Apparently, the American motto of “bigger is better” has struck a chord with someone in China, of all places. This giant beast of a motorcycle measures over 14 feet long and almost eight feet tall, and was built by a Chinese sewage plant worker in his spare time. Continue Reading »
Suzuki is providing 10 million yen (US$100,500) in aid to the Red Cross Society to provide support for those affected by the April 20 earthquake in China’s Sichuan province. Suzuki‘s pledge is in addition to 1 million RMB (US$161,000) donated by Chongqing Changan Suzuki Automobile Co., a Suzuki joint venture with China’s Changan Group.
The region in southwestern China was hit by a major tremor at about 8 o’clock in the morning, local time. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.6, with aftershocks registering magnitudes up to 5.1. As of this writing, the earthquake resulted in the death of 186 people. Another 11,000 people were injured and nearly two dozen in rural communities remain unaccounted for. Continue Reading »
Suzuki will produce a semi-faired variant of its GW250 for Asia and Europe. The new Suzuki Inazuma GW250S, which adds a half-fairing and windscreen to the small-displacement standard, will be officially introduced April 20 at the Shanghai Motor Show in China. As with the original GW250, the S version will first be available in China with Italian site Motociclismo.it reporting the GW250S will be soon after be offered for Japan and Europe.
An earlier prototype of the Suzuki GW250S (pictured here) was actually unveiled last October at the 2012 China International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition (CIMAMotor) alongside a police-spec version dubbed the GW250J. Both models were produced by Haojue, Suzuki’s Chinese joint venture and the country’s leading motorcycle manufacturer.
The GW250J has already been pressed into service by police in China but the final production version won’t finally be introduced until the Shanghai show. The GW250J’s handlebars are set higher than the base GW250, and the same appears to be true of the GW250J. This would give the GW250S a more upright seating position which, combined with the added wind protection, would make it more suited for sport-touring duties. Continue Reading »
Suzuki has suspended production at one of its motorcycle factories in China as Anti-Japanese protests sweep across the Asian nation.
Tensions between China and Japan flared up in late August after the Japanese government announced plans to buy a handful of uninhabited but strategically useful islands. Both nations, as well as Taiwan, claim ownership of the islands, known as the Senkaku Islands to Japan and the Diaoyu Islands to China.
Naturally, the Chinese took umbrage with the estimated 2.05 billion yen (US$26.1 million) bid, sending a pair of patrol ships to the islands in a show of sovereignty. Meanwhile, Chinese citizens began staging demonstrations and boycotts against Japanese products, with reports of Japanese car dealerships being targeted by vandals.
Tempers are especially high with the Sept. 18 marking the anniversary of the start of the Manchurian Incident, where the Japanese military staged a bombing on a Japanese train in China to create a pretext for an ensuing invasion. Continue Reading »
Suzuki showrooms in China are about to look a lot different in a couple of days, with the usual small-displacement single-cylinder motorcycles making way for a couple of big behemoths.
The Japanese manufacturer has joint ventures with four Chinese companies offering motorcycles and scooters, primarily small-displacement models. One of those joint ventures is Jinan Qingqi Suzuki Motorcycle Co., which offers models such as the GT125 standard or the QS150 cruiser. These models, though small by North American standards, suit the market’s need everyday transportation.
The Chinese market is changing however with the focus shifting from small utilitarian models to larger pleasure vehicles. To meet the change in demand, Suzuki will introduce two large displacement models offered internationally: the Hayabusa sportbike and the Boulevard M109R cruiser. Both models arrive in showrooms in Beijing and Shanghai on July 1. Continue Reading »
Ducati unveiled a new model to its Monster family specifically for the Asian market, combining the engine of the 796 and the chassis of the 696.
The new Ducati Monster 795 is powered by the same 803cc 90-degree V-Twin engine as found in the Monster 796, claiming 87hp at 8250 rpm and 58 ft-lb. at 6250 rpm. The chassis, double-sided swing arm and three-spoke wheels, however, appear to be identical to those on the Monster 696,
Suzuki officially launched its new GW250 B-King inspired motorcycle as its flagship model for China.
Presented at the China International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition (CIMAMotor 2011), Suzuki GW250 will be produced in China first for the domestic market but will later be exported to Europe, Indonesia and Central and South America. The GW250 will be sold in China by Haojue, a joint venture between Suzuki and Jiangmen Dachangjiang Group and one of China’s largest motorcycle
Okay, the headline sounds like the setup to a bad joke, but it pretty much describes the scene in the picture above released by the Piaggio Group.
Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is in China this month to mark the 40th anniversary of his secret diplomatic visit in 1971 which paved the way for formalized relations between China and the United States.
Last week, the noted diplomat went through the city of Chongqing, one of China’s largest municipalities and home of the Piaggio Zongshen Foshan Motorcycle Co., a joint venture partially owned by the Piaggio Group.
Piaggio Zongshen Foshan took the opportunity to debut the Chongqing police force’s fleet of 30 police-spec Aprilia Mana 850 motorcycles as Kissinger’s escort.
Powered by an 850cc 90-degree V-Twin engine, the Mana is equipped with an automatic transmission as well as a semi-manual 7-speed sequential transmission and three engine mappings. The police version is specially customized with radio equipment, sirens and other equipment.
[Source: Piaggio]
The Piaggio Group announced plans to open a new research and development center in China for producing new vehicles specifically for the Asian market.
The new R&D facility will be located in Foshan, an industrial center in southern China which also houses Piaggio Zongshen Foshan Motorcycle Co., a joint venture owned by Piaggio (45%), the Zongshen Group (45%) and the municipality of Foshan (10%). The new center will be 100% owned by Piaggio, and will focus on developing electric motors, diesel engines as well as small commercial vehicles.
Piaggio plans to employ about 50 engineers at the Foshan R&D center.
Press release after the jump.
Harley-Davidson opened its first dealer in China in 2005, they now have four dealers operating nationwide (Shanghai, Beijing, Qingdao and Hong Kong). Harley reported that sales had doubled in China last year and plans to open four new dealerships this year (Wenzhou, Xiamen, Dalian and Chengdu). According to Rodney Copes, Harley’s Vice President of international sales, China is the fastest growing market for the American motorcycle manufacture.
