Scr288p 2007 Suzuki Boulevard C90t (dartmouth, Ma) on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Kevin Schwantz Unveils Suzuki GSX-RR At Motegi

From a Suzuki press release: The 2015 Suzuki MotoGP GSX-RR was unveiled at today’s Motegi MotoGP race in Japan as 1993 World 500cc GP Champion Kevin Schwantz was joined by 1982 World Champion Franco Uncini for demonstration laps at the Twin Ring circuit. Schwantz, who joined the Suzuki MotoGP test team for its test at Austin in Texas, USA earlier this year, rode the GSX-RR while Uncini demonstrated the GSV-R that last competed in the 2011 MotoGP series. Kevin Schwantz: “I started very carefully as we didn’t start from pit-lane and without tyre warmers, but I soon felt the machine was being very stable and I was able to speed-up.

Schwantz and Mackenzie on the Nurburgring box

A 500GP bike never fails to stop me in my tracks and that’s exactly what happened when I spotted this Schwantz example from the early nineties, proudly displayed on the Arai stand at the recent Motorcyclelive show.  On loan from Crescent Suzuki and accompanied by a rostrum publicity shot from the 1990 German GP at the Nurburgring, I felt the urge to write a few words on that special weekend. I started the year running my own 250 GP team with fairly standard TZ Yamahas but was drafted in as Kevin Schwantz’s team mate after Kevin Magee suffered a serious head injury at the second Grand Prix in Laguna Seca.  With no testing and some major Spanish food poisoning I finished 8th at the next round in Jerez then followed that up with a 5th place in Misano. Next up was the Nurburgring and after qualifying on the second row of the grid, my crew chief Geoff Crust informed me he had a premonition of a race day rostrum finish. He also told me I better make it come true as he was already looking forward to a few post race celebratory refreshments. While I hoped Crusty was the new mystic meg, the truth was I would have been more than happy to buy the beers if I made it to the flag inside the top five. I had an outside chance of catching one major scalp as Wayne Rainey was riding with a nasty hand injury but I suspected adrenalin would see him through the day. I also followed Mick Doohan a fair bit in practice but he was beginning to find his feet on the Rothmans Honda so was going to be another problem.  When the lights went out Schwantz and Rainey went straight to the front I while I hung in behind Doohan and Pier Francesco Chilli, and then it happened. Coming out of the bottom right hand hairpin, Doohan and Chilli simultaneously high sided in one of the most spectacular crashes of the season. I never liked seeing any fellow riders crash but I made the most of this early race gift and rode my 160bhp/115kg RGV hard to the flag, claiming my first podium of the season.  We partied hard (win or lose we always did) that night and I went on to have my best ever season finishing fourth overall in the championship. After the last round in Australia, I finished second to Kevin at Sugo in Japan then won in Malaysia at another international race that KS didn’t attend. I also tested at Eastern Creek for the following season but then was flicked from the team for reasons that still remain a mystery. Hey Ho!       

2020 Suzuki V-Strom 1050XT Review – First Ride

ADV for Everyman, now with more power and cruise control Credit: Photos by Suzuki and John Burns How can any red-blooded American not love Suzuki, the blue-collar working motorcycle so many of us thrashed as youths, left parked in alleys with no loss of sleep, covered in fur for a brief period there in the (I think) ’90s… In spite of all the abuse we dished out, Suzuki’s loyalty was never in question. 2020 Suzuki V-Strom 1050XT Editor Score: 88% Engine 18.0/20 Suspension/Handling 13.0/15 Transmission/Clutch 9.0/10 Brakes 8.5/10 Instruments/Controls 4.0/5 Ergonomics/Comfort 9.5/10 Appearance/Quality 8.5/10 Desirability 8.5/10 Value 9.0/10 Overall Score 88/100 2020 Suzuki V-Strom 1050 First Look Of all the GSX-Rs, GSX-Fs, SVs, RMs and TLs that have graced the editorial garage, I think the big V-Strom has emerged as my favorite, even if it wasn’t clear what role the first DL1000 was supposed to play in 2002? Back then, it was all about the GSX-R.