Suzuki Loom Manufacturing Company – Hamamatsu, Japan
The date was March 15, 1920 when the Suzuki Loom Manufacturing Company (later changed to Suzuki Motor Co. Ltd) was founded by Michio Suzuki.
Suzuki Motor Corporation celebrated its 100th anniversary last month. Suzuki manufactures cars, marine engines, wheelchairs, and legendary motorcycles such as the GSX-R, championship winning RM-Z motocross bikes, agile scooters, and revolutionary ATVs. The company has over 45,000 employees and has 35 production facilities in 23 countries and 133 distributors in 192 countries. Suzuki’s domestic motorcycle sales volume is the third-largest in Japan.
1952 Power Free 36cc, 2-cycle auxiliary bicycle engine
I never owned one, but a good buddy (here’s looking at you GL) bought a new Suzuki GS-1000, that he let me ride a several times. The GS Suzuki’s were very popular in the late 70s and early 80s. The the lack of oil leaks, great performance, and their reliability were big selling points. The DOHC in-line 4-cylinder 4-stroke engines were powerful and required very little maintenance, but the four Mikuni carburetors did require regular balancing with vacuum gauges.
Suzuki entered the motor-vehicle field with the launch of the Power Free, a 36cc, 2-cycle auxiliary bicycle engine. In Hamamatsu, Japan where the Suzuki Headquarters was located, there were strong seasonal winds that made it difficult to bicycle when there was headwinds. Shunzo Suzuki would ride his bicycle to go fishing, but thought “it would be so much easier if this bike had an engine…”
1971 – GT750 750cc, 2-cycle Motorcycle
This thought and idea developed into the Power Free, which launched in 1952. At the time, regulations on riding motorised bicycles changed from licence-based to permission-based, allowing everyone to ride them after taking a simple course. This trend really helped Power Free to become an immediate success with record sales.
The below information isn’t a comprehensive list, but provides some highlights of key motorcycle launches. Some product introduced were mainly for the Japanese domestic market and not available in the U.S. History:
- June 1952 – Suzuki enters the motor-vehicle field with the launch of the Power Free 36cc, 2-cycle auxiliary bicycle engine.
- March 1953 – Diamond Free 60cc, 2-cycle auxiliary bicycle engine debuts and its monthly production exceeds 6,000 units amid a bike boom.
- March 1955 – Colleda 125cc, 4-cycle motorcycle debuts.
- June 1963 – Mitsuo Ito becomes the first Japanese rider to win the Isle of Man TT in the 50cc class.
- March 1967 – Thai Suzuki Motor Co., Ltd. is established for assembly in Thailand. (First motorcycle plant outside Japan)
- September 1971 – GT750 750cc, 2-cycle motorcycle debut.
- January 1972 – GT380 380cc, 2-cycle motorcycle debuts.
- October 1981 – GSX 1100S Katana 1100cc, 4-cycle motorcycle debut in overseas markets.
- March 1984 – GSX-R 400cc, 4-cycle sportbike debuts.
- March 1985 – GSX-R750 750cc, 4-cycle motorcycle debuts.
- August 2009 — TU250X 250cc, 4-cycle motorcycle with old school charm debuts.
- August 2016 – SV650ABS sportbike debuts.
- January 2018 – New sportbike GSX-R125 ABS, GSX-R series debuts.
- October 2018 – Suzuki unveils all-new KATANA for the overseas market.
- November 2019 – Suzuki Unveils the All-New V-STROM 1050 and V-STROM 1050XT.
The Suzuki Hayabusa — The ‘Ultimate’ Sportbike
The journey of any company for 100 years is never easy. Suzuki has overcome a number of crises since the foundation and continues to thrive.
Suzuki has grown into a company with many motorcycle fans across the globe. The founder’s philosophy of ‘focusing on customers’ and striving to deliver products that customers want across the globe marks another beginning of the next century.
For a complete Suzuki motorcycle lineup go HERE.
Photos courtesy of Suzuki Motor Corporation
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