Suzuki quitting MotoGP at the end of 2022

mikesbytes said:

Looks like Suzuki is generating its own click bait - "we will return to the race and we will do it to win. But for that, We must first solve our problems in the market "

MotoGP, Suzuki President Toshihiro Suzuki: "If all goes well, we will return to racing and we will do it to win" - Paddock GP

At the last Milan Motor Show, Toshihiro Suzuki hinted that Suzuki could well return to MotoGP in the coming years.

www.paddock-gp.com

Click to expand...

Suzuki makes it difficult to read between the lines, but after decades of reading their press releases, interviews, and other publicity, I think the company disguises their motives, more than the meaning of their communications.

When Suzuki withdrew, their announcements did not have disguised meaning, imo. They were withdrawing immediately, and their actions followed their words. What was Suzuki's motivation? Dieselgate? No. As I've said many times, if MotoGP pays for itself, Dieselgate is irrelevant. Mentioning dieselgate and it's impact on the company was factual and honest, but it was disguising their motivation for withdrawal, imo, which was financial and/or technical, philosophical.

I think this press release also disguises their motives. Suzuki wants to race. True. Suzuki needs to fix its problems with its consumer products. True. Suzuki's motive in making these statements is to tease a return to racing? No. I bet Suzuki have done a considerable consumer research, and they've discovered that the public views their products as outdated, and has a diminished view of the brand after a decade of motorsport pullback.

Step 1: Inform the public that Suzuki is a motorsport brand that loves racing and technology.
Step 2: Something other than motorsport.
Step 3: Definitely not motorsport.
Step 4: Maybe motorsport, but probably not.

Motorsport is on a different story board. It involves closed-doors meetings with Dorna/Liberty and the FIM. I highly doubt Dorna, LIberty and the FIM have stipulating "fix road-going production models" as a pre-requisite of returning to MotoGP.

Perhaps Suzuki would be better off in WSBK?

mikesbytes said:

Perhaps Suzuki would be better off in WSBK?

Click to expand...

I don't think they will be competitive in SBK...
I follow BSB, IOMTT and sometimes watch a bit of AMA SBK and in neither of these series do they have any great success. I know the TT is not not technically a series, but there are people who run Suzukis, however none of the top runners (which is also a hint)

mikesbytes said:

Perhaps Suzuki would be better off in WSBK?

Click to expand...

What if the KTM road racing operation ends up on the auction block, I think that would be a great opportunity for Suzuki and/or BMW to scoop it up for far far less than trying to develop their own. At least it would get them in the hunt posthaste along with the technology transfer negating spending a ton to catch up.

I wonder if KTM is being approached already about the possibility of something like the above happening ???

In my opinion, when it comes to street bikes, KTM has burned a lot of bridges where I live here in the Toronto area.

DavidSim said:

What if the KTM road racing operation ends up on the auction block, I think that would be a great opportunity for Suzuki and/or BMW to scoop it up for far far less than trying to develop their own. At least it would get them in the hunt posthaste along with the technology transfer negating spending a ton to catch up.

I wonder if KTM is being approached already about the possibility of something like the above happening ???

In my opinion, when it comes to street bikes, KTM has burned a lot of bridges where I live here in the Toronto area.

Click to expand...

KTM are out on a technical limb in motogp though, carbon fiber chassis etc.

DavidSim said:

What if the KTM road racing operation ends up on the auction block, I think that would be a great opportunity for Suzuki and/or BMW to scoop it up for far far less than trying to develop their own. At least it would get them in the hunt posthaste along with the technology transfer negating spending a ton to catch up.

I wonder if KTM is being approached already about the possibility of something like the above happening ???

In my opinion, when it comes to street bikes, KTM has burned a lot of bridges where I live here in the Toronto area.

Click to expand...

Like others have said, I think that CFMoto is well-placed to buy parts of or even all of KTM. CFMoto are already releasing bikes said to be based on KTM technology and building bikes for KTM. One of the major problems CFMoto has is a lack of dealership networks in Europe and elsewhere. Buying KTM would solve that problem in a stroke.