With the FIM MX World Championships changing hands once more in terms of who holds the promotional reigns, signifying another set of alterations in the rules and race programme, Team Suzuki are also staring at something of a new dawn.

The mothballing of the immensely successful RM250 two stroke machine that was the dominant motorcycle throughout the last years of the old 250cc class in the hands of Frenchman Mickael Pichon has elevated importance and focus onto the brand new RM-Z 450 four-stroke and the model that the firm hope will spearhead Suzuki’s off-road market for years to come.

The new-look MX1 category, the third generation of the old 250cc class after a season as ‘MXGP’, clearly favours the larger capacity 450 ‘thumpers’ over the nimble two strokes. The appearance of the RM-Z 450 was on the cards throughout 2003 and now the works machinery steered by ’03 650cc World Champion Joel Smets and promising starlet Kevin Strijbos over the next nine months will be the only factory representation on the GP scene.

The Sylvain Geboers directed Belgian squad welcome new motorcycles, new technology and a new rider into the fold for 2004.

--  Q & A  --

Jens Johansson

Q: How has the switch to four-stroke technology been for the team?

JJ: Well, obviously we have a new bike to learn and work with and not a great deal of time in which to do it. The World Championships begin in less than two months and we only tested for the first time in October. There is a lot to take in and try out. It has been, and continues to be, a steep learning curve.

Q: What are your impressions of the new bike?

JJ: We do not have a great deal of experience with four-strokes and it is difficult to know what kind of level we are currently working at. You can be World Champion so many times in testing but then you arrive at the first GP and all of a sudden you’re struggling. The pre-season races cannot come soon enough. One pleasing thing is that the bike has kept running. Obviously there were a few issues with a motorcycle that has come straight out of the box but we started with an open mind as to how the four-stroke would work and in terms of reliability it has been good.

You can always improve engine performance but in terms of chassis the bike has proved to be very rideable. The suspension still needs dialling in but from early tests during November on hard tracks in Luxembourg and the south of Belgium we were pleased. Since then we have been mainly in the sand.

Q: What does Joel Smets think about the RM-Z and has he settled in smoothly with the team?

JJ: Joel has been careful with his comments but he has made it clear that he believes we have a good base to start from. He has the experience on the KTM to work with and so far has not found one area to fault on the RM-Z.

Joel is a friendly guy and up to now has been a pleasure to work with. Living nearby it is very easy to go riding or testing with him two or three times a week. He is happy to ride the bike a lot and clock up the kilometres. In a race situation at a GP things may be different because there is more tension and everybody can get stressed but we’ll have to wait and see about that!

Q: What about Kevin and another learning experience ahead of him?

JJ: I have been impressed by Kevin’s adaptation. He has a smooth style and this lends itself to the four-stroke. He is looking good. The bike feels heavier and has more power so maybe he needs to just work on the physical side.

Q: What are you hopes for the 2004 GP campaign?

JJ: This team has a great record and a decent pedigree, nobody here is expecting the World Championship in our first season, this would be a dream, but we have to accept that our competitors have a four year advantage in four-stroke MX competition. With the riders we have we are confident we will up there at the front. The whole year is important to us in developing this bike and making it as successful as the two-stroke, not just the 16 GPs, so 2004 will be an important time for the team and one where we do not want to lose any of our hard-earned status.

Joel Smets

Q: How was the trip to Japan Joel?

JS: Japan was a lot different from what I was expecting. I had never been to Asia before and I thought it might have been more ‘eastern’ but I felt some European influences more so than American. We were out there for around ten days and spent about five of those riding and visiting the Japanese Championship. The people were very polite, respectful and very small! It was an interesting trip.

Q: What have been your impressions of the new bike?

JS: The best way I have found to describe it is like making a good vegetable soup. First we need to find the right vegetables but this doesn’t always mean that the soup will taste delicious. In Japan we were looking for the best vegetables, parts and components and I believe we are at the stage now where the ingredients are good and we have to make sure we get the correct mix. Then it is a matter of adding the final few herbs. I can’t tell you right now if the soup will be excellent.

Q: So what was the ‘tastiest vegetable’?

JS: Ha! Well, from the start the engine did not feel like a rocketship but it was comfortable and is proving to be very reliable. I expected the handling to be a little better than it was but this has been one of the biggest areas we have managed to change; I think I will need more time than I anticipated to adapt because the last Japanese bike I rode was back in 1992 and most of the manufacturers tend to have a lot in common in terms of handling. I have not ridden with a linkage for the last six years so I have to adjust back to the system we have on the RM-Z.

Q: It must make life easier being based a short drive from the workshop?

JS: It is definitely an advantage being so close to the action. Most of the development work is done in Japan but we do our own tuning at the workshop and we ride numerous times in the week. It’s simple to have a meeting or debriefing after we have tested.

Q: There were some reports that you had suffered an injury over the winter?

JS: Yeah, it’s a silly thing. On the very first lap on the first day that I had my bike in Europe I wasn’t quite awake and almost crashed and lost grip on the bars, yanking my thumb. I strained the ligaments but it is more or less OK now.

Q: How are you approaching 2004 mentally?

JS: I have high expectations. For the last 10 years I have been challenging for a World Championship. The start of the season is going to be a process of discovery and finding out about the Smets and Suzuki combination. Only in race circumstances will be able to judge the potential of the package. I have four or five international meetings before the GPs start and this will help us to get into race shape. I am realistic; I know it wont be easy, but I hope to challenge for the title this year and I expect to win motos. If the bike is not 100% at the beginning I will still fight hard; looking for excuses and giving up is not my style. Everybody at Suzuki is working very hard and believing in this project; there is no reason to think that we cannot win in our first year.

Kevin Strijbos

Q: So Kevin how was your first few outings on the RM-Z?

KS: The first time I rode the bike it was on a sandy track and my impressions of the machine were OK. I had ridden four-strokes before but not a 450 and it was hard to initially change my style and I struggled that day; I could not find my lines and I had a few scary moments, so I left pretty discouraged. The next time out we tested at a hard track in Luxembourg and I got a much better feeling and things have improved since then. My speed has picked up and I am actually faster than I was at this time last year.

Q: What do you feel is the strengths of the machine at this stage?

KS: There is a lot of power. It is easy to ride for sure and there is a lot less shifting needed, the engine will always pull regardless of the corner. The weight is not a lot different to the 250. Overall the bike has a good base and it is so much easier to set-up. We have already found some positive settings on the suspension and I feel that I am making more ground with the bike than I was experiencing before the 2003 season.

I am surprised that it is running so well. I thought that some pieces would break after a few sessions or we would need to test some different components but mostly the bike has been strong and reliable.

Q: We are back to two motos for the 2004 GPs, have you had to change you training for this change in race format?

KS: I am doing the same kind of power training that I did 12 months ago and the programme has not changed all that much. The four-stroke encourages a more relaxed riding style so I do not need be as aggressive as I was on the 250. I ride longer motos now when I am practicing but this is the only major alteration. Now we just need to get to Mantova to see how we compare.