TK4
Well-known member
Not for Canada you say ? Pity...
Suzuki GSX-R1000 Legend Edition Released - Adventure Rider (advrider.com)
Suzuki GSX-R1000 Legend Edition Released - Adventure Rider (advrider.com)
Suzuki GSX-R1000 Legend Edition
- Thread starter TK4
- Start date
Stock bikes (with an Akra pipe). Wait 6 months, those plastics will be available on eBay, shipped from China.
"While the first 25 years of Grand Prix motorcycle racing’s top class was dominated by the European manufacturers, Giacomo Agostini broke the ice for the Japanese factories in 1975 riding for Yamaha. This was followed closely in 1976 and ’77 by Barry Sheene on a Suzuki...."
What? HUH?
Don Emde won the '72 Daytona 200 on a Yamaha 350, which started 30 years of YAMAHA domination of Daytona and GP racing... and Sheene rode a Suzuki TR750 XR11 in the same race.
What? HUH?
Don Emde won the '72 Daytona 200 on a Yamaha 350, which started 30 years of YAMAHA domination of Daytona and GP racing... and Sheene rode a Suzuki TR750 XR11 in the same race.
Is the Daytona 200 considered "Grand Prix motorcycle racing's top class"?
Just asking... ?
Daytona is not a GP race.
It IS a top class race, and is usually contested by the worlds top riders. Daytona MATTERS
In 1972 the "premier" GP class was 500cc, Daytona was an "unlimited" AMA class, max 1000cc and Daytona was traditionally won by a Triumph or BSA 650 in the 60s. FIM has/had Formula 750 and unlimited classes but they weren't as well supported. Joey Dunlop won a bunch of Formula 750 world championships.
The 500 GP class in the late 60s was ruled by Ago. You could have put him on a ten speed and he would still win races.
Don Emde entered the '72 Daytona on a Yamaha TR3 350cc two stroke, and to everyone's surprise he won the race. He was riding a bike with half the motor as anyone else on the track, including Sheene on a Suzuki 750cc (that was faster BUT broke).
It wasn't some heroic thing, a whole bunch of fast guys in front of him broke and he ended up being the fastest guy that finished the race...
BUT it was the shot heard round the world. Mid way through 1972 Yamaha released the TZ 250/350 and by 1973 Yamaha made up 80% of the GP grid. If you wanted to win races, you had a Yamaha.
Then came King Kenny. Kenny changed the way we ride bikes.
Kenny could beat Ago.
Kenny could beat Ago, when Ago was on a 500cc MZ when Kenny was on a TZ350.
The Yamaha TZ and Kenny Roberts killed the European dominance of GP racing, Suzuki had nothing to do with it.
It IS a top class race, and is usually contested by the worlds top riders. Daytona MATTERS
In 1972 the "premier" GP class was 500cc, Daytona was an "unlimited" AMA class, max 1000cc and Daytona was traditionally won by a Triumph or BSA 650 in the 60s. FIM has/had Formula 750 and unlimited classes but they weren't as well supported. Joey Dunlop won a bunch of Formula 750 world championships.
The 500 GP class in the late 60s was ruled by Ago. You could have put him on a ten speed and he would still win races.
Don Emde entered the '72 Daytona on a Yamaha TR3 350cc two stroke, and to everyone's surprise he won the race. He was riding a bike with half the motor as anyone else on the track, including Sheene on a Suzuki 750cc (that was faster BUT broke).
It wasn't some heroic thing, a whole bunch of fast guys in front of him broke and he ended up being the fastest guy that finished the race...
BUT it was the shot heard round the world. Mid way through 1972 Yamaha released the TZ 250/350 and by 1973 Yamaha made up 80% of the GP grid. If you wanted to win races, you had a Yamaha.
Then came King Kenny. Kenny changed the way we ride bikes.
Kenny could beat Ago.
Kenny could beat Ago, when Ago was on a 500cc MZ when Kenny was on a TZ350.
The Yamaha TZ and Kenny Roberts killed the European dominance of GP racing, Suzuki had nothing to do with it.
Priller
Well-known member
FTFY
To muddy the waters for GP500, Sheene was boss on the Euro GP scene before Kenny:
1974: Read on an MV (last of a long string of championships for MV)
1975: Ago on a Yamaha
1976-77: Sheene on a Suzuki
1978-80: Kenny on a Yamaha
1981: Luchinelli on a Suzuki
1982: Uncini on a Suzuki
Then came Fast Freddie on a Honda, and it's been Honda vs Yamaha since with only a few one-off blips every 6-12 years...
As for these Gixxers, make mine the Lucky Strike Schwantz. An iconic livery from an era chock full of beautiful bikes...
