2020 Suzuki RM-Z250 Blue Collar Project Part Two

Kris recently assigned me the 2020 RM-Z 250 to test and do a little project with. I have to say I’ve been having a blast riding it and trying to make it better. It’s a super fun bike to ride, despite the sometimes bad reputation it gets. If you haven’t read Part 1 of our build, check it out here: https://www.keeferinctesting.com/motocross-testing/2020/6/3/2020-suzuki-rm-z250-tipstricks-part-1

For a little recap of Part 1, the RM-Z is known to be a bit down on power in comparison to its competitors. Our goal was to find more power, without breaking the bank. Often times moto media outlets tend to throw the book at bike builds and I get why, but it’s fun to build a badass bike with all the exotic parts, but it’s not very practical for your real world rider, that is working 9-5. With that being said, we were able to find more power and make the RM-Z a little more exciting to ride, just by opening up the airbox and installing a pipe. 

Continuing with the trend of giving the RM-Z more air, I tested the Super Flow Air Filter Kit from No Toil. The kit comes with a new air filter cage that eliminates the stock backfire screen and also comes with a high flow air filter. On the track I noticed more throttle response and an overall quicker revving/more free feeling engine character. In stock trim, the RM-Z feels choked up, like it’s starving for air. With my no cost mod of opening up the airbox, the No Toil kit completes the mission of getting more air through the intake. I was surprised at how big of a difference it makes in mid corner (area 2) recovery and overall excitement across the RPM range. Expect to find yourself upshifting sooner exiting corners as the engine revs up much quicker allowing you to pull taller gears sooner. 

My next mod was installing Rekluse’s Torq-Drive Clutch Pack.  It’s a low cost alternative to their complete Torq-Drive kit. I’ve raced with Torq-Drive clutches for years in SX. They are an absolute must have for Supercross whoops, as it’s almost impossible to make them slip, but I’ve never tested a Torq-Drive back to back on an outdoor track and on a 250F for that matter. The clutch pack is easy to install as it fits directly into your stock clutch basket/hub and it’s almost a third of the price of their complete kit. 

The very first thing I noticed was how easy the clutch pull was. I’ve never been picky about an easy clutch pull, but I have to say, it’s nice having a buttery smooth feeling at the lever. On the track you’ll feel improved bottom end exiting corners and an increase in pulling power throughout the whole RPM range. It’s an interesting feeling, because I wouldn’t say that the bike makes any more power with the Rekluse, but it just does a better job of putting the power you already have to the ground. As Keefer would say “more linear”.

I tested this clutch kit at Glen Helen and where I noticed the biggest difference was down the deep tilled start straight and up the hills. I felt like I could rev the bike less yet still get more forward drive. Rather than revving high and getting a slight amount of slip with the stock clutch. I’d imagine as I continue to make mods and find more power that the clutch will make an even bigger difference. Where the stock clutch would slip under a heavy load, the Rekluse hooks up and drives forward. With a couple pretty simple mods we’ve  been able to find some more power and make the RM-Z motor more competitive, and for a relatively low dollar investment.

My next goal was to improve the chassis. If you’ve ridden the stock 2019-2020 RM-Z250 you’ve probably noticed the forks are STIFF. I’m a 180 lbs Pro and they are too stiff for me, so I can’t imagine a normal weekend warrior type of rider. Unless you’re 200+ lbs or just want an extra stiff setup, expect to have your suspension re-valved or at the least re-sprung. 

Of course we sent the suspension to Race Tech where they re-valved it with their Gold Valves and installed lighter springs front and rear. I’m usually very picky on my suspension setup, and I have to say Race Tech nailed this one first try. The chassis on the RM-Z is still slightly on the stiff side, but it’s very predictable and corners like a dream. Race Tech’s mods gave me more comfort in the front end end and overall calmed down the chassis. I truly have no complaints about the suspension (which is super odd to me), I found the comfort I was looking for, but still retained good bottoming resistance and hold up on big hits. Having a softer setting helped the bike settle more and turn even better than stock, and also gave me a little more stability through high speed chop. 

I’ve truly been having a blast riding the #RMaRMy. Being a 450 guy for the last few years, it’s been super fun to ride and the few mods we’ve made, have made a huge improvement in making the bike more fun, as well as more competitive. I have a few more things in mind that I think will make to 2020 RM-Z250 even better, so stay tuned for a Part three coming soon. 

2020 Yamaha YZ250F Top 5 Mods

Written By Michael Allen And Kris Keefer:

The YZ250F is one of the best 250 four strokes in class for 2020, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be made even better. Here are five easy and relatively inexpensive modifications that will make you love your 2020 YZ250F even more. 

1. Keefer “Free Feeling Map”: The mapping comes with Yamaha Power Tuner App is a great starting point to experiment with, but we have created a map of our own that we have fallen in love with. The “free feeling” map takes the superb torque feel and tailors it to make the bike feel free-er on de-cel. This “Keefer Free Feeling” map below gives you less pitching on de-cel coming into the corners and also made the Yamaha feel lighter through mid-corner, which helped cornering as well as change of direction. We felt like the YZ250F could give up a small amount of torque to achieve a stronger mid-top end, but with less chassis movement on or off throttle. Try this and tell us what you think? 

2. FMF 4.1 Titanium Muffler System: Although the stock exhaust is VERY hard to beat in terms of performance, it can get a little raspy once the hours start adding up. The FMF 4.1 system gives the bike a throaty tune and a factory look, but with a tunable engine character. We have found that running the system without the spark arrestor insert takes away too much back pressure, which causes the YZ250F to lose some of that bottom end power we come to love out of this bike. We prefer the system with the spark arrestor installed because it helps keep most of the stock bottom end, keeps the YZ250F quieter the bike, and can even make it legal to ride on the trails. 

3. Works Connection “Titan” Skid Plate: Mostly because we like off-road as well, but also because we believe all bikes should at least come with them. Let the consumer decide if he or she wants the skid plate on or off. We are sure it comes down to cost, but we can dream right? I mean Honda does it! Works Connection has been in the protection game for a long time with aluminum skid plates, but recently have now offered a composite piece. We prefer composite because it slides over obstacles easier than aluminum and doesn't affect the chassis negatively out on the track. In addition to having less friction, the composite has more flex that can allow the skid plate to slightly distort when hitting an obstacle and still be able to flex back to its original shape, as well as allow the frame to flex correctly under loads. The WC Titan skid plate is easy to mount, offers great protection coverage, and is one tough SOB.

4. Fire Power Battery: It’s no secret that a couple of our YZ250F’s had a slight issue with dead batteries and Fire Power has just the thing to alleviate this problem. We have had two stock Yamaha batteries that left us stranded so it was a no brainer to install an aftermarket Fire Power. Although it doesn’t necessarily make the bike start a lot easier, it never died on us, which is key. On top of that the Fire Power comes in at $120, which isn’t bad when you look at other competing batteries on the market. Although the difference is very little, the Fire power is also slightly lighter than your stock YZ250F battery. We are talking a couple ounces, so don’t freak out. 

5. Works Connection EZ Build Elite Perch:  Although technically speaking there is nothing wrong with the clutch pull on the 2020 YZ250F, there is nothing better than the feeling of a WC clutch perch and lever. The stock perch and lever have a quick adjust but while riding it’s not the easiest to adjust on the fly. With the WC assembly it’s much easier to roll the adjuster wheel with your palm without having to be super accurate. We feel like the clutch engagement is slightly better and less on/off feeling with the WC Elite system. On top of looking bad ass, the WC clutch perch is much easier to take apart and clean/lube than the stock clutch lever. Having a sealed bearing on the lever pivot makes for a much longer lasting, smooth pull, over the stock lever, which is just a greased bolt through a hole.  

Bonus Tip: If you want a little more hold up in your fork, but want to keep the comfort of the stock valving simply add 5cc of oil. By adding just 5cc’s of oil you will get a little more hold up, slightly less pitching under hard braking, and give you more front tire traction without pushing. Sometimes we feel the fork is too low when diving hard into corners causing our front end to wash out (especially on flat corners). 

Bonus Tip #2: You can also try chucking the Bridgestone X20 front tire for a Bridgestone M59 front tire. I stumbled across the M59 by chance, recently tried it and found it to be really good on lean angle/under load. The carcass of the M59 holds side loads better than the X20 or X30 and gives the YZ250F a more secure feel when under lean. I have not had enough time to rate the reliability, but so far the performance is better than the X20. If you’re one of the guys that complain about the YZ250F not cornering well then try this tire before you piss and moan.

If you have any questions about the top 5 mods you see here feel free to send an email to michael@keeferinctesting.com or kris@keeferinctesting.com. We are happy to help. 

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