O
n the surface, the 2018 Suzuki RM-
Z250 has changed visually with
some BNG (bold new graphics), but
that’s it – the bike is unchanged
since its last big update in 2016.
The new blue highlights do give
the Suzuki a lift, though, and it looks great,
better than the previous model to my eyes.
If you comb through the spec sheet with
your comparison hat on, you’ll likely be
disappointed, as the news gets no better...
the RM-Z has the least power in class, is
around the heaviest, doesn’t have electric
start and there’s no big front disc rotor – put
simply, the RM-Z250 loses the shootout on
paper. But we all know shootouts are not
won on paper and there’s plenty of evidence
the little RM-Z is still a very capable bike.
Anyone who has been following Brad
Groombridge’s career on the 250 will
have no doubt seen some commanding
performances which sees the pair almost
always at the pointy end of the field, often
against all capacity opposition! It’s clear
the Suzuki does quite a few things well that
the spec sheet doesn’t make obvious.
Particularly important here in NZ is a bike’s
turning ability because our tracks still tend
to be tighter than most, and we don’t all
just ride motocross. We might throw in
an enduro or an XC to keep things fresh.
This is where the RM-Z starts to shine, it
turns well, making it very suited to NZ
conditions. Then you get great ergos, the
Suzuki has a very nice feel, a lovely light
clutch and is an excellent racing platform.
The KYB suspension is pretty good too
and does nothing wrong – Suzuki made
the swap from Showa stuff during the 2016
Headline numbers aren’t everything,
something which Suzuki’s RM-Z250
proves time and time again.
2018 SUZU
42 KIWI RIDER