All posts tagged suzuki
Suzuki confirms withdrawl from MotoGP
After months of speculation regarding Suzuki’s future plans in MotoGP, the Hamamtsu manufacturer has now officially announced that they are withdrawing from the MotoGP championship.
In a very brief statement issued today, Suzuki decision to pullout is largely based on the global economic crisis, however they are looking towards a return in 2014.
“Suzuki Motor Corporation has decided to suspend temporarily its participation in FIM Road Racing Grand Prix MotoGP from 2012. This suspension is to cope with tough circumstances mainly caused by the prolonged recession in developed countries, a historical appreciation of Japanese Yen and repeated natural disasters. Having an eye to returning to MotoGP in 2014, Suzuki will now focus on developing a competitive new racing machine for that class. Suzuki will continue motocross racing activity and support of road racing activities using mass-produced motorcycles, by obtaining FIM homologation and co-operation with the supplier of its development racing kit parts.
The decision to withdraw means that only Honda, Yamaha and Ducati will have a factory presence in MotoGP next year and still imprecise number of CRTs.
Suzuki quits MotoGP?
Dorna’s last Friday’s deadline for Suzuki to commit to the 2012 MotoGP season has come and gone with no official word from the Hamamatsu manufacturer, however the authoritive GPWeek is reporting that Suzuki will not be on the grid next season and has pink slipped the pit crew via email.
Rumors had it that the company had been working on a 1000cc bike and that it would be ready by next year’s Brno GP and that they would continue their commitment in MotoGP by racing their 800cc until then. When the Rizla team gave Randy de Puniet an ‘impromptu’ test on the GSV-R during the post-season test at Valencia many had thought this was a good sign despite the fact they would later release Alvaro Bautista, but apparently the manufacturer has decided not to invest any further in MotoGP racing.
This leaves Randy de Puniet without a ride, unless he settles for a CRT machine as Stefan Bradl is now firmly linked with LCR Honda, and Dorna with only three manufacturers in the series, Honda, Yamaha and Ducati and with a miserly 12 bikes, between factory and satellite teams for 2012, and an imprecise number of CRTs.
Suzuki GSX-R 1000 Assembly Video
20o9 was the 25th anniversary of Suzuki’s GSX-R 1000 and this bike represents the pinnacle of Suzuki’s sport motorcycle design and the video shows you the inside the Suzuki factories in Japan, explains all the steps that go into building one of the hottest and most popular motorcycles around.
Special Coin to Mark Suzuki's 50th Anniversary at the TT
Suzuki made its international motorcycle racing debut in the Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) race in 1960. To celebrate this, the Isle of Man has marked the 50th anniversary of Suzuki’s TT debut with the issue of a commemorative 50-pence coin.
The the coin bears a profile of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on one side while on the other bears an image of racer Mitsuo Itoh on the Suzuki RM63, the 50cc bike on which he became the first-ever Japanese-born TT winner in 1963.
The Isle of Man TT was first held in 1907 and is the world’s oldest motorcycle road race. Suzuki first competed in 1960. It claimed its first victory in 1962 in the newly created 50cc class and enjoyed a second consecutive year of TT glory with Itoh’s victory in 1963. Itoh is the only Japanese winner in the TT’s 103-year history.
This year’s Isle of Man TT runs from May 29 to June 11. The Isle of Man’s Manx Museum will have an exhibition marking Suzuki’s 50th year of TT participation from the end of May to the beginning of September.
MotoGP - Suzuki and Rizla for Another Two Years
Dorna can breathe a sigh of relief, because will be seeing the Suzuki bikes on the MotoGP grid for at least two other seasons.
Suzuki has extended it’s partnership deal with Rizla (owned by Imperial Tobacco Ltd) and we will once again be seeing the Rizla logo on the blue fairings of the Suzuki GSV-R’s for the next two years.
Rizla has been Suzuki’s title sponsor in MotoGP since 2006, but has been tied to the Hamamatsu factory in various championships since 1986.
The team will field veteran Loris Capirossi and rookie Alvaro Bautista this season and will see how the team fares in the first official 2010 two day test at Sepang, that starts on Thursday.
“Everybody involved with the Suzuki Grand Prix project is delighted that the Rizla brand will continue its partnership in 2010 and into 2011, and that we are able to continue with the now iconic Rizla Suzuki image for the next two seasons,” said team manager Paul Denning. “It’s very clear that the 2009 season fell far below our expectations and targets, but Loris, Alvaro, the whole team and the Suzuki Racing group in Hamamatsu will be doing everything we can to take a big step forward and re-pay Rizla’s faith in the project during 2010 and beyond.”
25th Anniversary Suzuki GSX-R1000
Suzuki will be producing a special limited edition GSX-R1000 commemorating the 25th anniversay of the GSX-R series.
This limited edition (only 1000 units will be produced bearing a serial number plate) comes in Metallic Mat Titanium Silver and Pearl Mirage White color. The R logo is gold coloured and the words “25th Anniversary Edition” appear on both mufflers and on the front and rear rims and the ignition key bears the same special gold colored GSX-R logo.
The anniversary bike is the same as the updated 2009 GSX-R, with its four cyclinder engine, it’s shortened wheelbase and longer swingarm.
More pics and the anniversary video after the jump.
MotoGP - Loris Capirossi: Another two seasons
Loris Capirossi is one of the experienced riders on the MotoGP grid and has already reached 299 race starts and has said he isn’t ready to hang up his lid yet.
A guest at the Suomy stand at the EICMA show, Capirex met numerous fans and said that he wants to continue racing for another two years, then he’ll dedicate his time in writing his autobiography about his life on and off track.
Commenting on this past season, Capirossi admittted:
“It was difficult because we didn’t get the results we expected, but we’re already looking ahead to next year, we have to keep working and keep believing. We need strong support from the company, and hope to find it in February tests, where we’ll have a completely new bike, because now the bike is uncompetitive and without a competitive bike and advanced electronics you can’t win.”
Asked about what he thought of Valentino Rossi in Ducati in 2011, Capirossi replied:
“I’m not envious, and I’m sure that they (Rossi and Ducati) could do great things together.“.
Check out the video from Italian show Sfide, even if it’s in Italian around the four minute mark you’ll see some great footage of a very young Loris Capirossi.
Source | romagnaoggi
Suzuki Burgman Fuel Cell Scooter
The Tokyo Motor Show is an opportunity for the big four motorcycle manufacturers (due to the economic situation, Kawasaki isn’t going to be present this year) to show off their new models and for us to see what they’re up to with ideas for the future of two wheel transportation.
Besides the Gladius 400 ABS Suzuki will also be exhibiting the Burgman Fuel Cell Scooter, step further from their hydrogen prototype Crosscage that they revealed in the 2007 show.
The fuel cell is air-cooled and concomitantly light, compact, and structurally simple. A 70MPa hydrogen tank (the highest-pressure tank used on a bike thus far) allows a usable riding range. And the tank is mounted within a robust frame for safety.
After the jump check out the Crosscage from 2007.
WSBK Nurburgring Preview
The WSBK Championship will be back this weekend at the Nurburgring circuit in Germany after the long summer break.
Noriyuki Haga, the championship points leader is back to full fitness after his horrific highside at Donington and ready to take on rival Ben Spies, who is just seven points behind the Xerox Ducati rider in the standings.
General news on the upcoming Nurburgring round:
Due to financial difficulties the Verona based team DFX Corse will be putting only one of their Ducati 1098RS bikes on the German track. The bike will be ridden by Fonsi Nieto while Lorenzo Lanzi who has been subbing for injured Regis Laconi, will sit this one out. Lanzi will be back for his home race at Imola at the end of September.
Celani Suzuki is another team who has economic troubles and have decided to completely skip this upcoming round at Nurburgring. They plan to be back for final three rounds with Alex Polita as their rider.
Karl Muggeridge will be replacing Max Neukirchner who fractured several vertebrae during the Imola test in July, in Alstare Suzuki. Muggeridge was Celani Suzuki’s rider until he too suffered vertebrae damage during the US round at Millers Sportspark and later was dropped by Celani.
Richard Cooper will be standing in for Ruben Xaus, who broke his femur during the Brno round. Cooper has ridden in the BMW HP2 Sport in the World Endurance Championship last year and has also been a regular competitor in the BMW Boxer Cup. He has also tested the S 1000 RR racebike at the Eurospeedway Lausitz recently.
Images from the MotoGP Mugello Weekend
Check out our photo gallery from this weekend’s MotoGP Gran Premio d’Italia Alice, that saw Ducati factory rider Casey Stoner put an end to Valentino Rossi’s seven year reign at Mugello.
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