Photo: Suter
Road racing specialists Suter Racing will take their amazing MMX 500 motorcycle to the Isle of Man this summer and will take part in the Tourist Trophy, competing against veterans such as Honda, Kawasaki or BMW.
Suter confirmed the presence of their 2-stroke racers in two events, the RST Superbike and PokerStars Senior TT Races, but no word was uttered as to who would be at the helm of the bike. Reportedly, Suter is in talks with two former TT race winners, but their names remain a secret.
Even though a 576cc machine may sound like a rather poor opponent for the likes of the BMW S1000RR or Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, there is so much more to the Suter MMX 500 than meets the eye. First off, we're talking about a bike that produces 195 horsepower, meaning that it is on par with the top machines that roam the Snaefell Mountain.
Besides their consistent road racing and bike building expertise, the Swiss have also engineered a machine with specs that make riders drool. The frame is a CNC machined aluminum structure with multi-adjustable steering, wheelbase, riding position, height matched by a similar, adjustable swingarm.
OZ magnesium or aluminum wheels can be installed, while race-grade Öhlins suspensions are present at both ends, as are Brembo brakes. The tank and bodywork are carbon fiber.
The 2-stroke V4 revs up to 13,000 rpm and breathes through four spec-made titanium-chambered Akrapovic exhausts. The six-speed transmission is actuated by a multi-disc dry SuterClutch assembly.
Talking about the MMX 500 and the TT, ex-GP rider and CEO Eskil Suter declared:
“A launch of this nature with a limited run of motorcycling would ordinarily not be spectacular but the fact that the Suter has a 580cc two-stroke engine evokes almost hysterical emotion with the association of the wild days of 500cc Grand Prix racing where legends like Kenny Roberts, Eddie Lawson and Wayne Gardner, just to name a few, regularly fought thrillingly for podiums and against crashing. The furious power explosion of the former two-stroke bikes was still memorable to real fans and is considered the golden age of motorcycle racing.
However, these motorcycles were never readily available. Suter has awakened this charismatic era with the MMX 500 bringing those GP bikes back to life in a modern context. We are equipping the MMX 500 engine with high-end components, of which one could only dream of back in the days of 500cc racing, including an electronic fuel injection, for example, and counter-rotating crankshafts.
We have a phenomenally good power to weight ratio. She drives like a bicycle with rocket propulsion. In collaboration with a renowned university we have found solutions to the challenge of the emissions and got it under control.
And that's the reason why we want to go to the toughest road race in the world. For us this is the perfect testing ground. The Senior TT, over six laps of the 60km long Snaefell Mountain Course, is just something for the toughest guys among the racers. I’m known indeed to be quite fearless, but the TT is now something where I would definitively prefer another let go first as a rider,” Suter told iomtt.com.
With a price of €109,000 ($121,500), the Suter MMX 500 is not exactly cheap, but it looks like there are enough wealthy customers who want it. Wonder whom Suter will have in the saddle for the 2016 Isle of Man TT.
Even though a 576cc machine may sound like a rather poor opponent for the likes of the BMW S1000RR or Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, there is so much more to the Suter MMX 500 than meets the eye. First off, we're talking about a bike that produces 195 horsepower, meaning that it is on par with the top machines that roam the Snaefell Mountain.
Grand Prix racing expertise may be Suter's ace up the sleeve
The MMX 500 is the pinnacle of Suter engineering, representing the embodiment of long years of road racing experience across multiple classes, including the Grand Prix championships, and this is, again, on par with what, say, Honda can brag about.Besides their consistent road racing and bike building expertise, the Swiss have also engineered a machine with specs that make riders drool. The frame is a CNC machined aluminum structure with multi-adjustable steering, wheelbase, riding position, height matched by a similar, adjustable swingarm.
OZ magnesium or aluminum wheels can be installed, while race-grade Öhlins suspensions are present at both ends, as are Brembo brakes. The tank and bodywork are carbon fiber.
The 2-stroke V4 revs up to 13,000 rpm and breathes through four spec-made titanium-chambered Akrapovic exhausts. The six-speed transmission is actuated by a multi-disc dry SuterClutch assembly.
Talking about the MMX 500 and the TT, ex-GP rider and CEO Eskil Suter declared:
“A launch of this nature with a limited run of motorcycling would ordinarily not be spectacular but the fact that the Suter has a 580cc two-stroke engine evokes almost hysterical emotion with the association of the wild days of 500cc Grand Prix racing where legends like Kenny Roberts, Eddie Lawson and Wayne Gardner, just to name a few, regularly fought thrillingly for podiums and against crashing. The furious power explosion of the former two-stroke bikes was still memorable to real fans and is considered the golden age of motorcycle racing.
However, these motorcycles were never readily available. Suter has awakened this charismatic era with the MMX 500 bringing those GP bikes back to life in a modern context. We are equipping the MMX 500 engine with high-end components, of which one could only dream of back in the days of 500cc racing, including an electronic fuel injection, for example, and counter-rotating crankshafts.
We have a phenomenally good power to weight ratio. She drives like a bicycle with rocket propulsion. In collaboration with a renowned university we have found solutions to the challenge of the emissions and got it under control.
And that's the reason why we want to go to the toughest road race in the world. For us this is the perfect testing ground. The Senior TT, over six laps of the 60km long Snaefell Mountain Course, is just something for the toughest guys among the racers. I’m known indeed to be quite fearless, but the TT is now something where I would definitively prefer another let go first as a rider,” Suter told iomtt.com.
With a price of €109,000 ($121,500), the Suter MMX 500 is not exactly cheap, but it looks like there are enough wealthy customers who want it. Wonder whom Suter will have in the saddle for the 2016 Isle of Man TT.
Google News