Pretend for a minute you own a RMZ 250..what would you do?

mx 219
Profile picture for user mx 219
Posts
4035
Joined
8/15/2010
Location
South Central, PA US
mx 219
Background: I bought a 2019 RMZ 250 back in the Spring for $5,500, it had like 10-12 hours on it at the time based on the Suzuki hour meter once you start the bike. I was looking for a big bike with low hours, great shape, a title, and since I hadn't owned a full size bike in 10 years I was open to anything relatively newer. I don't race competitively but do ride/race with buddies at times.

I'm not unhappy with the bike, It's fine for what I use a bike for, sure an electric start would be nice, but it's not a true need on a bike. But then I spun 2 laps on my brothers 2021 KX 250 and instantly felt more at home on his bike in 2 laps then I had on mine riding it about 10 hours. (Yes, I realize Suzuki gets the worst reviews and Kawi generally is next to last, but the KX 250 just felt right for my size).

I called 2 dealers today just to see if they would even consider taking the bike on a trade for another brand (likely Yamaha or Kawasaki), both said no. At best I think I will be able to get $4,500 selling it private party ,although I think at this point it will probably looking more like $4,000. The bike is still in great shape and now has around 24 hours. I installed an hour meter right after I bought it, it shows 11.9 hours.

Do I just put a couple hundred into it next year, say powerflow air filter kit, different fork springs, and shock or unload this sucker and cut my losses and go elsewhere?

1
3
|
MotofactioN
Profile picture for user MotofactioN
Posts
645
Joined
6/25/2020
Location
Gloucester, VA US
MotofactioN 9/20/2022 6:16pm
9/20/2022 6:16pm
If I were you, I would get the suspension revalved, maybe try a different bar bend to feel more comfortable, and do the power flow and exhaust.

I sold my 2018 RMZ450 for $4200 with 65ish hours on it.

I never truly felt comfortable on it to be honest, but when I put a different bar bend on it, that helped me a lot. As did the revalve. In my opinion, the 450 is plagued by the BFRC shock, and I wanted a 250, so instead of buying a shock for it, I just sold it, cut my losses, and bought a 2020 KX250 with 21 hours for $4700.

I’m happy now, but if I could go back, I would’ve just bought an RMZ250 instead of the 450, because the 450 is too much bike for me at this time
3
zehn
Profile picture for user zehn
Posts
7860
Joined
1/15/2013
Location
Anchorage, AK US
zehn 9/20/2022 6:36pm
9/20/2022 6:36pm
Sell it
17
chump6784
Profile picture for user chump6784
Posts
1770
Joined
5/9/2011
Location
AU
chump6784 9/20/2022 7:01pm
9/20/2022 7:01pm
Was it the ergonomics, chassis or suspension that made you feel more at home on the kx?
If it was the ergonomics or suspension you can fix that for a couple hundred bucks. If it was the chassis then you are probably best off selling it.
Also, now that you've ridden something you like better you have a direction of modifications you could make to your current bike
3
RD227
Profile picture for user RD227
Posts
58
Joined
7/26/2021
Location
Victoria, TX US
RD227 9/20/2022 7:06pm
9/20/2022 7:06pm
With my experience with RMZs (owned 2 450s) get a straighter bar bend (less sweep than you normally run), make sure your sag is dialed (Maybe a hair more than you would normally run), open the airbox/exhaust up, and maybe re-valve / re-spring the suspension. I was lucky that the spring rate worked for me but the re-valve helped settle things out in the chattery stuff.
1

The Shop

See All »
mx 219
Profile picture for user mx 219
Posts
4035
Joined
8/15/2010
Location
South Central, PA US
mx 219 9/20/2022 7:10pm
9/20/2022 7:10pm Edited Date/Time 9/20/2022 7:11pm
chump6784 wrote:
Was it the ergonomics, chassis or suspension that made you feel more at home on the kx? If it was the ergonomics or suspension you can...
Was it the ergonomics, chassis or suspension that made you feel more at home on the kx?
If it was the ergonomics or suspension you can fix that for a couple hundred bucks. If it was the chassis then you are probably best off selling it.
Also, now that you've ridden something you like better you have a direction of modifications you could make to your current bike
Just the ergonomics. I'm 5'7" and about 135 at the moment and the bike just felt right. Listening to Keefer review the 2021 250's he said lighter riders that are aggressive (i'm somewhat aggressive on a bike) would like the 2021 Kawasaki and Honda.
Bruce372
Profile picture for user Bruce372
Posts
6329
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
US
Bruce372 9/20/2022 7:50pm
9/20/2022 7:50pm
Just get right springs and revolve and ride it. The economy is turning and it could become a buyers market, just wait it out until you see what you want low hours cheap and then dump the rmz as quick as possible.
R VanKamp77
Profile picture for user R VanKamp77
Posts
499
Joined
8/15/2022
Location
Portland, TN US
R VanKamp77 9/20/2022 8:05pm
9/20/2022 8:05pm
You're 135 on stock suspension? Specifically clarify this for me.
1
RonSkj
Profile picture for user RonSkj
Posts
2886
Joined
6/20/2008
Location
Radiator Springs, CA US
Fantasy
280th
RonSkj 9/20/2022 8:14pm
9/20/2022 8:14pm
Have you told your parents?
5
6
suspensionguy 9/20/2022 10:06pm
9/20/2022 10:06pm
chump6784 wrote:
Was it the ergonomics, chassis or suspension that made you feel more at home on the kx? If it was the ergonomics or suspension you can...
Was it the ergonomics, chassis or suspension that made you feel more at home on the kx?
If it was the ergonomics or suspension you can fix that for a couple hundred bucks. If it was the chassis then you are probably best off selling it.
Also, now that you've ridden something you like better you have a direction of modifications you could make to your current bike
mx 219 wrote:
Just the ergonomics. I'm 5'7" and about 135 at the moment and the bike just felt right. Listening to Keefer review the 2021 250's he said...
Just the ergonomics. I'm 5'7" and about 135 at the moment and the bike just felt right. Listening to Keefer review the 2021 250's he said lighter riders that are aggressive (i'm somewhat aggressive on a bike) would like the 2021 Kawasaki and Honda.
You need to get it resprung and revalved for your weight and skill. Add a pipe and remap, pretty legit ride imo. Way rather have it then a kawi or a Honda, I’d even pick it over the 19’ yz250f I had..
1
BigBoreFan58
Profile picture for user BigBoreFan58
Posts
959
Joined
8/11/2019
Location
Beverly Hills, CA US
BigBoreFan58 9/20/2022 10:10pm
9/20/2022 10:10pm
pop wheelies
1
1
mx216
Profile picture for user mx216
Posts
808
Joined
3/21/2009
Location
Portland, OR US
mx216 9/20/2022 10:32pm
9/20/2022 10:32pm
Stock front springs - .5 kg/mm
Race Tech Calculator for you - .42 kg/mm

Stock Rear Spring - 5.6 kg/mm
Race Tech Calculator for you - 4.88 Kg/mm

They dont list a 4.9 for the rear but i'm sure somewhere has one. Get some springs. Will instantly make you feel better on the bike.
3
mx216
Profile picture for user mx216
Posts
808
Joined
3/21/2009
Location
Portland, OR US
mx216 9/20/2022 10:34pm
9/20/2022 10:34pm
mx216 wrote:
Stock front springs - .5 kg/mm Race Tech Calculator for you - .42 kg/mm Stock Rear Spring - 5.6 kg/mm Race Tech Calculator for you -...
Stock front springs - .5 kg/mm
Race Tech Calculator for you - .42 kg/mm

Stock Rear Spring - 5.6 kg/mm
Race Tech Calculator for you - 4.88 Kg/mm

They dont list a 4.9 for the rear but i'm sure somewhere has one. Get some springs. Will instantly make you feel better on the bike.
And now that i see you bought it with some time on it, god only knows who has done what to the suspension also. It could be setup for a 200 lb'er.
chump6784
Profile picture for user chump6784
Posts
1770
Joined
5/9/2011
Location
AU
chump6784 9/20/2022 11:32pm
9/20/2022 11:32pm
chump6784 wrote:
Was it the ergonomics, chassis or suspension that made you feel more at home on the kx? If it was the ergonomics or suspension you can...
Was it the ergonomics, chassis or suspension that made you feel more at home on the kx?
If it was the ergonomics or suspension you can fix that for a couple hundred bucks. If it was the chassis then you are probably best off selling it.
Also, now that you've ridden something you like better you have a direction of modifications you could make to your current bike
mx 219 wrote:
Just the ergonomics. I'm 5'7" and about 135 at the moment and the bike just felt right. Listening to Keefer review the 2021 250's he said...
Just the ergonomics. I'm 5'7" and about 135 at the moment and the bike just felt right. Listening to Keefer review the 2021 250's he said lighter riders that are aggressive (i'm somewhat aggressive on a bike) would like the 2021 Kawasaki and Honda.
The suspension, if stock, will be way too stiff for you. It's too stiff for anyone under 200lbs. I'd respring first and then see how you like it
1
crc245
Profile picture for user crc245
Posts
1325
Joined
10/29/2007
Location
Yorba Linda, CA US
crc245 9/20/2022 11:33pm
9/20/2022 11:33pm
Suspension set-up for you, preferred bend in ProTaper EVO's with your favorite glue on grips, and ride the snot out of it! Cheaper air filter cage option with the plastic/screen-less No Toil piece, and a Twin Air filter helps as well seeing that the stocker is rather restrictive.

https://www.dirtrider.com/story/tests/suzuki-rm-z250-review-2022/
1
Thisusernameisavailable 9/20/2022 11:40pm
9/20/2022 11:40pm
You need to elaborate on what aspects of the KXF made you feel "more at home"

Initialy, those words mean 'comfort' to me, meaning suspension or egos... but then you start talking about mods that will improve power on the RMZ.

1
mxdoctor
Profile picture for user mxdoctor
Posts
72
Joined
11/24/2016
Location
DE
mxdoctor 9/21/2022 12:38am
9/21/2022 12:38am
Sell it... ;-)
mx 219
Profile picture for user mx 219
Posts
4035
Joined
8/15/2010
Location
South Central, PA US
mx 219 9/21/2022 1:07am
9/21/2022 1:07am
R VanKamp77 wrote:
You're 135 on stock suspension? Specifically clarify this for me.
It all comes down to money and priorities. Yes, the bike is still stock suspension, upgrades will happen next yr if i keep it.
Leeham
Profile picture for user Leeham
Posts
1155
Joined
10/29/2018
Location
Rochester, WA US
Leeham 9/21/2022 1:09am
9/21/2022 1:09am
If it was me. Id sell it. Mainly because of my experience on stiff rigid framed bikes has not been too well. Bikes like the RMZ and CRF are stiff and not a ton of comfort. But turn incredible. I rode a woods/hare scramble setup YZ250F once after my revalved, different engine mounts, pipe, and all the other nice bits on my 2019 CRF250R. Instantly more comfortable within a couple laps.

Everyones feel and whatever isnt the same. If you felt better on the KX, get one.

Pit Row

See All »
mx 219
Profile picture for user mx 219
Posts
4035
Joined
8/15/2010
Location
South Central, PA US
mx 219 9/21/2022 1:09am
9/21/2022 1:09am
RonSkj wrote:
Have you told your parents?
Gay Suzuki rider joke? Lol, no not me.
Motofinne
Profile picture for user Motofinne
Posts
11385
Joined
1/4/2014
Location
FI
Motofinne 9/21/2022 1:10am
9/21/2022 1:10am
The bad part if you choose to send the suspension for a revalve and springs and still not enjoy the bike, you will basically lose the money you spent on the suspension when you sell the bike. Nobody pays more for a used bike with revalved stock suspension.

2
mx 219
Profile picture for user mx 219
Posts
4035
Joined
8/15/2010
Location
South Central, PA US
mx 219 9/21/2022 1:27am
9/21/2022 1:27am Edited Date/Time 9/21/2022 1:29am
Motofinne wrote:
The bad part if you choose to send the suspension for a revalve and springs and still not enjoy the bike, you will basically lose the...
The bad part if you choose to send the suspension for a revalve and springs and still not enjoy the bike, you will basically lose the money you spent on the suspension when you sell the bike. Nobody pays more for a used bike with revalved stock suspension.

This is my dilemma. Either i try to sell it now and get as much as I can or I just hold on to the thing for a few years.

I think i have two viable options here, revalve suspension and add a little more power and keep it for a while. Or clean it up nice and try to sell it for as much as I can. Cheaper option is keep it, I think I might enjoy another bike more though even after a revalve.
Phil109
Profile picture for user Phil109
Posts
636
Joined
7/7/2019
Location
Montgomery, TX US
Phil109 9/21/2022 3:23am
9/21/2022 3:23am
Sounds like you have it in your head you don’t like it so no matter what you toss into it it’s not going to make you truly happy. I had that exact same bike and had no issues with it. However I’m 185 so maybe the suspension worked better for me. I think I read somewhere they were sprung for heavier riders. Anyhoo just sell it and find you a Kawi and get on with your happy riding life lol
cloud41
Profile picture for user cloud41
Posts
277
Joined
8/28/2020
Location
Chicago, IL US
cloud41 9/21/2022 4:24am
9/21/2022 4:24am
Put on a pipe and let it rip. The rmz250 sounds amazing.
1
snillum
Profile picture for user snillum
Posts
413
Joined
7/25/2017
Location
Greer, SC US
Fantasy
246th
snillum 9/21/2022 4:53am
9/21/2022 4:53am
You have only really given negative responses(towards the bike) so it sounds like your gut is wanting you to sell it and get a KXF. Follow your gut.
1
MAAA
Profile picture for user MAAA
Posts
36
Joined
4/28/2018
Location
Denver, CO US
MAAA 9/21/2022 5:03am
9/21/2022 5:03am
I also have a 2019 RMZ250. I weigh 195. The two most impactful changes I made were to fix the suspension and to replace the bars. For my weight, the rear suspension was fine. For the front suspension, I first went to lighter springs but the forks still performed like shit. I then did a revalue with Racetech Gold Valves and all is good now. I did the revalue myself so the cost was not too high.
1
R VanKamp77
Profile picture for user R VanKamp77
Posts
499
Joined
8/15/2022
Location
Portland, TN US
R VanKamp77 9/21/2022 6:38am
9/21/2022 6:38am
R VanKamp77 wrote:
You're 135 on stock suspension? Specifically clarify this for me.
mx 219 wrote:
It all comes down to money and priorities. Yes, the bike is still stock suspension, upgrades will happen next yr if i keep it.
It would be impossible for you to ever feel at home on this bike. You're neutering the best feature it has: handling.

Springs will run you less than $200 if you use ebay or mxlocker. Can be changed in your garage in 2 hours. Living room if you're careful.

For reference, I'm a 203 lb 6'3" male and that bike is setup for me stock.
R VanKamp77
Profile picture for user R VanKamp77
Posts
499
Joined
8/15/2022
Location
Portland, TN US
R VanKamp77 9/21/2022 6:41am
9/21/2022 6:41am
Lots of people in here rewording MXA bike tests and not a lot of real world help. Some of you just want to hear yourselves type Grinning
1
jamiechapman418 9/21/2022 6:50am
9/21/2022 6:50am
I owned the same bike. First probably 8 hours on the bike I was not loving it and forcing myself too. I decided to add some money and read lots of forums. There are lots of guys on here that learned tricks for these bikes. First off you need to get the suspension for your weight. These bikes are extremely rigid and with the stock springs for your size are only going to make that feel worse. Don't worry about power at this point. I went with the Pro Taper SX bend bars and that helped. Then I installed softer rubber inserts for the bar mounts. Again, an improvement. Call over to a reputable suspension shop. They suggest higher sag numbers for the bike. That will help. Finally, I drilled a hole in the top engine brackets and reduced torque specs on the bolts. Noticeably improvement. These are great bikes but definitely missed the mark from factory for the average 250F rider.
1
NotCore
Profile picture for user NotCore
Posts
740
Joined
8/9/2011
Location
Alpharetta, GA US
NotCore 9/21/2022 7:02am
9/21/2022 7:02am
Ride it. Maintain it. When you hit 120hours it will still be worth $4000 dollars.
4
SGoodman
Profile picture for user SGoodman
Posts
279
Joined
8/17/2022
Location
Aurora, CO US
SGoodman 9/21/2022 8:54am
9/21/2022 8:54am
Hey OP.... just IMO... with the economy looking the way it is... I'd ride the heck out of that bike and be happy... IMO.. now is not the time to drop big cash on a new bike.... unless you are super flush and everything you have is paid for in full.. in that case.. throw the Suzi in a river and go get what you want... if you aren't super flush... be stoked you have a kick ass bike and extra cash still in your pocket!
2

Post a reply to: Pretend for a minute you own a RMZ 250..what would you do?