How bad was the 04 RMZ/KX 250f really ?

ATKpilot99
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ATKpilot99
Edited Date/Time 4/15/2022 10:46am
I see them for pretty cheap. I know they ran hot but were they really as bad as some say ?
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scrubbin627 12/14/2013 7:51am
12/14/2013 7:51am
I read somewhere if you swap out for an 06 head they weren't to bad.
harescrambled
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harescrambled 12/14/2013 8:03am
12/14/2013 8:03am
ATKpilot99 wrote:
I see them for pretty cheap. I know they ran hot but were they really as bad as some say ?
They can be good or bad...depends on which one you get. I ran mine with a ported '06 head, hotcams and a big bore kit....ended up with oversize radiators and a boyesen supercooler water pump and engine ice coolant. No idea how they run stock.
One thing you have to look out for is the clutch...if you run a cheapo clutch, you'll likely pack up the oil pickups and roach the top end of the motor....I know...happened to me. Tusk clutch and big bore kit didn't work well together...after the motor locked up, I tore it down and the top end oi pickup looked like a cat hacked up a hairball on it
vetmxr
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vetmxr 12/14/2013 8:09am
12/14/2013 8:09am
ATKpilot99 wrote:
I see them for pretty cheap. I know they ran hot but were they really as bad as some say ?
Yes they were, if you can get one really cheap with the knowledge that its a throw away bike, you'll be fine. I personally would'nt give more than 500 bucks for one that was in showroom condition. Just my opinion.

Sean K
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mx836
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mx836 12/14/2013 8:11am
12/14/2013 8:11am
I had an '04 RMZ and raced 125 A locally. I'm 6'2" and weighed about 230 lbs at the time. Had no problems with the valves at all. Did have to replace a piston, but other than that, top off the coolant after every moto and it was good to go. Install a Boyesen high flow water pump and stiffer radiator cap. 1.6 kpg, I believe. Won't boil over as easily. Loved the way it handled and I thought the power was pretty good with an exhaust.
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mx836
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mx836 12/14/2013 8:13am
12/14/2013 8:13am
^^^ With that said, I wouldn't suggest buying one. I think I had one of the good ones. Tongue
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thormx11
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thormx11 12/14/2013 9:01am
12/14/2013 9:01am
I had an '04 RMZ back from 06-08, bike ran really good until the motor locked up in 08, then went through 3 top ends in 3 weekends of riding. Finally cleaned the bike up and sold it on eBay once we got it running right again.

Also had an '06 kx250f that I picked up for $800 of craigslist. Bike had almost any type of aftermarket parts you could think of (big bore, excel rims, etc.) Rode the bike hard for about 6 months, never thouched anything on it and it ran great. Ended up selling it for $3300 in 2011 (it had to go when I got an offer like that!)

Overall, I love the power/handling of both bikes, but I wouldn't go with a 4 stroke any older than '06.
MxKing809
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MxKing809 12/14/2013 9:33am
12/14/2013 9:33am
You have to drain the coolant to change the oil..... 'Nuff said
Rmzrider183
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Rmzrider183 12/14/2013 9:48am
12/14/2013 9:48am
i had an 04 rmz and i never had any issues. i had a pro circuit impeller in the waterpump to help the overheating but after that i didnt have any issues except i blew the head gasket once. But i had over 400 hours on the valves and never needed adjustment. i would do a top end rebuild every 75 hours but the crank never let loose either. idk maybe some people get lucky. i never had any issues with any of my suzukis and my 08 rmz450 never misses shifts or false neutrals which everyone said was an issue.
Falcon
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Falcon 12/14/2013 9:55am
12/14/2013 9:55am
Early 250F = trouble.

I had an '04 YZ250F that was like riding a witch doctor's horse. You had to make sure the planets were aligned, wear a necklace made from the bones of a chicken, sacrifice a goat and kick it 10 times to get it to fire up - hot or cold. And that bike was 10X more reliable than an RMz/KXf.
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Bytor
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Bytor 12/14/2013 10:12am
12/14/2013 10:12am
I would have to say they would be in the top 5 all time worst bikes. Saw a shitload blow up up here at altitude. We have more trouble because water boils at lower temps here.
vetmxr
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vetmxr 12/14/2013 10:28am
12/14/2013 10:28am
thormx11 wrote:
I had an '04 RMZ back from 06-08, bike ran really good until the motor locked up in 08, then went through 3 top ends in...
I had an '04 RMZ back from 06-08, bike ran really good until the motor locked up in 08, then went through 3 top ends in 3 weekends of riding. Finally cleaned the bike up and sold it on eBay once we got it running right again.

Also had an '06 kx250f that I picked up for $800 of craigslist. Bike had almost any type of aftermarket parts you could think of (big bore, excel rims, etc.) Rode the bike hard for about 6 months, never thouched anything on it and it ran great. Ended up selling it for $3300 in 2011 (it had to go when I got an offer like that!)

Overall, I love the power/handling of both bikes, but I wouldn't go with a 4 stroke any older than '06.
When they ran they ran good,.......... when they ranSmile very cheaply built bike imo. My riding buddy had one and he spent more time looking at it scratching his head than riding it. I still can't look at a kawasaki the same way after seeing that pos. and I rode them through the 90's.

Sean K
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BobPA 12/14/2013 10:35am
12/14/2013 10:35am
I don't see where people complain about them? I ran an 04' Kawi with 05' radiators for 2 years and never had overheating problems. I qualified for Loretta's in 125b mod....It was ported pretty heavy and right on the ragged edge of being a full race gas motor. I never had any serious problems and it was very dependable. The kick starter shape was my only gripe with that bike. Don't listen to all the forum heroes and get their opinions from reading shit in the internet.
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visser62
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visser62 12/14/2013 10:54am
12/14/2013 10:54am
I have an 04 RMZ 250, and I absolutely love it. Runs and feels great,
newmann
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newmann 12/14/2013 11:09am
12/14/2013 11:09am
My nephew had one for about a year and never had any issues that I recall. He spent a few grand on Pro Circuit radiators and pipe early on though. However, when Pro Circuit builds larger radiators because they overheat, a special water pump cover so you can change the oil filter without draining the coolant, special valves and valve seats to keep the heads from wrecking and special transmissions for the race team because the gears failed and special crankshafts because the stockers wouldn't hold up.......,hmmmmmmm. Face it, any single engine failure would cost more to fix than that year model bike would be worth.
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Sully22
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Sully22 12/14/2013 11:28am
12/14/2013 11:28am Edited Date/Time 12/14/2013 11:30am
My buddy worked for team Suzuki during 04 and said they were garbage. I talked about buying one from them at the end of the year, I had a choice between the rm250 or the rmz250, and ended up with the two stroke and loved it (I'm a four stroke fan). He said if you have the time to work on it, the knowledge to work on it, and a lot of money to spend on it WHEN it blows up....cuz it will blow up, then yeah, go ahead and get the 4 stoke. If you bought one and it don't blow up, you got lucky.
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VET176 12/14/2013 12:04pm
12/14/2013 12:04pm
I'm toying with the idea of buying a 250F.

Can anyone recommended a good year reliability wise?? Any brand.
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MxKing809 12/14/2013 12:51pm
12/14/2013 12:51pm Edited Date/Time 12/14/2013 12:53pm
Vet176..... If you're gonna race it go for 10 or newer. The technology with EFI has done wonders for the little thumpers. I had an 04, 06, and 08 Honda 250f. Upon riding my mod 08 back to back with a new bike it's wasn't even close. If you're going to play ride and don't care about racing.... Go 05 or newer on the Honda. The 04 valve seats were too hard and wore the coating off the valves.... They fixed that in 05. Not too wise on other models but if you get an 07-08 or newer you should probably be safe
scrubz
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scrubz 12/14/2013 1:13pm
12/14/2013 1:13pm
Falcon wrote:
Early 250F = trouble. I had an '04 YZ250F that was like riding a witch doctor's horse. You had to make sure the planets were aligned...
Early 250F = trouble.

I had an '04 YZ250F that was like riding a witch doctor's horse. You had to make sure the planets were aligned, wear a necklace made from the bones of a chicken, sacrifice a goat and kick it 10 times to get it to fire up - hot or cold. And that bike was 10X more reliable than an RMz/KXf.
My first 4 stroke was a 04 YZ250f, bought it used 1 year old. I had no starting problems, Kept the oil changed, cleaned the air filter on a regular basis, washed it a lot, kept everything in tip top shape, adjusted the valves 1 time right after I got it. Rode it hard for a year and a half, engine never blew, sold it and bought another one. IMO, the bike was bulletproof! Not everyone has the same luck with the same bike either.
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docweedon
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docweedon 12/14/2013 1:37pm
12/14/2013 1:37pm
Bad enough that I would run the other way if someone offered one to me for free...horrible bikes.
Indy mxer
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Indy mxer 12/14/2013 3:21pm
12/14/2013 3:21pm
My brother is a Kaw/Suz dealer. He would tell you straight up to stay away from the 04/05 Suzukis and Kaws. Too many issues.
By the time you spend your money fixing them you could buy a later model.
If you're on a budget go 06 or newer. I had an 06 Kaw 250f and it was very a solid bike. 100 times better than the 05.
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MarkF
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MarkF 12/14/2013 3:36pm
12/14/2013 3:36pm
Had a couple 04 RMz's. The early models had a "swelling cam" problem. When the bike got hot the cam lobe would swell and it was nearly impossible to restart. After figuring this out and updating the cams, they were great.
tmauto769
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tmauto769 12/14/2013 4:32pm
12/14/2013 4:32pm
Had an '06 RMZ 250, which was essentially the same as the '05 KX/RMZ. Never had one problem with that bike and I raced Bclass in hare scrambles with it, and some mx with it as well. Valves never budged, never overheated in the woods either and started within 3 kicks hot or cold. I think it was the luck of the draw with those bikes though, as too many people were saying they had problems to be non-existent. I would say if it is still running, either it was one of the few good ones, or it was hardly ridden and if it was cheap enough buy it.
malachi177
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malachi177 12/14/2013 5:08pm
12/14/2013 5:08pm
The bad rap is ALOTof myth and hearsay. Yes a lot had issues, but regular maintenance and after market upgrades made them more reliable. I had an 04 RMZ when they first came out. Went to a different rad cap, got the hi flow impellor and NEVER had an issue! There were two things about the bike that made me sell it (almost 200hrs). #1..draining coolant to change the oil...really dumb idea! and #2....which should be #1 cause I'm back on two strokes....it was a PITA to start. It handled great, and if you kept it in the mid range wasn't too bad power wise.
mx5471
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mx5471 12/14/2013 6:04pm
12/14/2013 6:04pm
scrubz. The '04 YZ250 was the best bike ever. I brought one home for my son on halloween night of '03. His first big bike after 2 years on 80's. He rode the hell out of that thing. Weather was good up north and he rode it till january. Then in february to Budds Creek. He rode stock and mod classes on it it and won the NE Northeast Championship to get to LL's. Had the dealer check it, and no leakdown. Rode 6 motos at LL's, stock and mad, as it was the only bike we had, and that thing never gave up. i wish I still had it.,
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jim598
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jim598 12/14/2013 7:40pm
12/14/2013 7:40pm
had two friends that had 04rmz 250fs. one was my son's friend who went riding with us. I can not tell you how many times that thing broke on him before I even got my riding gear on. every issue I ever heard of electrical, valves, you name it. then my other friend is a local A rider and says his was the best bike he ever owned. he raced it for three years indoors and fair races. over 50 races a year with absolutely no problems at all!
me_da_racer
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me_da_racer 12/14/2013 9:00pm
12/14/2013 9:00pm
I had one and loved riding it, but the head 04-05 where not that great on living long. 06' head with good valves and life is good. Need to change the oil every 2 rides cause it make a difference on how long it lives.
mx757
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mx757 12/14/2013 9:06pm
12/14/2013 9:06pm
I never had any failures or anything on the one I had for about 9 months, but the thing was junk. It would over heat on the starting line if you started it before the 2 minute board was up, and it would overheat so badly during a moto that it would start to lose power. At Bytors track there was (it may still be there but I dunno) a small, seat bounce step-up that was cake to jump on any 125 that was fairly recent, but after 6 laps I could no longer get the RMZ to jump it. It would lose that much power. It was scary at the end of a moto. We sold it to a trail goon and I went to a YZ250
njracer46
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njracer46 12/14/2013 10:04pm
12/14/2013 10:04pm
if your looking at early model 4 strokes go with the crfs. very sold bike, my friend's have two 04 250fs that are still going strong today. another friend of mine had an 05 kx250f and he was always tinkering with it. i rode it and i hated it compared to the honda
mx757
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mx757 12/14/2013 10:37pm
12/14/2013 10:37pm
The 04 CRF250 was notorious for valve issues. Honestly I would go with a YZF if you had to get a 10 year old 250f. That being said, a 10 year old bike is not going to be the most reliable ride no matter what color.
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