New bike itch, yellow edition

Teejay
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Teejay
Hi all, thinking of buying a new RMZ 250, deals can be had around 2 grand cheaper than any other model. Currently ride a 2005 Rm 125 and a 19 Te 250. Been 2 strokes for a while and not rode a 250f for a long time. 190ish lbs and 37, just ride for fun mx and enduro.

Any opinions on the zooks other than they don’t have electric start, not too fussed on a 250. Will it feel like a Suzuki? Or have they lost that sweet Suzuki handling?

Don’t really fancy buying a used 250f as most have been banged off the rev limiter for 45 hours and sold on. Any quality issues? I know resale value is bad but I tend to keep bikes for years and get my moneys worth. I have been keeping an eye on the 2022 RMZ thread but it’s mostly people saying it’s as old as Jesus himself.

Any opinions appreciated!

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MxRewind
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MxRewind 4/30/2022 6:31am
4/30/2022 6:31am
I’ve ridden my buddies at the track to see how it was compared to my Kawasaki. I will say that I liked how it handles. Felt nimble and had the feel from when I was last on Suzuki in 2012-14. However I did notice a power difference for sure. Nothing more than ride it harder and throw a couple parts at.
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mattyhamz2
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mattyhamz2 4/30/2022 7:50am
4/30/2022 7:50am
MxRewind wrote:
I’ve ridden my buddies at the track to see how it was compared to my Kawasaki. I will say that I liked how it handles. Felt...
I’ve ridden my buddies at the track to see how it was compared to my Kawasaki. I will say that I liked how it handles. Felt nimble and had the feel from when I was last on Suzuki in 2012-14. However I did notice a power difference for sure. Nothing more than ride it harder and throw a couple parts at.
Nice thing about that is they come with a tuner and with the money OP saves over other brands he can order a pipe and do suspension.
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CarlinoJoeVideo
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CarlinoJoeVideo 4/30/2022 7:53am
4/30/2022 7:53am
The bike turns great. Great power. But it’s going to feel very rigid compared to your other bikes and very heavy.
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yz133rider
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yz133rider 4/30/2022 8:09am
4/30/2022 8:09am
CarlinoJoeVideo wrote:
The bike turns great. Great power. But it’s going to feel very rigid compared to your other bikes and very heavy.
Rmz250 doesn’t feel heavy to me.
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suspensionguy
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suspensionguy 4/30/2022 8:10am
4/30/2022 8:10am
Go for it, they are great bikes, very reliable and yes they still handle like a zook. I have a 20’ 450, basically all the gripes people have with them don’t even register after spending some time on them. And IMO they have a better fit and finish then the current generation KTM’s which I have two of. With the money saved you can tailor it to your style and wants, can’t go wrong.
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TeamGreen
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TeamGreen 4/30/2022 8:20am
4/30/2022 8:20am
Get the suspension adjusted correctly and keep it fairly firm: it feels lightest and "quickest" that way...chassis-wise.

With a re-map or Vortex from Twisted Development...and a good pipe...it picks up quite a boost.
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HarrowDrag 4/30/2022 9:17am
4/30/2022 9:17am
No-don't do it.

You will spend your saved money on a vortex,pipe,suspension etc.

Its rigid as hell.

Its 2022-I would go as far as to say ALL the other bikes handle better than it.

You will get sick of kicking it.

It's the heaviest bike made.

I know where your at...it sounds great financially and you don't mind kick starting...

At 37 and almost 200lbs -I would point you to a KX250
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jdsmooth
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jdsmooth 4/30/2022 9:38am
4/30/2022 9:38am
My younger brother has one. When he got it, I rode it back to back with my YZ250f. I'm 6'2, 190lbs. It handles great and will stay in ruts way better than the yz. It definitely felt down on power for me. Initially, that made it fun because I could ride it harder, but also I had to work a lot harder to clear some of the jumps on our home track. Resale is terrible, but as you said, that's not a concern for you since you keep bikes for awhile.
Zycki11
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Zycki11 4/30/2022 9:47am
4/30/2022 9:47am
Like mentioned. The bike REALLY responds well to a vortex and pipe combo. Put stiffer clutch springs in and get your suspension setup. Also, don’t forget the moto T airboot. Those simple mods really wake the bike up and puts it on par with a Yamaha with a pipe.
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JBecker 72
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JBecker 72 4/30/2022 10:09am
4/30/2022 10:09am
I came close to buying one last year but it was only about a $700 savings over a 21 YZ250F. At that point it just didn’t seem worth it. $2k less and I probably would have gone yellow instead of blue.
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Teejay
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Teejay 5/2/2022 2:35am
5/2/2022 2:35am
Thanks for all the replies, I know they are a bit of an opinion divider. The last 4 stroke I had was a 16 crf 250, how do the zooks compare power wise to that era of 250?
Teejay
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Teejay 5/2/2022 2:37am
5/2/2022 2:37am
JBecker 72 wrote:
I came close to buying one last year but it was only about a $700 savings over a 21 YZ250F. At that point it just didn’t...
I came close to buying one last year but it was only about a $700 savings over a 21 YZ250F. At that point it just didn’t seem worth it. $2k less and I probably would have gone yellow instead of blue.
If they were similar in price for a new one I’d definitely be looking at the blue ones but over here we seem to be getting stiffed on new bike prices, working around 2 grand more. Kx’s can be had fairly reasonable but for some reason apart from my kx60 (as they were the only thing then 😄) I’ve never really been a kawi guy.
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Lasse
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Lasse 5/2/2022 3:16am
5/2/2022 3:16am
All I can say is that I really really like mine.
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KirbStomp
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KirbStomp 5/2/2022 4:10am
5/2/2022 4:10am
There are no "bad" bikes out there, some are just better than others. You WILL be happy with it if you get it and make it your own. I own a 22 CRF250R but ride my buddy's 21 pretty frequently (at least one moto swap at every track just to see how the Zookie performs). My only complaint with the bike aside from the kick starter is that the stock fork is waaaaay over sprung and is harsh. But everyone should get their proper spring rates anyway, and after that its a fun bike. Good low end power but it does fall off pretty quickly, however, they really do come alive with a little tuning.
seth505
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seth505 5/2/2022 6:43am
5/2/2022 6:43am
I love mine. Come from mostly 2-strokes, it turns just as good and it only feels heavy to me when I really F up a rutted jump and get out of sorts. The bottom end is great, I feel it helps in rutted turns.

For all the "it's overly rigid" comments, new springs for your weight/ability are approximately $220 and the bike will be awesome.
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AH387
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AH387 5/2/2022 7:09am
5/2/2022 7:09am
I personally don't think the Suzuki holds any real handling advantage anymore, like it used to be. They used to have a very distinct feel that riders would seek out and personally those days are over, in my opinion. If cornering is your main focus for a 250F, I'd try to find a new Honda. And you can't go wrong with a Yam. You can buy that bike and not touch it and it's ready to go. I wouldn't buy a Suzuki and then have to potentially put money into the suspension or a Vortex. The resale on them is terrible, so you are already behind, right off the bat. The are nice bikes, but I just don't see it as the best option, whether it be performance or financially.
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CarlinoJoeVideo
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CarlinoJoeVideo 5/2/2022 7:53am
5/2/2022 7:53am
CarlinoJoeVideo wrote:
The bike turns great. Great power. But it’s going to feel very rigid compared to your other bikes and very heavy.
yz133rider wrote:
Rmz250 doesn’t feel heavy to me.
Compared to a RM 125 and TE250 you don’t think the RMZ feels heavier? That’s what he was asking.
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CarlinoJoeVideo
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CarlinoJoeVideo 5/2/2022 7:56am
5/2/2022 7:56am
Teejay wrote:
Thanks for all the replies, I know they are a bit of an opinion divider. The last 4 stroke I had was a 16 crf 250...
Thanks for all the replies, I know they are a bit of an opinion divider. The last 4 stroke I had was a 16 crf 250, how do the zooks compare power wise to that era of 250?
It’s going to have more power and be a better bike than a 2016 CRF. A lot of the division of the bike comes when you compare it directly with its 2022 competitors.
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