Our biggest complaint with the RM-Z motor is the kickstarting. Get it in the wrong part of the stroke and your leg will be in for a workout. The reason comes from a couple of things. First, it does have higher compression. But that's minor compared to the drag from the charging system. EFI requires electricity to run the fuel pump, injector and computer. Since there's no battery, the bike has to create more electricity than before. Thus, the electrical system has been beefed up to handle the load. That means more magnets tugging at the flywheel before it wants to move. Plus, it seems Suzuki is running a higher-ratio gearing on the starting system to make sure the bike spins enough to charge the system and to let the motor know where it is in the stroke, something EFI needs to know. When you get the compression stroke in the right spot, and the magnets lined up just right, the bike will act seized. It takes a few taps with the foot to budge it loose and then it's free kicking as usual. This doesn't happen all the time, but it can and probably will. Otherwise, it's a five-kick cold-starter and a one- to two-kick start when hot. It loves the hot-start button and hates to be in gear.
Upgrades for '08 aren't focused solely on the motor. And the on-track performance of the new RM-Z450 shows Suzuki did its homework in the handling and chassis departments.
The best way to describe the '08 Suzuki 450 is planted. Of course, that's only when it's on the ground. When in contact with the earth the bike has a solid, confident, almost weighty feel. And it's super balanced. It bites into corners with commitment and lofts the wheel on the way out. It's quick turning like a traditional Suzuki and holds itself through the apex finely without blowing through the stroke as easily as in the past. Straight-up braking bumps are swallowed well as are small chop and square edges. Bottoming resistance isn't the chassis' strongest area and you'll likely use the full stroke. The bike itself isn't heavy feeling (even though it's the heaviest 450 of the year) and when airborne, it had our testers baffled with a super-light feel. The bike is feathery in the air, flickable and super easy to maneuver. But it's solid on the ground, an interesting combo for sure.
Stock suspension settings with a sag in the 100-105mm range are working best. We've strayed one to two clicks in both directions on the shock and fork and found some personal favorites. Overall, the stock settings are going to be fine for most riders of target size and speed.
The only thing you notice...
The only thing you notice about EFI is that you don't notice it much. Jimmy Lewis notices things like this.
One area we've yet to explore is how the EFI will adapt to modifications. Simply put, the Suzuki engineers said that if you want to get more than three additional horsepower out of the bike, you'll need alternate mapping to provide more fuel. And the stock black box is a single map, nonprogrammable unit. The aftermarket will respond to this for sure, and trust us-this EFI is only another step in the heavy tuning that has been going on in factory bikes' ignitions for years. It just gets way more complicated for the computer genius tweaking the formulas. If you change the compression ratio, alter the cam timing or run crazy gasoline, the bike will likely not run properly. It should handle most exhaust systems and air filter upgrades. We'll be trying plenty of the like soon.
The RM-Z is ultimately a look into the future. And one that's done right. Suzuki knew it had to come out with a solid start and we're betting this is on the conservative side of its development. It was late and that will hurt sales, but Suzuki is already looking to 2009 to really attack its competition where it hurts: on the sales floor. Keep your eyes open to the pages of DR as we continue to test this bike in our usual fashion...minus all that carb business.