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MotoGP: Davide Brivio Plays Down Suzuki Link

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Reports linking Davide Brivio to running Suzuki’s 2014 MotoGP effort appear to have been premature. Less than 24 hours after reports first emerged on Italian TV, and were later picked up by other outlets, including this one, Brivio has issued a clarification on his Twitter page.

Brivio wrote: “Suzuki contacted me for MotoGP but I’m just talking and I’m not the only one. They have not yet decided yet about 2014 but only testing 2013.” The clarification suggests that the deal to run Suzuki’s MotoGP squad is far from complete. Brivio may currently be in talks with Suzuki, but other parties are also involved.

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Racing

Davide Brivio Linked To Suzuki MotoGP Return

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That Suzuki is considering a return to MotoGP in 2014 is well-documented, with talks still ongoing about the terms on which the Japanese factory will make a return. More surprising is the news from Italy, reported on GPOne, that Davide Brivio, former team manager of Valentino Rossi, is in line to manage the team running Suzuki’s return.

According to reports both on GPOne.com and Moto.it, in a story by Giovanni Zamagni, the news was broken in the Italian TV show “Griglia di Partenza” (Starting Grid), by Max Temporali. Suzuki, it is reported, will make a return to MotoGP in 2014, with a team to be based in Italy and run by Brivio.

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Racing

Ezpeleta’s Vision: Cost-Limited Racing in MotoGP & WSBK

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The Philip Morris-sponsored Wrooom event is not just the event at which Ducati launches its MotoGP season, it has also become the de facto kick off to the MotoGP season as a whole.

With an important section of the international media present, Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta inevitably seizes the opportunity to talk to the press about his view of the season ahead, and where necessary, of the future beyond that.

This year was little different. Ezpeleta spoke to the media ahead of the presentation by Ducati Corse boss Bernhard Gobmeier, and answered questions from a number of media outlets separately, answering questions on the future of both MotoGP and World Superbikes.

From his statements, a picture of Dorna’s vision for the two series starts to emerge: the future of world championship motorcycle racing is to be price-limited, with more support for the current teams, and factories holding a stake in both series, in exchange for keeping a lid on costs.

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Racing

Video: Bostrom vs. Hayden – The Duel Continues at NJMP

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Another side-by-side comparison video from our friends at the Michael Jordan Motorsports (click here for their video from Homestead-Miami Speedway), we take a lap with Ben Bostrom and Roger Lee Hayden around New Jersey Motorsports Park’s Thunderbolt course (home of the world’s longest decreasing radius turn).

Riding his Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 in the first qualifying session, Bostrom sets an impressive 1’22.803 lap time (the third fastest of the session), while Hayden on the National Guard Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 does a 1’22.812 here in the second qualifying session.

Impressively enough, both MJM riders were within a tenth of a second of each other at the end of both qualifying sessions. Enjoy some synchronized apexing after the jump.

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Racing

MotoGP: Suzuki Requests to Test in 2013

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Suzuki’s return to the MotoGP Championship continues to gain steam, as the Japanese company has submitted a request to Dorna for testing during the 2013 season. Talking to BBC Sport, Dorna’s Carmelo Ezpeleta said “[Suzuki] are asking us to have some testing during the 2013 season and if everything goes well maybe we will see them in 2014.”

Suzuki is said to be looking to test its GP race bike with the MotoGP field, and perhaps even run a few wild cards in 2013, before launching a full program the following year. Many names have been linked to the Suzuki project, with Randy de Puniet the lastest MotoGP rider to be associated with the team, and tipped to be Suzuki’s test rider.

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Bikes

2013 Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R Limited Edition Series

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Another model year, and another limited edition Suzuki GSX-R that has been done-up by Yoshimura. We are a little light on official details regard the 2013 Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R Limited Edition series, but from the looks of things the Japanese tuning brand has again slapped on a number of its hard bits to Suzuki’s sport bike line-up, with an appropriately unique paint job as well.

If we were to copy and paste-in the highlights from the 2012 series, which is what its seems Yoshimura has done, it seems we get a good start on the description of what we are seeing here, though it looks like a custom saddle, mirror block-off plates, wave brake discs, OZ wheels, and a rear shock linkage kit have been added to the mix as well as optional items.

If it happens to tickle your fancy, you can contact your local Suzuki dealer, who supposedly knows how to order one of these things. Don’t ask us about price, we don’t even have a PR contact number for American Suzuki right now. So yeah, we are pretty much only bringing you photos and the same press release as last year.

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A&R Pro

Wanting, Hoping, Praying for Hayabusa

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Fifteen years ago, I fell in love with the Suzuki Hayabusa. A courtship that started well-ahead of my formal indoctrination to two-wheels, the Hayabusa was the capstone of motorcycle performance in my youthful eyes.

I lusted after its sleek wind-tunnel tuned lines, and marveled at its outright speed, which at its debut, trumped everything else on the market.

To continue reading this story, you need to have an A&R Pro subscriber account. If you have an A&R Pro account, you can login here.

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Racing

MotoGP: Randy de Puniet to Suzuki for 2014?

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According to multiple reports, MotoGP’s resident Frenchman has been linked to Suzuki GP effort, which is expected to field a two-rider team in the premier class for 2014 season. Confirming with MCN that talks have been underway regarding Suzuki and the 2014 revival, De Puniet cautioned that nothing has been confirmed or signed just yet.

Missing out on the top CRT title this last season, De Puniet is contracted for another year with the Team Aspar effort in MotoGP, which will again use the Aprilia ART platform. Team Aspar has been the spearhead for Aprilia’s CRT package, which continues to show strong promise, and even challenged the full-prototype machines at a number of the less horsepower intense tracks, like Phillip Island.

Aspar Team Principal Jorge Martinez has reported given De Puniet his blessing to do double-duties with Suzuki.

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Racing

Video: Ben Bostrom vs. Roger Lee Hayden at Homestead

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One of our favorite parts about MotoGP’s recent coverage are the slow-motion shots of riders going through corners, especially when the Dorna folk in the switchroom line-up a few riders through the same turn, giving us a sampling of the different riding styles that exist in the premier class. It is through this sort of coverage that you begin to see the real art behind riding a motorcycle at speed, not the brute force brawl that it looks like in real-time.

Here we have another side-by-side comparison, quite literally actually. Dropping a 1-2 qualifying session at Homestead this year, Roger Lee Hayden was fastest on his National Guard Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 (1’22.746), while Ben Bostrom qualified 2nd on his Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 (1’22.857). What is interesting in this video is the subtle differences between the two riders, which results in over a one-tenth of a second difference at the finish line.

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Bikes

More Photos of the Suzuki V-Strom Concept

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Suzuki is remaining fairly tight-lipped about its V-Strom Concept it is showing at EICMA in Italy, which first broke cover last month at the INTERMOT show in Germany. Simply saying that the model will eventually be built (in 2014?), it is not clear how close what we see here is to the production version.

A much needed revamp to its adventure bike offering, the real question for the Japanese company will be whether the new Suzuki V-Strom will be too little too late. Photos after the jump.

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News

American Suzuki Files for Bankruptcy

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Certainly wanting to bury the news in the after-work hours, American Suzuki Motor Corporation has just announced that it is filing for Chapter 11 protections, as the American subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation heads into bankruptcy and business restructuring.

Pivoting its business to focus on marine and motorcycle/ATV sales, Suzuki will wind-down and ultimately stop selling cars in the US market. In its press release, Suzuki says will honor all current warranties, and parts and servicing will continue to be available to Suzuki automobile owners.

Today’s news should have little to no immediate affect for Suzuki motorcycle owners in the USA, as the Chapter 11 proceedings are focused more around Suzuki dumping its failed automotive business here in North America, than anything else.

While it remains to be seen how the Japanese company will restructure its American office, the move in fact could be a boon to motorcyclists, as it could mean some life could be pumped back into ASMC. The American Suzuki office has suffered recently from under-staffing and disorganization, and the company could benefit from a proper reorganization.

Time will tell how effective Suzuki’s restructuring will go, and we certainly haven’t heard the full extent of this news item yet. As the ball of yarn untangles, check out the full press release is after the jump. Suzuki’s letter to motorcycle owners is here, car owners here, and there is also an FAQ.

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