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

2014 AMA Supercross – Atlanta Results

KTM‘s Ken Roczen continues to impress, taking his second AMA Supercross win of his 450-class rookie season at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Roczen, who also won the season opening Anaheim 1 round, took advantage of a mistake by Kawasaki‘s Ryan Villopoto to take the win and move within nine points of the defending champion in the rider standings. The main event started with Smartop Motoconcepts Suzuki rider Mike Alessi taking the holeshot for his best start this season.

2014 WSBK – Phillip Island Results

When he signed with the team, Eugene Laverty said he would give all he possibly could to bring Suzuki back to the top of the podium once again. Well, it sure didn’t take the Northern Irishman long to accomplish that goal, winning the very first race of the 2014 season at Australia’s Phillip Island course. The win was Laverty’s third in a row, including the final two races of the 2013 season when he raced for Aprilia.

2014 AMA Supercross – Arlington Results

James Stewart‘s hot streak continues with his second-consecutive win and fourth AMA Supercross podium in five weeks after an impressive effort at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Fresh off of signing a contract extension with Yoshimura Suzuki, Stewart took control of the Arlington main event on the third lap, passing holeshot-taker Ryan Dungey and running away with the win. With his win last week at San Diego, Stewart becomes the first rider to win back-to-back races this season and establishes himself as a championship contender as we approach the mid-way point of the 2014 season.

Results From Day 2 Of World Superbike Testing At Phillip Island

World Superbike testing at Phillip Island came to a close today, and when the dust settled, reigning champion Tom Sykes stamped his authority, setting the fastest time of the test at 1:30.239, just five thousandths shy of the outright lap record held by Carlos Checa. The time was set during the morning session of testing, though nobody was able to best Sykes for the remainder of the day. Eugene Laverty, who was fastest on day one, showed his pace was no fluke as he stayed near the top of the time sheets, ultimately finishing second behind Sykes, with a best time of 1:30.513.

Results From Day 1 Of World Superbike Testing At Phillip Island

Eugene Laverty, aboard his Voltcom Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000, led the field today as the first day of World Superbike testing got underway at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia, site of the first race of the 2014 season. Under sunny skies and perfect weather conditions, Laverty adapted quickly to his new ride after spending last season aboard the Aprilia RSV4 Factory. The Suzuki offered incredible feedback and allowed him to push right out of the gates, ultimately setting a fastest lap time of 1:30.513.

James Stewart Extends Contract with Yoshimura Suzuki

Just days after celebrating his first win of the 2014 season, James Stewart has another reason to celebrate, signing a contract extension with Yoshimura Suzuki to race in AMA Supercross and Motocross through 2015. “Working with James has been a tremendously gratifying experience,” says Mike Webb, Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing team manager. “We’ve really begun gelling as a team and I feel like we’re just now approaching our true potential.

Nitron Introduces Adventure Series Shocks

The latest suspension manufacturer to hit the block, Nitron is hitting the ground running. Its latest offering, the Adventure series of shocks, leaves no question as to its intended pursuit. Crafted from aluminum alloy with stainless steel fittings, Nitron Adventure Series of shocks are lighter weight than standard ones, and are built to withstand the harsh environments adventure riders are known to travel.

2014 AMA Supercross – San Diego Results

James Stewart captured his first AMA Supercross win of the season, leading all 20 laps before a crowd of 56,828 fans at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Calif. The Yoshimura Suzuki rider becomes the fourth different winner of  the season in the 450 class through six rounds. The news was less positive for last week’s winner Chad Reed.

John Hopkins Ready for Comeback

When last we heard from California racer John Hopkins, the former MotoGP racer announced he would return to British Superbike racing after being out of action for nearly two years due to various injuries. With the 2014 BSB season starting in April, Hopkins spoke with Suzuki’s official racing website to provide an update on his impending return with the Tyco Suzuki team. Hopkins says he has been practicing on a motocross track and is close to a deal with the Yoshimura Suzuki AMA team to test on a Gixxer.

Suzuki Reports Q3 2013-2014 Sales Results

Suzuki reported a 13.1% decrease in motorcycle sales volume over the first three quarters of its 2013-2014 fiscal year, but still managed a 17.8% increase in net sales from its motorcycle division. That may seem like a paradox, but the results can be explained by a more favorable exchange rate for the Japanese yen and by looking closer at where those sales decreases took place. The yen has turned around significantly over the last year and a half, vastly improving how foreign sales affect Suzuki’s bottom line.