“S” from Suzuki…

All About Suzuki…

Type	Public (TYO: 7269)
Founded	1909 (as Suzuki Loom Works)
Founder(s)	Michio Suzuki
Headquarters	Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan
Key people	Osamu Suzuki, Chairman of the Board, President, CEO, COO and Representative Director
Industry	Automobile
Products	Automobiles Engines Motorcycles ATVs Outboard Motors
Revenue	▼$33.46 billion (2008)
Operating income	▼$856.6 million (2008)
Net income	▼$305.43 million (2008)
Employees	14,266 (2009)
Subsidiaries	Magyar Suzuki Maruti Suzuki Pak Suzuki Motor
Website	GlobalSuzuki.com

Suzuki Motor Corporation (スズキ株式会社, Suzuki Kabushiki-Kaisha^?) is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines. Suzuki Motor Corporation is the 9th largest automobile manufacturer in the world by production volume, employs over 45,000 people, has 35 main production facilities in 23 countries and 133 distributors in 192 countries.

“Suzuki” is pronounced [suzuki] in Japanese, with a high tone on the [ki]. It is pronounced /səˈzuːki/ sə-ZOO-kee in English, with a stressed zu. This pronunciation is used by the Suzuki company in marketing campaigns directed towards this demographic.

History….

In 1909, Michio Suzuki founded the Suzuki Loom Works in the small seacoast village of Hamamatsu, Japan. Business boomed as Suzuki built weaving looms for Japan’s giant silk industry. In 1929, Michio Suzuki invented a new type of weaving machine, which was exported overseas. Suzuki filed as many as 120 patents and utility model rights. The company’s first 30 years focused on the development and production of these exceptionally complex machines.

Despite the success of his looms, Suzuki realized his company had to diversify and he began to look at other products. Based on consumer demand, he decided that building a small car would be the most practical new venture. The project began in 1937, and within two years Suzuki had completed several compact prototype cars. These first Suzuki motor vehicles were powered by a then-innovative, liquid-cooled, four-stroke, four-cylinder engine. It featured a cast aluminum crankcase and gearbox and generated 13 horsepower (9.7 kW) from a displacement of less than 800cc.

With the onset of World War II, production plans for Suzuki’s new vehicles were halted when the government declared civilian passenger cars a “non-essential commodity.” At the conclusion of the war, Suzuki went back to producing looms. Loom production was given a boost when the U.S. government approved the shipping of cotton to Japan. Suzuki’s fortunes brightened as orders began to increase from domestic textile manufacturers. But the joy was short-lived as the cotton market collapsed in 1951.

Faced with this colossal challenge, Suzuki’s thoughts went back to motor vehicles. After the war, the Japanese had a great need for affordable, reliable personal transportation. A number of firms began offering “clip-on” gas-powered engines that could be attached to the typical bicycle. Suzuki’s first two-wheel ingenuity came in the form of a motorized bicycle called, the “Power Free.” Designed to be inexpensive and simple to build and maintain, the 1952 Power Free featured a 36 cc, one horsepower, two-stroke engine. An unprecedented feature was the double-sprocket gear system, enabling the rider to either pedal with the engine assisting, pedal without engine assist, or simply disconnect the pedals and run on engine power alone. The system was so ingenious that the patent office of the new democratic government granted Suzuki a financial subsidy to continue research in motorcycle engineering, and so was born Suzuki Motor Corporation.

In 1953, Suzuki scored the first of many racing victories when the tiny 60 cc “Diamond Free” won its class in the Mount Fuji Hill Climb.

1955 Suzulight

By 1954, Suzuki was producing 6,000 motorcycles per month and had officially changed its name to Suzuki Motor Co., Ltd. Following the success of its first motorcycles, Suzuki created an even more successful automobile: the 1955 Suzuki Suzulight. Suzuki showcased its penchant for innovation from the beginning. The Suzulight included front-wheel drive, four-wheel independent suspension and rack-and-pinion steering—features common on cars half a century later.

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Harley’s…

Harley Davidson & Big V-twins…

Big V-twins…

• F-head, also known as JD, pocket valve and IOE (intake over exhaust), 1914–1929 (1000 cc), and 1922–1929 (1200 cc)
• Flathead, 1930–1948 (1200 cc) and 1935–1941 (1300 cc).
• Knucklehead, 1936–1947 61 cubic inch (1000 cc), and 1941–1947 74 cubic inch (1200 cc)
• Panhead, 1948–1965 61 cubic inch (1000 cc), and 1948–1965, 74 cubic inch (1200 cc)
• Shovelhead, 1966–1984, 74 cubic inch (1200 cc) and 80 cubic inch (1345 cc) since late 1978
• Evolution (aka “Evo” and “Blockhead”), 1984–2000, 80 cubic inch (1340 cc)
• Twin Cam 88 (aka “Fathead”) 1999–2006, 88 cubic inch (1450 cc)
• Twin Cam 88B (counter balanced version of the Twin Cam 88) 2000–2006, 88 cubic inch (1450 cc)
• Twin Cam 96, since 2007, 96 cubic inch (1584 cc)
• Twin Cam 103, 2003–2006, 2009, 103 cubic inch (1690 cc) (engines for C.V.O. models)
• Twin Cam 110, since 2007, 110 cubic inch (1802 cc) (engines for C.V.O. models)

Evolution Sportster cruising around downtown Buenos Aires

Small V-twins…

• D Model, 1929–1931, 750 cc
• R Model, 1932–1936, 750 cc
• W Model, 1937–1952, 750 cc, solo (2 wheel, frame only)
• G (Servi-Car) Model, 1932–1973, 750 cc
• K Model, 1952–1953, 750 cc
• KH Model, 1954–1956, 900 cc
• Ironhead, 1957–1971, 900 cc; 1971–1985, 1000 cc
• Evolution, since 1986, 883 cc, 1100 cc and 1200 cc

V-Rod on the show room floor

Revolution engine…

The Revolution engine is based on the VR-1000 Superbike race program, developed by Harley-Davidson’s Powertrain Engineering team and Porsche Engineering in Stuttgart, Germany. It is a liquid cooled, dual overhead cam, internally counterbalanced 60 degree V-twin engine with a displacement of 69 cubic inch (1130 cc), producing 115 hp (86 kW) at 8250 rpm at the crank, with a redline of 9000 rpm. It was introduced for the new V-Rod line in 2001 for the 2002 model year, starting with the single VRSCA (V-Twin Racing Street Custom) model.

A 1250 cc Screamin’ Eagle version of the Revolution engine was made available for 2005 & 2006, and was present thereafter in a single production model from 2005 to 2007. In 2008, the 1250 cc Revolution Engine became standard for the entire VRSC line. Harley-Davidson claims 123 hp (92 kW) at the crank for the 2008 VRSCAW model. The VRXSE Destroyer is equipped with a stroker (75 mm crank) Screamin’ Eagle 79 cubic inch (1300 cc) Revolution Engine, producing over 165 hp (123 kW).