Suzuki Motorcycles

About Suzuki

Suzuki Motor Corporation is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan, which specializes in manufacturing automobiles, four-wheel drive vehicles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines.

In 1909, Michio Suzuki (1887–1982) founded the Suzuki Loom Works in the small seacoast village of Hamamatsu, Japan. He was making looms, did some cars for a short time, faced cotton market collapse in 1951 and so he came to new products.

Suzuki's first two-wheel ingenuity came in the form a bicycle fitted with a motor called, the "Power Free." Designed to be inexpensive and simple to build and maintain, the 1952 Power Free featured a 36 cc, one horsepower, two-stroke engine. An unprecedented feature was the double-sprocket gear system, enabling the rider to either pedal with the engine assisting, pedal without engine assist, or simply disconnect the pedals and run on engine power alone. The system was so ingenious that the patent office of the new democratic government granted Suzuki a financial subsidy to continue research in motorcycle engineering, and so was born Suzuki Motor Corporation.

In 1953, The Diamond Free is introduced and features double-sprocket wheel mechanism and two-speed transmission. That year Suzuki scored the first of many racing victories when the tiny 60 cc "Diamond Free" won its class in the Mount Fuji Hill Climb.

By 1954, Suzuki had officially changed its name to Suzuki Motor Co., Ltd. S mark was adopted as corporate emblem in 1958.

In 1955 the Colleda COX debuts, a 125cc bike equipped with a steel frame. It features a 4-stroke OHV single-cylinder engine with three-speed transmission.

Using MZ’s technology (Ernst Degner defected to the west while racing for MZ in the Swedish Grand Prix, and he took knowledge of Walter Kaaden’s expansion chamber designs), Suzuki wins the newly created 50cc class in the World Championship. The company will win the class every year until ’67, and win the 125cc class twice in that period, too.

The T20 is released in 1965 (aka Super 6, X-6, Hustler). This two-stroke, street-going Twin is one of the fastest bikes in its class. The ‘6’ in its name(s) refers to its six-speed gearbox. The T500 ‘Titan’ (1968) is an air-cooled parallel-Twin two-stroke.

In 1971 the GT750 2-stroke surprises people with its three-cylinder liquid-cooled engine. In North America, it’s nicknamed the Water Buffalo; in the UK they call them Kettles. Also the TM400A motocrosser goes into production, a 396cc bike designed for 500cc motocross races.

With the GS750, Suzuki finally builds a 4-stroke, four-cylinder road bike in 1976.

The 779cc DR-BIG, dated by 1990, has the largest single-cylinder engine in living memory. The much-loved 16-valve, 1156cc air/oil-cooled Bandit 1200 appears on the scene in 1995.

In 1996 Suzuki calls the new GSX-R750 the ‘turning-point model’ thanks to its twin-spar frame instead of the older double-cradle frame. The engine is also redesigned and featured 3-piece crankcases, chrome-plated cylinders and a side-mount cam chain as well as Suzuki Ram Air Direct (SRAD) system.

Moto blog

Suzuki Hit with $885,000 Penalty and Other Sanctions by EPA

American Suzuki has agreed to a number of sanctions including an $885,000 penalty for importing ATVs and off-road motorcycles that do not meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency‘s emission control standards. The EPA and Suzuki negotiated the monetary penalty as well as other sanctions for the 25,396 units of the 2006-2009 LT-R450 ATV and the 62 units of the 2010 RMX450Z.

Winning by 0.001 seconds - on the grass

Last weekend's Superstock 1000 race at Donington British Superbikes was a belter. PJ Jacobsen, all the way of the USA, was riding the Tyco Suzuki and took the fight to former Superstock 600 champion and TT racer Lee Johnston. The duo cleared off from the rest of the pack.

Roger Lee Hayden Headlining “Ride with the Stars” Track Day School at New Jersey Motorsports Park

Roger Lee Hayden and a number of current and former AMA racing stars will be guest instructors at a two-day riding clinic at New Jersey Motorsports Park. The National Guard Jordan Suzuki racer and the other special guests will join the instructors of the Penguin Roadracing School for the “Ride with the Stars” special track day, Oct. 13-14.

Suzuki Reports Q1 2012-2013 Results

Suzuki reported a 11.7% decrease in motorcycle sales over its first quarter and an operating loss of 3.5 million yen (US$44.5 million) from its motorcycle division. In the quarter ended June 30, 2012, Suzuki sold 573,000 units, down from 649,000 units sold in the same quarter in 2011. Sales were down in most regions though unit sales in the U.S.

Eric Bostrom to Race TTXGP for Brammo at Laguna Seca

Eric Bostrom has signed on to ride the Brammo Empulse RR in the electric motorcycle race at Laguna Seca July 28-29. The race is the final stop on the TTXGP‘s North American series and a joint event with the FIM’s ePower series. The AMA racing veteran will join Steve Atlas to represent Team Icon Brammo at Laguna Seca.

Old boys and proper bikes at the Spa Classic 2012.

If you miss seeing factory two stroke racing machinery being ridden properly then you should consider a trip to the Spa classic event in 2013. I was the lucky recipient of an invitation to ride there last week and had a blast riding some tasty kit from the past. I went well at Spa in 250cc GPs  but the circuit scared me on the 500s.

Suzuki Supersizes Chinese Market Lineup with Hayabusa and Boulevard M109R

Suzuki showrooms in China are about to look a lot different in a couple of days, with the usual small-displacement single-cylinder motorcycles making way for a couple of big behemoths. The Japanese manufacturer has joint ventures with four Chinese companies offering motorcycles and scooters, primarily small-displacement models. One of those joint ventures is Jinan Qingqi Suzuki Motorcycle Co., which offers models such as the GT125 standard or the QS150 cruiser.

2013 Suzuki RM Motocross Lineup Announced

Suzuki announced its 2013 motocross lineup including an updated RM-Z450 and RM-Z250. Both receive engine updates, new transmissions and new suspension. Unlike competitors Honda and Kawasaki however, Suzuki did not equip its motocross bikes with Kayaba‘s new pneumatic spring forks.

MotoGP to Re-Visit Rookie Rule

MotoGP organizers are re-opening discussion for the series’ rookie rule which prevents new riders from entering the series with factory teams. Introduced following the 2009 MotoGP season, the rule was designed to give satellite teams the chance to field young up-and-coming talents  they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to sign. The theory was the rule would protect the satellite teams and spread out the talent pool.

Anti clockwise Knockhill and riding in the North East with GP winners.

I was both nervous and excited for my first ever reverse direction track day last week at Knockhill. From rushing downhill into the left hand off camber hairpin to sweeping up onto the start/finish, nothing bears any resemblance to riding round clockwise. I actually raced my 350LC in the opposite direction in 1982 but it still took a few laps to get my head round what essentially is a brand new track for Scotland.