Suzuki Tops New Zealand Awards

Suzuki Tops New Zealand Awards On Two Wheels and Four

Suzuki has been named Road Bike of the Year with the GSX-R750 as the marque continues to win New Zealand awards on two wheels and four.

Following in the wheel tracks of the Suzuki Swift Sport winning the AMI Autocar Small Car of the Year title, the GSX-R750 superbike has taken top road bike honours in the motorcycle industry.

The legendary GSX-R750 won the Road Bike of the Year prize at the fourth annual Motorcycling New Zealand Awards night in Auckland on February 3.

Described by independent critics as the ultimate sports bike, the latest version of the classic GSX-R750 is narrower, lighter and more powerful than before.

It has an ultra lightweight frame built entirely of aluminium alloy castings and is powered by a four-stroke, 16-valve, double overhead camshaft, liquid cooled engine.

The GSX-R750 model line dates back to 1985 when it was launched to a startled world. Offering a link between the racetrack and the street, the high performance Suzuki has always been regarded as a superb all-round road bike.

Two decades ago the GSX-R750 revolutionised sports bike design as Suzuki engineers adapted racing technology for road use

In its latest highly acclaimed form, the motorcycle boasts an advanced exhaust system designed to improve aerodynamics.

It has a lower centre of gravity and centralised mass and provides a superb blend of performance and agility.

First gear is good for at least 110 km/h and at 175 km/h in second gear, the GSX-R750 still has four gears to go.

Highly efficient braking includes radially mounted Tokico four-piston brake callipers and powerful 300m discs.

In awarding the GSX-R750 the New Zealand Road Bike of the Year honour, judges said the motorcycle “is a bike that offers nearly 1000 cc level of performance in a 600 cc size package”.

Suzuki road race champion Andrew Stroud collected the Rider of the Year (road) award at the function. Simon Meade, Motorcycle Sales Manager for Suzuki New Zealand Ltd, presented him with the award.

Stroud is the reigning National Superbike Champion and is currently running second in this year’s series after three of the six rounds.

Suzuki motorcycles topped all the main categories at the New Zealand Motorcycle Road Race championships last season, with Stroud leading a Suzuki 1-2-3-4 in the Superbikes class.

The motorcycle accolades come a few weeks after Suzuki’s affordable hot hatch, the Swift Sport 1600, won the Small Car of the Year award.

It was the second successive title for the model after the mainstream Swift took out the same award the previous year.

The top rating of the Swift by independent motoring writers has been reflected in sales of the model. It was the best selling small car on the New Zealand market in 2006 for the second year running.

ENDS

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