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.”

Continue reading: MotoGP - Suzuki and Rizla for Another Two Years

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.

Continue reading: 25th Anniversary Suzuki GSX-R1000

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

Continue reading: MotoGP - Loris Capirossi: Another two seasons

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.

Continue reading: Suzuki Burgman Fuel Cell Scooter

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.

Continue reading: WSBK Nurburgring Preview

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.

Images from Mugello Weekend

Continue reading: Images from the MotoGP Mugello Weekend

Check out some pics from the Le Mans race.

Pics from MotoGP Le Mans

Continue reading: MotoGP Le Mans Images

Even more images from the MotoGP Motegi weekend.

More Images from Motegi

Continue reading: More Images from Motegi

The MotoGP PR machine is starting to crank up for the Polini Grand Prix of Japan at the Motegi circuit. Here’s what some of the riders have to say:

Rizla Suzuki - Loris Capirossi:

“After what happened in Qatar, we now go to a track that I know well and have had lots of good times at I was very disappointed at Losail but that race has gone now and we have had time to see what happened. I hope I can have a very good result in Japan for the Suzuki guys that have put in all the hard work in the winter to give us a bike that we can now be competitive on. I have won here before and want to do it again, so I will be making sure we get everything right for race-day to give us the best possible chance of achieving that!”

Rizla Suzuki - Chris Vermeulen:

“It is really important to get back on the bike as soon as possible and try to rectify the issues we had in the race at Qatar. The bike was working well all weekend, but it seemed to feel very different in the race. The Factory has been working hard since then and there will be a lot of extra staff at the race in Motegi so we won’t be short of a helping hand! I really want to give Suzuki a good result at its home Grand Prix and I am sure that we will this year. I am looking forward to going there as I really enjoy racing in Japan and will be doing my best to get the bike on the podium!”

Continue reading: Motegi MotoGP Preview

Rizla Suzuki rider Chris Vermeulen let’s us know how his first race of the MotoGP season went.

Continue reading: Chris Vermeulen talks about Qatar

Check out our photo gallery from the very long Qatar MotoGP weekend.

Images from the MotoGP Qatar Weekend

Continue reading: Qatar MotoGP Images

Casey Stoner will start from pole positionafter setting the fastest lap during qualifying in Qatar.

Stoner dominated the session setting the fastest time and leaving second place to Fiat Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi who was behind by .473 of a second. Jorge Lorenzo had to settle for third on his soft race tires but was just .024 secs from his teammate.

Nicky Hayden who has been struggling all weekend with clutch problems and also an engine breakdown suffered a massive highside during the end stages of the 45 minute qualifying session was taken to a local hospital for scans after landing hard on his back.

Continue reading: Stoner on Pole - Results and Quotes from Qatar Qualifying