The eagle-eyed camera’s over at Cycle World have caught Suzuki conducting tests for its MotoGP project, and the early indications are that the Japanese brand has dropped its V4 motor configuration in favor of a more traditional transverse inline-four cylinder arrangement — at least for this present stage of testing.
Cycle World‘s sources say that while the cylinder configuration may be fairly standard, the 2014 Suzuki GSV-R is anything but your typical four-pot. Showing the makings of a crossplane crankshaft via the bike’s exhaust routing, it would seem Suzuki has taken a page out of Yamaha YZR-M1‘s playbook, with rideablility being the name of the game. If you are keen for a good read, checkout Kevin Cameron’s article on Cycle World for more pictures and his analysis of what they mean for Suzuki’s MotoGP prototype.
Over the past few years, Suzuki’s involvement with MotoGP has been tumultuous, to say the least. Downgrading its involvement from two bikes in 2010 to one bike in 2011, the Rizla Suzuki team then seemed set to run its 800cc GP bike in 2012 against the 1000cc motorcycles of its competitors, before finally dropping out of the sport entirely.
Struggling just to compete with the satellite prototypes, the decision to stay with the 800cc bike seemed like another blow to the “factory” racing effort, though that seems to be an unfair analysis now that all the cards are on the table, as it is unlikely that all the current factory bikes are using the full 1,000cc displacement (Ducati is very likely operating in the 900-930cc engine displacement range).
Good paddock gossip says that Dorna finally conceded the point to Suzuki, allowing the Japanese manufacturer to withdraw from the premier class altogether, rather than have the appearance of a “lesser” factory bike circulating the field with its 800cc displacement. This is even despite the fact that the Suzuki likely would have been fairly competitive this first GP season under the new rules, if for no other reason than it has more development time than its competitors.
With Suzuki currently out of GP racing, the company now hopes to return to the premier class in 2014 with some variation of the bike being tested here in these spy photos. Whether that bike will debut on race day in a V4 or inline-four configuration remains to be seen, though at this point we should all just be happy that Suzuki’s MotoGP project has any sort of life in it right now.
Source: Cycle World
One thing is for sure, the bike looks dead sexy.
Suzuki COULD just be utilizing the same loophole Aprilia is using, creating a “Factory” racing bike under CRT rules. The IL4 could simply be sourced from their WSBK effort…
a little off topic, but i love the RS Taichi yellow /drool
Suzuki has demonstrated that it knows how to build competitive inline 4 race bikes. I anxiously await Suzuki’s return to MotoGP.
“One thing is for sure, the bike looks dead sexy.”
only because it’s all black in black you know it
CBRbie
Let´s see with that Rizzla+ Suzuki Paintjob hahahahahahahaha
I must say:
First thing that came to mind when i saw it was CRT. Aprilia CRT at that. LOL.
Anyways, i hope this is the “real deal” and not some Pedestrian GSXR1000 engine ON CRACK thinking is a Prototype just cause it wears a one off frame and Suzuki said so.
As for the V4 & I4 deal ? I really wish they would go for what they SEEM TO KNOW BEST:
That’s right, the I-4.
Apparently they never had any business messing/bothering with a stinking V4, leave that to Honda and Ducati.
I hope the SBC style crank works for them as it seems to be lacking the POWER of the FLAT Crank at times ( just ask Lorenzo when Stoner just walks away on the straights, LMAO).
None the less, looking forward at them bringing out a true competitive Prototype and making the sport a bit more exciting to watch and give some hell to the other Manufacturers at the top of the food chain…
Stay CLASSY Suzuki…I-4 and nothing less. (^_^)
Maybe its just me, but I’m just not impressed with professional motorcycle racing like i was when I was younger. Its all a race to conform to ever changing arbitrary rules instead of actually engineering the BEST motorcycle possible.
Welcome back, Suzy. While you’re at it, the Rizla Girls need an upgrade as well. The cop hat bimbo porno outfit is more than a bit tired. I wish the costume designer from the original Star Trek was around. Now those were some sexy clothes. LOL.
Tom all rules are arbitrary. There are just some that we are more used to, and some that have been worked around so much as to be noneffective. I wish I knew the solution to the electronics problem, I miss the sliding.
@ Ed Gray: The solution to the electronics problem will probably never happen imo. Manufacturers see electronic rider aids as a great way to “add value” to streetbikes (i.e. getting bike buyers to pay more). Legislators will agree and racing will be used to continue to showcase these gizmos. That’s my short answer, anyway. ;)
There has been some suggestion that this may be a “factory CRT”, (a bit like the Aprilia). This would seem like a rather strange business plan for a cash – strapped manufacturer like Suzook. Remember that the Claiming Rule allows a rival team to claim for €20k any engine that they feel is against the spirit of the CRT regulations. It would seem to be hard to justify the development of a completely new motor just to sell a few racebikes at CRT prices. Perhaps (and this is just pure speculation) this bike (and a future racing effort) is the start of the development / publicity cycle for a new streetbike range (as opposed to Superbike where one homologates a streetbike first, and then goes racing).
A final thought: Spy photos + sponsor’s stickers = “chinnee reck-on” (as used to be said in English schoolyards when someone was trying to pull a fast one. Spy photos, my eye! Suzuki wanted the world to see this bike – and talk about it. Fair play to them. I shall look forward to seeing ‘em back on the grid.
I agree with MikeD…the inline-4 is the way to go for Suzuki. The V-4 (or rather, the GSV-R in general) in all it’s versions just never seemed to work for them. Hopefully, with whatever they ultimately bring, they return to MotoGP with a competitive package.
Maybe they haven’t totally given up on the V4 yet. In one of the Cycle World pics (http://www.cycleworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2014-Suzuki-MotoGP-Prototype_006.jpg), there appears to be a V4 with tire warmers at the left edge of the door, directly under the “44″ sign. The safe bet is it’s an 800 being used for comparison, but you never know.
~jd
@Johnrdupree:
WOW…nice catch there. I guess i focused on the main bike too much…lol.
wow…maybe its me but its painfully obvious that suzuki quit GP and is coming back with an inline four……this isnt a news flash
Who would have sponsor stickers on there side if they where hiding from the media?
2014 Suzuki GSV-R Spotted – The Inline-Four Cometh? http://t.co/7I6AzSJN