2006 Suzuki Boulevard C50 on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Japan Needs Your Help

By now, we’ve all seen pictures and video of the devastation in Japan following the March 11 earthquake and the ensuing tsunamis. Japan, of course, has contributed much to motorcycling, with the Big Four of Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha, as well as tire manufacturer Bridgestone, helmet companies Arai and Shoei and many other motorcycle industry stalwarts all coming from the Land of the Rising Sun. Jon Bekefy and Greg Hatton, two motorcycle enthusiasts, industry employees  and above all, humanitarians, have set up a fundraising campaign benefiting the Red Cross for relief efforts in Japan.

Suzuki Developing 1000cc Prototype – MotoGP Return in 2014 Still Possible

The first MotoGP pre-season test at Mayalsia’s Sepang circuit is complete, with Ducati, Honda and Yamaha‘s factory and satellite teams, as well as a handful of CRT entries, collecting data for the next stage of their race prototypes’ development. Absent from testing was Suzuki which announced last November it was leaving MotoGP racing. Suzuki cited the recession, the rising value of the Japanese yen and the natural disasters afflicting Japan in 2011 as reasons for leaving MotoGP, but the manufacturer did say it intended to return in 2014.

Moto3. Recession racers?

I've sat through enough manufacturer' presentations recently to know that we're in trouble. Ignoring the still booming Asian markets, the rest of the motorcycle World is in free-fall. Even looking at the figures optimistically we're still only selling half the volumes we were in pre-crash 2006.