Why?

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mopower440

Member

Jan 27, 2006

66

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• Apr 10, 2007

• #1

I bought an rm 125 a few months ago and like it, i have been watching a lot of motocross and noticed that there are hardly any suzuki's out there and was wondering why? In AMA supercross, there is only 2, didnt see any more than that in the sx lites class..whats the deal? Everyone says one is as good as the other and to just pick a color and go, so why so few suzukis?

 

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Moparman1539

Member

Sep 9, 2006

804

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• Apr 10, 2007

• #2

Cause yellow is ugly :nener: .



Nah. i never hear much about them either. I dont know.. Maby there not as good. Maby not as big of an after market selection. Who knows

 

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rider3302

Member

Mar 8, 2005

28

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• Apr 10, 2007

• #3

I kinda wonder the same thing, I just got a rm250 (03) and it flat rips. Put 10 hard race hours on it so far and my biggest complaint is that it tears through tires!!!Prpbably the best bike I've owned so far and I'v had many cr250's a crf450 yzf 250 ktm exc's, so im not brand loyal,just what is said to be best at the time. Ill be getting an 06,07 leftover (rm)at the end of this season, I like it that much.

 

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mopower440

Member

Jan 27, 2006

66

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• Apr 10, 2007

• Thread starter
• #4

yeah, everyone says one is as good as the other, so why are there hardly any of them out there? ave also owned all of them and they all seem to be pretty much equal..

 

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76GMC1500

Uhhh...

Oct 19, 2006

2,142

1

• Apr 10, 2007

• #5

Suzuki's claim to fame is their frame geometry. The bikes really follow the front wheel around the turns, it's really amazing to feel the difference in handling between an old Honda and a new Suzuki. However, the same geometry that makes them turn well doesn't work as well in the whoops or braking bumps. In modern AMA supercross racing, all of the passing happens in the whoops and while charging into a turn through the braking bumps.

 

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Moose

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Sep 16, 2006

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• Apr 10, 2007

• #6

My guess would be: Their racing team doesn't sign as much racers. No person chooses which bike they ride, they take what they can get.

 

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ecy063

Member

Sep 15, 2005

112

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• Apr 10, 2007

• #7

I bought my son a 2007 rm125 and the piston blew out in less than two months and at the track in heard people saying they went though the same thing. I sent the cylinder to US chrome and they said defective piston most common problem. Wrote a long letter to Suzuki in hopes of some help from customer service. My boy loves the bike but we had a cr85b for three years that took a beating and never failed during any races. I'm not sure what to do, I just hope I'm not beating a dead horse.

 

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Chili

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Apr 9, 2002

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• Apr 10, 2007

• #8

76GMC1500 said:

However, the same geometry that makes them turn well doesn't work as well in the whoops or braking bumps. In modern AMA supercross racing, all of the passing happens in the whoops and while charging into a turn through the braking bumps.

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Pull that one out of your hat? Give me something to base that on? Ever watch Pastrana go through the whoops on a Suzuki?

At the Pro level the amount of bikes you see on the line is a direct result of the amount of involvement the manufacturer wants to have. Suzuki scaled back their involvement after signing RC as it likely ate up a bunch of their resources. Combine this with the fact that the RMZ250 has had it's share of issues and last season was simply outdated waiting for the new frame and you see less Suzuki's. It wasn't long ago you saw very few Honda's in the lites class but now that Honda isn't paying a Superstar a salary they have spread the wealth around to more lites support level teams.

 

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76GMC1500

Uhhh...

Oct 19, 2006

2,142

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• Apr 10, 2007

• #9

I'm sure it doesn't really make a difference. I haven't had a chance to ride a RM on a high speed track yet. It sure handled nice in the low speed stuff.

 

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HubertGarfunkleIII

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Mar 16, 2007

471

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• Apr 11, 2007

• #10

suzuki? dont you mean :think: sosucki? :rotfl:


just kidding, didnt the 07rmz250 get 250 of the year?

 

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HubertGarfunkleIII

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Mar 16, 2007

471

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• Apr 11, 2007

• #11

Chili said:

Pull that one out of your hat? Give me something to base that on? Ever watch Pastrana go through the whoops on a Suzuki?

At the Pro level the amount of bikes you see on the line is a direct result of the amount of involvement the manufacturer wants to have. Suzuki scaled back their involvement after signing RC as it likely ate up a bunch of their resources. Combine this with the fact that the RMZ250 has had it's share of issues and last season was simply outdated waiting for the new frame and you see less Suzuki's. It wasn't long ago you saw very few Honda's in the lites class but now that Honda isn't paying a Superstar a salary they have spread the wealth around to more lites support level teams.

Click to expand...

hasnt honda almost always had the best guy riding their bikes though? ie mcgrath

 

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Chili

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Apr 9, 2002

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• Apr 11, 2007

• #12

76GMC1500 said:

I'm sure it doesn't really make a difference. I haven't had a chance to ride a RM on a high speed track yet. It sure handled nice in the low speed stuff.

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Odd yet two posts prior you knew all about how the RM frame geometry affected the bikes performance in the whoops and braking bumps.

 

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Chili

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Apr 9, 2002

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• Apr 11, 2007

• #13

HubertGarfunkleIII said:

hasnt honda almost always had the best guy riding their bikes though? ie mcgrath

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Companies shift their priorities all the time, when Honda opted not to try to re-sign Carmichael they made a shift to more support for teams in the lites class. I'm sure at some point they will change their focus once again.

 

kawicam250

I bleed green!

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Aug 7, 2006

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• Apr 11, 2007

• #14

HubertGarfunkleIII said:

hasnt honda almost always had the best guy riding their bikes though? ie mcgrath

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not currently, Kawasaki has the people for now, but that could change at any time. Langston went to Yamaha when he moved up, which proves that no one picks what they ride like previously stated, they just go for the best deal.

 

kawicam250

I bleed green!

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Aug 7, 2006

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• Apr 11, 2007

• #15

HubertGarfunkleIII said:

suzuki? dont you mean :think: sosucki? :rotfl:


just kidding, didnt the 07rmz250 get 250 of the year?

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the '07 RMZ250 is good, but i dont know where your getting that from. the mags knowadays arent very trustworthy since its all about the $$, whoever pays the most, wins. if someone comes out with a shootout im interested, i'll read it, but i dont take it to heart. IMO, MCUSA has the best and most detailed shootouts, but they still have mixed opinions.

 

XRpredator

AssClown SuperPowers

Damn Yankees

Aug 2, 2000

13,504

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• Apr 11, 2007

• #16

Chili nails it.

Also, along the privateer lines, it comes down to which factory doles out the best contingency and other various methods of support.

 

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76GMC1500

Uhhh...

Oct 19, 2006

2,142

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• Apr 11, 2007

• #17

I didn't mean to come off as knowing what I was saying. That's just the hearsay around these parts.

 

VintageDirt

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• Apr 11, 2007

• #18

76GMC1500 said:

I didn't mean to come off as knowing what I was saying. That's just the hearsay around these parts.

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Must be heresy around some parts. :rotfl:

 

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HubertGarfunkleIII

Member

Mar 16, 2007

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• Apr 11, 2007

• #19

kawicam250 said:

the '07 RMZ250 is good, but i dont know where your getting that from. the mags knowadays arent very trustworthy since its all about the $$, whoever pays the most, wins. if someone comes out with a shootout im interested, i'll read it, but i dont take it to heart. IMO, MCUSA has the best and most detailed shootouts, but they still have mixed opinions.

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I cant remember where I read it from I thought it was mxa but I just looked and they gave it to the kxf

 

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RMZRyder

Member

Dec 1, 2006

207

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• Apr 11, 2007

• #20

Like Kawicam250 said its about $$$. The opinions of the major magazines can drastically effect sales. All the bikes are really close. Talk to guys who ride them, I think one of the magazines had the 07 RMZ 450 last or second to last but Robert Reynard of Reynard mods said the 07 RMZ 450 was as good as Robbie's Honda (the frame and handling) The Hondas motor is a little stronger.

 

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chavez27

Member

Jan 4, 2004

21

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• Apr 11, 2007

• #21

its whatever you like man. suzukis arent bad bikes

 

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mopower440

Member

Jan 27, 2006

66

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• Apr 11, 2007

• Thread starter
• #22

But are they as good as the rest? I was out of this stuff through all of the 1990's, did suzuki have any star riders during that period?

 

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Chili

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Apr 9, 2002

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• Apr 11, 2007

• #23

As far as Champions in North America in the 90's Suzuki won:

1999 250cc MX - Greg Albertyn
1999 125cc MX - Travis Pastrana
1997 125E SX - Tim Ferry
1995 125W SX - Damon Huffman
1994 125W SX - Damon Huffman
1994 125E SX - Ezra Lusk
1992 125E SX - Brian Swink
1990 125cc MX - Guy Cooper
1990 125E SX - Denny Stephenson

Jeremy McGrath rode for Suzuki in 1997 after leaving Honda and came within a flat tire of the SX title that year. And before the Honda zealots start to point out McGrath did not like the bike based on his book I'll ask you to keep in mind he also rode a 93 Honda right through to 97 when he left because he couldn't stand the new Honda's either.