News Release
Podium-Topping Debut For New Bike
11 March 2008
It hardly seemed fair.
When Hawera’s Daryl Hurley wheeled out the new 2008-model fuel-injected Suzuki RM-Z450 to tackle the fourth and final round of the New Zealand Supercross Championships in Wanganui on Saturday night, it was a like he was taking a gun to a knife-fight.
It was a brand new bike, untested in combat in New Zealand but, predictably, Hurley came up with the same winning results.
The Kiwi international wrapped up the open class title in Wanganui with one race to spare, putting the new fuel-injected RM-Z450 on the podium on debut in New Zealand.
“The bike was amazing. It’s so slim and easy to throw around and the power was instantly on tap,” said Hurley.
Storming towards the title right from the start of the series, it hardly seemed necessary for Hurley to ride out on such an advanced new machine as the series wound down.
But Suzuki knows that creating a champion doesn't happen overnight and continued bike development is something that has kept the yellow brand ahead of the chasing bunch for so many years now.
Saturday night’s episode was just another chapter in the gripping story of Suzuki genius.
For 2008, Suzuki developed the all-new RM-Z450 with electronic fuel injection for improved low-to-mid range throttle response, along with a 5-speed transmission for smoother acceleration and increased riding flexibility.
Combine all of this technology and innovation into an all-new well-balanced frame design and the ultimate motocross weapon has been created.
Suzuki makes no secret of the fact their motocross engineers borrowed technology from the hugely-successful Suzuki GSX-R supersport road-race division
This technology has been proven on the superbike road race circuits around the world, and more recently in the championship-winning Suzuki LT-R450 ATV machine and now with it being employed in the RM-Z450 model motocross machines, it raises the bar for performance there also.
The concept is quite simple. Take the championship-proven fuel injection systems out of the Suzuki GSX-R road-racer and the LT-R450 quadracer and apply it to the all-new RM-Z450 motocross bike.
The fuel-injection system is also battery-less, giving improved ‘roll-on’ power and an immediately responsive low to mid-range powerband, all the while keeping weight to a minimum.
And that’s something Hurley noticed straight away.
“It was amazingly quick to react to my input,” he said. “There’s absolutely no lag between me twisting the throttle and the bike leaping forward. A jarring landing from a jump did not upset the fuel flow either.”
And with increased fuel efficiency, it means the fuel tank size has been reduced too, further slimming down the four-stroke rocketship.
And the refinements don’t end there either.
The plastic fenders and guards have been reshaped to increase cooling air flow; the ‘gripper’ seat allows more bike control and flexibility for the rider; the wave disc rotor brakes offer better cooling as well as being designed to sling off mud; the hot starter lever has been relocated to the right handlebar to free up the left hand for the clutch, in times of need, and a factory gold-coloured drive chain adds a classy finishing touch to the new bike.
