I
n the early 1970s, Suzuki turned its mighty resources to the world of motocross.
The sport was already hugely popular in Europe, and the Japanese company,
in another classic ‘win on Sunday, sell on Monday’ strategy, burst into the game
with a team so potent it was simply unbeatable.
They hired the world’s best riders, putting Gaston Rahier, Joel Robert and Sylvain
Geboers on 250s, and Roger DeCoster and Gerrit Wolsink in the open class on 400s.
Robert, who holds claim to the title of the greatest-ever natural rider, had already won
three world 250cc class championships for CZ, and would win another three for Suzuki,
with team mate Geboers right behind.
De Coster was already a top runner on CZs and would go on to collect five open
class titles for Suzuki. Wolsink, his team-mate, finished third in the 500cc world
championships between 1975 and 79.
Rahier would eventually win three world 125cc championships for Suzuki.
Development of the all-conquering Suzuki works bikes began in 1968 with the hiring
of Olle Pettersson. The collaboration produced the RH250, simply a class ahead
of every other machine, especially with Robert on board.
Suzuki then turned to creating the best open class bike, and by 1971 the RN400
was on the tracks. It was a symphony of all that was good in motocross machinery:
light, fast, powerful yet tractable, and it had the best suspension available.
Suzuki was prepared to spend whatever it took, and advertised the cost of a bike
at $15,000, when a stock TM motocrosser retailed for around $900. In reality, the
advertised price was probably a fraction of what the bikes actually cost.
KIWI RIDER 23