Is the RM-Z the best 450 ever built?

Society:

Something good happens once 

“This person/place/thing is the best”

Something bad happens once

“This person/place/thing is the worst”

You not wrong.Kenny is helping to change perceptions. 

Who says winning on Sunday no longer equates to selling on Monday?

It will be interesting to see what the local tracks look like next year if Kenny pulls this off.

As an RMZ owner, no it’s not the best 450 ever built. It is however, the most usable, rider friendly 450 I have ever ridden. They are super easy to ride and the only thing that’s done to it other than suspension is a full fmf system. I can easily ride my RMZ twice as long as my dad’s Yamaha(which I love by the way) or friends Hondas. Haven’t ridden the new gen Kawi so can’t comment on those as of now.

Compared to the YZF and CRF, those feel like they are trying to rip you around the track where the Suzuki feels like it’s going with you. It also feels the most planted and gets every bit of traction the rear tire allows it. 

I mean you see 3 Yamahas at the track to every 1 of any other bike brand these days. I’d say Star Yamaha 250 success have had a massive effect on all the local weekend warriors riding YZ250Fs and 450Fs.

Especially paired with Webb winning Supercross last year and having Eli Tomac on that team as well.

I agree with this, you can actually "grab a handful" on the RMZ and still be in control.  And yes, once you get the suspension sorted, they handle great and hook up everywhere.  Unfortunately I can't find the smoking deals on them that I could 2 years ago.

I blame Kenny for that.

Rode & raced the RMZ 2018-2019…

Won races at Day in the Dirt, won bears at Mammoth…had a blast on that bike. That’s why I asked for it after the 2018 Shootout…I could tell it was simply an awesome chassis and an easy motor.

Put a Yoshimura systems on it, ran the white-plug (lean) w/VP-R fuel, had the suspension done by Factory Connection and changed the ergonomics to suit me: bars, grips, Guts seat, pegs…etc. Put a Rekluse race clutch kit in it (no, not an auto-clutch). Ran good Motorex oil that I think Yosh recommended. Put some nice Dubya wheels on it.

Took a coupl’a pounds off of it with Ti and Carbon goodies…even made a Carbon-fiber chain guide for it that I think you’ll see soon on a coupl’a “team bikes”.

It was an awesome motorcycle and was great on the track …and off-road!

Honda had what I think everyone would agree is the best 450 by far from 05-08 and won jack shit with it. They just didn't have the right riders at the right time.

Depends on the criteria, I suppose. I wouldn't say from an overall performance standpoint (at least stock.) But I think Suzukis, even back in the 2stroke days, always just had a chassis that turned well but wasn't overly finicky. And in my opinion the RMZ450 was always like that too.

It seems like a lot of the newer bikes have gone the route of having a certain identity (mostly stiff and sharp cornering, in some variation.) And I think with that comes some other give and take. Yamaha is a perfect example of that. Look at the prior gen, easy to set up, does nothing great but nothing bad. And the 250s were always very successful and in the later years, the 450 was the same way. The 250s and 450s won many shootouts/titles, both of the old and new gen, however. The new gen gained in some areas but also lost in some areas. But now it has more defined strengths and weaknesses in the chassis department. And I think across the board, pretty much every brand has done that in their own way. So the Suzuki not having changed, and followed that trend, just keeps in in the spot that it has always been. Just a really nice platform that can be set up and work well for most people. And HEP probably had to work in certain areas to make it a winning bike at the elite level, but clearly they have done it.

Doesn't matter how good it is, if there's no magic button, sales will suffer. Weekend warriors want the magic button.

TM

The term "best" can be interperated in so many ways. But one term that indisputable is success. The RMZ 450 is clearly the most successful at a professional level as far as presence and race results are concerned.

Best in what regard though? 

The answer is yes. I am not biased. 

I’ve got no hate towards the zook. In fact I personally believe it’s the best looking bike on the track but cmon man. Anyone else killing it as a pro on the yellow steed? There is something to be said for these companies that change their bikes too often though. 

It turns the best.

One quick glance at combined sx and mx title wins by manufacturer over the last 20 years would show the opposite. 

Since 2006...

6th.  Husqvarna. 2 combined. 

5th.  Honda.  4 combined.

4th.  Suzuki. 6 combined. 

3rd.  Yamaha. 7 combined.

2nd.  KTM. 9 combined. 

1st.  Kawasaki.  12 combined. 

6 for yellow? Guessing 3 by RC, 2 by RD(2010), and 1 by Roczen(2016). Didn't RC get 4? 

Edit: 05 sx was an RM250

Reedy nabbed 1 also.

yes, but one of them was on the 250.

AI slop

Its a solid platform but I'd think kenny would be in the same spot if he was on the honda, ktm , or yamaha.

If suzi gets this title... think of the ramifications to the others... yr after yr, they spend millions "improving" their bikes... millions, that if kroc wins, will have been wasted... then ya got the whole lightweight kickstart system beating the magic button.. then there's how little suzi is spending on their 450 team to actuall  win... 

Totally agree with this. I bought a left over 23 for dirt cheap and it is my favorite bike I've ever owned. It is stone reliable and at least for me, so much easier to ride than other 450's. The only thing I've done was bar risers and had the suspension re-valved...eventually just went with the 250 shock. All the stuff you read in shootouts is so over blown except maybe the BFRC shock. It was the only thing I couldn't come to terms with.   

I’ve loved my rm’ and rmz’s. Still race a 89 rm250 and have a 06 rmz 450 that I’m dragging out later this year. But when I got a new one I can’t help being seduced by the button and hydro clutch.

Not sure if its the best ever, but Milly Antsie definitely owes HEP Suzuki an apology.

Roost buckets can suck it

All of which has absolutely nothing to do with which bike is best.

Suzuki has made some great dirt bikes in the past and a long list of MX championships. We need them back.

Great handling bike but it doesnt guarantee your going to drop lap times because kenny can win races on a completely built race bike. In stock trim it is down on power compared to say a stock ktm.