The Suzuki RM-Z has been a fine-handling machine since its overhaul in 2007. The bike turns easily and predictably and only suffers on big hits with a soft-suspension feel. This mushed-out feel is definitely more noticeable as the components break in. We felt ours going to the soft side after a little more than 15 hours of run time. The shock is less problematic with the fork taking the biggest hit from our testers. In the handling department the RM-Z takes a very middle-of-the-road approach to everything. It isn't overly stable but never too twitchy, either. It falls in the middle in weight feel on the ground and in the air. It's happy going inside or outside in the turns and the only thing holding it back on really high-speed tracks is its short overall gearing. It's a setup like this, right down the middle, that scores high with a lot of riders in shootouts. Still, even when it softened up a bit, the RM-Z250 made almost every tester completely happy. The bike is easy to get along with and its handling and suspension performance follow suit.
The KTM has a Jekyll and Hyde tale to tell. In the turns, on high-speed straights and for most of the conditions on a track the Austrian bike is magic. It's one of the best turning machines ever made and will carve arcs in the track all day with amazing front-end traction. Somehow, it transforms into a very stable machine at speed. It seems the transition between the two is where the bike suffers. On acceleration, the KTM received complaints solely on the rear shock. The rear linkageless WP shock had our test riders feeling every little bit of acceleration chop. Combined with the base of the seat being easily felt through the minimal amount of foam, this left few riders eager to crank out of rutted, bumpy turns. Approaching the corners had riders upset as well. The front of the bike on braking bumps was commented on by most, some thinking the fork was harsh. This complaint seemed to follow suit with more aggro riders feeling the negative affects while smoother, more patient riders had no issues at all. The KTM's best setup is to be low in the rear, 114-118mm of rider sag. We think, when ridden with the other bikes, the KTM's front tire is grabbing so much traction that it transmits a lot more track to the chassis. Combine that with a steel frame and a fork that was pushed farther into the stiffer mid-stroke than the other bikes and you get more negative feedback, especially when hopping off of four very similar bikes. It also has a light feel that is only matched by the Honda and lighter bikes often feel like they dance a bit more on their tires. The stability is light-years from where KTM has been. All those naysayers out there complaining about whoop swap from the linkageless rear shock are simply not setting it up right; we know, we watched it happen to our guys and then set it up correctly and the swap went away. There are still suspension issues with a fair amount of our testers. The KTM isn't as bad as some riders would have you believe, typically because they haven't given it the time for them to appreciate what it does while feeling a little different than they're used to.
Ergonomics
How a bike fits and feels is very important. And the Kawasaki KX250F has a great, middle-of-the road setup. The green machine lost some points for not updating to a full 111/48-inch bar yet, but even with the 71/48-inch setup, the bike accommodated all of our testers wonderfully. Being as thin as possible isn't necessarily the game anymore as the KX-F brings a bit wider feeling as well as a bit heavier feel. But it seems it isn't the width or the weight but how you carry it.
The Honda has always felt great and no bike out there can beat the red machine in the showroom bounce or feel test. On the track, the bike is starting to feel cramped in the bar for some. This could be beginning to amplify with the tighter clamp and more aggressive front end. Not all bigger riders complained and a majority felt that Honda, like KTM builds the best bike for larger-framed riders.
Yamaha has our favorite bar setup. Its own bend of ProTaper bar is the best of the bunch, and the updated footpeg position is a great platform which to work from. The Yamaha feels taller than all the other bikes while either sitting in the pits or ripping on the track, which could be hurting it in the turning as well. But that bar is so sweet we've even put it on other brands. Also, we had way less riders complain of hooking boots on the radiator shrouds, even though the shrouds haven't changed.
Suzuki took quite a few hits from our testers for its low bar bend and cramped compartment. Most of this has to do with the flat nature of the bar at the grips. Its stock setup helps the bike turn on a dime, but it still had almost every tester from 5 feet 8 inches and taller complaining.