it is; only the YZ450F is
heavier, but not by much.
The RM-Z's suspension is not
one of its strengths, although its
Showa SFF-TAC AIR fork (which it
got last year) is a big improvement
over its previous spring fork (which
we never liked at all). Overall,
though, the RM-Z's suspension
lacks any plush feel and is
somewhat difficult to dial-in. It takes
a lot of trial and error getting this
fork up to snuff; you can get there,
but not as easily as with the other
forks in this comparison.
The RM-Z's old styling didn't
impress our test riders any, but
styling has nothing to do with
performance on the track; this bike
still rips, but it just didn't impress
or wow us as much as it used to,
which most likely has to do with the
other bikes just getting better by
leaps and bounds.
