Suzuki’s Moto3 race bike project is taking shape. We’ve been keeping a keen eye on developments since exclusively revealing the first details in AMCN last month.
Latest patent documents filed by Suzuki show the same single-cylinder engine and distinctive, curling exhaust we’ve already reported on fitted to a rather intriguing frame.
It’s a part-trellis chassis instead of the beam frame pictured earlier. In particular, the patent refers to the alloy rear section of the frame, housing the shock and swingarm.
This combines cast aluminium parts welded to pressed alloy components to provide the ideal combination of light weight and high rigidity. It also means that the design can be altered by modifying either the cast or pressed elements.
Up front, there’s a tubular trellis frame, as favoured by the likes of KTM, which also allows easy modification to weight and rigidity.
All designs we’ve seen so far are race-oriented, with a labour-intensive construction method not suitable for mass production.
With Suzuki fighting hard for sales of its GSX-R125 in vast markets like Indonesia, it’s clear to see how a presence in Moto3 makes a helluva lot of marketing sense.
By Ben Purvis
