Although it hasn’t been formally announced yet, a number of reports claim Suzuki intends to remove its team from MotoGP at the
conclusion of the 2022 racing season. If verified, this raises the question: Could this be the beginning of a change at Suzuki? Or is this
simply another indication of a shift that is too great to ignore?

The departure from MotoGP
As usual, GP insider David Emmet has written a fantastic piece on the incident; you should go here to read his in-depth analysis of the
circumstances from the standpoint of road racing. Here’s what he says in brief: Suzuki is looking to save expenses. Despite winning the
2020 championship and performing well thus far this year, the company’s directors have chosen not to extend its contract with Dorna.
Is Suzuki going to follow in Kawasaki’s footsteps and concentrate on World Superbike racing? Though it seems doubtful, that would be
fantastic. Rather, it appears that the business will stick to the cost-cutting strategies it has been using since the 2008 financial crisis.
The MotoGP decision shouldn’t be shocking. Suzuki hasn’t been actively part in any other significant international racing series in a
long time.
If you don’t have any new motorcycles to show off, why race? Since 2008, Suzuki has only created one significant new platform: the
GSX-R1000 superbike. Every other product the corporation offers for sale in North America is an improved version of an already-
available design. The Katana, the DR-Z and DR series, the V-Strom 1050 and 650, and even the most recent Hayabusa
They are still good motorcycles despite this. This method has many advantages in terms of pricing and dependability. Buyers are
observing the lack of progress, though. We haven’t seen any of the intriguing new technology that Suzuki has hinted at over the
previous ten years, including the turbocharged Recursion concept bike, hit the market yet. Plans for a new parallel twin platform have
also been about for a while. Even after constructing a new plant in Hamamatsu during the 2010s, Suzuki didn’t significantly alter its
product line. The most inventive platform Suzuki has introduced to western markets in recent years, aside from the most recent Gixxer
Thou, is the GW250. That bike was unusual since it was an overt Chinese/Japanese collaboration, the likes of which
However, given that the company’s leadership has stated that they believe mass-produced small-cc bikes are the way of the future,
we’ll likely see more of that.
Nothing here implies that Suzuki intends to discontinue the DR650 (oh, the horrifying notion!) or any other motorcycles larger than
400cc. However, it’s probably a hint that Suzuki won’t be producing any more big-bore ADVs or superbikes. Rather, the strategy of
“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” that has been in place over the past few years will persist until the current lineup can no longer be affordably
included into future emissions regulations. What transpires next is the actual query.
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