Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

On the heels of several announcements clarifying their “alliance”, Suzuki and Kawasaki simultaneously began the first full tests of their new MotoGP four-stroke racebikes at Sepang in Malaysia Monday, February 4. This is the first time that four-stroke MotoGP bikes of two different manufacturers have been at the same track at the same time.

After a short test session at their Ryuyo factory test track in Japan two weeks ago, Suzuki factory World Championship riders Kenny Roberts and Sete Gibernau and All-Japan Road Racing Series riders Akira Ryo and Yukio Kagayama began their first, full test of Suzuki’s new XREO four-stroke, 990cc, 60-degree V-4 Monday at Sepang.

Then, in what was termed by many as a “surprise”, Kawasaki’s four-stroke development rider Akira Yanagawa rolled out of a garage on the bike that the smallest of the “Big Four” Japanese motorcycle manufacturers hopes to begin racing during the 2002 season. Kawasaki hasn’t released any details about the MotoGP four-stroke machine except to say that it will race in select rounds of the World Championship and All-Japan Road Race Series this season.

Timing with the announcement of the Suzuki/Kawasaki “alliance” may be coincidental, and it is not known whether Suzuki and Kawasaki are co-developing a MotoGP bike. Having said that, Suzuki and Kawasaki must have cooperated in planning for both teams to be at the private test in Malaysia.

News of the Suzuki/Kawasaki alliance was first released in August of 2001 and recent releases from both companies continue to clarify the relationship. A January memo to Kawasaki dealers stated, “The alliance–created to allow the two brands to share certain production platforms, related sourcing, and engage in selected product co-development–was announced last August and will begin to take form by the middle of this year.”

When asked about the cooperative Suzuki/Kawasaki test at Sepang, American Suzuki spokesman Mark Reese said that he wasn’t informed on Suzuki’s MotoGP plans and had no information to give. However, Reese was aware that both Suzuki and Kawasaki development teams were at the test together.

Stay tuned for more details as they become available.