Tell me about newer RMZ450's. Everything. Let's hear it

user760a
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user760a
especially known problems/issues.

I had a slow 06 RMZ450 that blew up- the big end rod bushing slowly came apart and bits ran all over the place in the motor and made a mess. Total rebuild. Happened to a lot of RMZ's that year including the Dirtrider magazine test bike. No explanation

yet I am still considering a 2012 model, owned by a guy I know who hardly ever rides and when he does its just mild trailriding. This bike is a low hour creampuff with a bunch of aftermarket stuff that I can use on it. probably has life left in its original tires.It has an off road tank, a rekluse clutch (resell), FTI suspension, etc. super nice

Im ready to stop messing with the air fork bullcrap on my kawasaki's. and I remember the suzuki turned nicely

what are the chances that this thing would be even half as reliable as my bulletproof Kawasakis?

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mark_swart
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mark_swart 11/10/2016 5:22pm
11/10/2016 5:22pm
I have a 12, have been with it for almost two years. Bought with 20 hours and now at 55. Stayed up on maintenance and valves have stayed in spec. FC revalve really helped out, I'm a 160 lb vet B rider and stock was way too stiff - I also bought because I didn't want to deal with air forks. I have the big front brake rotor and fmf exhaust. The exhaust was on when I got it, for my speed it is really overkill and I generally run the slow ignition coupler to mellow it out. My only gripe is it feels heavy, and in sketchy muddy conditions it does make the bike feel less than confident. Clearly they do fine out there, but to be quite honestly I'm hoping to upgrade to a 17 CRF or 16 plus KTHUSKY next year.
mx836
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mx836 11/10/2016 5:41pm
11/10/2016 5:41pm
You could just buy a spring conversion for your air fork if that's your reasoning. Your KX must be at least a '13 and the fork that came on that bike is so simple. '12 is the fifth model year of that generation so I think you'd be pretty safe with the RMZ.
YellowZonker 11/10/2016 6:10pm
11/10/2016 6:10pm
I had a '14 and it was a great bike. Never a single issue with reliability and stock had more than enough power. It was heavy, especially taking it off the stand. I did an offroad race in tight, wet conditions and it was miserable although the recluse would fix that. It was a great bike for MX. I sold it to get a 2 stroke.
BobPA
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BobPA 11/10/2016 6:19pm
11/10/2016 6:19pm
They are yellow

And good

The Shop

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Underground
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Underground 11/10/2016 6:22pm
11/10/2016 6:22pm
Plenty of guys here have had good experience with them and they are a well proven design that works really well and turns better than anything. I felt more natural and at ease in the air and in corners on a mates beaten 08 than the 15' KTM450SXF I got to ride last year. It just felt more natural although a little heavier. There's a few things that can easily ditch weight a high though like the Guts seats/foam,Ti muffler, clamps and even plastics like using Cycra. If you've got the coin and plan on keeping it for a bit, look around for some Ti axles. There's a good reason why they haven't changed it much, and it just won the outdoor nationals.
MxRyder
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MxRyder 11/10/2016 7:03pm
11/10/2016 7:03pm Edited Date/Time 11/11/2016 6:07am
Suzuki Rmz450 from 09-present...are incredibly reliable....the SFF fork from 13-15 can be revaled to perfection with the right tuner...(GreameBrough/Nost/ShockTherpy) these 3 guys can produce incredible results....oh and TBT arizonia.....so 4 tuners.......the bike is heavy, but not when riding them, they turn on a dime on flat and rutted out corners.....alittle twitchy when ur tapped in 4th unless u can slightly carry the from wheel in the rougher sections......and the key to make a RMZ450 haul ass is shortshifting....shift mid range and let the bike lug it strong....grab the next gear even before your exiting the corner ....and u can make a Rmz450..pull any other bike.....i did it everytime on any track(Owned a 2010&2011).....key to going fast on suzukis is short shifting....learn it and its a breeze to go fast.......for me i ended up dialing in my yamahas and changed up in 2014 ....shit even if you ride the hondas the same way they are awesome.....learn the power,and suspension....and u go fast on anything.............i romped a field of 450s 2016 ktm350f stock....took me about 15 laps to dial her in and the results were the same as any other bike.....so Yes the Rmz450 are great&reliable bikes.....i myself would do titanium axles and swingarm pivot bolts and linkage bolts and save some weight....try to get it under 240lbs......buy one and never look back...who cares if the plastics are the same from 2008
urbanlift707
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urbanlift707 11/10/2016 7:44pm
11/10/2016 7:44pm Edited Date/Time 11/10/2016 8:15pm
Reliability on them are great, I put 120 hours on my 12 and didn't touch a thing. Got 72 on the 15 now and same thing, feels like she's brand new. I was able to shave 7-8 pounds off the 15 fairly easy
Moto520
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Moto520 11/10/2016 7:54pm
11/10/2016 7:54pm
I had a 2014 and it was extremely reliable. No issues with the bike after 70 hours
Rotaholic
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Rotaholic 11/10/2016 8:16pm
11/10/2016 8:16pm
Ive had 5 RMZ450s now and theyre pretty much bulletproof if you look after them. Just be careful if it has had a rekluse, a poorly setup one can fry the clutch and put a lot of heat through the engine. You will love it, theyre great bikes
Johnny89superbike 11/10/2016 9:09pm
11/10/2016 9:09pm
I've had a 2011 model for 4 years, it done 20 hours with the previous owner and about 100 hours with me, I haven't even had to change a shim yet. I'm a mid-speed vet.

MODS

I use 15w/50 semi synthetic motor oil; it never gets cold here in Australia.
The stock muffler with both restrictors cut out made it the same spec internals as an aftermarket muffler.
1.6 rad cap.
Barnett clutch springs.
Minimum oil quantity in the forks (330cc I think). They were miles too stiff for my 200 lb body.
1 tooth up on the rear sprocket; made it easier to ride.
Kouba lowering link with the forks slid up to the bars.
Bel Ray HVI 3 wt oil in the rear shock. I ground down the rubber seal on the piston, a KYB piston would be the best way to go.
user760a
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user760a 11/10/2016 9:13pm
11/10/2016 9:13pm
It's sounding pretty promising so far. I will put hundreds of hours on the thing, so I am hoping there are no stupid issues like the one I mentioned in my first post.
mxb2
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mxb2 11/10/2016 9:14pm
11/10/2016 9:14pm
Solid bikes. Set up suspension,r revalve, springs, sag, , remap with exhaust, good fuel. Rm 250. 2 stroke air filter cage. And frt rotor oversized with a braided line.
Flip109
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Flip109 11/11/2016 12:44am
11/11/2016 12:44am
Had an 09 with a shit ton of hours. Never a quirk. Great bikes. Like some said, heavy as hell off the stand, but once it's in motion it's nimble.
user760a
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user760a 11/11/2016 7:00am
11/11/2016 7:00am
The weight is not really an issue, I have been riding Kawasaki 450's since 09, and they are not super light. I am about 6'2 and 190 so a little flab on the bike is not a big deal.

what I was really worried about here are the fears I had of more crankshaft problems and crankcase breakage. I have seen several RMZ250's with broken crankcases, always near the kickstart mechanism. I guess that was fixed in 08 on the 450?

can I simply bolt on the longer 15 kickstarter? the last RMZ 450 I rode was a 13 and it took a hell of a kick on the short kicker to start it compared to my easy kick kaw
user760a
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user760a 11/11/2016 7:23am
11/11/2016 7:23am
I have been reading up on RMZ history, thanks MXA.
It actually looks like the 2012 was the last 450 with halfway decent spring forks. Bonus
mxb2
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mxb2 11/11/2016 7:35am
11/11/2016 7:35am
user760a wrote:
I have been reading up on RMZ history, thanks MXA.
It actually looks like the 2012 was the last 450 with halfway decent spring forks. Bonus
My 13 rmz 450 is sprung and valved by factory connection, the bike is badazz.

Pit Row

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mxrudi
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mxrudi 11/11/2016 8:00am
11/11/2016 8:00am Edited Date/Time 11/11/2016 8:10am
I just bought a brand new '17 450 RMZ. I have ridden my father's 2011 plenty of time and loved it. So I went with the 17, which should be even better bike with updated tranny, frame and engine. We will get the suspension dialed in. Everything else should work exeptional for me. Oh and my father still has stock, never open motor. Extremely reliable.
DC323
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DC323 11/11/2016 8:14am
11/11/2016 8:14am
I put 120 hours on my 2013 RMZ450. Never had an issue. Replaced the piston, rings, and timing chain at 70 hours although it didn't need it. The valves never needed adjusting while I had it. The stock suspension valving sucked. Factory Connection made it sweet.
2WheelsForTheMasses 11/11/2016 9:22am
11/11/2016 9:22am
user760a wrote:
especially known problems/issues. I had a slow 06 RMZ450 that blew up- the big end rod bushing slowly came apart and bits ran all over the...
especially known problems/issues.

I had a slow 06 RMZ450 that blew up- the big end rod bushing slowly came apart and bits ran all over the place in the motor and made a mess. Total rebuild. Happened to a lot of RMZ's that year including the Dirtrider magazine test bike. No explanation

yet I am still considering a 2012 model, owned by a guy I know who hardly ever rides and when he does its just mild trailriding. This bike is a low hour creampuff with a bunch of aftermarket stuff that I can use on it. probably has life left in its original tires.It has an off road tank, a rekluse clutch (resell), FTI suspension, etc. super nice

Im ready to stop messing with the air fork bullcrap on my kawasaki's. and I remember the suzuki turned nicely

what are the chances that this thing would be even half as reliable as my bulletproof Kawasakis?

Get the bike and ride...no bike is more reliable then another. All bike are built pretty equally, there are exceptions when it comes to frame welds, some companies are better in that area.

Dont waist your money on Ti axles and bolt kits! You will not save that much weight over stock, and no usable performance gain other than saying you have a ti bolt kit. If you want to make a bike lighter, look at suspension upgrades and wheels, tire companies are starting to get involved with prototype tires that will be somewhere in the range of 450-750 grams lighter. Look into the obvious like exhaust systems and lightweight seat foams.
mx836
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mx836 11/11/2016 9:37am
11/11/2016 9:37am
user760a wrote:
The weight is not really an issue, I have been riding Kawasaki 450's since 09, and they are not super light. I am about 6'2 and...
The weight is not really an issue, I have been riding Kawasaki 450's since 09, and they are not super light. I am about 6'2 and 190 so a little flab on the bike is not a big deal.

what I was really worried about here are the fears I had of more crankshaft problems and crankcase breakage. I have seen several RMZ250's with broken crankcases, always near the kickstart mechanism. I guess that was fixed in 08 on the 450?

can I simply bolt on the longer 15 kickstarter? the last RMZ 450 I rode was a 13 and it took a hell of a kick on the short kicker to start it compared to my easy kick kaw
You are correct. That issue was resolved back in '08.
tylermx967
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tylermx967 11/11/2016 10:52am
11/11/2016 10:52am
MY DAD GOTS THE 2012 THIS BIKE AND GET GRAFICS WITH A BIG TEXAS FLAG RITE BY WERE IT SAY SUSZUKI
Idaho747
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Idaho747 11/11/2016 11:28am
11/11/2016 11:28am
I've had my 09from day one kept up on maintenance and it has never given me a single fit. Valves have stayed in place. I put a high compression piston in mine to get a bit more snap out of it. Best bike I have ever owned. And probably the most comfortable bike I've ever ridden.
twotwosix
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twotwosix 11/11/2016 11:40am
11/11/2016 11:40am
I rode a '15 RMZ450 with just a Race Tech SCS (Spring Conversion System) and an FMF 4.1/Megabomb system.

Have to say, it was damn smooth, sharp and balanced. It wasn't as light as the new KTM or as powerful as a Yamaha, but man, I thoroughly enjoyed the laps I spun on it.
brimx153
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brimx153 11/11/2016 3:45pm
11/11/2016 3:45pm
nearly 200 hr s on my 12 , had a tooth break off one of the gears ,which broke a couple more. i was planing on a full rebuild before it happed . i cant really complain ,my 07 honda gearbox was the same after around the same hour s, needed a couple of gears , other than that not one problem with it.

imo the fork springs are to soft , id put .49 in it , if you use the standard shock spring
they forks are really easy to make great , by moving around a couple of shims
i have an ktm shock piston instead of the standard x ring
stiffer clutch springs ,
bigger front disc
i find a 51 on the back sprocket, works the best (stock is 50)
i also find running the the forks flush with the triple clamps makes a big difference
i have an Bazzaz ecu, and it made a huge difference , the bike is a rocketship after it , very linear power

the bike is great. love it , took me ages to find out to put heavier forks springs in . that made the biggest difference .i could never get the bike balanced ,and made the forks very harsh as you were riding in the mid part of the stroke the whole time

MxRyder
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MxRyder 11/11/2016 5:22pm
11/11/2016 5:22pm
user760a wrote:
especially known problems/issues. I had a slow 06 RMZ450 that blew up- the big end rod bushing slowly came apart and bits ran all over the...
especially known problems/issues.

I had a slow 06 RMZ450 that blew up- the big end rod bushing slowly came apart and bits ran all over the place in the motor and made a mess. Total rebuild. Happened to a lot of RMZ's that year including the Dirtrider magazine test bike. No explanation

yet I am still considering a 2012 model, owned by a guy I know who hardly ever rides and when he does its just mild trailriding. This bike is a low hour creampuff with a bunch of aftermarket stuff that I can use on it. probably has life left in its original tires.It has an off road tank, a rekluse clutch (resell), FTI suspension, etc. super nice

Im ready to stop messing with the air fork bullcrap on my kawasaki's. and I remember the suzuki turned nicely

what are the chances that this thing would be even half as reliable as my bulletproof Kawasakis?

2WheelsForTheMasses wrote:
Get the bike and ride...no bike is more reliable then another. All bike are built pretty equally, there are exceptions when it comes to frame welds...
Get the bike and ride...no bike is more reliable then another. All bike are built pretty equally, there are exceptions when it comes to frame welds, some companies are better in that area.

Dont waist your money on Ti axles and bolt kits! You will not save that much weight over stock, and no usable performance gain other than saying you have a ti bolt kit. If you want to make a bike lighter, look at suspension upgrades and wheels, tire companies are starting to get involved with prototype tires that will be somewhere in the range of 450-750 grams lighter. Look into the obvious like exhaust systems and lightweight seat foams.
Ti axles and pivot bolts and linkage bolts are 4.5 lbs of unsprung weight....i had them.on my RMZs......and were a welcome weight reduction....4.5lbs is 4.5 lbs....buy 1 at a time if the cost is overwelming but you will appricate it on such a heavy bike....i noticed the 5lbs from each bike before i had them on both....then when i sold them i recovered 1/2 the money on the Ti to another RMZ owners......
josh8811
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josh8811 11/11/2016 8:11pm
11/11/2016 8:11pm
If you've already had a zook forever, step out of your comfort zone and get something different. Like ladies, beer, food, its nice to change the flavor. Hell it might renew a little vigor!!
mxb2
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mxb2 11/11/2016 8:31pm
11/11/2016 8:31pm
josh8811 wrote:
If you've already had a zook forever, step out of your comfort zone and get something different. Like ladies, beer, food, its nice to change the...
If you've already had a zook forever, step out of your comfort zone and get something different. Like ladies, beer, food, its nice to change the flavor. Hell it might renew a little vigor!!
Or stick with something proven.
Sipes #412
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Sipes #412 11/12/2016 2:02pm
11/12/2016 2:02pm
I have a 2013 rmz450 my first suzuki. Came off a 2015 yz450f and I have to say I like the rmz better. I just feel more comfortable on it it turns good and handles really good. I doesn't have the power of the yamaha but that's not a bad thing the rmz is smoother and has more control. I wouldn't hesitate on getting another one they are good solid bikes and perform well. I asked people on vital how the durability is on these bikes and they were all positive just do your routine maintenance and they will last.

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