60 years of Suzuki: Milestones and World Champions

With Suzuki celebrating its 100^th anniversary and 60^th year of racing, it is the perfect time to look through the history of the Hamamatsu team.

From its origins in the lightweight classes teaming up with East German defector Ernst Degner to scaling the all-time heights to become six-time 500cc world champions, Suzuki’s rich past is set to be commemorated over the course of the 2020 MotoGP season which started with the unveiling of its retro-inspired GSX-RR livery.

Legendary names like Barry Sheene, Kevin Schwantz and Kenny Roberts Jnr have delivered Suzuki its greatest moments, while the team has also endured numerous tough times with serious rider injuries and also stepping away from racing as a factory effort on two separate occasions.

With Suzuki playing an integral role in helping shape this history of Grand Prix racing, in the video below we go into detail on the many chapters that create Suzuki’s story, starting in the early 1960s up to the modern day with Alex Rins returning the Japanese manufacturer to winning ways.

Will Suzuki’s 60^th year in racing be one to remember and where will Joan Mir and Alex Rins stack up against their fellow competitors?

What is your favourite Suzuki MotoGP memory? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

6x 500cc/MotoGP World Champions

1976, 1977 – Barry Sheene

1981 – Marco Lucchinelli

1982 – Franco Uncini

1993 – Kevin Schwantz

2000 – Kenny Roberts Jnr

3x 125cc World Champions

1963, 1965 – Hugh Anderson

1970 – Dieter Braun

6x 50cc/80cc World Champions

1962 – Ernst Degner

1963, 1964 – Hugh Anderson

1966, 1967, 1968 – Hans Georg Anscheidt