e powder coated the frame and replaced just a few bearings and seals with Pivot Works kits. We went with All Balls for the cables, and we also utilized their full rebuild kits for the brakes. With the rebuild and the Cerakote from Faster USA, our brakes looked full factory and were finished with Tusk steel braided lines.

On the older RM250, the front brake line wrapped under the fork. To update this, we used a current RM-Z line and a newer RM-Z fork guard with a little modifying. We also modified the rear master cylinder reservoir with an updated RM250 version, which required some custom welding by Metaltek. Our carburetor jetting was taken from the Pro Circuit website and was as follows: stock needle #2 162 main jet and 48 pilot—what we had backed it over to the PC jetting.

On the track, you could tell this bike didn’t have much time on it. The whole bike felt brand-new, and even a little tight at first. Once it had a heat cycle on it, the whole thing really started to come together and I remembered how good these bikes were. The turning on the Suzukis has always been incredible; not only did it turn on a dime, but you could maneuver the bike in the air easily, or change directions as you entered or exited a turn with almost no effort.

The motor was crisp, strong, and broad, with just enough power to keep it exciting. The brakes were powerful, and all the controls were comfortable and consistent. This bike was an absolute pleasure to ride.