SHAPING THE RM GENERATION
A hell of a machine it may have been, but when Suzuki unveiled the new generation
RM370 in 1976, it was clear they had learnt a lot from the earlier bikes and incorporated
it into the latest versions. The power was still there, developed from an engine that
took advantage of the latest casting technology. Gone was the rough sandcast
magnesium, replaced by light, thin aluminium cases. But the biggest change was the
suspension, which featured forward mounted and laid down shocks at the rear, and
long-travel forks.
Suzuki learnt the suspension lesson the hard way from Maico, which in Europe had
stolen a march on competitors by moving the shocks up the swingarm and adding
long-travel forks, giving their bikes several vital inches of extra travel. This made such a
huge difference that Roger DeCoster found his works machinery instantly outclassed,
so he did the same thing to his RN.
Suzuki’s new production RM-series motocrossers incorporated all these lessons, and
were exceptionally good machines – something underscored by the fact that they are
still favourites for vintage motocross racing.
For Russell Burling, this RN is a direct link to those seasons as mechanic to Ivan Miller,
and then joining the Suzuki factory team in Europe. He was unable to ride competitively
after breaking his femur in a motocross crash, so became a mechanic instead.
Colemans assigned him to Miller’s RN400.
Burling also teamed up with Craig Coleman when the young rider was just 15, and
within a year the young Kiwis were competing on the European circuit as part of the
Suzuki factory team – taken under the wing of the highly respected Gaston Rahier.
Coleman rode the 125 class for two seasons, and in 1980 was the first Kiwi to finish on
the podium of a motocross Grand Prix, taking third in the Austrian GP. He was also on
pole for the Finnish GP in 1980.
“Craig was still only 18 when he was third in Austria,” says Burling. At the time, a dozen
manufacturers were slugging it out in the ferociously competitive 125 class, and
Coleman was highly competitive on the Suzuki. Russell remembers it as an exciting era;
especially when the long-travel suspension and water cooling revolutions came along.
34 KIWI RIDER