Page 16 - 2022-08-01 RiDE

FRONT END MONTH IN BIKES
Suzuki: ‘New bikes are on the way’
SUZUKI GB’S DIRECTOR of
Motorcycles, Paul de
Lusignan, has shrugged off
rumours that the Japanese
brand is planning to exit the
two-wheeled market,
promising new platforms and
model updates are on the
way. As well as pulling out of
MotoGP, the firm has just
announced leaving the World
Endurance championship
after many titles.
“I can understand why
some customers may think
‘You’ll see bikes in
markets we’re not in’
PAUL DE LUSIGNAN, SUZUKI GB
Triumph shows electric Speed Triple
Triumph has announced the
end of its TE-1 electric
motorcycle development
programme by producing an
aggressive 175bhp naked
capable of hitting 100mph
faster than a petrol-engined
Speed Triple 1200RS.
However, the TE-1 will
never go into production,
instead serving as an
educational tool to allow the
Hinckley firm to produce
viable electric motorcycles
for future production.
“We’ve got decades of
16 SEPTEMBER 2022
those rumours are true and
might say that, but when I
talk to our dealers and I talk
to our staff, most people
don't feel that,” he told RiDE.
Excluding the addition of
two new 125cc scooters, the
firm’s latest large-capacity
range updates — including the
Hayabusa, GSX-S1000 range,
Katana, and V-Strom 1050 —
have all been updates to past
models. The last fully
redeveloped existing
large-capacity Suzuki
experience on combustion-
engined bikes,” Chief Product
Officer, Steve Sargent told
RiDE. “But, quite clearly, the
world is moving to electric,
and we wanted a vehicle to
not just build our knowledge
but also show our expertise
in developing something
completely fresh.”
The TE-1 has been designed
to share the ergonomics,
feel, and weight distribution
of the existing 1200RS
supernaked and Triumph
says its figures have
motorcycle to arrive in the “I can't talk about future
UK was the latest models that might come
GSX-R1000, back in 2017. specifically, but generally
This now looks set to what I would say is we're
change though, with de aware of the changes in the
Lusignan claiming the money market,” he continued. “And
and resources saved by not the move away from
racing will go into developing sportsbikes to adventure
fresh future motorcycles. bikes and the popularity of
Although refusing to be middleweight bikes — we're
drawn on exactly where that aware of that and we will be
expertise would be used, the developing models that will
53-year-old did confirm appeal to customers. You will
Suzuki would be moving into see bikes in markets we're
fresh markets. not currently in.”
Latest V-Strom
new
an update, not
Money saved by pulling
out of racing will go into
product development
exceeded expectation. This
includes a 100-mile range on
a mixture of A-roads and
motorways with regenerative
braking on hand to extend the
battery capacity.
Triumph also says it will do
a full trackday session at
fast-group speeds, with a
0-80% recharge time of 20
minutes. The bike weighs
220kg — 22 kilos more than a
fuelled Speed Triple but 4.5kg
less than Ducati’s V21L Electric
prototype, developed for ‘Speed Triple’
could do a trackday
2023’s MotoE race series.