RM-Z250 JM Racing build *up to Cams & Chassis talk*

New to -4S-Joe 2/27/2021 1:06pm
2/27/2021 1:06pm
I’m enjoying these RMZ builds. Can’t wait to hear how the engine packages turn out and how much power can be made reliably in these bikes
1
Keating
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Keating 2/28/2021 4:17pm
2/28/2021 4:17pm
New to -4S-Joe wrote:
I’m enjoying these RMZ builds. Can’t wait to hear how the engine packages turn out and how much power can be made reliably in these bikes
Ya, there seems to be a few of them. Yesterday at the track there was like 5 Suzukis....!! I was really surprised. Usually there's me and sometimes 1 other, that's it!
I've been a huge fan of Suzuki since I got my first one, a '78 RM80. I've ridden just about every brand; I even raced a 1980 Can-Am 125 for the entire '82 season. I attribute a lot of my speed to that year as I had to work really hard on that bike and corner speed was the only way I was going to catch anybody on that tank...!!! Good times! I'd say I've raced more Suzukis than I've raced all the other brands combined. Solid motorcycles for decades!
Keating
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Keating 2/28/2021 4:42pm
2/28/2021 4:42pm
RiverockMX wrote:
Yup with the dual injectors in 2019 that mod is probably moot. Are you considering using a Vortex or aftermarket ecu?
I have the GET full ignition now. I haven't really done much with it yet. I've made a couple small fuel adjustments to the programs that come with it and it seemed to help. I can definitely tell a difference between the different programs that come with the unit! It's really cool how I can make changes on the ignition timing and fuel mapping from my phone! The Vortex wasn't available at the time when I got the GET. I'd like to have the convenience of just saying what your mods are and getting multiple maps for what you're doing, but making changes on your phone is handy too. They both have there own pros and cons...
I've just been mainly focused on getting it to handle as well as possible this season... Now that we're tearing into the engine and are making changes, I'm looking forward to putting some more time into the programming and seeing how much improvement we get in that dept.
7
RiverockMX 3/1/2021 1:16pm
3/1/2021 1:16pm
New to -4S-Joe wrote:
I’m enjoying these RMZ builds. Can’t wait to hear how the engine packages turn out and how much power can be made reliably in these bikes
Keating wrote:
Ya, there seems to be a few of them. Yesterday at the track there was like 5 Suzukis....!! I was really surprised. Usually there's me and...
Ya, there seems to be a few of them. Yesterday at the track there was like 5 Suzukis....!! I was really surprised. Usually there's me and sometimes 1 other, that's it!
I've been a huge fan of Suzuki since I got my first one, a '78 RM80. I've ridden just about every brand; I even raced a 1980 Can-Am 125 for the entire '82 season. I attribute a lot of my speed to that year as I had to work really hard on that bike and corner speed was the only way I was going to catch anybody on that tank...!!! Good times! I'd say I've raced more Suzukis than I've raced all the other brands combined. Solid motorcycles for decades!
Haha..my first Suzuki was also a '78 RM80, used. Then a new 79 RM80. Never owned a full size Suzuki since that 79 mini untiI I stumbled upon this team practice bike RMZ250 with around 10 hrs on it. Fun project build and YES it's kinda cool being one of the few ( if not the only ) yellow bikes at the track!
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Pgd09yz450 3/17/2021 1:04pm
3/17/2021 1:04pm
Keating wrote:
[b][i][u]Ride Engineering Products!![/u][/i][/b] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/07/01/435540/s1200_20200614_164703_HDR.jpg[/img] So [url=https://ride-engineering.com/]Ride Engineering[/url] makes several performance products to make your bike handle like a Works bike!! They also make some products to...
Ride Engineering Products!!

So Ride Engineering makes several performance products to make your bike handle like a Works bike!! They also make some products to make your bike look as sweet as a Works bike!! You might have seen some of the Ride Eng products on my bike in some pics.... I've been holding off on my write up on these because I wanted to get a solid feel for how they improved performance and give you guys some usable feedback!
I have several hours using these and 8 motos of actual race time!

Triple Clamps,

These triple clamps don't just hold the forks to the bike and look cool.... Ride Eng has special engineered these to add a little more forgiveness to your front end!! This is an extra bonus on today's extra rigid, aluminum frame bikes! My RM-Z is quite rigid and these clamps have made a really nice improvement in the bike moving more fluid with the ground and not feeling so harsh! And of course the Factory finish is a great bonus!! These clamps are gonna help any bike feel better and give more rider comfort allowing for more ride time and less fatigue....!!! I highly recommend a set for any brand bike; you won't be disappointed!!

Performance link,

In my opinion, this is the best after market product you should get for your bike short of your favorite bars, grips, levers, and the correct suspension springs! I haven't experienced this kind of handling improvement from any $200ish product ever!!  This helped my RM-Z and last years 250SX vastly in the handling department with tracking through the rough stuff, settling into the corners (especially rutted turns), and soaking up the big jump landings! I am able to attack the turns through the entry braking bumps, settle into the corner with a smoother transition, flow through the turn, and accelerate out of the turn with better rear wheel hook up! It's a win, win, win.....!! The big flat ground landing jumps are soaked up like its nothing.  The link softens up the bottom of the stroke and makes it extra plush... That being said, it does make the link not ideal for the really big heavier riders. If you're a really large rider, this performance link isn't going to work well for you in this department and you'll probably blow through the end of your stroke and bottom out fairly harshly! Heavier riders will need a re-valve on most bikes anyway, but let your suspension expert know you're running the Performance link and they'll be able to make it perfect for you!! If they can't, I recommend calling JM Racing....

Front Brake Caliper,

Several companies have been making over sized rotor kits and different levels of brake pad "grippyness." Ride Eng has taken front brakes to another level and has developed a Caliper for your bike that has raised the bar on front brake power & control...!! This caliper made my front brake even stronger, but more importantly, it made it more progressive and gave me more control! So, my RM-Z and many other bikes comes with the "oversized" 270mm rotor and great braking power. My KTM (leads the pack in braking power) worked amazing, and this Suzuki works every bit as good.  Maybe, too good. A few times coming into corners, as I entered while still braking, the front end would start to give way as the front wheel started to lock up. The Ride Eng caliper gave me more control over my front end with the progressiveness of the brake and allowed me to brake deeper into the turn without loosing the front end! I also added their steel braided line to have maximum braking power without any fading and more durability!

Axle Blocks & Engine bling,

On the KTM/Huskys, you need the Ride Eng axle blocks and a CRF rear axle because the stock version is screwed together and creates a binding in the rear end. The Ride Eng setup eliminates this and frees up the rear end allowing it to work better. On my RM-Z, I like the easier to read marking so I can keep my chain adjusted correctly and my rear wheel lined up properly! The Factory look with the blocks as well as the different engine plugs is an Awesome Bonus!

Running the Ride Eng products on my KTM 250SX 2-stroke and this RM-Z250 have been a great improvement on the handling and performance of both bikes. Whether you're running 2-stokes or 4, aluminum of steel frame bike, these products Work!

Ride Engineering products are all made with great quality here in the USA!
I highly recommend these products!
Try them out for yourself, you'll love 'em!





What are you running for sag numbers with the ride eng link just picked up a 21
Keating
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Keating 3/18/2021 7:21pm
3/18/2021 7:21pm
Pgd09yz450 wrote:
What are you running for sag numbers with the ride eng link just picked up a 21
Hey man, I think the '21 has the same spring rate as my '19. I can't believe that Suzuki didn't even lower the spring rate!! I can't see how anybody can get much sag at all with the stock 5.3 spring.... I'm right around 175-180 lbs, and am running .46 up front and a 4.8 kg spring in the back. I've been running my sag around 99mm for most of the season. I'm trying 103 right now, but have always liked a little less sag on my bikes. Did you get a Ride Eng performance link yet? Hope that helps!
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Keating
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Keating 4/8/2021 12:38pm
4/8/2021 12:38pm

Finally got the engine back together. Getting her broke in today and ready to test out and see how it runs!!



6
New to -4S-Joe 4/10/2021 6:21am
4/10/2021 6:21am
Keating wrote:
Finally got the engine back together. Getting her broke in today and ready to test out and see how it runs!! [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2021/04/08/486970/s1200_20210402_215153.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2021/04/08/486972/s1200_20210402_215446.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2021/04/08/486971/s1200_20210324_183437.jpg[/img]

Finally got the engine back together. Getting her broke in today and ready to test out and see how it runs!!



Who did the head work and what did you have done? Thanks!
Keating
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Keating 4/15/2021 10:13am
4/15/2021 10:13am
New to -4S-Joe wrote:
Who did the head work and what did you have done? Thanks!
Hey there, JM Racing did the head work. John Mitchell ported the head to make it flow better and have some more power and we went with a Racer Elite Wiseco 14.5:1 piston.... We should get it on the dyno this week and have some idea of how much gain we achieved. We'll be doing some cam work also, later...
If you'd like to talk to John at JM, 281-353-7729.
Keating
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Keating 7/3/2021 5:12pm
7/3/2021 5:12pm
Back to Work! Finally....!!

Had a bad few months with some more injuries just as I was going to get this bike going....Really Sucks!! Anyway, I went over the bars on my mountain bike and didn't even need a motor to tear myself up!

So, while I was down for some recovery and healing, I got my RMZ250 completely back together and running. John at JM Racing did some head porting and I went with a new piston since I was at about 40 hours. I went with a Wiseco high compression, OEM cam chain and gaskets, re-cut the stock valve seats and set up the valve clearance as tight as I could within specs. Didn't go into the bottom end.



Piston looked good and chain was kinked up real bad!

JM Head came out great! Didn't change the valves or cams. My goal is to get a degree wheel on the cams this week and possibly make some slight changes. Also need to tinker with my GET and see what increases are available with fine tuning there!! Did a couple quick Dyno runs and we're up to 39.7 from the 34.6 on the same dyno we started out on. That is with stock mapping. There's definitely more there with some ECU work and we haven't even changed valves or cams..... Basically, 5 horses with Yoshi pipe, JM Racing head porting, and a Wiseco Racer's Elite piston. Also running U4.4 with this HC piston. I hope to be able to run pump or at least partial pump gas, I need to do some programming to the ECU to make that happen with any peace of mind....

More to follow soon!!
6
vetmotoxer34
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vetmotoxer34 7/10/2021 6:18am
7/10/2021 6:18am
Can't wait to see you ripping on this baby at the Ranch! See you soon and stay healthy!
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Keating
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Keating 7/10/2021 5:13pm
7/10/2021 5:13pm
vetmotoxer34 wrote:
Can't wait to see you ripping on this baby at the Ranch! See you soon and stay healthy!
Thanks man!! I'm looking forward to it!!
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Keating
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Keating 8/15/2021 2:01pm
8/15/2021 2:01pm
I had a good showing at LL21 and ended up with an 11th overall in the 50+ class with 13-12-9 moto finishes! I've been working through several injuries this past 3 years and all of that down time took a toll on my performance. I am extremely happy to come away injury free and continue to train and ride and be stronger for next year! My goal is top 5 for LL22 and if I can stay healthy, I should be up there battling it out with the fast guys!!



MXGurl graphics looked great!


My daughter Lindye was a tremendous help and I couldn't have done it without her!!!!

The RM-Z250 worked quite well and I'm leaning toward sticking with it this year and be at LL22 on Yellow....!!!! More testing and getting this ignition dialed in and we'll be running stronger and have even more HP out of this RM-Z!!




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biondo
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biondo 8/20/2021 9:06pm
8/20/2021 9:06pm
Congrats Again Michael! Looking Cool on Yellow!! 😎👍Wishing you the Best on your Training and R&D for next year!! And looks like you have a Great Pit Crew!!
Keep up the Great Results! And Health !
After starting Mx last year I never realized how much injuries can impact Training and
Life ! But living in the Danger Zone is Exciting! I’m trying not to let the Old Man In !!😎👍 Ciao Amico!
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Keating
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Keating 8/22/2021 7:15am
8/22/2021 7:15am
Ya, my pit crew is AWESOME!!! Couldn't ask for better girls....They're the BEST!!


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biondo
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biondo 8/22/2021 8:02am
8/22/2021 8:02am
Keating wrote:
Ya, my pit crew is AWESOME!!! Couldn't ask for better girls....They're the BEST!! [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2021/08/22/506715/s1200_IMG_57131.jpg[/img]
Ya, my pit crew is AWESOME!!! Couldn't ask for better girls....They're the BEST!!


Beautiful Family!! With a Team Looking like that Maybe Suzuki will Sponsor y’all Next Year!! 😎
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Keating
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Keating 8/22/2021 6:43pm
8/22/2021 6:43pm Edited Date/Time 8/22/2021 6:45pm
biondo wrote:
Beautiful Family!! With a Team Looking like that Maybe Suzuki will Sponsor y’all Next Year!! 😎
That'd be nice....!!!! Hahaha

How's the thumb? Did you ride yet???
1
michigan906
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michigan906 11/29/2021 8:16am
11/29/2021 8:16am
@Keating, I see you switched to an FMF system, any particular reason for swapping out the Yoshi?
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250 cross
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250 cross 12/1/2021 5:42am
12/1/2021 5:42am
michigan906 wrote:
@Keating, I see you switched to an FMF system, any particular reason for swapping out the Yoshi?
I'd like to hear the answer on that too. The order for my Yosh exhaust has been on backorder for months and now shows mid-March delivery. Definitely not to late to cancel and go FMF if there is a reason.
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Keating
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Keating 12/2/2021 1:13pm
12/2/2021 1:13pm

Hey there guys, been a while!
On the pipe question, I got ran over by a guy in the 1st moto at Loretta's and it broke my mid-pipe on the Yoshi.

Yoshi wasn't there (pretty big disappointment!), so I went and got the FMF pipe at the Loretta FMF camp..... I talked to the Bar-X camp and they run the FMF on their race bikes, so I thought I'd give it a try instead of bolting up the stock pipe which I brought with me. The FMF is working great. Yoshi stood behind their pipe and sent me a new mid-pipe after we got home, it just didn't help me for the LL race! My plan is to do back to back comparisons and see which pipe I like better....

I just got some Web Cams installed this week and haven't even started the bike yet. I should get to ride it this weekend! I have been waiting to get the cams installed before I started messing with the pipes....
Used this Blud assembly lube with my cam istall and loive the handy small bottle with the Perfect application tip!!


I have also ordered several viscosities of Blud Racing oils and will be doing a little shootout on which viscosity works best for me! I was waiting on my new clutch plates to start my oil shootout with a fresh clutch...
And a new chain slide.... The chain guide is for sale if anybody wants that.... $50




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michigan906
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michigan906 12/2/2021 1:46pm
12/2/2021 1:46pm
Thanks for the update! I personally like the look of the blue FMF pipe on the Suzuki. Your bike is killer and I look forward to hearing about your test results. Are those custom cut cams for your bike or can you order those off the shelf?

I'm currently on the search for a low hour 19-22 RMZ 250 (metro detroit area) for a great deal to make into a woods weapon. You don't see any yellow bikes racing in the woods so I think I'm going to be that guy and step up haha. You can see some great dyno charts comparing the Suzuki to some of the newer 250f's in this video by HP racing development, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJMigkJlwZE . To me it shows that the Suzuki has plenty of low to mid bark which is great for the woods.
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Keating
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Keating 12/2/2021 5:40pm
12/2/2021 5:40pm
michigan906 wrote:
Thanks for the update! I personally like the look of the blue FMF pipe on the Suzuki. Your bike is killer and I look forward to...
Thanks for the update! I personally like the look of the blue FMF pipe on the Suzuki. Your bike is killer and I look forward to hearing about your test results. Are those custom cut cams for your bike or can you order those off the shelf?

I'm currently on the search for a low hour 19-22 RMZ 250 (metro detroit area) for a great deal to make into a woods weapon. You don't see any yellow bikes racing in the woods so I think I'm going to be that guy and step up haha. You can see some great dyno charts comparing the Suzuki to some of the newer 250f's in this video by HP racing development, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJMigkJlwZE . To me it shows that the Suzuki has plenty of low to mid bark which is great for the woods.
I agree, the Suzuki is a beautiful bike! I love the way they look!!

These are custom cams. Web can build you cams for different performance needs.... You send them your cams and they re-weld and grind them. Pretty amazing!

Thanks for the video. Derek is a buddy of mine and really great with GET ignitions. I'm going to get him to help me fine tune mine to get the most out of this little RMZ after I've got all these mods done and bring it all together!! Everything I've done has helped and made this RMZ250 better. I'm a novice with the ignitions and Derek is a Pro! He'll help me ice the cake and make it perfect!

Read the whole build if you haven't yet and see what will help your woods bike when you get it! Especially the Ride Engineering parts, they have made the chassis really handle well and JM Racing has got the suspension working excellent.
I agree, the RMZ250 will make an amazing woods bike...!!
2
michigan906
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michigan906 12/3/2021 10:53am
12/3/2021 10:53am
michigan906 wrote:
Thanks for the update! I personally like the look of the blue FMF pipe on the Suzuki. Your bike is killer and I look forward to...
Thanks for the update! I personally like the look of the blue FMF pipe on the Suzuki. Your bike is killer and I look forward to hearing about your test results. Are those custom cut cams for your bike or can you order those off the shelf?

I'm currently on the search for a low hour 19-22 RMZ 250 (metro detroit area) for a great deal to make into a woods weapon. You don't see any yellow bikes racing in the woods so I think I'm going to be that guy and step up haha. You can see some great dyno charts comparing the Suzuki to some of the newer 250f's in this video by HP racing development, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJMigkJlwZE . To me it shows that the Suzuki has plenty of low to mid bark which is great for the woods.
Keating wrote:
I agree, the Suzuki is a beautiful bike! I love the way they look!! These are custom cams. Web can build you cams for different performance...
I agree, the Suzuki is a beautiful bike! I love the way they look!!

These are custom cams. Web can build you cams for different performance needs.... You send them your cams and they re-weld and grind them. Pretty amazing!

Thanks for the video. Derek is a buddy of mine and really great with GET ignitions. I'm going to get him to help me fine tune mine to get the most out of this little RMZ after I've got all these mods done and bring it all together!! Everything I've done has helped and made this RMZ250 better. I'm a novice with the ignitions and Derek is a Pro! He'll help me ice the cake and make it perfect!

Read the whole build if you haven't yet and see what will help your woods bike when you get it! Especially the Ride Engineering parts, they have made the chassis really handle well and JM Racing has got the suspension working excellent.
I agree, the RMZ250 will make an amazing woods bike...!!
He also has a video showing how good the RMZ can be with porting/cams/and ECU tuning, pretty cool video (you've probably already saw it). Looking forward to the outcome after you work with Derek. I think the Suzuki looks the best out of the other brands, but it is also the best sounding 250f in my opinion. You'll have to upload some audio clips of that beast when its all fine tuned.

I'm curious with the JM valving, did they use the stock pistons or did they put in race tech gold valves/or something equivalent in the front/rear? It's all KYB stuff so I know it can be made good with the stock internals. My only concern with the stiff chassis of the RMZ is getting beat up by harshness when racing close to a 3 hour harescramble. I would also plan on drilling the engine mounts and using less torque on the engine bolts like you did. The ride engineering link is something I would definitely try as well, did you have to change your spring rate to accommodate the RE link?

Id think with a revalve/respring, drilling the mounts, retorquing the engine bolts, that would be enough to make it comfortable/plush enough. There are also front engine mounts that I would be curious to try by Works Chassis Labs if it was still a little on the stiff side. https://workschassislab.myshopify.com/products/2019-2021-suzuki-rm-z250… . Have you thought about using those or know anybody who has and could feel the difference?
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seth505
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seth505 12/3/2021 1:21pm
12/3/2021 1:21pm Edited Date/Time 12/3/2021 1:22pm
michigan906 wrote:
Thanks for the update! I personally like the look of the blue FMF pipe on the Suzuki. Your bike is killer and I look forward to...
Thanks for the update! I personally like the look of the blue FMF pipe on the Suzuki. Your bike is killer and I look forward to hearing about your test results. Are those custom cut cams for your bike or can you order those off the shelf?

I'm currently on the search for a low hour 19-22 RMZ 250 (metro detroit area) for a great deal to make into a woods weapon. You don't see any yellow bikes racing in the woods so I think I'm going to be that guy and step up haha. You can see some great dyno charts comparing the Suzuki to some of the newer 250f's in this video by HP racing development, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJMigkJlwZE . To me it shows that the Suzuki has plenty of low to mid bark which is great for the woods.
Definitely. I have never had my RMZ bog in a turn, even when I hold 3rd where I could easily be in 2nd. It barks off the bottom end.
2
Pgd09yz450 12/3/2021 1:38pm
12/3/2021 1:38pm
michigan906 wrote:
Thanks for the update! I personally like the look of the blue FMF pipe on the Suzuki. Your bike is killer and I look forward to...
Thanks for the update! I personally like the look of the blue FMF pipe on the Suzuki. Your bike is killer and I look forward to hearing about your test results. Are those custom cut cams for your bike or can you order those off the shelf?

I'm currently on the search for a low hour 19-22 RMZ 250 (metro detroit area) for a great deal to make into a woods weapon. You don't see any yellow bikes racing in the woods so I think I'm going to be that guy and step up haha. You can see some great dyno charts comparing the Suzuki to some of the newer 250f's in this video by HP racing development, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJMigkJlwZE . To me it shows that the Suzuki has plenty of low to mid bark which is great for the woods.
seth505 wrote:
Definitely. I have never had my RMZ bog in a turn, even when I hold 3rd where I could easily be in 2nd. It barks off...
Definitely. I have never had my RMZ bog in a turn, even when I hold 3rd where I could easily be in 2nd. It barks off the bottom end.
Seriously mine barks can easily carry 3rd though corners what are you running for gearing
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biondo
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biondo 12/3/2021 2:01pm
12/3/2021 2:01pm
michigan906 wrote:
Thanks for the update! I personally like the look of the blue FMF pipe on the Suzuki. Your bike is killer and I look forward to...
Thanks for the update! I personally like the look of the blue FMF pipe on the Suzuki. Your bike is killer and I look forward to hearing about your test results. Are those custom cut cams for your bike or can you order those off the shelf?

I'm currently on the search for a low hour 19-22 RMZ 250 (metro detroit area) for a great deal to make into a woods weapon. You don't see any yellow bikes racing in the woods so I think I'm going to be that guy and step up haha. You can see some great dyno charts comparing the Suzuki to some of the newer 250f's in this video by HP racing development, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJMigkJlwZE . To me it shows that the Suzuki has plenty of low to mid bark which is great for the woods.
seth505 wrote:
Definitely. I have never had my RMZ bog in a turn, even when I hold 3rd where I could easily be in 2nd. It barks off...
Definitely. I have never had my RMZ bog in a turn, even when I hold 3rd where I could easily be in 2nd. It barks off the bottom end.
Hi was just at Cahuilla Wednesday with my 2020 stock RMZ250 pretty rough and some deep sand in corners ! Never has bogged down ...lots of bottom end ...
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250 cross
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250 cross 12/3/2021 4:21pm
12/3/2021 4:21pm
michigan906 wrote:
Thanks for the update! I personally like the look of the blue FMF pipe on the Suzuki. Your bike is killer and I look forward to...
Thanks for the update! I personally like the look of the blue FMF pipe on the Suzuki. Your bike is killer and I look forward to hearing about your test results. Are those custom cut cams for your bike or can you order those off the shelf?

I'm currently on the search for a low hour 19-22 RMZ 250 (metro detroit area) for a great deal to make into a woods weapon. You don't see any yellow bikes racing in the woods so I think I'm going to be that guy and step up haha. You can see some great dyno charts comparing the Suzuki to some of the newer 250f's in this video by HP racing development, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJMigkJlwZE . To me it shows that the Suzuki has plenty of low to mid bark which is great for the woods.
Keating wrote:
I agree, the Suzuki is a beautiful bike! I love the way they look!! These are custom cams. Web can build you cams for different performance...
I agree, the Suzuki is a beautiful bike! I love the way they look!!

These are custom cams. Web can build you cams for different performance needs.... You send them your cams and they re-weld and grind them. Pretty amazing!

Thanks for the video. Derek is a buddy of mine and really great with GET ignitions. I'm going to get him to help me fine tune mine to get the most out of this little RMZ after I've got all these mods done and bring it all together!! Everything I've done has helped and made this RMZ250 better. I'm a novice with the ignitions and Derek is a Pro! He'll help me ice the cake and make it perfect!

Read the whole build if you haven't yet and see what will help your woods bike when you get it! Especially the Ride Engineering parts, they have made the chassis really handle well and JM Racing has got the suspension working excellent.
I agree, the RMZ250 will make an amazing woods bike...!!
michigan906 wrote:
He also has a video showing how good the RMZ can be with porting/cams/and ECU tuning, pretty cool video (you've probably already saw it). Looking forward...
He also has a video showing how good the RMZ can be with porting/cams/and ECU tuning, pretty cool video (you've probably already saw it). Looking forward to the outcome after you work with Derek. I think the Suzuki looks the best out of the other brands, but it is also the best sounding 250f in my opinion. You'll have to upload some audio clips of that beast when its all fine tuned.

I'm curious with the JM valving, did they use the stock pistons or did they put in race tech gold valves/or something equivalent in the front/rear? It's all KYB stuff so I know it can be made good with the stock internals. My only concern with the stiff chassis of the RMZ is getting beat up by harshness when racing close to a 3 hour harescramble. I would also plan on drilling the engine mounts and using less torque on the engine bolts like you did. The ride engineering link is something I would definitely try as well, did you have to change your spring rate to accommodate the RE link?

Id think with a revalve/respring, drilling the mounts, retorquing the engine bolts, that would be enough to make it comfortable/plush enough. There are also front engine mounts that I would be curious to try by Works Chassis Labs if it was still a little on the stiff side. https://workschassislab.myshopify.com/products/2019-2021-suzuki-rm-z250… . Have you thought about using those or know anybody who has and could feel the difference?
In my opinion the chassis stiffness is a bit of an issue when it gets rough. I have changed my fork and shock springs twice now, also had the forks revalved with lighter ICS. As a disclaimer I am 65 and ride on a no jump often groomed track mx track. Really fun bike on a groomed track, turns like crazy but when the decel and braking bumps get bad it's kind of evil. I also ride an 07 RM250 and 07 RMZ290 on the same track so I do have something to compare my 20 RMZ to. I'll have to say the suspension is much closer now but I do have the Works Chassis Labs soft front motor mounts on order. I'm willing to give up a little bit of the sharp handling if it softens the chassis a little.
Thanks to Seth505 for the advice on my second rear spring change, that was a huge help in figuring out what was going on with my unhappy corner approach.
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seth505
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seth505 12/4/2021 5:06pm
12/4/2021 5:06pm
michigan906 wrote:
Thanks for the update! I personally like the look of the blue FMF pipe on the Suzuki. Your bike is killer and I look forward to...
Thanks for the update! I personally like the look of the blue FMF pipe on the Suzuki. Your bike is killer and I look forward to hearing about your test results. Are those custom cut cams for your bike or can you order those off the shelf?

I'm currently on the search for a low hour 19-22 RMZ 250 (metro detroit area) for a great deal to make into a woods weapon. You don't see any yellow bikes racing in the woods so I think I'm going to be that guy and step up haha. You can see some great dyno charts comparing the Suzuki to some of the newer 250f's in this video by HP racing development, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJMigkJlwZE . To me it shows that the Suzuki has plenty of low to mid bark which is great for the woods.
seth505 wrote:
Definitely. I have never had my RMZ bog in a turn, even when I hold 3rd where I could easily be in 2nd. It barks off...
Definitely. I have never had my RMZ bog in a turn, even when I hold 3rd where I could easily be in 2nd. It barks off the bottom end.
Pgd09yz450 wrote:
Seriously mine barks can easily carry 3rd though corners what are you running for gearing
Still stock gearing for me. I have another wheelset with 2.15"rear rim and bigger tire so I want to ride with that before I switch gearing.
Keating
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Keating 12/5/2021 11:06am
12/5/2021 11:06am
michigan906 wrote:
Thanks for the update! I personally like the look of the blue FMF pipe on the Suzuki. Your bike is killer and I look forward to...
Thanks for the update! I personally like the look of the blue FMF pipe on the Suzuki. Your bike is killer and I look forward to hearing about your test results. Are those custom cut cams for your bike or can you order those off the shelf?

I'm currently on the search for a low hour 19-22 RMZ 250 (metro detroit area) for a great deal to make into a woods weapon. You don't see any yellow bikes racing in the woods so I think I'm going to be that guy and step up haha. You can see some great dyno charts comparing the Suzuki to some of the newer 250f's in this video by HP racing development, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJMigkJlwZE . To me it shows that the Suzuki has plenty of low to mid bark which is great for the woods.
Keating wrote:
I agree, the Suzuki is a beautiful bike! I love the way they look!! These are custom cams. Web can build you cams for different performance...
I agree, the Suzuki is a beautiful bike! I love the way they look!!

These are custom cams. Web can build you cams for different performance needs.... You send them your cams and they re-weld and grind them. Pretty amazing!

Thanks for the video. Derek is a buddy of mine and really great with GET ignitions. I'm going to get him to help me fine tune mine to get the most out of this little RMZ after I've got all these mods done and bring it all together!! Everything I've done has helped and made this RMZ250 better. I'm a novice with the ignitions and Derek is a Pro! He'll help me ice the cake and make it perfect!

Read the whole build if you haven't yet and see what will help your woods bike when you get it! Especially the Ride Engineering parts, they have made the chassis really handle well and JM Racing has got the suspension working excellent.
I agree, the RMZ250 will make an amazing woods bike...!!
michigan906 wrote:
He also has a video showing how good the RMZ can be with porting/cams/and ECU tuning, pretty cool video (you've probably already saw it). Looking forward...
He also has a video showing how good the RMZ can be with porting/cams/and ECU tuning, pretty cool video (you've probably already saw it). Looking forward to the outcome after you work with Derek. I think the Suzuki looks the best out of the other brands, but it is also the best sounding 250f in my opinion. You'll have to upload some audio clips of that beast when its all fine tuned.

I'm curious with the JM valving, did they use the stock pistons or did they put in race tech gold valves/or something equivalent in the front/rear? It's all KYB stuff so I know it can be made good with the stock internals. My only concern with the stiff chassis of the RMZ is getting beat up by harshness when racing close to a 3 hour harescramble. I would also plan on drilling the engine mounts and using less torque on the engine bolts like you did. The ride engineering link is something I would definitely try as well, did you have to change your spring rate to accommodate the RE link?

Id think with a revalve/respring, drilling the mounts, retorquing the engine bolts, that would be enough to make it comfortable/plush enough. There are also front engine mounts that I would be curious to try by Works Chassis Labs if it was still a little on the stiff side. https://workschassislab.myshopify.com/products/2019-2021-suzuki-rm-z250… . Have you thought about using those or know anybody who has and could feel the difference?
Yes, right now I'm running the Ride Engineering Clamps and Performance Link, drilled motor mounts, lighter torque specs, and JM Racing suspension revalving and my RMZ is handling pretty good. JM doesn't use gold valves or other pistons, John is old school and believes the factories put a lot of R&D in their pistons and components. KYB and Showa do make "works" pistons and he does use those when he can, but the reliability goes way down and rebuilds have to be done Much More frequently!! I'm currently on my 3rd revalve as I am constantly testing and wanting to make changes and improvements....! Also, the older I get, the more I appreciate a softer set-up. Maybe it's partly due to less ego and I've heard the RC4 always liked his stuff softer than most. So, I'm thinking I'm in good company as I go softer and softer! Haha
I did not have to adjust my spring rate with the performance link, but you can get more sag out of your spring with the link. My was good with my 4.8.

I'm interested in trying the aftermarket motor mounts and see how much they help, but I want to see how much improvement I can get for free first! Another plan on my list is to drill out the motor mounts bigger and bigger and see how much improvement in the chassis there is until I loose reliability of the mount and it breaks...

Derek has several great videos on his YouTube page! I bumped into him at Loretta's and told him was gonna holler at him about some ignition programming. I need to find some time to run over to place and make that happen!!
Keating
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Keating 12/5/2021 11:30am
12/5/2021 11:30am
This yellow 250 makes great bottom end power!! NO bogging here either, ever!!

I still have it on my list to try Deez387 gearing of a 14/54. I've been running a 13/50 for most of my RMZ's life and like it just fine. The 14/54 will gearing will be ever so slightly lower, but dang near the same! I am hoping the chassis will free up a little more with the less binding ratio of the counter shaft sprocket to the transmission gears. I anticipate this to be most noticeable under acceleration when there is a load on the bike. My main issue is purchasing the sprockets and modifying the chain guide will be a little bit of a pain.... The good news is it's time for a new set of chain and sprockets now and I also have an extra Accerbis chain guide if I mess up the one on my bike! More on this to follow soon!
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