Suzuki’s RM-Z450 was last overhauled in 2018 and hasn’t seen a mechanical update since the year after that. The changes it was given for MY19 include a lighter-rate shock spring, different damping settings for the fork and shock, and new graphics.
Even though its fuel-injected liquid-cooled DOHC four-stroke 449cc engine has remained identical since MY18, we still run Suzuki’s flagship motocross bike on our in-house Dynojet 250i rear-wheel dynamometer every year to see how much power it makes. For MY23, those numbers are 50.9 hp at 8,500 rpm and 33.7 lb.-ft. of torque at 7,300 rpm. Compared to its competition, the RM-Z450 produces the least peak hp, but ranks fourth of the seven bikes in maximum torque.
Despite not being a fire-breather, the yellow machine’s power delivery is very usable, even for pros, so long as the rider doesn’t mind shifting often. “You don’t have to wring this bike out to get power as it’s mostly in the low-end to midrange,” test rider Tanner Basso said. “You can over-rev the Suzuki, but it will start to fall off.”
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