Posts
553
Joined
10/25/2025
Location
Jackson , TX
US
“I know I’m beating a dead horse, but it’s still wild to see Roczen and Anderson absolutely ripping on the RMZ-450. Anderson’s been pretty quiet about it — basically just “I like it” and that’s it. Neither of them has really been pushed to their limit yet, but so far, neither has a single negative thing to say about the bike.
It’s honestly kind of baffling. This thing is old-school, overweight, and supposedly outdated… yet two of the best guys in the game are making it look like a title contender. How is that even possible?”
Who’s that quote from? I pretty much disagree with the entire sentiment.
Kenny has definitely been pushed to his limit in AMA SX and has shown the bike is capable. The only real disadvantage it has is its lack of electrical start but if you don’t crash or stall the bike, it doesn’t matter. Anderson just dealt with the kickstarter disadvantage last week. And my last point is I don’t think Anderson even looked that good at all this weekend, regardless of the result. Lots of sketchy moments.
I am of the opinion that the degree to which bikes have truly improved is overrated.
Well it is a fact it is as you said, “This thing is old-school, overweight, and supposedly outdated” and there is no denying that which is why it isn’t in any shootouts these days.
As far as how is it possible, you answered your own question, “yet two of the best guys in the game are making it look like a title contender.” you can put those guys on some pretty bad equipment and they will still do well. It doesn’t matter they are some of the best in the world.
The Suzuki is a good bike, just not being advanced currently other than by teams using them like Pipes.
Peaked with the 2008 CRF450R and they’ve been making changes for the sake of making changes ever since, lol. Well, everyone but Suzuki, of course.
The Shop
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Free shipping: VITALMX
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
It doesn’t do anything badly and it’s predictable. Having a bike that’s predictable is huge. Being unsure about how your bike is going to react is not a good thing.
Chase on KTM is a good example. When it worked, it worked great and the bike looked like it was glued to the ground. But he lost faith and confidence in it because its reaction was not consistent.
Agreed.
The bulk of dirt bike development was completed about 40 years ago. By the mid-80s bikes had disc brakes, exhaust valves, cartridge forks, liquid cooling, etc. (and some still believe the original FF was the best rear suspension to ever grace a bike. BTW, they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and Honda took the FF, flipped it over and called it "Unit Pro-Link"). It's been a process of refinement ever since.
Back in the early '80s the bikes were often obsoleted from one year to the next. Now, 20 YO bikes are still competitive (lookin' at you YZ250 and 125).
Why do so many people (Keefer included) think 20 year old CRFs are totally competitive today? And for how many years people think Honda had regressed and those "golden age" CRFs were better than the current model at the time?
Yes, refined, not redefined. 👍
Stupid thread. Stupid statement. Wrong information.
What’s outdated on the bike? Is it still using a carburetor or something?
Anderson has looked ok at times, a little sketchy at other times. Not a title contender at this point.
Roczen has looked very good at times and crazy fast at others. Certainly race winning speed. Maybe a title contender if a few things fall his way.
Yeah, the production bike is not there in a head to head with the other bikes in weight, power, etc. But the geometry is in line with the best and a little $$ in bolt ons and engine work and suspension tune and it is right there.
The kicker will always be a disadvantage at times…
I dunno…
My 2007 RM125 sure makes a lot of the latest “cool guy modern bikes” look absolutely silly 🤣
“I was actually being a bit sarcastic in my original post.
It just goes to show that you don’t need all the latest bells and whistles to create something competitive with “current technology.” The 2018 RMZ proves that point perfectly.
Sure, I’ll admit it’s quite different from a modern 2025 build, but it drives home a valid truth: newer and more expensive isn’t always better.
Case in point: a 2018 platform just beat a bunch of cutting-edge 2025 platforms. Go figure.
(I still wish they would give it updated plastics, though. Just a little bit would help)
2008 was peak.
Not true. Every other bike out there is at least 1/10th of a percent better 😁
Stop. Explain what is different about the RMZ versus the modern bikes. How is it not “cutting edge”?
The RMZ is more technologically advanced than the KTM with the mapping and ignition. You’re writing like dudes are out there on forks with no midvalve and air cooled bikes.
The rmz is likely to be significantly heavier than the others. The laws of physics apply in all motorsports, a heavier vehicle will take more energy to accelerate and deceleratie, or change direction.
Motocross is supposed to be the most physically demanding sport, yet somehow these laws of physics are overcome???
Why is it likely to be significantly heavier than the others? It is very similar
Listed Curb weight:
YZ-F: 243 lbs
RMZ: 247 lbs
KX: 248 lbs
CRF: 249 lbs
Not a shot at you but at the topic of weight - if there was truly a concern about overall bike weight and its negative effects, the manufacturers would reduce the number of strokes on the engines of their current flagships by two and embrace all the weight savings and physics advantages that come with that engine.
When they went to thumpers they gained a bunch of weight, most of it highly placed and inducing additional gyroscopic forces which contribute to a resistance in change of direction. Then they decided they were hard to start when hot so they added more weight in the form of a battery, electric starting system and FI system. Now they add more weight for electronics packages. It's like a never-ending weight gain process just because the public embraced an easier-to-ride engine configuration in exchange for a lot of expensive precision internal engine parts, many needed because the thumper had its own inherent issues. More weight, complexity and cost - pretty much the antithesis of the original MX bike design criteria.
Lightweight, simple and inexpensive. Sounds great, but that's not what the market has pursued or supplied for the better part of the last 30 years.
No a 2018 didn’t beat a bunch of 2025 platforms. A top tier rider in sx beat a bunch of 2nd tier sx riders. Switch the riders bikes and the same result most likely happens.
Wow, that's crazy.... ive not paid attention to the shootouts recently, from memory there was quite a difference, especially the 2016 thru 2022 ktms?
Thanks for rhe correction.
Pit Row
The “Yellow Curse”.
Not sure where you pulled those from but MXA weighed the 2025 450 models without gas and published the following -
KTM platforms - 228 lbs
YZ - 234 lbs
CRF - 236 lbs
KX - 239 lbs
RMZ - 241
MXA 2025 450 shootout
Those are the listed curb weights of the respective manufacturers. FWIW both the YZ and CRF added a few pounds for 2026
I think that makes the point that people don't need a better bike to get better results, they need to be a better rider. 😄
Gotcha.
But since they don't have an established standard or criteria for it between manufacturers, I'd think the "prepped but no gas" weights on the exact same scale comparisons would be more accurate and relative to each other.
EDIT: Yes, I'd read about the weight gain on those 2 but didn't have all the weights for the '26 models handy so I stuck with the '25 models to give a more complete picture. And I think the other poster was probably thinking about the previous gen KTMs (that were ultra-light in comparison but more fragile) before their weight-gaining redesign.
Either way, they are all very close in weight to one another with the '26 Honda and Yamaha both being about 3 lbs heavier than the '25s, and the Kawi already heavier than an RM-Army Edition Zook.
Agreed.
The other japanese bikes have slowly crept up to the RMZ range compared to several years ago when it was significantly heavier than all the others.
Suzukis are definitely good looking bikes!
And the KTM has gained 6-7 lbs over the last few generations, even as they have stayed on air forks, while the others migrated to spring.
And the classic blue highlights really make them pop. 👍
Right - that's what I was referring to when I mentioned "...before their weight-gaining redesign". 👍
It’s funny how you get so worked up over nothing
Post a reply to: Roczen and Anderson RMZ 450