2001 Suzuki Rm250

2001 Suzuki RM250

Light, bright, outta sight

JIMMY LEWIS

IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT SUZUKI IS INTRODUCING A totally new RM250 motocrosser. After all, the works bikes the factory has been campaigning in the World and Japanese National Championships look just like the 2001 production model shown here. But because we’re denied works prototypes by the AMA’s strict productionbike rule, we didn't get a chance to ride one of the new bikes until after the production model was introduced. Fortunately, after years of being the last to reveal its MXers, Suzuki shocked us by releasing the '01 RMs early.

And they're still yellow, though even the shade has changed. Our '01 RM250’s neo-neon tint made our '00 testbike look stale, and plain shocked some onlookers at first glance. But as is often the ease, the RM's looks slow ly grew' on us. After a w hile, even the KTM-like, arrow-shaped fenders seemed normal.

While there is hardly a part shared w ith the previous-generation RM, the biggest news is the drastic weight reduction. According to the certified Cycle World scales, Suzuki pared 9 pounds from the RM this in a time when other manufacturers are struggling to shave a pound or two.

But the improvements don't stop at the scales. The new RM is also thinner at the gas tank and sidepanels, and flatter in the seat. And it's got brandnew suspension, Suzuki's change from Showa to KYB the motorcycling equivalent of switching from Pepsi to Coke.

And then there’s the motor, a completely new design that is 3 4-inch shorter between mounting points and 2.5 pounds lighter than before.

Dropping the weight while adding the high-tech was the path the yellow team took this time around. Included in the RM's bag of tricks are a two-stage exhaust powervalve that alters port timing to best match engine rpm; a solenoid on the exhaust-powervalve breather tube to hold or release pressure; and a Keihin carb w ith a throttle-position sensor tied to the 3-D ignition curve-this when the trend is tow ard Mikuni carbs with bigger jets and fewer wires. And the shifting mechanism is new, too, with a geared flange replacing the traditional bushed shift pole.

Suzukis have always felt light, but at 222 pounds dry, the new RM is light fully a pound-and-a-half lighter than the aluminumframed '01 Honda CR250. Just lifting it off the stand confirms this. The next thing you note is how narrow the bike feels. And that’s before you even start it.

CYCLE WORLD TEST

On-track, your off-track observations are instantaneously confirmed. The Suzuki is light and thin, and the motor has been given a new lease on life. Previous RMs were brutal, combining average low-end power with a hard hit in the midrange and a screaming top end. The new powerplant was designed to emphasize the more user-friendly low to middle part of the curve. As a result, power delivery is more linear, with no sudden spikes. And although some may suspect the top-end isn’t as strong as before, our testers concluded that power was just fed better from the bottom, so it only feels weaker.

The stock jetting was pretty close, but we found the best settings to be a one-step-leaner main jet (#160) and a halfclip-leaner needle (#N3YK in the third position).

One thing is certain, however: Compared to other 250s, the RM lacks torque, with a noticeable deficit of what is best described as “grunt.” Should you bury the RM in an uphill turn, it’s best not to be a gear tall. The tradeoff is in response, though, because when you snap the clutch on the RM, things happen-instantly! Adding flywheel weight might gain back some of the lost grunt, but rpm is your best defense. The RM is definitely the most 125-like 250.

Fortunately, the same can be said about the handling, because you can throw around the RM250 like an eighthliter machine. The Suzuki can hug the inside line, square-off a turn at any point, and cut underneath anything on the racetrack. And it does so with a precision that past RMs lacked. There’s also much better feedback from the front tire now, and aided by the smoother power delivery, better control at the rear, too.

The so-called “coupling-pressed body frame” (we prefer the term “semi-perimeter”) definitely does its job, combining crisp handling with adequate stability. The RM isn’t twitchy-it goes straight and doesn’t headshake-it just has a looser feel than most other MXers.

The jump to Kayaba suspension paid off big for Suzuki. Though the previous RM’s Showa suspenders worked just fine, the front and rear never felt balanced, and hooking up exiting rough turns was a chore. Not anymore. Suzuki’s goal was to get the movement yet grab traction at the same time. Mission accomplished.

Plushness now rivals that of any other MXer, and bottoming takes a pretty substantial hit. But as loose as the suspension feels, there aren’t any wallowy or flexy sensations; the wheels just stay on the ground. You can hit Supercross jump faces and choppy straights alike with confidence.

We ran the clickers in the standard settings front and rear, but changed the ever-critical sag to measure 100mm with the rider seated. The bike definitely uses all of its travel, as one look at the rubber coating the underside of the rear fender confirms. But riding it, you don’t feel as though you’re bottoming as often as the tire marks would suggest. Perhaps this is Suzuki’s way of scraping mud off the rear fender to keep weight down during a wet moto?

The only thing we can really complain about is the cramped feel of the bike-and our testers weren’t particularly big, all standing less than 6-feet tall. The footpegs may have been moved back a bit from last year, but they apparently rose up as well, and the seat is a tad lower. We tried a saddle off an RM 125, which is 3/4-inch thicker, and that helped.

But when we changed to a taller handlebar (FMF 909 Team bend), the RM was a whole new bike. Suddenly, riders could exploit the bike’s flickability, as it was easier to slide forward in turns as well as stand up.

Refinement paid off in the braking department, too, as the Suzuki’s redesigned rotors and calipers can only be described as “insane.” Front and rear, there is braking control and power like never before. Gearbox action is a notch above last year’s as well, though the clutch pull is now just average. For the record, Suzukis used to have the lightest clutch pull this side of a power-assisted hydraulic system.

But don’t think Suzuki spent an extra cent on the graphics, because they’ll be gone after the first moto. Reportedly, the company’s market research showed that no one keeps the stock graphics anyway. They’re right.

Our only remaining question will take some time to answer: Will durability suffer due to the lower weight? Not too many years ago, RMs were the most brittle MXers, though to be fair, our recent testbikes have been rock-solid.

Though the 1999 RM250 won our 250cc MX shootout, Suzuki has played perennial bridesmaid in CWs annual Ten Best Bikes awards. Thanks to its all-out weight-loss program, however, the yellow bike looks set to go for the gold this time around. It will take an all-out comparison test to determine the Best Motocrosser of 2001, but it’s safe to say that there has never been a better time to ride an RM250.

It’s “lighf’-years ahead of the competition.

SUZUKI

RM250

List price............ ........................ $5899