From a press release issued by Suzuki:
TWO CHAMPIONS, ONE ROOKIE CLOSE FIRST FOUR-STROKE CHAPTER
Team Suzuki HQ, Edenbridge, England. November 20th 2002
The first chapter in the life of Suzuki’s new-this-year prototype four-stroke Grand Prix racer – the 200-plus horsepower GSV-R – was closed in fitting style in Malaysia in the fortnight after the bike’s last race, when racing legend Kevin Schwantz joined the factory teamsters for final tests.
Also in action was 2000 World Champion Kenny Roberts Jr., looking forward to his fifth year with the factory Suzuki team, and fellow-American John Hopkins, a four-stroke first-timer who will be Kenny’s team-mate in 2003.
Roberts (29) is fresh from the 2002 season, a year of on-track development of the all-new machine, in which a path of steady improvement from raw prototype at the first races took him to the top-three rostrum in Brazil at the other end of the season.
Teenager Hopkins (19) had just completed his first GP season after a rapid rise through US racing. Riding a 500cc two-stroke, “Hopper” was far and away top newcomer, with a string of points-scoring rides.
1993 World Champion Schwantz (38) was officially at the tests to gain impressions of the exciting new GSV-R for major US monthly magazine Cycle World. Such was the legendary Suzuki star’s speed, however, that he also found himself acting as consultant to the factory engineers.
“Revvin’ Kevin” rode for Suzuki throughout an astounding racing career, which started with a blaze of glory in US Superbikes, then took him to legendary status in ten years as the swashbuckling star of the 500cc class. Schwantz won the World Championship in 1993, and racked up 25 GP wins in spectacular style, putting him in the top five of all-time GP winners.
The major purpose of the three-day tests, aside from introducing Hopkins to his new machine, was to assess a further evolution to the chassis, and to finalise data on other aspects. All this information will be added to that gathered in the racing season, to be built in to next year’s Mk2 version of the 200mph GSV-R. This will take the exciting V4 project from first prototype to fully fledged racer, with the clear aim of achieving race-winning and title-winning potential from the start the 2003 season.
“The weather wasn’t kind to us, but we expected that in Malaysia, and that was why we booked three days when we could have done what was needed in two. As it turned out, we used all three days,” said team manager Garry Taylor.
“Kenny worked hard assessing the new evolutionary chassis, and made good progress. We’re not releasing lap times, but they were very competitive.
“John was very impressive – taking it steadily and getting faster and faster throughout the tests. His team were particularly struck by his mature approach, considering he is still only 19. We’re all really looking forward to next year with him,” Taylor continued.
“It was fantastic to see Kevin on a GP bike again. He asked us at the start of the year, but he said he wanted a proper test, and he ran a couple of GP distances. He hasn’t lost his touch at all, and he was physically just as fit and vital as during his career. His times would have embarrassed a few other riders at the first day of qualifying for this year’s Malaysian GP.
“It was very useful to have some like Kevin’s insight, and we’d love to do it again some time. The factory and team engineers were also really interested in his opinions, which backed up Kenny’s. It all helps to clarify the requirements for next year’s machine, which will take the V4 concept a stage further,” said Taylor.
“It was hard on riders and team to have to test with the GP season barely over, but now we will take a break until January. The good thing is that the factory engineers now have a long spell to concentrate on incorporating everything we have learned into next year’s bike, which is already at an advanced stage on the drawing board,” the team manager concluded.
KENNY ROBERTS – LAP TIMES AND TIME ZONES: The tests were useful. The new chassis ideas seemed to be of benefit, although more in comfort of riding the bike, and in improving the overall race pace rather than individual lap times at this stage. We can work on that. Other bits and pieces we tested were nothing compared with what the next step’s gonna be. In the last part of the season we’ve been working hard on what we need for next year’s bike.
Kevin looked good and had a lot of fun on the bike. He was able to point out some things right away, that were the same as me. The factory engineers are pretty confident with the rider information they’re getting now. John was good and steady. He has a lot to learn, but for how young he is he did a great job.
Now I’m just trying to get used to getting back into a normal sleeping rhythm – for a couple of months now we’ve been changing time zones just about every week. I’ve a few things to do right up almost until Christmas, so I’ll be grabbing time off wherever I can in between.
JOHN HOPKINS – GETTING TO KNOW YOU: I thought my first ride on the Suzuki was really good. I went out and had fun and put in the laps. The bike was everything I’d expected, and it was really good to get back on Michelin tyres. I felt real confident on them right away, and that’s one of the big things I’m happy about. To ride, the bike is a little like a 500 in some ways, and in other ways more like my old Formula Xtreme machine (Hopkins won that title in 2001 on a race-kitted Suzuki GSX-R1000). The way it handles is like the GP bike, but it seemed quite a bit easier to ride than a 500. It gets the power to the ground more like the Formula Xtreme bike. And there’s a real lot of power.
I’m taking a break now – just being home is a holiday after my first season and all the travel. I’ll spend as much time as possible riding my motocross bike, and we’re also moving into a new house that was built while I was away during the season.
KEVIN SCHWANTZ – FUN AND FAST AGAIN, JUST LIKE BEFORE: On the way to Malaysia I was wondering why I was flying 14 hours just to ride a motorcycle. I have lots of them at home. After riding the GSV-R, I want to ride it again. I’d be prepared to fly to Japan to do it! I really liked it and had a good time riding it.
To me, I guess the biggest difference compared with the four-stroke 500 was how physical you have to be to change direction when you’re on the gas – like through S-bends. I guess that would be because of the extra mass of the crankshaft spinning up. The clutch didn’t seem a big drama to me, but at the same time I was lapping three seconds off. Whenever anybody rode my bike, I didn’t think much of their comments if they were a second or even half-a-second slower than me!
It has tons of power. I found if I would roll through the turns a gear higher than Kenny, with lower revs, it would immediately wheelie off the turn because of the torque. You have to use more revs to spin the rear or make the front light to finish off the corners.
At the moment I run my racing school several times a year in the US, work with the AMA, and also with Suzuki here with their AMA race team at all the national Superbike races. Next year I’m hoping to run some race shools at a track in Britain, and to attend a few GPs.
