VOL. 53 ISSUE 46 NOVEMBER 22, 2016 P85
the meat of the power
requires a lot of shift-
ing. As the lowest on
the power totem pole,
it was more difficult to
clear obstacles on the
track, especially when
having to grab the next
gear instead of letting
it rev out. The strong
torque, however, makes
it very easy for novices
and intermediates to
ride. Testers also men-
tioned the RM-Z felt like
it had the most vibration
in the shootout. As men-
tioned, more power can
be easily extracted via
at least a slip-on muffler.
The RM-Z is the most
exhaust-restricted bike
in the shootout but was
also the quietest.
As with all Suzuki
motocross bikes, the
RM-Z250 rules the
cornering world. It has
more competition this
year from KTM and
Husky, but it can carve
a corner like no other.
It gets in and out of the
turns quicker than any
other bike. The already-
great cornering prow-
ess of the RM-Z can be
further improved (hard
to believe) by ditching
the stock Dunlop MX52
tires and going with the
Dunlop MX3S.
The overall feel of the
RM-Z250 isn't as plush
as the other bikes
in the shootout. The
package as a whole
doesn't offer up much
comfort on really rough
tracks. The front wheel
stays planted and goes
anywhere you aim it.
The downfall to preci-
sion in the corners is
a little nervousness at
speed, but every tester
said they wouldn't
trade the great turning
for anything, even if it
meant having to deal
with a little uneasiness
at high speed.
At 235 pounds (full
fuel), the Suzuki is the
heaviest bike of the
group. That's not a
good thing when the
Suzuki is technically
the "slowest" bike in
its class. Weight and
power are two very
critical elements in the
250F category.
The Suzuki's great
turning ability and solid
chassis makes for a
great supercross/
tight-track bike, but
it needs more power
and a diet to really
make us happy. In the
big picture, though, all
of our testers like the
RM-Z250; they just
want more power and
less weight.
5
th
PLACE
SUZUKI
RM-Z250
NOTABLE FEATURES
•KYB PSF2 Air Forks
•Plug-In Fueling
•Couplers
•Aluminum Twin-Spar
•Frame
•Tapered Aluminum
•Renthal Fatbar Handlebars
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
Weight: 235 lbs.
Seat Height: 37.6 in.
MSRP: $7699
