Dancing Suzuki
By TMX Archives on 30th Nov 07
Feast your eyes on the all-new Suzuki RM-Z450
SUZUKI is now in its fourth year of building 450strokers, the first year was 2005 and when it finally came out...because it was released late it was pretty trick but didn't take off aswell as Suzuki would have liked. In 2006 it was modified slightly andbecame more popular round the paddock but still not as popular as someof its competitors, but then in 2007 it seemed that Suzuki was now oneof the front runners in the 450 trend but now for 2008 I think you willsee even more than ever because the new RM-Z450 is the dog's danglersand the closest your going to get to a factory bike without actuallybuying a factory bike.
The new model has undergone some serious surgery,starting with a completely new frame and swingarm, similar to that ofits little brother the RMZ-250F, to give the rider a more comfortableride and help make the bike turn faster and handle much bettergenerally.
Cosmetically, it has received a complete facelifttoo and gets a totally new look with different fender and number board,new shaped rad scoops, new seat and air box, and new rear fender.
One of the trickest looking changes is the newpetrol tank which, for the first time ever on a production bike, isconstructed out of aluminium instead of plastic. Even moresurprisingly, it is the same weight as the plastic one of last year.
It is not purely a cosmetic thing though, and itsprimary function is to provide a better seal for the integrated fuelpump which feeds the most exciting change to the RM-Z450, and the oneeveryone is talking about, the electronic fuel injection system. Yesthat's right, EFI.
It is well-known fact that the 2008 RM-Z 450 isthe first production Japanese motocross bike to come with fuelinjection, so gone are the days of re-jetting your carb if you want toalter the fuelling on this baby.
Using technology borrowed directly from its hugelysuccessful GSXR superbikes and road-race teams, and the LTZ450 Quad,the EFI unit is a battery-less system built by famed carb manufacturerKeihin and says Suzuki provided the benefits of instantaneous throttleresponse at all times, improved pick-up and power delivery, especiallyin the low to mid-range, and of course a regular, linear power deliveryin all weather and atmospheric conditions.
The exhaust system has been changed too the newfront or header pipe is very similar to the power bomb header thatcomes from FMF, this was done to offer more low down grunt, the footrests have come with a new design with a mud protector added to theroot of the foot rest mounting section to stop them clogging up inreally bad muddy conditions, and to top all this off it comes with aset of wavy discs.
So enough of the technical, what was it like on the track?
Well we had to go to the impressive ValkenswaardGP circuit over in Holland to find out, and it is safe to say that thenew RM-Z450 didn't disappoint.
It was easy to ride straight off the bat and inparticular I found the new chassis layout much more comfortable andbetter performing on the track than last year's model.
The engine is more useable in just about everysituation too thanks to the combination of the EFI and other mods, andespecially the move to a five-speed gearbox instead of four-speed.Although I personally never felt the four-speeder had issues, a lot ofriders just didn't like it, and to be honest to move to five-speed wasdefinitely the way to go and it has made the delivery of the power moreuseable becauseeach gear is just that bit longer.
The most noticeable and impressive thing on the engine side of things was the fuel injection though.
Because of the heavy sand and need to be quitehard on the throttle at first I struggled to tell any difference overthe carburated models, but as I got more comfortable with the bike andits characteristics the benefits really became apparent.
Where it is really good is dropping down on thelanding from a jump, say a drop-off or step down. Where with a carb fedengine you get the feeling the bike would bog a bit on landing andthere is just that split second lag between you opening the throttleand engine reacting, with the fuel injection there is none of this. Youcan land from any height, carrying momentum or landing like a sack ofspuds, hit the throttle and the power is instant, clean and with noflat spots at all. It's a real confidence booster.
What was also really impressive was the injectionsystems ability to get the bike to run cleanly and still pull well outof corners in the taller gears.
Fifth was out of the question obviously but thebike would easily pull third and fourth gears out of slower cornerswith absolutely no problem at all and the throttle response wasinstantaneous and without any coughing and struggling that card-fedbikes suffer from. This allows you to not have to be so precise withyour gear selection, and also lets you get away and maintain someforward motion if you do get it a bit wrong coming into a corner. Thebike is also very hard to stall which is another plus point, whilestarting the bike, whether hot or cold, was an absolute doddle and thisis definitely down to the fuel injection. Twenty minutes into a racewhen you've bitten the dust, you're going to be thanking Suzuki for EFIwithout a doubt.
Handling wise, I found the new RM-Z 450 a prettygood all-rounder as always, but was noticeable more comfortable andforgiving out on the track, which I was really impressed with.
I usually find the front-end on most 450s sprung abit hard and too fast on the rebound and the RM-Z450 is no different. Ifelt like it wanted to ride out of the loose stuff a bit too easily,but this is nothing a revalve or softer springs couldn't change. Therear end, though, was sprung perfectly and tracked superbly through thecorners, no doubt helped by the new permiter frame that definitelyprovides a sharper handling, more forgiving ride and better feedback tothe rider. In sweeping stuff in particular it felt much improved.
The new ergonomics were a noticeable improvementtoo and made for a bike that felt just ever so slightly more compact,less bulky and easier to move around on, and when teamed with the newframe it created a very light, nimble feeling bike for a big 450.
The brakes worked good as you would expectnowadays and never suffered from fade all day, although I don't thinkthis is anything to do with the new wavy discs in particular, thebrakes were just as strong previously, I think they are more for showdespite Suzuki's insistence that they stop fade and keep them cooler.
All-in-all, I was very impressed with the RM-Z 450and the progression it has made over previous years, with the fuelinjection and benefits that brings the particular stand-out. In fact,the only down side I could find to this bike was the lack of actualtrack time I got on it, just two 25-minute sessions. It would be niceto really put it through its paces in this country and on a tracksurface that really provides the opportunity to see how EFI reallyshapes up.
Anyway, as far as I'm concerned the new 2008 RM-Z450 is a piece of motocross history in the making and I'm sure you willsee a lot of these about on the track next season.
See T+MX News, Friday, November 30, 2007 for more pictures.
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