This past weekend, the Suzuki Gixxer Cup 2016 season began with a bang after what seemed like a never ending off season. The season 1 had also ended on a high note in the presence of none other than the 1993 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz who had handed over the trophies to the winners of the season.

The 2016 season marks the second year of Suzuki’s presence in the Indian motosports arena. They had entered into the one make race championship last year with their 155 cc Gixxer SF motorcycle, which had undergone a complete makeover to be race ready.  The most prominent of the changes on the race spec Gixxer were the presence of a free flow exhaust,  proper clip-on handlebars, rearset footpegs along with lowered front suspension to give an aggressive racing stance, gear and brake lever modifications, new cowl on the rear seat, and front head light modifications.  Rear view mirrors, rear mudguard, center stand, and side stand were done away with, which resulted in an astonishing 20 kg weight loss. It was also fitted with purpose-built soft compound race tyres.

Performance wise, the One Make Race Gixxer SF uses the same stock engine that produces 14.8Ps @ 8000 RPM.  But the sprocket has been changed and the carburetor has also been re-jetted, which combined with a performance air filter and free flow exhaust make the Gixxer SF a mean machine on the track. The bike handles like a charm and the engine responds more eagerly and freely to rider inputs.

The most significant change on this year’s race bike is the presence of the rear disc brake and also braided brake hose for more reliable and efficient braking. The rear disc brake version of the Gixxer SF was showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo by Suzuki.

To commence the Gixxer One Make Race 2016 season, we were invited by Suzuki at the Kari Speedway in Coimbatore where we not only got to ride their new race bike but we also got to actually race on it, thankfully not with the One Make Race boys though! 😀 It was a ‘fun’ race especially for the media guys. The stakes were pretty high though. There were some cool Suzuki branded riding jackets to be won!  So after a practice session of around half an hour, we all were allowed to let it loose on the track. The winners were selected on the basis of fastest lap timing and the fastest guy clocked his best lap at 1.24:639 minutes.  Yours truly stood at respectable 5th with the fastest lap of 1:31: 454 minutes.  Not bad, eh?

Anyways, a lot of credit goes to the bike itself for inspiring confidence in us to try to go as fast as we could. We had also ridden the Gixxer race bike last year on this track itself and came back pretty impressed. It felt essentially the same good old Gixxer but with better braking thanks to its rear disc and better footpeg positioning. This year, the footpegs didn’t seem too fond of kissing the tarmac as they were last time.

And as you read this, the battle has already begun and the inauguration round of the Season 2 of Gixxer cup is already over. A few talented guys in the novice and open category will be fighting it out over the next few months to claim the title.

The one thing that is happening with this season of Gixxer cup is the commencement of Red Bull Road to Rookies Cup alongside the Gixxer Cup. Suzuki will handpick 10 young riders aged between 13 and 17 years and get them race along the Suzuki Gixxer Cup. These riders will be mentored by the likes of Rajini Krishnan and two best riders from among them will be sent to participate in the Red Bull motoGP Rookies Cup 2016 in Spain. The winner of the Red Bull Rookies cup will get a direct entry into Moto3.

This is one big step by Suzuki that has the potential to significantly change the racing demographics in India as it will open the doors of competitive racing pretty early for the talented riders, which is very important if you want to reach the pinnacle of motorcycle racing in the world, i.e., MotoGP. Early start is a key if you want to race at the MotoGP level. Abroad, the riders start as early as 5 or 6 years old and then undergo at least a decade of rigorous training and racing before they are able to knock the MotoGP doors. Here, by the time racers start racing, they are already past the age threshold to enter the grand prix.  So this is huge leap in that direction and hopefully we will see a rider from India competing at the Moto3 or Moto2 level in the next 5 years or so.

Thanks to manufacturers like Suzuki and others, Indian motosports finally seems to be coming of age and the future seems bright! About time we say! It is not the lack of talent that is holding us back. It is just the lack of guidance and opportunities. And with competitions like these happening, the opportunities will be aplenty. We can only wish everyone involved all the best and offer our unconditional support!

Photos Courtesy: Suzuki Motorcycles India