on technical trails while those under 200
pounds had to take out a lot of compression
to feel any sign of plushness.
The 2017 RMX450Z is still faced with
another issue—the small 1.6-gallon gas tank;
it's the same as the RM-Z450's. On average,
after only 30 miles of riding, the low-fuel light
starts to glow, letting you know you are dan-
gerously low on fuel. It runs dry anywhere
from 35-45 miles depending how aggres-
sively you're riding the bike. That's not far for
an off-road motorcycle.
The RMX comes fitted with Dunlop tires
that Dunlop hasn't sold to the public in about
five years—the 18-inch 756 (rear) and 742FA
(front). Dunlop does sell the specialty D756
EX rear tire, but it's designed specifically for
EnduroCross. Luckily, the stock RMX tires
are still pretty good all-around performers.
The unfortunate conclusion, however, is
that the RMX450Z is not especially enduro
savvy right out of the crate, which is how we
wanted to ride it for this test. Power doesn't
get your adrenaline flowing and the flame-out
issue is annoying, to say the least, so slow-
going technical trails are not our favorite on the
RMX. Instead, the RMX is more at home over
faster terrain where the stiffer suspension can
soak up bigger hits and the stock lean fueling
can work better, like during a race, which, by
the way, Suzuki wants you to do on it and is
giving you an incentive. The RMX is eligible in
Suzuki's racing contingency program.
On the plus side, the RMX is, of course,
green sticker-legal, making it a workable op-
tion for riders in California who ride in areas
that require a green sticker.
Even though the RMX isn't perfect, we're
still glad Suzuki re-entered the off-road arena
with the RMX450Z, a bike that, as we just
said, might not be perfect but we still feel
has real potential, which is something we
plan to tap into in the weeks ahead with the
RMX. CN
2017 SUZUKI RMX450Z
FULL TEST
P68
GEAR ID'D
GEARSET: FLY RACING KINETIC CRUX
HELMET: FLY RACING F2 CARBON PURE
GOGGLES: FLY RACING ZONE
BOOTS: GAERNE SG10
