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

Isle of Man TT 2012: Sidecar TT Race 1 Results

Dave Molyneux won his 15th career Isle of Man TT race with a victory in the first Sure Sidecar TT race of the 2012 festival. The win comes in Molyneux’s return to the Isle of Man TT after sitting out last year’s competition. By far the most successful Sidecar racer in TT history Molyneux is third overall among riders in any class, behind Joey Dunlop (26) and John McGuinness (18).

Isle of Man TT 2012: Superbike TT Results

Honda TT Legends racer John McGuinness won his 18th career TT race, capturing the Dainese Superbike race to kick off the 2012 Isle of Man TT. McGuinness is second on the all-time Isle of Man TT wins list behind the late Joey Dunlop who has 26. McGuinness was aided by two very quick and efficient pit stops by his crew.

2009-2011 Suzuki GSX-R1000 Recalled for Side Stand Interlock Switch

Suzuki is issuing a recall for 2009-2011 GSX-R1000 because of a potential failure of the side stand interlock switch. The interlock switch is what cuts off the ignition circuit on a motorcycle when the side stand is down and the transmission is in any gear except neutral. Its purpose is to prevent a motorcycle from moving with the stand deployed.

WSBK: 2012 Miller Results

Marco Melandri earned BMW its second ever World Superbike victory to move into second place in the championship standings behind Max Biaggi in the series’ only stop in the United States. Melandri won a red-flagged Race Two at Utah’s Miller Motorsports Park after finishing second to defending WSBK Champion Carlos Checa in Race One to give him 142.5 points on the season, tied with Kawasaki‘s Tom Sykes but behind Aprilia‘s Biaggi who leads the way with 160.5 points. Race One Highlights Get the Flash Player to see this player.

2012 GSX-R1000 arrives at Visordown HQ

You've probably seen the video of Simon Crafar smoking up the 2012 GSX-R1000 at Almeria. Impressive stuff. Suzuki are (correct me if I'm wrong) the last manufacturer of an inline four superbike not to offer it with some sort of electronic rider aids.

K-Tech release 25SSK for Big Piston Forks

K-Tech have released their popular 25SSK front fork open cartridge system to fit all Showa Big Piston Forks. Here's what K-Tech have to say about them: These lightweight aluminium units are supplied to the same exacting specification as all other 25SSK fitments with 14mm piston rods and a 25mm cartridge tube, the 14mm piston rods displace a large volume of oil through the 25mm control pistons giving enhanced damping characteristics over the standard Big Piston Fork and allow a bigger volume of air for a more precise feel at the bottom of the fork travel. The cartridge kits have compression and rebound adjustment in both legs and are supplied with 1.5mm Flow Control Valves for a more accurate adjustment, all necessary hardware is supplied to convert the Big Piston Forks to take the cartridges but it is necessary to order the springs you require as these are not included, customer price for the 25SSK cartridges is £725.00 + VAT and are available for the following models:- Honda CBR1000RR 2012 Kawasaki ZX6-R 2009-2012 Kawasaki ZX10-R 2011-2012 Suzuki GSXR600 2011-2012 Suzuki GSXR1000 2009-2012 Contact K-Tech on: +44(0)1283 559007.

New: Suzuki's cool 2012 casual clothing

Suzuki have just launched their new 2012 casual clothing collection. I'm not one for wearing race-team inspired clothing; stuff that's usually in naff colours and plastered with builder-this, mobile phone that and engine oil the other. This is something different.

GP Tech Planning Suzuki-Powered CRT Wild Card for Indianapolis Grand Prix

America is starting to become a hotbed for wild card Claiming Rule Team entries in MotoGP. First there was Attack Performance getting awarded a wild card for the U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca and the Indianapolis Grand Prix at The Brickyard.

Suzuki Reports 2011-2012 Results

Suzuki declared a loss of 2.4 billion yen (US$30.0 million) from its motorcycle division over the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012. Though still a loss, it’s an improvement on the loss of 10.8 billion yen reported the previous year. Suzuki attributes the loss to an appreciating yen and the financial impact from heavy flooding in Thailand.

Chris Vermeulen to Replace Colin Edwards at Le Mans

NGM Forward Racing has named veteran MotoGP racer Chris Vermeulen the substitute rider for the injured Colin Edwards at the May 20 French Grand Prix at Le Mans. Vermeulen will ride the team’s BMW-powered Suter Claiming Rule machine. Vermeulen raced four full seasons in MotoGP from 2006-2009, all with the Rizla Suzuki team.