Future Dirt: '05 Suzuki And Yamaha

FUTURE DIRT: '05 SUZUKI AND YAMAHA

WITH TESTING OF THE current crop of motocrossers barely completed, images from Japan reveal what we’ll be riding later this year. Suzuki and Yamaha recently unveiled works versions of the 2005 RM-Z450 and YZ125, with production models likely to hit dealerships as soon as August.

Suzuki has confirmed that the big RM-Z will be in its lineup. Specifics weren’t available, but if photos are any indication, the bike is ready to go. In its debut at the last round of the All-Japan MX series, the RM-Z was held back by factory rider Akira Narita’s first-turn crash, plus the speed of reigning world MX champ Stephen Everts.

Sporting tricks learned from the GSX-R repli-racers, the RM-Z’s large aluminum spars are similar to early Honda CR designs. Looking as light as Suzukis typically feel, the works bike has a second reservoir on its Showa shock that no one was talking about. The Suzukidesigned and built engine is similar to the current RM-Z250

powerplant, but with bottomend cues from the two-stroke RM250. It is definitely one of the most compact 450cc Thumpers we’ve seen, with the crankshaft positioned low in the cases. Above where the ignition rotor would typically go, there is another eyehole that may indicate the presence of a counterbalancer. Yamaha is also entering the aluminum-frame game. In Japan, both of its works 125 and 250cc two-strokes v were F similarly outfitted and looked productionready.

The new design looks

like a conventional, singlebackbone steel frame, but the rear box and footpeg downtubes appear to be complex machined pieces to enable flex-tuning.

And it isn’t just the frame that is new: The YZ125 has an all-new engine, proving Yamaha isn’t ready to put the two-stroke out to pasture. Like Suzuki, Yamaha isn’t saying much, but as all the hype surrounding these bikes indicates, change is afoot.

-Jimmy Lewis