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

Virginia Tech Bolt To Race At NJMP, July 12-13

The Virginia Tech Bolt e-bike racing team will compete in the July 12-13 zero emissions road race at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville NJ. This race is part of the eMotoRacing series, which runs in conjunction with AHRMA. The 96 volt student-built prototype racebike will compete in the eSuperSport class against a field of production based Brammo Empulses. The Bolt Team is no stranger to competition, as it has previous experience racing in the TTXGP series in 2012.

Kevin Schwantz Visits Suzuki Headquarters Ahead of Suzuka 8-Hours

Former 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz recently visited Japan to take part in the official test for the 2014 Coca-Cola Zero Suzuka 8-Hours. Schwantz, who last year finished third at Suzuka riding for Team Kagayama, is part of the Yoshimura Suzuki Shell Advance Legend Racing Team and will ride alongside his 1986 Suzuka 8-Hour partner Satoshi Tsujimoto and Suzuki Moto GP test rider Nobuatsu Aoki. The Texan also visited Suzuki headquarters in Hamamatsu prior to the test and was met by Representative Director and Executive Vice President, Mr.

Suzuki’s Star Spangled Sales Event Going On Now

Suzuki Motor of America Inc. today announced the Suzuki Star Spangled Sales Event, just in time for the summer season. The industry leading retail finance rates continue to be the anchor of the retail programs with 2.99% financing for 60 months on almost every new Suzuki model, plus Customer Cash options up to $1,500.

2014 AMA Superbike – Barber Results

Josh Hayes captured his third and fourth wins of the 2014 AMA Superbike season to take the double at Barber Motorsports Park. The two wins moved Hayes to the top of the championship standings from third as the three-time champion put himself in good position to win a fourth. Race One The Monster Energy Graves Yamaha rider had a relatively easy Race One as several top rivals crashed on the hot Alabama track.

DePuniet Joins Waters On Yoshimura Suzuki For Suzuka 8-Hour

The world of a MotoGP test rider is a little strange. They’re born racers, and yet when they take to the track it’s usually alone, their mission to develop a motorcycle. They don’t get a trophy, nor do they get to battle with other riders.

James Stewart Suspended After Positive Drug Test

AMA Supercross and Motocross racer James Stewart has been provisionally suspended by the International Motorcycling Federation after a drug sample tested positive for amphetamines. The positive test was from the April 12 AMA Supercross round in Seattle. The three podium finishes in the 450 class in Seattle were tested.

Suzuki Unveils New 2015 DR200S

For 2015, Suzuki’s new 2015 DR200S features significant updates to make it a more stylish, more comfortable and more versatile  dual sport motorcycle. For 2015, this 199cc dual sport gets RM-Z-inspired styling, plus cool “Champion Yellow” bodywork. Taillight and indicators have been tweaked to better accommodate the updated styling.

Suzuki DR-Z125L Returns For 2015, RM-Z450/250 To Receive Trackside Support And Contingency

The Suzuki DR-Z125L will return for 2015. Its 124cc four-stroke engine and 19-inch front wheel with front disc brake provides an easy and inviting entryway for riders of all sizes and skill sets to enjoy off-road riding. In Champion Yellow, the DR-Z125L delivers the aggressive style of the RM-Z motocross bikes, with a friendly suggested retail price of $3,199.

Eugene Laverty Talks Suzuki MotoGP Testing

In this diary entry, Voltcom Crescent Suzuki’s Eugene Laverty reflects on a busy three weeks that saw him visit Suzuki HQ in Hamamatsu in Japan, test the Suzuki MotoGP machine in Okayama and Phillip Island; and then race to a podium position at the Sepang World Superbike round in Malaysia. The past few weeks have been one hell of an adventure. The trip started out in Donington for the British round of the World Superbike Championship and from there I travelled directly to Japan for my debut test on Suzuki’s MotoGP prototype.

45,367 Motorcycle Thefts Reported in US in 2013

Americans reported 45,367 stolen motorcycles in 2013, down 1.5% from 2012, reports the National Insurance Crime Bureau‘s latest Motorcycle Theft and Recovery Report. According to the NICB motorcycle thefts have been on the decline every year since 2007 when 65,678 motorcycles were reported stolen, though the overall trend appears to be leveling off. Japanese motorcycles continue to be the most popular target for thieves.