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NEWS
2012 Tokyo Motorcycle Show: Suzuki
The least impressive of the Japanese manufacturer stands at the nation's two-wheel showpiece, with only a few ‘hooks' to get the punters in
The 2012 Tokyo Motorcycle Show, which was held from March 23-25 at the giant ‘Big Sight’ exhibition complex in the city’s east, pulled the punters in by the thousands – and with good reason, as it had been a two-year wait after the 2011 event was cancelled following the earthquake.
But there is no doubt that some manufacturers wasted a viable opportunity to score some fresh points, and one of them was Suzuki. Its stand wasn’t short on stock per se, but there was little fanfare or shock value -- probably understandable in a sense with its mdoel range recently going through a quiet evolution rather than a sweeping overhaul.
Suzuki concentrated on showing its conventionally powered models in Tokyo, with the only electric bike in sight the e-Let’s.
The e-Let's is a commuter designed to travel 30km from a single charge and is topped-up via a standard domestic outlet. The all-electric model incorporates technology usually associated with hybrid-electric cars, including regenerative braking and lithium-ion battery. Power comes from an in-wheel electric motor. All in all a fairly neat little package.
Suzuki spent most of 2011 in testing mode for the e-Let’s, and now it’s available in Japan for 312,900 yen ($3613), and in ‘W’ mode with a second battery ($A4584). Batteries are Sanyo, courtesy of Panasonic.
The 250cc four-stroke single-cylinder Gemma, which was first shown as a concept at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, and then released in production guise shortly thereafter, was afforded ‘executive’ podium status at the this year’s bike show, paraded in three new colours – army green the most striking.
The ‘full-flat two-seater’ has never made it to Australia – much like its Yamaha Maxam lookalike – as haven’t a large percentage of Suzuki’s smaller capacity commuters, including the GSR400 and Gladius 400, available in both standard and ABS versions.
Both of those bikes -- as you’d expect in a market which has an insatiable appetite for such capacity machines – were present, as well as the GW250, the Inzamuma (basically a GW250 and vice-versa), V-Strom 650 ABS, Bandit 1250 F, VanVan 200 and GSX-R1000 – the latter will little chest beating, much like Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha with their one-litre rocketships.
The stout-looking VanVan 200 weighs 128kg and punches out 16hp and 15Nm.
The Inzauma, complete with B-King-like styling, won’t come to Australia in the foreseeable future, as Suzuki Australia continues to utilise the TU250X retro machine in the 250cc road bike space.
Meanwhile, the GW250 remains a key model in booming China, which is undoubtedly becoming more enthusiastic about motorcycle ownership – and the leisure part of the two-wheel equation, with manufacturers just started to harness that groundswell now.
The GW250 is now – or on the cusp of being – manufactured in China, too.
Unicorn Japan, a Japanese-based styling emporium which specialises in Suzuki makeovers, also has a presence on the stand with embellished versions of the 1250S and Gladius 650.
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Written byMark Fattore
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