Suzuki RM-Z450 2016 — Specifications

What remains of a motocross bike when stripped of all modern electronic aids? The Suzuki RM-Z450, in its 2016 version, bluntly answers this question. With its 449 cm³, single-cylinder four-stroke engine, and 60 horsepower, it lines up on paper with the other 450s on the market. But the devil is in the details, or rather in the absences. While all the competition has adopted electric start, Suzuki persists with a good old kick starter. A choice that grates in 2016, and weighs into the balance at €8899. For this price, you get a machine weighing 112 kg fully fueled, powered by a 6.2-liter tank, and with a seat height of 955 mm. The target audience? Purists, experienced riders who prefer mechanical simplicity and are not afraid to give a heel strike.

Yet, this RM-Z is not an antiquity. Its perimeter aluminum frame has been reworked to gain rigidity and lightness. The real revolution comes from its Showa SFF-Air front fork, an air suspension that eliminates the coil spring and allows for fine adjustment via pressure valves. A not negligible weight saving, but above all an appreciable modularity to adapt to different tracks and body types. At the rear, the traditional Showa combination does its job with precision. On the braking side, we remain with a simple disc at the front and rear, sufficient for motocross where engine braking often takes precedence.

The marketing argument of the time was its flagship electronic system: the Suzuki Holeshot Assist Control, or S-HAC. Two modes to optimize ignition at the start, depending on whether the track is greasy or grippy. An innovation tested in the championship, which aimed to make up for lost ground on EFI. Because yes, this bike has a glorious past: it was the first to adopt electronic injection in 2007, and has amassed world and national titles under the saddle of legends like Carmichael or Dungey. But in 2016, facing KTM or Kawasaki models packed with electronics, the S-HAC looked a little like a gadget to mask the absence of a real traction control system.

So, who buys a Suzuki RM-Z450 today? Certainly not a beginner, intimidated by the kick starter and the liveliness of a large single-cylinder. It is a machine for the experienced rider, who values a raw and direct feel, a precise chassis, and high-end suspension. A track rider who prefers to adjust his bike with wrenches and his wrist rather than with a digital menu. Its price places it in the big leagues, but the absence of an electric starter makes it unique, even anachronistic. It recalls an era when motocross was a matter of pure mechanics, feeling, and skill. A courageous, or stubborn, choice depending on whether you are in the camp of traditionalists or modernists.