Suzuki RM-Z250 (2010) Tested

Suzuki RM-Z250 (2010) Tested  -  Page 1  /  Page 2  /  Video Riding Barrabool  /  Video Tech Highlights By Mark Willis In the lunch break we were treated to a spectacle with Suzuki’s defending Australian Pro-Lites Motocross Champ Matt Moss doing some laps on both the RM-Z250 and RM-Z450. I immediately grabbed a yellow vest and wandered out on to the track to have a look at how the standard bike responded to a Pro’s abuse. It was an impressive sight and I reckon if he was running his red number one plates on this machine you wouldn’t be mistaken in thinking he was on his own race bike. He seems to click with this bike and I wouldn’t like to be his competition in the Pro-Lites class this year. It was inspiring stuff and it made me even keener to get back out on the 250 after lunch. The chassis on the RM-Z250 L0 has also come in for some treatment. More rigidity and lighter weight the key features. Suzuki achieved this by making the lower frame tube rails thicker and the side rails slightly shallower. The swingarm also has a revised centre brace to help improve the overall rigidity. In the back section at Barrabool there is a fast hard packed up hill right hander, through here I was surprised at just how easily I was able to either hold a line or a change line if I needed to. Once again the traction and feel from throttle to rear wheel in the section was second to none. The more throttle you dial in the more the RM-Z250 just seems to squat and drive. I was actually finding that I was short shifting in some spots like you would on a 450, it had the power to handle it with ease. Suzuki claim the engine revs to 13,500 rpm. They do seem to rev hard although I felt that the power dropped off a little when it was high in the rev range. As a result I was shifting well before the limiter cut in. On the upside this always allowed me to hold onto a gear between corners if I needed too with a generous cushion of over-rev. The overall riding position felt great. Renthal Tapered alloys are a nice touch as a standard feature. Foot pegs are nice, wide and offer good grip, although my Tech 10’s soles probably didn’t enjoy them that much. Clearance seems good and this was tested to the max in the tight deep rutted left hander. I had no trouble or discomfort in getting my leg up high enough to stop it getting snapped off. The first lap after lunch I thought I was going to get lost in this rut! In general ruts and I don’t often seem to get on that well, probably due to my dirt track and Road race background, but the RM-Z250 L0 didn’t seem to have any problem in getting in and out of them. In summary I can say that I think we will see yellow at the front end of races for the foreseeable future. The bike definitely has the horsepower and coupled with the tractability that the injection and suspension provide, it is going to be a winner. -- Multimedia - Video Riding Barrabool (11Mb) -- Multimedia - Video Tech Highlights (11Mb)

Suzuki RM-Z250 (2010) Test  -  Page 1  /  Page 2  /  Video Riding Barrabool  /  Video Tech Highlights

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