Motorcycle specifications SuzukiRM-Z 450 2015 Aiming for victory

the new 2015 RM-Z 450 is directly inspired by the "factory bikes" currently ridden by Clement Desalle, Kevin Strijbos and James Stewart in the World Motocross Championship, AMA Supercross and AMA Motocross Championships.

After many years of development and improvement since its launch in 2005, including an all-new design in 2008, the 2015 RM-Z 450 now incorporates a host of innovative features.now incorporates a host of first-rate innovations, tested and approved by Rockstar Energy and Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing riders in world championship competition.

The most eagerly awaited feature for 2015 is undoubtedly the revolutionary "Suzuki Holeshot Assist Control" (S-HAC) system, along with the new Showa SFF-AIR front fork, although the machine incorporates a wide range of other notable improvements and changes.

suzuki Holeshot Assist Control

the "Suzuki Holeshot Assist Control" system features two different modes to help the rider start faster and more efficiently than ever before. For difficult surfaces or slippery conditions at the start, opt for Mode A. In this configuration, the Holeshot Assist Control modifies the ignition timing to reduce rear wheel slip and generate constant acceleration to propel you into the lead. After 1.2 seconds (or when you reach third gear), the system reverts to normal ignition timing. Opt for Mode B if conditions at the start provide better traction and you want a more aggressive start. In such conditions, Holeshot Assist Control accelerates ignition timing for improved acceleration and a more pronounced start. The ignition then returns to normal mode if one of these three conditions (in any order) is met: 4.5 seconds after start-up, when you shift into fourth gear or when the throttle is cut. You can, of course, deactivate the Holeshot Assist Control system when no starting assistance is required.

showa SFF-AIR front fork

The Showa SFF-AIR (Separate Function front Fork-AIR) is another major new feature for 2015. This innovation is an improvement on last year's SFF forks, which already incorporated a coil spring in one leg and an oil damper in the other. This new fork eliminates the need to buy different springs and then adjust them according to the rider's weight or skill level. The fork is now adjusted by a pump and the heaviest part, the coil spring, is no longer required, saving 1.1 kg in weight.
This weight saving has also enabled Showa to increase the diameter of the fork leg tube (from 48 mm, in 2014, to 49 mm) and piston (from 38 mm to 39 mm), as well as the stem size (14 mm vs. 12.5) for improved suspension performance. Adjustment is now achieved via three separate air valves: an inner and outer pressure valve on the top fork and a balanced atmospheric pressure valve on the bottom fork.

other new features for 2015:

Since its launch nine years ago, and as the first motocross bike to feature electronic fuel injection, the RM-Z 450 has won the MX1 Motocross World Championship (Steve Ramon in 2007), six AMA Supercross and Motocross titles (Ricky Carmichael, Chad Reed and Ryan Dungey) and no fewer than 10 national titles in Australia (Daryl Hurley, Matt Moss and Chad Reed), Germany (Ken Roczen and Marcus Schiffer), New Zealand (Daryl Hurley) and Japan (Yoshitaka Atsuta).

Each year, Suzuki has worked closely with its teams to make improvements to its production bikes after intensive testing. For 2015, the RM-Z 450 benefits from a number of innovations that have also resulted in a 1 kg reduction in its overall unladen weight.

- Redesigned frame: internal frame elements have been redesigned to optimize rigidity, and weight has been reduced by 4%, without compromising rigidity.

- Improved starting: longer, redesigned kick lever, redesigned decompression system, revised kick-drive ratio, repositioning of the kick idle and addition of a crankcase ventilation system to optimize engine starting.

- Improved cooling: the hydraulic cooling system has been revised and a new water pump ensures more efficient cooling.

- Smoother shifting: gear precision has been improved and the revised gearbox ensures smoother shifting.

Information and images: Suzuki