WORDS & PHOTOS : Ray Heron

LONG TERM TEST

’ ve always wondered what it is that makes a bike popular . In some cases , it might be because it ’ s cheap . Some others might find popularity through a good marketing campaign , and others might have some groundbreaking tech or a new wizz-bang feature . But I think it ’ s more than that . Did Suzuki know back when they released the first SV650 , that it was going to take off ? Now , that ’ s popular everywhere , such a great bike that ’ s appealed to commuters , racers and modifiers alike . And did Suzuki know when the first DR650 rolled off the production line all those years ago that they would still be rolling out of the factory some 20-plus years later ?

Suzuki is one manufacturer which has had its fair share of cult bikes . So , it would seem they have the recipe locked away in a vault somewhere ... maybe they sprinkle in a little bit of “ X-factor ” during the design process , or , possibly , they mix it in with the paint . Somewhere in Shizuoka , probably in an underground tank with radioactive stickers and signs all over it , is a highly volatile liquid used to give motorcycles life and spirit , reserved purely for the most special bikes . A quick Google of ‘ Top 10 bikes of all time from Suzuki ’ reveals the true story . Hayabusa , RG500 , TL1000R , GSX-R , Bandit 1200 , Katana , RGV250 , SV650 , Boulevard .

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