VOL. 54 ISSUE 40 OCTOBER 10, 2017 P71
Suzuki's Electronic Control Module,
which monitors throttle position, gear
selection and engine speed to adjust igni-
tion timing for providing premium traction
control, has been finely tuned, as has
Mode A in the Suzuki Holeshot Assist
Control system. (Mode A disengages
after 1.2 seconds or reaching third gear;
Mode B disengages after 4.5 seconds or
reaching fourth gear).
The five-speed transmission has been
tweaked just a bit to improve shifting.
To help reduce weight, the fuel tank is
now made out of plastic resin instead of
aluminum, and capacity is up slightly.
Well?
We've had the 2018 Suzuki RM-Z450
in our possession for over a month now
and have ridden it on a variety of tracks
and terrain and have come to the conclu-
sion that the new RM-Z450 is indeed an
improved motorcycle in just about every
way; however, it's not a drastic departure
from the previous RM-Z450, which isn't a
bad thing at all, really. Suzuki diehards will
certainly love it; it has more power, still
turns like it's on rails, suspension is much
better, and handling is top notch (like it
used to be)—all this while still feeling like
an RM-Z450. And again, there is nothing
wrong with that. Previous RM-Z450 own-
ers won't have any troubles adapting to it
at all; it's still an RM-Z450 only better.
Suzuki accomplished its goal of giving
the RM-Z more overall power without tak-
ing away its friendly demeanor. It still feels
torquey and hits with authority off the bot-
tom and pulls strongly through midrange.
But when the Suzuki used to sign off, it
now continues to pull a little further into
the upper rpm range. Power is broader
and there is more of it, for sure. Pros,
however, are probably going to want a
livelier, harder-hitting engine, in fact, one
pro rider described it as feeling "lazy,"
but for the average rider, the RM-Z450
should hit the mark and be well received.
