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Suzuki Motor of America

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There has been much conjecture regarding the Suzuki Hayabusa in recent days, especially after the company’s Japanese website listed the Busa’s production as terminated.

This created a fervor on European publications, and because of the internet, it grew from there. We tried to talk some reason into the situation the other day, and now Suzuki Motor of America has made a press release on the matter.

Over the weekend, you may have seen reports from Europe about the demise of the Suzuki Hayabusa, as the venerable hyperbike has been rumor to go the way of the dinosaur, especially now that its Euro4 waiver is set to expire at the end of the year.

This has led to quite a bit of chatter about the machine’s future, with many of the headlines that we have seen focusing on the end of the iconic motorcycle’s run, and that production on the bike has ceased. But, what’s the real story?

Today we have an unusual story involving a recall. Suzuki Motor of America is piloting a program where it will pay owners to go get their recalls done, trialing the idea with the GSX-R owners who need to have their front brake master cylinders inspected and repaired.

The recall affects  2004-2013 Suzuki GSX-R600 & GSX-R750 models, as well 2005-2013 Suzuki GSX-R1000 superbikes. For those who get their recall completed between September 1, 2018, and November 30, 2018, there is a prepaid $100 Visa card in it for them.

One of the more overlooked announcements this week is perhaps one of the bigger ones we have seen in a while, as Suzuki Motor Corp has announced the creation of a new manufacturing plant in Hamamatsu, Japan.

The new factory combines engineering, development, engine production, and vehicle assembly into one location, which will streamline operations, increase efficiency, and reduce production costs on Suzuki’s Japanese-made motorcycle models.

Over 40 acres in size, the new factory is massive, and it sits in the Miyakoda district of Hamamatsu. Part of a five-year consolidation plan, the new factory replaces an engineering and development facility in Ryuyo; an engine production plant in Takatsuka; and a motorcycle assembly line in Toyokawa.

Suzuki has registered the “Katana” name here in the USA, and if that sounds like familiar news to our regular readers…well, it should.

This is the second time that Suzuki has registered the venerable Katana name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and there is good reason for that.

But, before we get into what Suzuki is and is not doing with the Katana name, we should first understand what this motorcycle means to long-time motorcyclists, especially in different markets.

This is because the Katana name evokes different ideas to different motorcyclists, because Suzuki has used it in different ways throughout the years, and in different countries.

Recall news from Suzuki Motor of America, as Suzuki is recalling certain 2017-2018 Suzuki GSX-R1000 motorcycles, for an issue with its electronics and drivetrain. This problem affects roughly 3,100 motorcycles.

According to recall documents, the chain on the GSX-R1000 may break when upshifting between first and second gear. This occurs if the rider fails to engage second gear, and a neutral condition gets created, which may cause very high engine RPM.

If the rider then shifts into second gear, without disengaging the clutch, the motorcycle’s chain may stretch or break, which is an obvious safety hazard.

Suzuki Motor of America may be still a young company, having just come out of the ashes of American Suzuki’s bankruptcy, but it has some big shoes to fill today, as the NHTSA has announced the brand’s massive recall of its GSX-R sport bikes.

Citing an issue where a combination of older brake fluid and corrosion to the brake piston, inside the front brake master cylinder, could lead to the generation of gas, which in-turn could reduce the fluid pressure to the front brake, this massive recall spans the 2004-2013 Suzuki GSX-R600 and Suzuki GSX-R750 motorcycles, as well as the Suzuki GSX-R1000 from 2005 to 2013.

Celebrating 50 years in the United States, Suzuki has a “special edition limited production” Suzuki GSX-R1000 for the 2014 model year. Only fifty units of this machine will be sold to brand enthusiasts in the USA (100 units worldwide), with the 2014 Suzuki GSX-R1000 SE Limited Production debuting today at the Indianapolis GP.

Like the 2013 Suzuki GSX-R1000 “One Millionth” Special Edition we saw late last year, the machine is mostly a cosmetic exercise. Highlights include a chrome-plated frame, and a polished chrome rims that have blue spokes. Other blue bits abound, for +1,000 biker boyz bling points.

If this sort of thing gets you going, you’ll have to check with your local Suzuki dealer about getting one. As of this moment, pricing and availability have not been announced. An attractive, though entirely unmoving, machine — you will find photos after the jump.

After finishing its bankruptcy and removing the albatross that was its former car business from around its neck, Suzuki Motor of America is ready to get down to business and start selling some motorcycles, ATV’s, and marine equipment.

Helping to bring that new transition to Suzuki, Toru Muraki will leave his post as Executive Vice President, and become Suzuki Motor of America’s new President (similarly, Takuya Sato has been named Executive Vice President, in charge of overseeing the company’s marine operations).

Following its decision to leave the car-selling business and finishing its bankruptcy metamorphosis, American Suzuki Motor Corporation is now a defunct company, with Suzuki Motor of America officially taking over as Suzuki Motor Corporations’s wholly owned sole-distributor of Suzuki motorcycles, ATVs, marine engines, and automotive parts in the continental United States.

Last week we reported to you that Suzuki Motor of America was set to cut 10% to 20% of its powersports dealerships, as a part of its corporate restructuring and bankruptcy of the now defunct American Suzuki Motor Corporation. Clarifying that news, Suzuki has given a clearer figure, saying that 98 of the company’s 930 dealers will be getting the axe.

According to Suzuki, the roughly 10% of dealerships that did not see their contract assumed by Suzuki Motor of America accounted for only 2.5% of the company’s retail sales in the past 12 months (2.8% of retails sales in the past three years), making Suzuki’s actions more of a culling of the herd than anything else.