The Vital MX '18 RMZ450 (2018 Day In The Dirt Race Report and LONG TERM WEAR status)

The '18 retains virtually all of the great chassis feel of the '17 BUT, the '17 Shock was...
THE BEST SHOCK EVER PUT ON A PRODUCTION 450! Yes, the '17 RMZ had a "Production" version of the old Showa A-Kit shock.

For "All Around" riding, the CRF-RX is STILL the best "out of the crate" Japanese bike for the average MXer that trail rides...HOWEVER...the '18 RMZ450 is better than the RX in ultra-technical and tight off-road stuff as found in The Shasta National Forest (tried it and surprised myself). Meanwhile, the RX is EASIER to go FASTER on an MX track!
WTF?! I know, that last paragraph seems weird; and, I just proved my observations last Wednesday at Milestone.
Declaration: BOTH BIKES have had A LOT of adjusting and dialing in. Last week's Honda was an '18 "R" turned "RX" by Honda's own Gothic Jay...who's an absolute bad-ass.

"RMGSXR" is the Boss over at Donnell's & he's one of the best human-beings I've ever met.

Today was my 1st day riding since Feb-21st...from that day and the Honda (left) that I rode and the Honda that I threw roost at (right/JMart test bike)...

Last ride in fairly stock form (Feb 21)...


From the “Show is your 2018 RMZ450” thread, today...


50 plus Hours (more like 60!)
List of mods in order...
Renthal Chains and Sprockets
VP VPR Racing Fuel
(Superlight front/Twin Ring rear)
Pirelli Mid-Softs and Bibs
MotoHoses in Blue!
Engine Ice
Motul Oil from Fator’s Suzuki in Redding, CA. (2-3 times. (Serviced it 4 times w/Bel-Ray myself)
Galfer 280mm Superlight Tsunami front, Tsunami rear, pads and hoses.
Mettec Ti bolts here and there.
Yoshimura Ti-Carbon Signature System “Snappy!” Looks AND throttle response!
CRF Stuff/Moto-Stuff KXF Al. Body kit bolts adapted to fit w/ some o-rings @ shrouds, side panels, tank cover
All servicing since January (and thorough inspections) from Allan Brown Motorsports (TiLube oils).
Just installed a new stock air filter. Original is still pretty good. I changed it “just because”.

A special shout out to Suzuki Motor America, Inc. & the folks at Yoshimura and Allan Brown Motorsports for empowering me and Vital MX to ride the livjng XXXX outta this bike. We’ve been be able to log hours and hours and hours...as needed develop a great bike for Vet-Sr. Riders that just want a really good, dependable and EASY to ride bike. There will be a lot more details in my thread in Bike Builds.”

Signed,
A New believer in the RM Army.

It’s time to tear it down and do a solid “freshening up” and make it all new...again! What do ya think...some Dubya in Suzuki yellow?
Btw, it’s about 3.5-4 pounds lighter with snappier throttle response...at this point. The Galfers provide substantially better stopping power with waaaaay less effort. The pipe really livens up the bottom to mid transition and gives it a bit more rev, too. It sounds amazing.

Yes!

Well, uh, change of plans...
Due to getting wrangled into going to the Canadian “Rockstar Triple Crown” kick-off race in Abbortsford, BC...and then on to Dallas, Atlanta and Daytona SX’s...well, as I was saying, tearing the bike down got put on hold & that was a good thing. I hadn’t been riding and a coupl’a race teams had been keeping me really busy!

Allan Brown had the bike at his shop all dialed in and good to go since my last ride on Feb-21. He’d even mounted up the sweet new Yosh pipe & gave the bike a good pro-mechanic quality “looking over”. So, I decided to stay home from the Indy SX race and get some riding in with the new Yoshimura Signature Series Ti-Carbon pipe. I went to Pala on Saturday, March 24th & proceeded to get blisters from being off the bike for a month. The new pipe BARKS & the mid to top power delivery is a much stronger pull into the top. The Typical Suzuki bottom/snap is even better. After two days of riding I was glad I was on the Zook. It’s sooooo easy to ride! It was so fun that I went back the next day to really kick the hell outta myself!
Two days in a row after a month off! Woooo Hoooo!

As I said, I hadn’t ridden between Feb-21 & March-24. I rode at Pala on the 24th & 25th and then packed everything up and drove to my shop in Redding where we needed to get to work making some goodies for some race teams. While I was in Redding, our company engineer, Steve Bates said... “Hey! It’s The Road To Mammoth Qualifier at The Oatfield this weekend & you’ve got a bike! Come racing with the gang!”
Why not?
Well, there is the fact that I hadn’t actually raced since the last time I qual’d for & then raced Mammoth... And, uh, was that 2015?
No worries!
Let’s RACE!
I’m a fat short old fool that thinks he’s still got “Over 50 B” speed; so, Let’s find out how full of crap I am (I’m usually just as full of it as any old guy racer...waaay faster in my mind than I am on the track!).

So, I got up at 3 a.m. on Friday & drove to the track just east Turlock and got a little practice in before racing on Saturday. I got a few short and sweet sessions in. I was trying to NOT ride too much due to the case of Yama-thumb and palm blisters I had from not riding for too damn long. The track was its usual braking-bump-rutfest with plenty of jumps in-between: aka, REAL MOTOCROSS that really kicked my butt...in a most awesome and old school way. I was already sore and stoked. Weird, right? But, I knew that if it was kicking my ass...well...it was gonna kick everyone in the “Over 50” class right in the butt, too! After that we went and stayed at a nice place in Merced and had an awesome meal at The Branding Iron. That’s how we do it in The Old Guy Syndicate. Not to mention we know how to get some really good sleep the night before a race (a little Don Julio goes a long way).

Got up bright and early at 5:30 Saturday and headed to the track. Got just a little bit of practice in and waited for my 1st Moto: 50B, 50C & 40B combined. No worries. There were only 5 of us in 40 & 50B and we had our own gate. Nice. The Suzuki was working fine and I felt pretty good. My 1st gate drop yielded a hole-shot and one of the 40B guys went FLYING by me into the 1st turn & another in the 2nd turn. My race was a battle with one of the guys from 40B and I had A BLAST! Won my Moto and the bike was AMAZING in the ruts. Added a little bit of rebound in the shock and it was really holding it's own in the braking bumps. Turns out I didn’t know who I was racing against and there was only one other 50B rider. We lapped quite a few of the 50C guys and there were a few of them scattered in the turns. The track was ROUGH...but, AWESOME!

I let a 450C rider borrow the bike since his YZF died and he’d come a long way...from San Clemente! He did pretty good and loved how it turned and jumped: nice! He finished 10th outta 30+ riders in his class on a bike he hadn’t ridden before. That was kinda cool!

For my second moto I was feeling pretty good. When I launched outta the gate I got a great jump...and then it REALLY hooked up and wheelied. Damn! Had to get the front end down and a coupl’a guys got by me. One of them was the other Over 50B guy that I had just met at the starting gate! Damn! We proceeded to battle and I was getting really beat up. I needed to loosen up...so, I backed off and kept him in sight...wihen the white flag came out I got right on him and set him up for a pass with 2 turns to go...
I had the get the Zook into a VERY INSIDE RUT that was a super kicked out entry into a crazy tight turn...
It worked. I was able to wheel tap the whoops to the last turn and cruise to the finish line jump. The Zook LOVES when you commit to tight turns!
Well, it felt good and I was stoked that I’d stayed off the ground and felt the bike worked really, really well!

From yesterday’s race:



I should have some actual racing pics this week.

It's a good gig; but, the travel and the constantly changing needs of the OEMs and Teams keeps our staff busy.

It needs a good tear-down and go thru. It's got a lot of hours. Trying to schedule it all out now.

Quick Update:

Ran the new Factory Connection suspension today after taking the entire month of April off to catch up on work...and assist with some racing...well...other people's racing. No worries: it was worth it as was "the wait" to get the suspension I wanted.

The FC Shock is amazing and the forks are somehow waaaaay better... & they were pretty darn good to begin with!

The bike feels lighter and more responsive. It's still very well planted, confidence inspiring and turns like a true "Zook". The most surprising thing is that it now jumps almost...well...yes, I've gotta say it: this thing FLIES TOO EASILY now! Yup, it launches a lot like the Honda and takes even greater advantage of the torque that allows you to seat bounce those jumps that're right at the exit of a turn.

It was a busy day at the track...so...I don't have many pics. But...I will...soon...

Here’s the only pic from the day. The Zook is over on the left. Jason Anderson, Michael Mosiman and Mitchell Harrison...& their Rockstar Husky peeps and family...& on-lookers are on the right.


It was a great day at Pala after 40 straight days of no riding.

Here's the bikes current configuration update...as posted in RMZ 450 thread in Moto...

Stock Motor
Yosh Ti-Carbon Sognature Series pipe
Factory Connection Suspension that is AMAZING
Currently Metzeler Mid-Hards
Guts Seat that grips like crazy
Renthal Chain & Sprockets
Rekluse Clutch Pack (soon to be a newly named product: clutch pack replacement kit)
Galfer 280nn Tsunami frt/Tsunami Rear Rotors and lines
VP Racing Fuels Leaded 110 lately/was running T4e before that
Stock Bars, Grips, Levers w/ Renthal grip donuts
Metzeler MC360 Mid-Hard tires w/Pirelli bibs (tubes suck!)
Asst'd Ti from Mettec and CDG.
CDG Carbonfiber Chain-Guide
CDG Carbonfiber Transponder bracket
Blue MotoHose Hoses that're gonna be replaced with the their New True Suzuki Blue hoses INCLUDING a New "Y" hose!

Estimate bike to be about 5 pounds lighter than stock.


Still running the stock plastic and early release graphics that came on the bike...IN AUGUST! Will be running UFO & 180 Decals graphics based on the HEP Suzuki Team look.

This bike has been amazingly dependable.

I'm gonna have Jamie Ellis at Twisted Development play with it on the dyno using the Suzuki tuner and see what we get.

The motor still hasn't been apart and it still runs like a champ!

Time for a serious "freshening up" before Mammoth.

Pretty-boy ML hasn't had a chance to ride it in months...besides, he's more of an "office guy" these days,

When I'm asked if I've changed my mind since the shoot-out...you've gotta go back and read what I reported: it was an excellent, solid & EASY to get around the track type of bike. It was a bit "weird" in the rear (shock) and I'd said that it seemed to be set-up/settings in the shock that was holding it back.

Well, now...

The shock? Hard to figure out? ALL of that's been addressed AND I've got insanely PERFECT brakes & a chassis that's so happy that it makes me want to attack the bumps and not worry about flat-landing my jumps...oh, and a motor that's very happy with it's new pipe and 110 leaded fuel...

Yup. I've changed my mind form "I wonder where this bike would be with a good shock revalve?" To knowing that it's still a Zook that turns like a dirt-bike should and now it feels "lighter and easier to toss around". The shock revalve worked and Factory Connection even made the forks better, too...they're amazing.

Then there's the DEPENDABILITY issue: this thing is an "Easy Keeper". It s still on it's original body work. The chain guide is even a long-wear/vastly improved item. The wheels are great...tho, they've had really good bibs and tires on them most of their life, the motor is still snappy...etc. even the clutch has been impressive. Do I miss "the button"? No. It's a track bike. Hasn't been an issue and this thing starts EASY.

Pic's yet?

Bye the way...

The Vital RMZ450 earned some Bears...
and...some Beers...Of-Course!

Well, this all started back in November...
Of TWO THOUSAND-SEVENTEEN!
That’s 2017! That’s TEN Months of riding, testing & adjusting.
So, this thing TRULY is the most legitimate “Longterm Test” that I’ve ever been involved with.

I chose this bike because...

During the shootout, we didn’t have the necessary people around to figure out the shock and help us get this bike as “dialed in” as all the other bikes. All the while this bike was SO EASY to get around the track and it felt great (it’s ergo’s are PERFECT). The fork was just like...is just like...the Honda’s. Btw, they’re both just a little bit of tunning away from EXCELLENCE. The motor is the ONLY one that’s gonna let you totally screw up your shifting and get away with it. It’s still a “Thumper” if ya wanna run it down low. It wants to “live in the mid-range”; but, it’ll run any way ya want...yes, it’ll make up for your mess-ups!

Honestly, same goes for the chassis. It’s unbelievably “forgiving” and it’ll allow you to “forge ahead” and plow thru a bad line when you mess up and end up in the wrong rut or he smoggy mud. The shock is different and the be fair...it’s just weird compared to the shocks we’ve had all these years. However, it works awfully darn well once you get it dialed in for you!

On this project, I enlisted the people I know from making Moto-racing bikes works for just about any type rider I’ve ever worked with: Factory Connection.
They’ve been a part of my “Summers in Canada” for 4 years and I’ve watched them pull off amazing things for Goerke, Metty and many others. So, I called on them to take a shot at this new style of shock. They NAILED IT!
(I’ll go into this more...in a bit)

Here’s a few pics to show where we’re at this summer...




The 4 pics, above, are from yesterday at Glen Helen: I wanted to point out the dark-dirt around things like the caliper-pins or the brake-pedal. Why? I always notice this occurring whenever I have a pro mechanic service the bike. In this case, Brent Myron who’s currently Kyle Chisholm’s mechanic.

I see “grease rings” around virtually EVERY bolt on his thing when he works on it. Bolts always seem to go “in-n-out” with out a problem...”like new”...& everything seems to hold it’s torque perfectly.

This bike has held up amazingly well for a bike that’s been ridden A LOT and it’s even survived some crazy off-roading (Shasta-Chappy Riding Area @ The Lake Shasta Dam).

The only “Normal Replacement Parts” have been:
Clutch (It’s been changed out ONCE w/ Rekluse’s new replacement “Clutch Packs”).
Air Filter (relaxed with DT-1 air filter/the stocker was getting worn out from too many cleanings!).
Chain and Sprockets: Renthal Twin Ring rear/Superlight front and Renthal Race Chain.
Galfer Brake Pads (I changed the rotors and lines, too; but, the stockers weren’t worn out).

In addition to all of that:
Plenty of oil changes and stock Suzuki oil-filters (usually run the filter 2-3 oil changes!)

Pirelli and Metzeler tires & bibs (Metzeler pictured)

Plastic is UFO & a stock Suzuki replacement front fender...reflective blue decals came on it. Cool!

Those are STOCK BARS, GRIPS AND LEVERS!

Guts Racing Seat and Graphics. I kinda ran with a mix of HEP/JGR & Team Suzuki Japan.

That AMAZING Yoshimura Ti/Carbon pipe...it sounds Soooooo Factory and gives that motor a lot more “snap”. It’s about 4 people pounds lighter, too!

Here’s a few pics from the “freshening up” & prepping for Mammoth:
Getting a little help form one of the best mechanics in the pro-paddock.



The picture of the bike at a track in the trees...that’s at Tahoe where I practiced “at altitude”.

Next up: the Factory Connection Suspension...
Man, they made this bike awesome.

Doh!

Meant 8/10!