2018 450 MOTOCROSS SHOOTOUT
P88
SHOOTOUT
The RM-Z makes good power and
is very controllable and even a little
deceiving—it's faster than it feels; as a
result, some riders had the tendency
to over-jump things while getting
accustomed to the Suzuki's super-
smooth power delivery. Some even
called the RM-Z's engine "lazy" and
even "slow" (but don't worry, it's not).
Metcalfe said, "The engine accelerates
really smoothly and pulls through the
gears."
A few testers said they'd like to
see a better way to change the RM-
Z's ignition mapping rather than its
10-year-old coupler system (i.e. they
want Yamaha's App tuner.)
Yes, the Suzuki still turns fan-
tastic—tighter the turn the better.
"Berm or no berm, the Suzuki turns
great," said one tester whose senti-
ments were also felt by most of our
testers. Unfortunately for the Suzuki,
other bikes, like the Honda, KTM
and Husqvarna, have gained a lot of
ground on the RM-Z in the turning
department.
The RM-Z also has strong brakes;
light controls and feels narrow
between your legs. It's easy to move
around on and starts easily even if
you do have to kick it. Most of our
testers said the Suzuki would prob-
ably handle even better with different
tires. They aren't fans of the stock
Bridgestone's that come stock.
Overall, the RM-Z has all of the
ingredients to win races but needs to
go on a diet and get with the times
by installing electric starting.
GEAR ID'd
KEATON WARD
GEARSET: SHIFT
BOOTS: FOX INSTINCT
HELMET: 6D ATR-1
GOGGLES: 100%
