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6/9/2020
Location
Orange City, IA
US
Edited Date/Time
11/9/2022 8:51pm
Looking for some actual, intelligent insight. I think it would be absolutely horrible for the sport to lose a bike brand and the number of Suzuki riders at the pro ranks is dismal. Interesting enough it seems as though in the amateur setting there is a pretty decent number of yellow machines. Is it simply rider results, or lack there of, that is leading to such a bad rep? Is it the bikes with the lack of e-start and oversprung stock suspension? Poor factory support? No big brand energy drink sponsorship? Looking back, Suzuki has a large list of riders finding lots of success on their bikes. What happened?
I think Kawasaki will be bigger than Honda soon I've been super happy with my ninja and kx and they have some cool bikes right now
Because there is less support at the top, there are fewer pros pursuing careers on Suzukis. Simple economics. If you could ride for Smart Top and make more than you could on JGR, wouldn't you ride a Honda? (I'm not saying that's what is happening, but I would not be surprised to hear that Malcolm Stewart makes more than Broc Tickle.) For privateers, there are likely better platforms out there to earn money.
The state of the stock bike is another example of how SMC has prioritized other bikes over the MX models. They could certainly have built an electric start into the 2018s, but why? If it costs them an additional half million dollars but will only bring in $400,000, it isn't worth the expenditure.
I think it's possible that Suzuki will stop racing MX/SX, but I think it's just as possible that they will finally develop a world-beating machine and hire some top guns. All it takes is the right corporate structure, and they change those guys every 4 years or so.
And I agree; they need a better Entry-level sportbike (the GSX250R needs 50 more CCs and they also need a 500). And for God's sake, build a side by side!
...and yet, there are those "fans" who are dancing around the death watch. Mind boggling.
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Another thing to note is that the US pro mx scene is only a fraction of the buying market for RM-Z models. They might contine to sell the existing machine to desert, woods, and play riders for a long time. Pulling out of pro racing might not matter that much with regard to production and sales.
Other than fixing the valving and spring rate on the 250 and the rear shock on the 450 is there anything they really need to do that will make the average rider faster on a Suzuki than they would be on a Honda/Kawi/YZ, etc? They could probably put electric start on the 450 right now (RMX450 had it) but it might add 8 lbs to the heaviest bike on the market. To add it and control weight is expensive and they might not feel the investment is worth it. Suzuki even had RMZ250s for sale in Australia with the GET wifi ECU on it. That is something they should have done in the US market yesterday and they already developed it.
And don’t give me the pro bullshit because we all know pros are going to build the engine, and if you’re building the engine, then you can get the horsepower you need out of this engine, like you can the other ones.
So aside from suspension, what is there to change? Keep the Kickstarter to cut costs and offer a “different” bike; start a new marketing agenda, and I know this is very wishful, but make a 125 2 stroke, market it towards beginners, and boom, you’ve rebuilt the brand.
Pit Row
MX/SX is definitely not the largest racing segment, and I recently rode a new 2019 RM-Z450. It was a fine machine. Not my style (I hate 4-strokes,) but fine nonetheless.
My belief is that, for whatever reason, Suzuki has decided not to be competitive in MX for the moment. Like I said, they may pull out completely or they may decide to go all-in and start winning again. Much of that decision rests in the lap of the executives at SMC and SMAI, who may or may not care.
I think the fact that their car division did so poorly and the company filed bankruptcy in the US and did away with selling cars in the US was a big part of the problem.
Suzuki is a major player in other markets. One can only hope they can get back to their former glory.
Motogp does seem to be the bright spot with good results and good riders.
Suzuki has made more money selling copper washers in Bolivia in the last ten minutes than they’ve made selling dirt bikes since the birth of Jesus 😂
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