I recently purchased the 2013 RMZ 450 and have ridden it 3 times at Zaca Station
http://www.zacastationmx.com here in Central California. The following is a review of that bike based on a slow old man with withered knees and a tired back. So take it for what it's worth... I started off as we all should by setting the sag. I'm a little over 6 foot and weigh 200lbs without gear and can honestly say this is the first time I was ever able to set proper sag without running out of spring. The manufacturer says the bike is sprung stiff but for 180+ lb riders they will find it perfect. I also set pre-load, compression and rebound to the manufacturers suggested settings as this is only the starting place for set up which can and will change with the type of track and conditions you’re riding on. Don’t let the magazines lull you into what the ultimate set up for the bike is because I can tell you that most of us mere mortals don’t ride anything like the pros or the guys conducting the shootouts so usually their compression, rebound and preload are off yours and my charts. Take the time to read about what each adjustment does, turn the dials yourself and feel the difference. It will make you a better rider.
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I'll save you the bore of the on track break-in sessions and cut right to it. My first real uninhibited session I immediately noticed that the fast entries to corners under heavy braking with chatter bumps the front end was beating me to death. I rolled into the pits for a quick -2 clicks of compression dampening, allowing the fork to travel through the stroke faster. The front end immediately felt better but was still compacting or at least it felt like it was. I rolled back into the pits for -2 clicks of pre-load and +1 clicks of compression to offset the preload and just like that it was fixed. The remainder of the session was spent reveling at how well this bike turns, accelerates and jumps. It does not feel like the typical 450 as it felt light and flickable. The power was extremely linear and was there when you needed it, “The bike flat out rips.” I didn’t play around with the different plug and play fuelling maps, opting for the stock map, but my next outing I will definitely run them all. This bike was easy to ride and made me feel like I was fast again. It holds lines through corners that allow passes that shouldn’t be. Yes, it turns that good. The seating position to handlebars and pegs were perfect for me and I was right at home immediately. Does it sound like I’m sold? Well, not much choice, I bought the damn thing.
I have yet to see any shootouts of the 2013’s nor have I ridden any other manufacturers bikes so I couldn’t tell you how it compares to the competition. But if the other bikes are up to par with the Suzuki, this years shootout could be really interesting.
Steve “O”
