|
|
 |
A New One For The Kids
|
|
|
|
|
|
2008 Suzuki DR-Z70
Don Williams
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Photos: Don Williams / Photo Rider: Shaun Merritt
|
Environmentalists love to use backdoor methods to ban motorcycles from
public lands. If it’s not so-called endangered species, it’s some other canard.
The most recent attempt has been to regulate the meager amount of emissions from
off-road bikes. The result has been a move from two-strokes to more easily
de-smoked four-strokes.
Kids bikes were the last to feel the pinch of
the tailpipe-sniffers, and the Suzuki DR-Z70 mini-thumper is the replacement for
the long-running JR50 two-stoke. The venerable JR was a design that dated back
to the 1970s, so an update was long overdue, regardless.
Besides the
substitution of a 70cc four-stroke for the old 50cc two-stroke, a big change is
the  implementation of an electric starter on the DR-Z70. Now, while you might
think an e-button is unnecessary for a 70, rest assured that any child will
inform you otherwise. Kids love pushing a button to get things moving, just as
adults do. In case the battery dies, a kickstarter remains as a
backup. Click image to enlarge.
The other big change for the DR-Z70 is that it is a much larger
bike than the JR50. Seat height is raised 3 inches to 22 inches. Ground
clearance is up nearly an inch and the wheelbase is nearly three-inches longer.
Dry weight is up considerably—a 38% increase to 116 lbs. The price is also up,
with the $1499 DR-Z70 running $400 more than the final issue of the JR50. All
things considered, however, you are getting a lot more motorcycle for the
money.
Certainly, the tractable motor is up to the task of
hauling young, beginning riders around. It’s perfectly matched to a three-speed,
manual-shift/auto-clutch transmission, and if a child is willing to twist the
throttle, he’ll be surprised at where the Z70 will take him. The IRC tires on
10-inch hoops do a good job of putting power to the ground and providing good
turning manners.
Handling is more than sufficient. The bike is
stable at its top speed and goes where it’s pointed. Remember, however, this is
a bike for trail riders and beginning riders, not competitive
motocrossers.
Suspension is minimal, as you’d expect, though the Z70 has a
single rear shock, compared to the dual shocks on the JR50. It does its job, and
few new riders will think to complain. Small jumps are not out of the question,
and the type of minor bumps a bike like this is likely to face are absorbed
capably.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
