VOL. 52 ISSUE 5 FEBRUARY 3, 2015 P65
weight. The '16 RM-Z still lags in the
horsepower department compared
to the other bikes, and our in-house
dyno proved it. The RM-Z ranked
the lowest at 35.60 hp @ 11,600
rpm. The Yamaha made 37.69
horsepower @ 12,200 rpm, the
KTM 40.49 horsepower @ 12,400
rpm and the Husqvarna at 41.54
horsepower @ 13,800 rpm. The
Honda is the closest to the Suzuki at
36.95 horsepower @ 11,600 rpm.
Vibration is a bit of a problem with
the Suzuki, too.
At 235.5 pounds (full fuel), the
Suzuki is the heaviest bike of the
group, but not by much. It's four
pounds heavier than the lightest
bike, the Yamaha, and a pound and
a half heavier than its next-closest
rivals, the Honda and Kawasaki.
So it doesn't bode well that the
Suzuki is technically the least
powerful and the heaviest bike in
its class, which are two very critical
elements in the 250F category.
However, the Suzuki does many
things well, like turning. It's the
best. In typical RM-Z fashion, the
Suzuki gets in and out of the turns
quicker than any other bike, and its
new KYB PSF2 air fork works well,
as does the back end. Suspension
overall, however, is a little on the
soft side and takes a bit more time
dialing it in compared to the others,
mainly up front, but that's the norm
these days with air forks.
Again, the Suzuki is an improved
motorcycle and, in the big picture,
a good one, too. Its great turning
characteristic and solid chassis
make for a great supercross-style
bike, but, overall, it just needs
more power and less weight to
really tickle our fancy.
SUZUKI RM-Z250
HIGHLIGHTS
•KYB PSF2 Air Forks
•Plug-In Fueling Couplers
•Aluminum Twin-Spar Frame
•Tapered Aluminum Renthal
Fatbar Handlebars
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
•Max Horsepower: 35.60 hp
@ 11,600 rpm
•Max Torque: 18.16 lb-ft @ 9,200 rpm
•Weight: 234.5 lbs
•Seat Height: 37.6 in.
•MSRP: $7,699
