Poll
If you look up the word “two-stroke” in a dictionary, this is the machine you should see. The 2005 RM250 snapped to attention at the slightest touch of the throttle and ripped through the powerband at warp speed. It was the exact antithesis of the new wave of thumpers taking over the sport.
The King of zing. After decades of playing second fiddle in the power sweepstakes, Suzuki finally hit the sweet spot in 2005. The 249cc mill barked from the first twist of the throttle and kept on pulling until the cows came home.
It was quicker revving and less smooth than the electric Yamaha, but just as effective on the track.
In late 2004, Suzuki pulled the coup of the century by snagging Ricky Carmichael away from Honda. Amazingly, after delivering five titles in three years (the only one he did not win, was the one he pulled out of due to injury), Honda declined to re-sign the GOAT and Suzuki was more than happy to grab up the winningest rider in AMA history. In 2005, RC would reward Suzuki with its first Supercross title in 24 years.
During this period of blue domination, Suzuki was carving out its own particular niche as the King of zing. Unlike the YZ, which ran (dare I say it) almost like a four-stroke, the RM was all about hard hit and quick turnover. It was snappy, quick and explosive. This power was perfect for Supercross and while not as easy to use as the YZ, very competitive. Where the RM fell short of the class leading YZ, was in the breadth of its power.
After its explosive low to mid hit, the RM demanded another shift, while the YZ could be stretched out to the next turn. If Suzuki were going to claw away the title of class champ, they would need to reinvent their one-dimensional power plant.
This is one damn fine looking motorcycle. In my opinion, every Factory RM of this body style was a looker. From the Sobe bikes to the Makita years, the works RM’s were on point in the early 2000’s.
The shock on the ’05 RM was just as sweet as the forks, and head and shoulders at the top of the class. Spring rates were spot on for motocross use and in the ballpark for anyone short of an AMA pro. The Showa unit tracked straight in the rough, floated though the whoops and craved the big hit.
It never kicked, hopped and took the rider by surprise. This was one very well sorted out rear end.
It is fitting that perhaps the most “two-stroke” 250 ever made would be the last one to ever win a major US SX/MX title. The ’05 RM embodied everything that made two-strokes fun and distilled it down to a perfect combination of fun and fury. It was the quickest of the quick and the sharpest of the sharp.
It made riding fun and winning easy; what more could you ask from a motocross machine?
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