As Suzuki continues to saunter into 2010 with delayed product release dates, many in the dirt bike industry have assumed aloud about the championship-winning brand's uncertain future, stagnant progression of performance and questionable inventory. After all, if a company is proud of its product, why not show it off? There's obviously more to it than that, and with financial forces and dealer interests in tow, Suzuki had no choice but to hold back the new inventory this year. Still, serious-minded people in our fun-minded sport mumble. And Suzuki buyers grow impatient.
Now that the all-new fuel-injected RM-Z250 is here, the "industry" can basically shut it. And the Suzuki faithful can rejoice.
Suzuki started with a solid contender when building this, its first 2010 model. Since 2007, the RM-Z has been a favorite amongst dirt riders looking for strong bottom-end power, exceptional torque and a sharp-handling corner carver. These bikes, in their twin-spar aluminum forms, left little to complain about in outright performance. Top-end power wasn't abundant and overall build quality seemed off compared to the best high-revving offerings from Europe and Japan. In our experience, suspension components broke in (and down) quicker than others and a healthy valve assembly required cleaner oil more often. But this model impressed enough to win the 2007 Dirt Rider 250F Shootout (April, 2007) in its freshman year in the modern class and has been given reasonable upgrades since, keeping it in the running every year. For 2010, the bike received a complete overhaul and wowzer! does it work. It's really too bad this bike wasn't here in time for this year's shootout.
Initial responses from test riders and myself were fairly predictable. We all loved the retained bottom grunt, and the bike handled like a dream with new frame geometry dialing in the flex. Corners were eaten alive. Roost was our waste product. It was heaven on dirt. We didn't feel Suzuki's claims of improved top-end power. (We even called out the bike on this in Tear Offs, April 2010!) Well, that's why we ride more than once for a test. As I sit and write this, we've taken this beast to six different tracks and ridden close to 15 hours. We were simply wrong at first. This bike does, in fact, have very good top-end power. It doesn't pull as hard as the Honda upstairs but it does power through where it used to fall flat. Maybe we were over-impressed with the throttle response and torque. From the upper-mid to the rev-limiter is a steady stream of power with little or no wall. The great thing is it has just as good bottom-end grunt as before. The power delivery is near perfection, I'd say, if you're looking for a short-shiftable 250F that lets you wring it out. Much of this has to do with a huge EFI advantage.
More and more of our test riders are becoming firm proponents of EFI on 250 four-strokes. Just like Honda's, the Suzuki's EFI system eliminates any hesitation in delivery. Throttle response is immediate and useful and void of pops, sputters and misses as the bike churns through the revs. Predictability is everywhere and when a bike this size is consistent in its delivery, you can truly use all the power you can find. Also, most of the time the bike starts easily. The integrated hot-start lever on the throttle side is a useful tool for mid-moto stalls. Use it if the motor is hot and it fires right up.
How it puts the power to the ground is important, sure. And the RM-Z is bringing torque-loving traction to the table almost on par with the Honda CRF250R's supreme grip but with more muscle for sure. I wouldn't say it has the best bottom-end in the class; surely Kawasaki's more snappy punch out of the hole is keen to that claim. But this bike doesn't sign off nearly as soon as the KX-F and comes on stronger than the Honda down low. It's settling in nicely between those two polar opposites and, for many, that's just perfect. If it seems this "test" is a shootout, then I'm guilty as charged. After all, this bike landed in our shop right as every other 250F is fresh in our minds. So read between the lines if you're keeping score.
I'm a 2010 RM-Z250 and I love...
I'm a 2010 RM-Z250 and I love blowing berms to smithereens.
If we drop the power out of the equation, the handling and suspension come to light. As we've stated, the Suzuki feels really solid. It turns like a dream, especially at initial corner entry. But more so than in the past, this RM-Z settles in the turn and resists the blow-through and bucking we've experienced in the past. High-speed sweepers are done with more confidence than before-that is certain.
The 2010 Suzuki RM-Z250 also has some solid straight-line stability for stretching out the top-end power. Full-stroke compliance of the fork is very good. It doesn't have the smoothest bottoming out there, so don't expect it to save you from those over-jumps, but its resistance to clanking is substantial enough to keep your moto going. The initial movement of the fork is very plush, as long as you are over 175 pounds or very fast. It can be choppy on the small bumps for others, especially in the mid-stroke. It can be brutally harsh but is easily fixed. Set your sag at 105mm and tighten up the fork compression a bit for a better ride (see chart on page 64 for our best suspension settings).
This 250F keeps its light-in-the-air...
This 250F keeps its light-in-the-air feeling.
Apart from some mid-stroke harshness, the second most-common complaint we've received after our initial test revolves around a strangely flat bar bend. The Renthal Fatbar is a nice piece of stock equipment but if you're used to a standard Honda, Yamaha or Kawasaki-style bend, you'll feel your hands in your lap here. We've had good luck sticking on a Yamaha-bend bar in the past.
As we go down the road with this bike, we're looking forward to improved overall durability of the little Zook. In the past, our test riders and we have had issues with suspension components breaking down quickly, brake rotors wearing out prematurely (even cracking, in some cases), shorter clutch life and spotty shifting action including missed shifts and false neutrals.
While the action throughout the suspension stroke on both ends of our test bike is feeling tight, still, the shock's upper heim joint is loose after 10 hours. We had one tester comment on the shifting not being as solid as the Honda and it even popped into neutral on him. This was an isolated comment and Suzuki has updated its shifting system for a "lighter feel" and the bike generally shifts fine.
"Click." With Suzuki's included...
"Click." With Suzuki's included plugs, changing the fuel map is easy.
The throttle body has killed...
The throttle body has killed the carburetor.