Hopkins: Suzuki are right

Suzuki’s decision not to build a new 800cc bike that was a radical departure from its 2006 factory GSV-R 990cc machine is a key reason for the Japanese manufacturers blistering start to the new world championship era. 

That’s the view of John Hopkins, who finished second quickest in Malaysia recently when winter testing resumed after a seven-week ban.

“Suzuki has been getting ready for a long time. Everything we were testing all of last year was getting ready for the 800. 

“Right now Suzuki have gone ahead of the others because we have stuck with the same chassis and refined the 990 chassis whereas some people went out and built a completely new bike.”