ASK THE MXPERTS: CAUGHT UP IN THE ROCZEN CRAZE

Dear MXperts,
I hate to admit it, but I got all enthused about Ken Roczen racing a Suzuki RM-Z450 and ran out and bought a leftover 2023 Suzuki RM-Z250. I got a great deal on it ($6000 out the door), and I broke it in by riding it in a field next to my house. I had a blast doing wheelies and spinning donuts. On the weekend, I took it to my local track. I didn’t like it as much when there were jumps and bumps, but since this is my first Suzuki ever, I thought MXA could give me some tips.

First and foremost, you did get a great deal. The identical 2024 RM-Z250 retails for $8099, which means that you saved $2100, but you will have to spend some of that money to make your RM-Z250 race-worthy.

The 2023 Suzuki RM-Z250 produces 39.22 horsepower, while a 2023 KX250, FC250 or KTM 250SXF were all much closer to 45 horsepower; however, thanks to its low-to-mid powerband, the RM-Z250 is one of the easiest bikes to ride. It is at its best below 8000 rpm, and there is no advantage to over-revving the RM-Z250 because the power is relatively mellow after 8000 rpm. The first place you should start when looking for more power is Suzuki’s three easy-to-use, plug-in fuel couplers. Don’t waste your time with the grey or black couplers. The white coupler is the most aggressive off the bottom and gets the rpm to rev through its range faster.

The 2023 RM-Z250’s forks are terrible. The 2023 RM-Z250’s forks come with 5.0 N/mm springs. That is the same spring that Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki run in their 450 forks. They are unbelievably stiff in motion. We dropped the fork spring rate to 4.9 N/mm for fast riders and 4.8 N/mm or lower for smaller or slower riders. We ran the compression clicker at 14 clicks out. We ran the rebound on 13 clicks out. The quickest fix for the stock 2023 Suzuki RM-Z250 forks is to lower the oil height in the forks by 30mm in both legs. This is not as good as sending the forks out to be re-valved and re-sprung, but it will make the bike ridable at zero cost.

The 2023 Suzuki RM-Z250 also has an overly stiff 52 N/mm shock spring. We dropped the 52 N/mm shock spring for a 50 N/mm and set the sag at 107mm. The shock has lots of clicker dials, but thankfully they are easily accessible.

At the lever, the clutch has the easy pull that everyone loves. Unfortunately, that easy pull translates into the friction plates needing to be replaced more frequently. Buy a stiffer aftermarket clutch spring to improve the bite.

Don’t get defensive when people make fun of the RM-Z250’s kickstarter. It is a red badge of courage. Embrace it, learn how to use it in all conditions, and rejoice in the fact that the RM-Z250 is easy to start.

The biggest plus of the RM-Z250, once you get the fork and shock to work properly, is that it is a great cornering bike. It gets in the corner with ease and doesn’t oversteer or want to stand up in the middle of the corner.

You saved money by buying a left-over Suzuki RM-Z250, but be careful when spending your windfall on trying to make the 2023 Suzuki RM-Z250 faster. Instead, spend your money to get the fork and shock working perfectly.