I have spent several months aboard the Dirt Rider RM-Z250 and have become quite fond of the machine. Yet riding the WBR bike is an eye-opening experience! I definitely noticed the change from Kayaba to the Showa Works Kit suspension. I liked the way I could charge through huge braking bumps. The bigger the bumps, the better the suspension works. The motor creates most of its power up top, and the bike really revs out. It took me some time to get used to Morais' rear brake since he runs the pedal quite high. That makes the rear brake super sensitive, causing me to stall the bike more than once. -Corey Neuer
Morais' RM-Z250 is a little unorthodox. He runs his clutch lever high, making me uncomfortable. The motor is deceptively fast because it doesn't have a hit anywhere, but it definitely makes forward momentum. The bike is very stable in the rough, high-speed stuff. The stock RM-Z/KX250Fs turn well, but this setup seems to ride a little high in the front, which makes it a bit harder for me to turn. -Sean Finley
I had fun on the WBR. What I first noticed about Morais' bike was how well it corners-I didn't feel any unnatural pushing, and the front end stays in its line in every turn. There are absolutely no surprises with the RM-Z's suspension. The bike skips through rollers and across whoops without a single buck or kick, and the fork soaks up bumps well. Morais and I are the same size, and I felt this in the suspension setup, though I didn't slam through the rough stuff nearly as hard as he does!
The Suzuki's motor is impressive but definitely has a unique power curve. When on the gas, rather than a hard, initial hit, the power comes on gradually, making its grandest entrance at the top of the powerband. I noticed this on several jumps, where the bike made its hardest pickup near the lip as I rolled the throttle. Still nice down low; I think he likes to ride his bike on the pipe. -Chris Denison
This Suzuki handles way better than stock. It was hard for me to push it because the setup is a little awkward, but the more I pushed it, the better it handled. I couldn't get used to the slipper clutch, and I thought the clutch was actually slipping, which was sort of strange. In the right gear the bike is strong and has good, usable power. One of the features I noticed the most was its strong brakes. From racing RM-Zs last year, I know they can fade. -Ryan Orr
Team Sponsors and Bike Modifications
Motor built in-house at Yoshimura
Yoshimura exhaust, cams, spark plug cap, water pump cover and impeller
Dunlop tires
Galfer front and rear brake rotors, front and rear brake lines and front and rear brake pads
Sano gas cap
Twin Air air filter, oil filter and screen eliminator
Hammerhead shift lever
Hinson clutch (complete)
RK chain
Excel rims
Works Connection brake reservoir cap, skid plate, engine guards, clutch perch with hot-start, frame guards
and radiator braces
Acerbis plastic
N-Style graphics and numbers
Renthal Twinwall 997 handlebar, grips and sprockets
Maxima oils
MB1 Showa suspension
BRP triple clamp
VP race fuel