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

AIMExpo Celebrates Its 300th Vendor

With the signing of B&W Trailer Hitches the American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo) has committed 300 exhibitors to its inaugural event this October in Orlando, Fla. “To think that just three weeks ago we were announcing our 250th exhibitor and to now be at a point where 50 more brands have committed to the expo is absolutely remarkable,” says Larry Little, VP and GM of the Marketplace Events Motorcycle Group. B&W Trailer Hitches, an American company, produces a variety of hitches and truck accessories, all aimed at making the process of loading, unloading, and transporting motorcycles as easy and safe as possible.

Sidecar Racer Sandor Pohl Dies in Assen Race

Sidecar racing passenger Sandor Pohl succumbed to injuries suffered in an accident at a Sidecar World Championship race at the TT Assen in the Netherlands. Pohl and pilot Stefan Kiser were rounding a corner when the rear of their Suzuki-powered LCR sidecar began to slide. The sidecar began to spin before the momentum caused the machine to flip over.

Suzuki Reports Q1 2013-2014 Results

Suzuki reported an 18.5% increase in net sales from its motorcycle business in its first quarter ended June 30, 2013. Suzuki reports sales of 70.5 billion yen (US$710.1 million) from its motorcycle business, an increase from 59.5 billion yen reported in the same quarter last year. Unfortunately, despite increasing revenue, Suzuki’s motorcycle operations still remains in the red, operating at a loss of 2.7 billion yen (US$27.2 million) compared to a loss of 3.5 billion yen in the first quarter last year.

Nissan Juke R VS. Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Video

Car versus bike stories have been done countless times before. But for me, being a fan of both forms of transportation, I still get a kick out of them every time. This latest contest, from British outfit Car Dealer Magazine, pits a standard 2013 Suzuki GSX-R1000 against a very unique four-wheeler: a Nissan Juke R.

2013 Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance World Championship Results

The Musashi HARC-Pro Honda team of Leon Haslam, Michael van der Mark and Takumi Takahashi captured the 2013 Suzuka 8 Hours race. The Musashi team was joined on the podium by the Yoshimura Suzuki team of Takuya Tsuda, Nobuatsu Aoki and Josh Brookes and the Kagayama Suzuki team of Yukio Kagayama, Noriyuki Haga and Kevin Schwantz. The Musashi team completed 214 laps to win the endurance race.

2013 Suzuki Hayabusa ABS Recall Expands to US

Suzuki Motor of America has recalled the 2013 Hayabusa because of a problem with its anti-lock brake system. A Hayabusa recall was previously announced for the Canadian market, and it was no surprise a similar recall was announced for the U.S., as the issue traces back to a single part supplier, affecting several models from multiple manufacturers. The Suzuki Hayabusa is just one of several models from multiple manufacturers affected by a manufacturing error by ABS part supplier Nissin.

Nissan Juke R v Suzuki GSX-R1000

Three-times BSB champion John Reynolds and a GSX-R1000 take on a Nissan Juke R around Rockingham.The Juke R is one of only 4 in the world, can do 0-60 in under 3.2 seconds and has a top speed of 160mph. Whilst the Suzuki can beat those stats, John still thinks that the car has the edge around the tight Rockingham Raceway circuit. Who do you think will get the fastest lap, car or bike?

Suzuki Celebrating 50 Years In USA At Indy MotoGP

August 16, 2013 will mark the start of the Indianapolis MotoGP weekend. It also marks Suzuki’s 50th anniversary in the USA, and to celebrate the company is going all-out during race weekend. Suzuki’s 50th Anniversary event will take place in the Suzuki Fan Paddock at Turn 2, a prominent position trackside, and will be the largest customer display by any manufacturer at this year’s Indianapolis MotoGP race weekend.

Mobility Scooter with Suzuki Katana Engine Schools Nissan Skyline in Drag Race – Video

A little while ago, Honda revealed a 130mph tractor lawn mower with an engine from a Superhawk. Along a similar vein is the Isle of Man’s Garage Insanity with a mobility scooter equipped with a 600cc inline-four engine from a Suzuki Katana. According to Garage Insanity, the mobility scooter has a theoretical top speed of 140mph given enough running room, though in practice, it’s only been timed at 102.2 mph over a quarter-mile.

Nissin ABS Modulator Recall Explained in NHTSA Documents

Earlier this month, we published news about an issue with certain Nissin anti-lock brake system modulators that have been connected to recalls in Canada and Japan from Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki, with the possibility of it expanding to further models and manufacturers using the same component. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has now released documents from American Honda’s recall of ABS-equipped CTX700 and CTX700N that shed some more light into the issue. According to the documentation, a manufacturing error may have resulted in Nissin ABS modulators being contaminated with aluminum chips.