1979 Suzuki RM400 - Last of the J.Wood Vintage 

When I was 13, in November of 79 I got a 79 RM80. Rode my uncles 77 YZ400 the next year and couldn't touch the ground but could touch the pegs, mucho torque with a small movement of the rist lol!!!!! Big Bore Lover Ever Since!!!

I bought my '79 at the age of 14, (1988) I don't remember what I paid. I had some of the best times on this one, I rode with an '87 YZ 490, and an 87 XR 600R. I ended up selling it to purchase a moped, I needed transportation, as it was time to get a job and be a responsible citizen...It was much more fun to terrorize on this bike!! Good times they were!!

Just glad I kept my '79 RM 125 👍

I remember dreaming of all the 79’ RMs posting the Dirt Bike Magazine centerfolds on my wall in my bedroom! Ended up w the 79’ RM125 - second of 2 , first being the 78’! 👍😎🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Had a 125 of this vintage. What a great trail bike, plenty of power and comfortable to ride. I feel the newer stuff is all about moto x style riding but prefer the way the old bikes ride. Granted, I’m not making 100’ jumps either!

I don't remember what i did last week but I do remember 79 dirt bikes. The factoy front fender has squar details like the rear. That's a preston petty front. That was the first thing u put on your bike back in that year. Thats one sweet bike I'd love to have.

Had a 76 RM-250, an 80 RM-250, and now I have an 89 RM-250!

Can't beat the beautiful sound of an old big bore 2 stroke.

Those bikes around 1980 are awesome!

Just bought a 1978 rm 400

I will never forget the first RM-370 I saw. My jaw dropped as the thing left us 125s in the roost

I had a rm 400 1980 it was a bad ass ride .hope I can get another one some day they call em . widow Makes

I covered hundreds of sq miles in the Mojave Desert on one of these. Suffered a bad crash and broke my collar bone. But yeah awesome machine

I shoulda bought this on EBay. 2950 was a deal. Don't let a drive to New England prevent you from getting your childhood dream.

Most didn't make it through the generations. Amazing bike.

I had the same bike in 1981 Ken , aged 15 still got photos with it ! Watching from the UK great viewing !

My friend had a ‘79 RM100, I had the ‘77 RM100, soon to be a ‘78 CR250. My dream bike was the ‘78 RM125. That bike was a screamer! Mark Barnett!

A street-legal RM400! Fantastic!

I also had the 79 100 as my first real dirt bike as a 13 year old in 1980.

Who remembers the Suzuki magazine ads for these and the entire RM line back in the day that read, “Fast, Faster, and White Knuckles”... The RM400 was of course the “white knuckles”... 😉

Been riding since 1968 . I was 17 in 79 . I bought a 400 new . Still have it . Great shape . The thing that sucks about the 400 is that there is only one ring on the piston .

Funny story on a Rm 400. A friend bought one and he was not experienced at riding going from a kdx 200 to this ! It was a monster set up as a race bike. He got hurt , another buyer got hurt the bike had battle scars. Ie no rear brake broken clutch lever etc. so I said I’ll ride it home 4 you ! Police caught me and I got a ticket & almost lost my 👨🏻‍🚒 career b4 it started. The officer gave me a break & we became friends / coworkers. It’s a beast 4 sure let’s go have fun 🚑😂

Beautiful!! My friend had a '79 RM100. They looked awesome.

Oh what a glorious bike, my first was a 77 RM80 2nd a 77 Rm125 and then this monster. This bike spoiled me for life lol, I loved that thing!

Man still today that Bike is Beautiful I had a 1978 Suzuki RM100C I use to Dream about having a Bike like this in 1979 But Couldn't afford it

A friend of mine had one of these and I got to ride it on one occasion and I like it, cool bike. heaps of grunt.

Dude that bike is sick !!!!

picked up two 79 rm 400s back in 86 all complete but motors shot..ended up putting an er 250 engine in one then sold both off..those 70s suzukis never were reliable...i ended up with an 83 ktm 250 brought for 300 then sold that to jim aim ktm and brought an 83 cr 480 ex mark banks for 400 and proceeded to enjoy scaring myself silly everytime i took it out lol..i will say one thing those 79 rm100s were awesome to ride though it was first mx bike i ever went on and i knew as soon as i stopped i had found my hobby lol..the honda crunch 50 had to go i had found the adrenalin rush...but on a side note 20 mates 10 honda crunches 50s 70s and 90s 2 up playing touch was the best fun and laughter i have ever had in my life in long built on woods on our doorstep.....i hope the new electric bikes can hit the same fun but allow u riding on local parks with nomore noise complaints and special area rules the killjoys made...heres wishing lol

Sunday afternoon watching KAPLAN AMERICA. Those cylinder fins are scary.

Beautiful bike. Love that rear fender, looks cool.

I had one of these as a 13 year old kid.i loved it

A good bike back in the days for Hill Climbing those bob,,big call banks back in the days!! Another good one was a yz400

This was from my racing days.... raced that 400 for a year in B class. None of us were sad to see those shocks go away when mono shocks came out.

A 79 rm400 was my last ever mx bike, my last meet was 2008 twin shocks at polesworth in the uk, I think my arms are still in recovery, miss mx so much, dodgy ticker put pay to all my fun, great vid and a nice find xx

Nothing like the smell of Bel-Ray!!!

Was the 1st big bore bike I ever rode.17yrs old about,love at 1st ride.lol

Unbelievable my first motocrosser I bought a 1975 RM 100 fast bike went to the track in Byron Illinois Motorsports Park and got in first Moto first in second didn't even know I won my first race on that bike not bad for a farm boy and then I was hooked I rode a RM 400 wicked fast!

Really in good conditions for a 79' dirt bike, love those RM N (my best looking RM ever), but the front fender i not the good model, the 79' is larger in its front side.

I remember that when the RMs came out in 79 we all talked about how space aged the angled fenders looked! Did anyone else talk about that? LMFAO!!

i had 1 of these, 79 or an 80. scary fast.

Ken, did you race MX 338 in 1982? I was a water boy at the finish line that year. We never had the $$$ for me to race motocross, but, I was able to do the hill climb circuit fir a few years, Mt. Park in Holyoke, Greenfield and Monson. I do remember Jo Jo Keller, and Lee Helliwell to name a few.👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

The pinnacle of twin shock rear suspension.

Friend had the same bike. It was too much for him. I had to ride it home after a sale went over ..🤪 backwards. He sold it eventually. Ugh it was plenty of power 4 sure. 😎.

Ring ding ding ding.. Ring ding ding ding.. I member that noise

I think what you got is rmn in those days came around 1978 before that there was rmc that the back mud flap was kind of round and the bike itself was a little smaller like yamaha yz,cheers good old days.

I had same bike. Keep up with the yz 465

Looks new!

Ting ting ting.... love it!

Sweet bike guys 👍

'79 N models also had a unique front fender, with a similar funky shape to the rear you see here. I'd have to put the correct front fender on this one. Great bikes. One of my bucket list models. Had a neighbor when I was a young kid, that got one of these brand new. I had a mint '73 XR75 at the time, and those fenders especially stood out as so cool at the time. Believe they made a few improvements to the 1980 model, naturally, but ditched the cool fenders that didn't take well to being flexed or bent.

Had one when I was young. Broke the cylinder at the base bolts.

what two stroke oil do you use

That sound.

You dont see many of these anymore most are basket cases

An amazing looking bike.....

Had the rm 370.Oh Boy.!

That's a very sweet crisp motor. Love the way the bikes 'ting ting ting ' when you shut the throttle off.

Hi Ken, How much did the 79 RM400 sell for? Will you be featuring a 1980 PE400T? I have a really nice one that saw very little use. Would be interesting to see one on your channel and hear your comments.

Sweet

My dad told me a story of a rm 400 he bought from a guy that broke his leg on it. He rang the doorbell and heard a clunk like a stilt on the floor, he told him he had to get it out of the basement.

You sure babied that Zook in this video. I was waiting for you to get on it in the dirt like you usually do..😔 So disappointed...

Bomber Mark Barnett.

Fukin Awesome!!!

These Rms were the go back then they were exiting fun bikes i had the 125n back in 79 and these aircooled models smelt good two stroke aircooled bikes and the these bigbore 400s were unique with the mud gaurds the way they were styled original 1979 model

Is she for sale ?

She's so beautiful it hurts 😭😄😎👍🙋☇☇

RM N. Great bike

Aloha

Nice..

I miss mine. Can not keep everything. Now I only have a KTM440EXC and a KX250. Both are fast, but I miss my Decoster Twin Shocker. Very fast bike. Typical Suzuki.

👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍

Suzuki was a powerhouse back then they are on life support today which is kinda sad.

Not Wheelie Today ?

Give that rm 400 a little en gas a once in a whileit will like it TV

Dirt bike magazine said the N was never as good as the C model.

Almost like the DeCoster 370. . but his had No muffler. oh yeah.

Riding areas closing so I silence my bikes. Can't hear me they can't find me lol

I had an RM 400 back in the early 70's and scrapped it after shearing two crank shafts, couldn't afford the $80 a third time. I still have a brand-new tank for it in my basement. Anyone want to buy it?....the gas tank only

Didn't take much to kick over = loss of compression ! You are missing ponies !! P.s don't over sell your shit !!! You don't gotta . It Speaks for Itself ! 😎😎😎👌👌👌👍👍👋👍👍👍 P P .S . Have you got a 78 Y Zeee 400 to do a fly by with ??? Absolutely love your work !😁 I think the TZ 750 is the best 2 stroke sound ever made !!!!!!

That rear fender is hideous.

I had a 125 square body. Peaky Deaky.

I loved my rm 400 until it was stolen from me in Indiana.

I bid 100.00 dollars

Doesn't sound right. Something was missing. Sounds like it was gonna stall

Shame you rode it like an 80 yr old Grandad - Pity you didn't let it rip like you did on the '77 RM250. Rather gutted, Ken.

My girlfriend thinks I'm cheating on her with Kaplan Videos 😄 I wonder if she'll leave me as I've already decided my future and it's UNOBTANIUM 😎☇☇👍🙋

*2 stroke was motocross - now it turned into a Nascar event with the obnoxious 4 stroke GARBAGE bikes - they get riding ares shutdown*

A kickstand? Blasphemy!