Suzuki DR 1981 Motorcycles, page #35

Moto blog

Suzuki Reports Q3 2011-2012 Results

Suzuki motorcycle business back to operating at a loss despite being making it profit over the first six months. In November, Suzuki reported its second consecutive profitable quarter from its motorcycle segment, with a net profit of 300 million yen over the six months ended Sept. 30, 2011.

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.

Stoner Blows Away Competition on Final Day of MotoGP Sepang Test

To be the man, you have to beat the man, and after the final day of MotoGP’s pre-season test in Malaysia, Repsol Honda‘s Casey Stoner continues to be the man. The reigning MotoGP World Champion didn’t let lingering soreness from the back problems that sidelined him for the first day of testing at Sepang slow him down. On just his second of 21 laps on the final day, Stoner set a blistering lap time of 1:59.607, besting second-fastest rider Jorge Lorenzo by 0.591 seconds.While there’s still some room for improvement to be found his Honda RC213V, Stoner will turn things over to the engineers and fly back home to Switzerland to his wife Adriana for the birth of their first child.

Provisional 2012 World Superbike Championship Entry List Released

The International Motorcycling Federation has released a preliminary entry list for the 2012 World Superbike Championship. The preliminary list includes 24 entries representing six manufacturers: Aprilia, BMW, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki. Noticeably absent is Yamaha which announced last summer it would pull out of WSBK racing.

John Hopkins Loses Fingertip [Warning: Graphic Image May be a Shocker]

Following numerous procedures and some complications, American racer John Hopkins has undergone surgery to remove the tip of his right ring finger. The Crescent Suzuki racer initially injured the finger in a crash while competing as a MotoGP wild card entry for Rizla Suzuki in the Czech Republic Grand Prix at Brno in August. Since then, Hopkins underwent six procedures to repair his finger to no avail.

2012 Suzuki GSR750 Gets ABS; Still Not Coming Stateside

Suzuki announced the 2012 edition of its GSR750 naked middleweight will get ABS as an optional add-on. What it still doesn’t have? U.S.

Lehman Trikes Founder Passes at 60

Lehman Trikes announced the passing of its founder and director, John K. Lehman, from heart failure brought on by an embolism. The 2009 Sturgis Hall of Fame member died Jan.

New Delhi Auto Expo 2012 – Motorcycle Manufacturers Draw Battle Lines for World’s Second Largest Market

In past years, the biennial Auto Expo in India slipped under the radar while the industry was focused more on shows such as EICMA in Italy and Intermot in Germany. But with India’s middle class starting to flex its financial muscle while other markets continue to struggle, the New Delhi show is becoming much more prominent, with major OEMs positioning themselves to claim a piece of the India’s 13 million vehicles-a-year market. We’ve already looked at India-produced Royal Enfield’s new Thunderbird 500 and Hero Moto’s hybrid scooter concept which debuted at the Auto Expo, and today we’ll look at what the major international OEMs presented.

Looking after number 1

There was a time when a rider’s number indicated his position from the previous season, with the ultimate accolade being the number 1 emblazoned on the front of the champion's bike. The rise of branding in MotoGP and a rider wanting to market themselves, born from Barry Sheene and his retention of no.7, saw riders decide against displaying their finish from the year before. Rossi, who on winning his numerous championships, stuck with his famous #46 in defence of his titles, instead of stamping a great number 1 on his bikes.

BSB 2012; Mystic Mac investigates

In my opinion, the smartest move in the BSB off season has to be Michael Laverty moving from Swan Yamaha to HM Plant Honda. With a ban on electronics for 2012, and in particular traction control, WFR's Graham Gowland has already proved to Laverty how competitive an EVO spec Fireblade can be - so I’m tipping both these riders to be bang on the money at the Brands Hatch season opener in April. Unlike BMW, Kawasaki and Yamaha, Honda have deliberately developed their road-going Superbike without electronics to give a user friendly feel with good mechanical traction, so it’ll be interesting to see how the opposition copes with their high-tech trickery stripped off.