ISDE with tears in his eyes… if it stalled you had
two choices, kick it for 30 minutes... or wait for 30
minutes and then, if the stars aligned, it might go.
The fact is though, some of the younger guys
think their throats have been cut if their bike
doesn’t have electric start. In fairness to those
young blokes, when all the other brands have MX
bikes with electric start, it’s a problem for Suzuki.
Overall, I think the Suzuki RM-Z250 is a great
machine. Its biggest issue is a stiff fork in standard
trim. I have no idea why they’re spec’d so stiff.
Fortunately, this is something which can be easily
42 KIWI RIDER
remedied with fork springs and a re-valve. It
looks great, has a decent build quality and solid
durability. It has excellent handling from a terrific
chassis. The engine is quick and very useable with
particularly good low end and mid-range. The
standard Dunlop MX33 tyres are excellent for NZ
conditions too. The brakes are top notch. True, it
doesn’t have a starter button, but does that really
matter? You choose. You’ll pay at least a grand
extra for that privilege.
I like the RM-Z. I’d soften the suspension, enjoy
the great engine and just get on with life aboard a
grunty and sweet-handling bike. It’s a good, solid
and relatively simply bike at a decent price.