2018 SUZUKI RM-Z450
FULL TEST
P74
some fading every so often on
long and steep downhills—like
the ones at Glen Helen Race-
way—late in a moto on a hot day.
Clutch also lost some of its crisp
feel under heavy use.
The standard Bridgestone
Battlecross X30 tires are pretty
good, especially in the back,
and we'd be perfectly happy to
run them till they wore out, then
we'd replace them with some-
thing else like Dunlop's MX3S,
a good all-around tire that has
treated us well in the past.
Overall, we are very happy
with the all-new 2018 Suzuki
RM-Z450. Like we said earlier,
it is indeed an improved mo-
torcycle in every way, just not
as improved as we thought it
would be; maybe our expecta-
tions were just too high because
of the long wait for it. Still, the
RM-Z is a great motorcycle and
we'd be happy having it live in
our garage permanently. But
we'd be even happier if it had
electric starting, or at least
weighed far less. Still, we're glad
to see that the RM-Z450 has
indeed taken a big step in the
right direction. CN
GEAR ID'D
HELMET: FLY CARBON FRACTURE
GOGGLES: SCOTT
GEARSET: FLY KINETIC ERA RACEWEAR
BOOTS: SIDI CROSSFIRE 3 SR
