Suzuki GB Motorcycles/ATVs News

QRA ENDURO CHAMPIONSHIP GETS UNDERWAY

Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The QRA British Quad Endurance Championship got underway this weekend at Pitt Hall Farm, Hampshire. MKM Rocketman Suzuki had a rider in every class and achieved some very promising first round results.

In the Pro Class, last year’s Champion Steve Atkins and Andrew Davies both got good starts and were leading the pack for the first hour. Unfortunately Davies had a spill causing a past injury to force him out of the rest of the race. This was a shame as he had good pace and rode the fastest lap of the race. Steve remained at the front of the pack for the rest of the race and managed to ride his LT-R450 to 2nd place overall with the second fastest lap time.

After conquering the Clubman Class, Lewis Hill completed his first race at the Expert Class level. Showing that he was more than ready, Hill rode a strong and steady race achieving consistently fast lap times and getting 2nd place overall.

Representing MKM Rocketman Suzuki in the Clubman Class were Josh Chilcott and Sam Barrett. With Chilcott looking very comfortable on his Suzuki he managed to gain a solid lead after the first two hours. Sadly it was not to be his day and damaged his rear sprocket on a rocky patch of the track. With the aid of another rider Chilcott managed to repair the bike enough to get it back to the pits where mechanic Jason Smith made it race worthy again. Barrett also suffered some technical problems in the race but both riders managed to complete the race.

Liam Ryland flew the MKM Rocketman Suzuki flag in the standard class riding Suzuki’s stock LT-R450. With a lot of anticipation about this 16-year-old rider, Ryland did not disappoint. He rode a solid race and achieved 2nd place.

In the 4 x 4 class Simon ‘Porky’ Davies showed why he has been doing this sport for so long. Despite some very tough competition he managed 2nd place overall and he pushed his KingQuad 700 for the fastest lap.

Co-Team Manager Anthony Deacon commented, “We achieved some really good results today and this is a great start to the season. We are now all looking forward to the next round”.

The team will next be competing at Round 2 of the QRA Enduro Championship at Egbury, Nr Andover on 25th May.

WATSON TAKES HIS FIRST PODIUM

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This weekend saw the Anderson ATV Race Team head over to Northern Ireland to race in the second round of the ACU British MMX Quad X Championship held at Desertmartin.

In the first race Carl Bunce, who started on the back line due to a poor qualifying round, managed to claw his way up to 11th. Mark Watson who many would still consider a novice due to his actual time spent on an ATV had a fantastic start and was working his way up the positions. Unfortunately his lack of set-up knowledge meant that he was hampered with arm-pump which saw him slowly fall back in the pack and finished in 21st.

The second race of the day saw both Suzuki mounted riders get good starts. They fought their way to 3rd and 4th position by the fourth lap and then proceeded to create a good gap between themselves and the rest of the riders which they held until the chequered flag. Watson finished in 3rd place giving him his first ATV podium and Bunce in 4th meaning that they finished the day overall in 10th and 5th respectively.

Bunce commented after the race, “I was really pleased with the second race today, I had a bad qualifier this morning but I really pulled it back and I’m happy going home with a fifth overall.”

Watson said, “I had a really good day today. I was a little disappointed in the first race as I was making good progress but then the arm-pump kicked in. We made some big changes to the set up of my LT-R450 before the second race and they really paid off.”

Team Manager Paul Anderson of Anderson ATVs commented, “Today was a superb result. I think Carl felt under a lot of pressure after his first round in Devon, now he can forget about that and look forward. Mark has again shown he has natural talent by gaining such a good result with such little experience. He obviously still has a lot to learn about what set-up suits him but he has great potential”.

Not content with one day of racing Bunce also raced in a Hampshire MX Club race at Alton on Sunday. What started out as a nice day weather wise swiftly changed, this resulted in the track being quite tricky. However, Bunce still managed a second and two firsts despite having a crash in the practise laps meaning he finished the day in first overall.

Bunce bounces back

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This weekend (21/04/08) saw Arncott, Oxfordshire play host to the first round of the NORA-MX Championship and Carl Bunce of Anderson ATV was keen to show that his disappointing Round 1 Quad MX championship result in Devon was not a sign of things to come this season.

With a strong turn out from both competitors and spectators this was as good a place as any to show what he was really capable of. With the days racing consisting of three races Carl attacked each one hard and fast and achieved consistently good results.

Despite the small set back of a cracked nerf bar in the first race Carl still managed a solid 3rd place. He then achieved two 2nds putting him in 2nd place overall.

Carl commented, “it was a really good day and I was pleased with the results. I got a good start in each race and the bike really worked for me”.

Team-mate Mark Watson was meant to be racing in the second round of the NETT Championship in Co. Durham but it was cancelled due to bad weather.

MKM Rocketman Suzuki fly the flag for Britain.

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Team MKM Rocketman Suzuki packed up their kit and headed over the channel last week to participate in the 10 hour Endurance race at Floyon in France (12–13/04/08).

There were three teams representing MKM Rocketman Suzuki each comprising of three riders. The most senior of the teams was made up of current British Enduro Champion Steve Atkins, Andrew Davies and Jason Wildman. The junior team were made up of Lewis Hill, Josh Chilcott and Sam Barrett and the third team was made up of Anthony and Nick Deacon and Ryan Wildman.

With the team arriving late Thursday, they had all of Friday to get the bikes into action for final checks and adjustments. All went well, however a impromptu rear disk guard had to be fabricated for one of the bikes in the middle of a field. A testament that the team has a strong support crew as well as riders.

The racing got underway on the Saturday with two sets of three hour racing sessions. All the teams qualified well and with all getting good starts, the race seemed to go well despite one setback in the first lap.

Wildman took a spill and knocked himself out cold. Fortunately, despite being a little dazed when he came round, he was ok. The spare bike was pulled into action with team-mates Deacon and Deacon making up valuable time whilst Wildman got checked out in the medical tent.

With the second three hour section of racing taking place in the dark, the senior team, Atkins, Davies, Wildman were required to come into the pits due to a light problem. This resulted in them losing 2 laps as there was only 5 minutes of the session left to run.

At the end of the racing on Saturday Atkins, Davies, J Wildman were sitting in 12th. Hill, Chilcott, Barret were in 15th and Deacon, Deacon, R Wildman were in 26th.

Sundays racing was made up of one four hour long session. This went without a hitch with all teams climbing up a few places and all finishing. Atkins, Davies, J Wildman finished in 6th. Hill, Chilcott, Barret finished in 10th and Deacon, Deacon, R Wildman finished in 21st out of a total of 65 teams.

Tim Wedgwood, Team Manager commented, “this was a really good trip, we all had a lot of fun and the guys and the bikes all finished in great working order. Out of 65 teams we certainly flew the British flag”.

Anderson ATV kick off their 2008 Season.

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Anderson ATV started their assault on the QRA Quad MX Championship this Sunday (06/04/08) at Whiteway Barton in Devon. With the weather keeping everybody on their toes and a completely new line up for Anderson ATV, nobody knew what to expect.

Carl Bunce the experienced rider of the team of two unfortunately seemed to struggle finding his groove. In the first race a poor start and a couple of falls saw him not being able to show what he is really capable of, finishing in 21st place. Carl was hindered with further bad luck in the second race when after a good start he got a puncture. Despite the speed of the team in the pits, the narrow track meant that regardless of Carl’s perseverance he could not up make the lost time and finished in 22nd place.

Anderson ATV’s second rider for the season is Mark Watson. Mark pulled up to the start line with the experience of only three races on an ATV! However his knowledge of racing gained on his journey to becoming the current British Sidecar champion with his brother certainly shone through. Mark had two very solid races achieving 6th place in race one and 5th place in race two. This overall meant that Mark left Devon with a 4th place overall only falling shy of the podium by 3 points.

Team manager Paul Anderson commented, “Mark’s results today we absolutely fantastic. This is a really solid start to the season and a really good achievement. Hopefully we can continue to build on this and have a successful season”.

MKM Rocketman Suzuki are Europe bound

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

MKM Rocketman Suzuki are packing up their kit and heading across the channel to show their European counterparts what they are made of in the annual 10 hour Endurance race at Floyon in France.

After achieving a very commendable 3rd place at last year’s event by the Rocketman contingent of MKM Rocketman Suzuki, they have been invited back by the organisers and with such a solid team line up are hoping to improve on last year’s result.

This year MKM Rocketman Suzuki will be fronting 3 teams, each consisting of three riders. The senior team will comprise of current British Enduro Champion Steve Atkins, Andrew Davies and Jason Wildman. Under the guidance and experience of the Senior team, the Junior team will be made up of Lewis Hill, Josh Chilcott and Sam Barrett. The third team will be made up with Anthony and Nick Deacon and Ryan Wildman.

Tim Wedgwood Co-Team Manager commented, “we achieved a good result last year and with the set-up with have this year we are hoping we can do even better”.

Suzuki would like to wish all the team good luck and check back here next week for the results.

For more information on the LT-R450, click here.

Suzuki Celebrates 250,000 ATV Units

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

In a year of milestones for Suzuki, the manufacturer's Georgia-based ATV manufacturing facility celebrated the production of its 250,000th ATV on March 31st, 2008.

Suzuki will also celebrate 2008 as the 25th anniversary of it production of the industry's first 4-wheeled ATV - the 1983 Suzuki LT-125 - with anniversary events scheduled throughout the summer.

In May 2002, Suzuki Manufacturing of America Corp. (SMAC) opened in Rome, Ga., as Suzuki's only U.S.-based manufacturing facility and began producing the Eiger series of ATVs. Today, 300 SMAC employees are building ATV frames, moulding plastic and assembling KingQuad 400s, 450s and 750s at a rate of more than 200 units in an eight-hour shift. Last year almost 60,000 quads came off the line.

A commemorative ceremony was held at the factory on Monday, March 31, 2008 in front of an assembled group of factory employees, local dignitaries and media, invited guests and the Suzuki factory ATV race team - Team Rockstar / MSR / Suzuki / Yoshimura / Pro Taper.

SMAC's ATV Sales Manager Alan Horne began the ceremony by reflecting on the relationship of Suzuki and its host community of Rome: "This not only commemorates the success of Suzuki's ATV production during the last six years, but also commemorates the success of the cooperation with the community."

In attendance was the Mayor of Rome, Wright Bagby, who graciously thanked Suzuki for helping the community expand its manufacturing base. "For the last 10 years, we have been fighting to save manufacturing jobs," Bagby said in front of a large commemorative banner. "With the help of people like the employees of Suzuki who were on the cutting edge of helping us turn around our manufacturing situation in the South and in Rome, we were able to save jobs and continue having a higher percentage of manufacturing jobs in the community than most places in the South or probably in the country."

Kory Ellis, Team Rockstar / MSR / Suzuki / Yoshimura / Pro Taper's Manager, introduced Team Suzuki's ATV race team and thanked the employees of the factory for producing such great products and for all their support.

AMA ATV Motocross Series current points leader Dustin Wimmer (pictured) rode the historic ATV off the production line to a cheering crowd. The red KingQuad 750 AXi 4x4 had been signed by all factory personnel. The team joined the mayor and other local government attendees in adding their signatures.

Mel Harris, Vice President of American Suzuki's Motorcycle/ATV division, was unable to attend but was proud of the achievement: "Congratulations to the city of Rome, Ga. and our family of employees at the Suzuki Manufacturing of America Corp. who believed in this project and made it all happen. A quarter of a million ATVs in six short years is not only a huge accomplishment, but a clear example of Suzuki's commitment to the ATV market. I thank everyone for their part in our continued success."

Suzuki BSB star takes his ATV EASI training

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Newly recruited Suzuki BSB star, Tom Sykes, has thrown himself into the Suzuki ‘way of life’ by becoming the owner of a Suzuki LT-R450.

Suzuki’s top of the range sports ATV has been a real hit with the BSB star and in true professional fashion, Tom was keen to master his new purchase with the free EASI training offered with every new Suzuki ATV.

EASI (European ATV Safety Institute) is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to implement education, training and awareness amongst ATV users. They hold many training courses throughout the country and just before Christmas 07, Tom headed off to Armthorpe near Doncaster. The EASI Rider Course gives new ATV owners a hands-on learning experience where they can gain knowledge of riding techniques and safety procedures.

Tom has recently been signed up to top BSB racing team, Rizla Suzuki. Known for his cool and calm approach to racing, Rizla Suzuki are really excited about what this 22-year old from Huddersfield is capable of.

Tom is delighted with his new ATV, saying “it certainly brings a smile to my face. I am desperate to get it out on a motocross track when I have chance but at the moment I have been taking it out on a local field.”

Tom found this EASI training really useful and would definitely recommend it to anyone new to riding ATVs. He commented, “I took my EASI training on the Suzuki KIngQuad 700X which is another really great ATV. The training was excellent, especially since I am so used to riding motorbikes, it was important that I understood the different positions and movements.”

Talking about his new LT-R450, Tom said, “I love Suzuki bikes obviously and now I love its ATVs too! The LT-R450 makes for a great ride and now I’m just always trying to find time in-between training to take it out!”.

Tom will be riding in the British Superbike Championship for Rizla Suzuki throughout 2008. For more information on EASI training please visit their website on

www.quadsafety.org.

Suzuki Launch Enduro Challenge with one of the biggest prizes in UK ATV racing

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Suzuki GB is excited to announce the Suzuki Enduro Challenge 2008 with the opportunity to win a brand new LT-R450 at the end of the year!

The Suzuki Enduro Challenge will run between the 5th April to the 31st October. This competition is open to anyone who races on a Suzuki GB ATV in an Enduro race series, whether that is the QRA, the ORE, Gravity or any others. All you need to do is register on the website (www.suzukiendurochallenge.co.uk) and make sure you keep your race scores updated each time you race.

At the end of the season you can pick your best 8 results from your season of racing and the top 50 entrants will be invited to go through to the final and race against eachother on the 2nd November 2008.

Suzuki GB is keen to reward its customers with the chance to take part in a competition against other Suzuki ATV riders and is proud to offer the prize of a brand new LT-R450, Suzuki's top of the range racer, at the end of it. Talking about the competition Suzuki GB's Marketing Manager, Paul de Lusignan, commented, "we think this is a really good initiative and we hope that it shows our support and commitment to ATV racing. We're offering the chance to win an LT-R450 which is one of the biggest prizes in the ATV racing circuit."

The Suzuki Enduro challenge has already created some excitement within the ATV racing world. Tony Nash, head of the QRA, was enthusiastic about the challenge stating, "It's great to see a manufacturer encouraging it's customers to get out and race. Quad Endurance racing is really great, it's a value for money discipline of our sport for all abilities and I hope this challenge will help to promote just what good fun ATV racing can be"

Entering the competition couldn't be easier, simply register your details on-line or visit your local authorised Suzuki dealer and pick up an entry form. Once you have entered, simply keep your scores up-to-date and compare your standing to other entrants on the on-line league table.

The final, organised by the QRA, will be held near Milton Keynes on the 2nd of November where the winner will be rewarded with the Suzuki LT-R450.

For more information on the LT-R450, click here.

MKM Rocketman Suzuki take to the skies

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

With a new line up and new livery, MKM Rocketman Suzuki turned up to the 2nd annual QRA Big Sky Margate beach race (23-24/02/08) to show everyone why they are a force to be reckoned with this year.

With a strong line up of 5 riders including Lewis Hill (#55), Josh Chilcott (#105), Kevin Chilcott (#115), Liam Ryland (#205) and Ant Deacon (#52), the boys in yellow certainly made a visual impact. Even more so when they all qualified in the same group.

The heats went well with good riding from the whole team but particularly by Josh and Kevin Chilcott and Liam Ryland who made it to the grand final.

With the track being well churned up by this stage of the game it created some difficulties for the racers. The competition was tough but Josh Chilcott and Liam Ryland, with the aid of their Suzuki LT-R450s, managed to finish a very impressive 2nd and 3rd overall.

All involved felt the weekend was a well-organised event and the 10,000 strong crowd all seemed to enjoy the spectacle. Tim Wedgwood, Team Manager commented, “It was a fantastic weekend dominated by the team both in the pitts and the group”.

The team will next be racing at the QRA Shakedown, Basingstoke on March 16th.

For more information on the LT-R450, click here.

Suzuki KingQuads at Wembley Stadium

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The Race of Champions event organisers have been using two Suzuki LT-A450’s to help with the amazing transformation of the stadium. The two machines have been involved with the work to convert the football pitch into a tarmac race circuit for the 16 December extravaganza – and with the clearing up exercise afterwards.

The two ATVs have been supplied by MKM Agriculture - “ it is good to be able to help them out and these Suzuki’s are ideal for what they need. It was good to see them being used during the event for moving staging and assisting the marshals” Said Anthony Deacon of MKM

The event was a huge success with the reigning Champion of Champions Mattias Ekström, beating the ever-dominant Michael Schumacher in The Race of Champions final.

For more information on the LT-A450, click here.

Suzuki at the Dirt Bike Show 2007

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Suzuki will be making a welcome return to the UK Dirt Bike Show at Stoneleigh Park in December, with the all new fuel injected RM-Z450 and the 2008 range of Suzuki motocross bikes and sports ATVs.

The 2007 Dirt Bike Show will run at Stoneleigh Park from Thursday 6th – Sunday 9th December from 9.30am - 5.30pm (5pm Sunday).

For tickets and more details about the show, click here .

Success at Weston for Suzuki

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Suzuki was back at Weston with a vengeance this year. It was the 25th year of the infamous beach race and it promised to be a great event. Suzuki returned with the Suzuki Cup and gave away t-shirts to anyone riding a Suzuki in the competition making the stand the busiest on the beach!

It was the 25th year of the infamous Weston Beach Race and we had some great results. French Suzuki rider Jeremy Warnia, riding a Suzuki LT-R450, came a very close second to Honda’s Paul Winrow and won the Suzuki Cup QUAD expert class.

Closely following Warnia was Anderson ATV rider, Carl Bunce, also riding an Suzuki LT-R450 who came third with 17 laps in 3 hours.

Our very own ATV Product Co-ordinator, Richard Gregg riding the Suzuki LT-A450X in the Q2 class, finished in 194th place overall having completed 11 laps in 3 hours. Richard was teaming up with local dealer Anthony Deacon, of MKM Quad Sport. Anthony got off to a difficult start and after suffering from an injury; the decision was made for Richard to go it alone.

Speaking after the race Richard commented, “we had a difficult start with a lot of crowding at the start. It was hard for Anthony getting injured but we both had fun and I’m really pleased I did it. The main reason for doing the race was to show how tough Suzuki ATV’s are and I think we’ve proved that by completing the most hardcore ATV race in the world…on a virtually standard 4 wheel-drive utility ATV!”

Richard also wished to thank everyone who made it possible for him to race at Weston this year. Richard stated, “I would really like to thank MKM for prepping the ATV, also, C-Dax for supplying the tires and CI Sport for the help with the Troy Lee clothing.”

So, a successful 25th year at Weston Beach Race. We’ll see you next year!

Suzuki offers an unbeatable deal on the LT-R450 ATV for race club members

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The flagship Suzuki LT-R450 is being offered at an incredible £1,000-00 off the rrp, through authorised Suzuki dealers, bringing it down to £4999-00 inc VAT. This offer, on the first UK race-ready production ATV, applies to any race club member who wishes to purchase an LT-R450 for racing purposes.

The LT-R450 is a full-on racing ATV designed for enthusiasts, by enthusiasts. With its wide axle, fully adjustable long travel suspension and ultra wide A arms, this four-stroke, single cylinder, fuel injected, liquid cooled, DOHC four valve engine is designed to be compact, lightweight and provide amazing performance.

“This has to be one of the best initiatives that a manufacturer has come out with to date.” Commented Val Bell, Chairman Quad Racing Ireland.

Suzuki GB General Manager Steve Callahan commented, “We are delighted to be able to offer this deal to the racing fraternity. At Suzuki, we are very proud of our heritage in ATV racing and this offer should increase desirability of an already incredible ATV and make it even more accessible to purchase an ATV for racing. ”

For race organisers who want to take advantage of this offer for their members please contact Richard Gregg at Suzuki GB on richard.gregg@suzuki.co.uk or visit www.suzuki-gb.co.uk. A race licence and club membership card must be shown to avail this offer.

Swift service from Suzuki

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Excellent service from Suzuki parts department coupled with top class enthusiasm from Suzuki dealership, Nick Davies- Nduro, has left QRA Championship rider, Simon Ostenton, one very satisfied customer.

Simon Ostenton, currently racing in the QRA Enduro Championship, crashed his Suzuki LT-R450 in a recent race, sustaining significant damage. Due to tremendous support from Suzuki GB parts department and Suzuki dealership, Nick Davies- Nduro, Simon’s ATV was as good as new in no time.

Jayne Davies of Nick Davies - Nduro, commented, “Thanks to outstanding help from Suzuki GB parts, and the great parts stock, we were able to get all the parts, including the frame, so the ATV could be rebuilt to its original state as soon as possible.”

The speed at which Simon’s ATV was fixed just goes to show the advantages of purchasing an ATV from an authorised Suzuki dealership. The support from the dealership and from Suzuki GB’s parts department meant that Simon could race again within a week, a service that is far from guaranteed with an ATV bought from an unauthorised source.

If you wish view a list of authorised Suzuki dealerships, please click here .

It’s show time!

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Suzuki kick started the ATV show season this weekend with the Royal Highland Show near Edinburgh and there was plenty to see what with a local celebrity, an Elvis impersonator and a competition to win an LT-A700X.

The Royal Highland Show was the first of the shows Suzuki will be attending this summer and was a great success. Those who braved the rain and visited the stand will have seen a range of utility ATVs on display as well as the new sports special edition, LT-A7XBB.

This year Suzuki thanked their customers by inviting them to the stand for light refreshments. Charles Bedforth, Suzuki Sales Zone Manager commented, “Suzuki really value their customers and it was great to be able to welcome them to the stand”.

Lots of local Suzuki dealers helped out on the stand including Frank Nicol, of Frank Nicol Farm & Garden Machinery, who, it turns out, is something of a celebrity in his local area of Dingwall, Scotland. Once spotted he was snapped up by a radio station for an interview about the show!

The Suzuki stand pulled in a rather large crowd due to a competition running across all the shows this summer. Anyone can enter the prize draw to win an LT-A700X worth £5999 (ex VAT).

The next show that Suzuki ATV’s will be attending is the Royal Welsh Show which is running from the 23rd – 26th July. Soon after that is the CLA Game Fair near Leeds running from the 27th – 29th July.

Suzuki will be inviting customers to enjoy light refreshments at the Royal Welsh Show and anyone can come to the stand to enter the free prize draw.

See you there!

Move over Alan Sugar…….We have our own apprentice in Carl Jones!

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

It's been an exciting two years for Carl Jones. After being taken on as an apprentice at Suzuki dealership PE Price, he went on to be awarded with 'Suzuki Motorcycle Technician Apprentice of the Year 2006'.

Carl is on the Suzuki apprentice scheme, which runs over 3 years and is proving to be an excellent technician. To qualify as the 'Technician Apprentice of the Year' he had to pass a written exam and then a series of practical exams. Carl said, “they were pretty hard but my teacher, Simon Carter, has been a great help and I managed to come away with great results”. When asked how he felt when he knew he had won Carl was ecstatic, “it's absolutely amazing to have won. There was really tough competition so I am over the moon”.

Carl is currently working at PE Price, a Suzuki dealer in Wales, for Elwyn Price. Elwyn says that he is not surprised that Carl has been awarded this title, “he has always been so keen and interested in the technical side of things. He's so enthusiastic, asking questions, just wanting to learn new things all the time. This is truly a tremendous achievement - especially at his age - he's only just 17!”.

It isn't easy to become the apprentice of the year. Around 130 Suzuki apprentices from as far a field as northern Scotland, southern England and Wales take part in a 50-question test, which is designed to identify the apprentice's knowledge and development. Carl was then invited to take part in a one-day technical competition. Proving his technical ability and skill level, Carl pipped his fellow competitors to the post.

Since winning the award, Carl is working hard to complete the apprenticeship programme. He still has one year to go and employer Elwyn Price has every faith in Carl's future, “Carl really does work hard. He has achieved so much, especially at his age, and we are really very proud of him. I look forward to working with him for many years to come.”

Congratulations on a great year Carl……..All the best in completing the apprenticeship scheme.

Nick Davies is ‘Service Dealer’ of the Year 2006

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

We are delighted to announce that Nick Davies has been named as the ‘ATV Dealer of the Year 2006’.

Based in Pembrokeshire, Nick Davies has been trading for the past ten years and has built up an excellent service and a loyal customer base. With his wife Jayne by his side taking care of the business side of things, Nick has developed a no-nonsense, customer focused Suzuki dealership.

Richard Ruston, retiring president of the Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) presented Nick and Jayne with the award at an industry conference and lunch held at London’s Savoy Hotel. Speaking about the awards lunch, Jayne commented, “Just to make it to the final was an honour in itself. We are absolutely ecstatic now we have won. I would just like to thank all our customers and Suzuki GB for all their support”.

Suzuki is extremely proud of Nick and Jayne. Nick Palmer, Sales and Marketing Director at Suzuki commented, “We are delighted that Nick Davies has won the Dealer of the Year Award. The award is testament to the level of service they give their customers. We congratulate both Nick and his wife Jayne on their success.”

Harvey Day, Area Sales Manager for Suzuki ATV’s also commented, “I am very pleased that both Nick and Jayne have been recognised for all their hard work”.

The Dealer of the Year awards are organised by leading trade magazine, Service Dealer. Editor, Chris Biddle, said “Nick Davie along with all the finalists, illustrate the high level of expertise and customer satisfaction provide by they network of specialist ATV/Quad dealers across the UK. They provide expert advice and a level of technical support for the machines they sell that is unrivalled in the market”.

Congratulations Nick and Jayne! Your hard work and dedication is second to none and it is fantastic that this has been recognised with this award. Well done!

Suzuki strikes the pose as the Relentless arrives on Bond Street!

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

With London Fashion Week underway we round up this season’s must haves…….Armani suits, Chanel jackets, Manolo Blahnik’s and ……huh hmmmm…….a Suzuki Relentless?!

The Suzuki Relentless ATV is currently on display at Ralph Lauren’s flagship store in New Bond Street as part of its ski themed window display. With its sporty look and stylish finish, the Relentless has been the perfect addition to the store’s feature window. Philippa Burnard, from Ralph Lauren, commented, “This ATV has been a real hit with all of us. The black colouring and metallic finish give it a great look and it has really been a great feature in our window display. It has certainly sparked a lot of interest”.

Suzuki teamed up with energy drink ‘Relentless’ in 2006 to produce the Suzuki Relentless. The one-off model came with all the features of the LT-Z400 ATV but with some exciting added extras including a red metallic frame, exclusive black plastics and unique Relentless graphics. A rare find in dealerships now, this ATV has become a cult favourite amongst enthusiasts so it comes as no surprise that it has won over the fashion brigade.

In the next few weeks, the Suzuki Relentless can be seen in Ralph Lauren’s Brompton Cross store, Chelsea, as part of an indoor display.

So what next for the Suzuki Relentless? Paris, Milan, New York…….who knows? Ripping it up on the race track, covered in mud to create this season’s natural look accessorised with rider exhilaration, passion and drive will do us just fine.

For more information about Relentless, please visit www.relentlessenergy.com.
For more information on the Suzuki Relentless LT-Z400, please click here.

Norfolk Night Riders

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

If you go out in the woods tonight you’re sure of a ………. group of Suzuki ATVs tackling Norfolk terrain! The riders are Suzuki ATV enthusiasts, all from the village of Hempnall, just south of Norwich. They meet up once a week to improve their riding skills and see what their ATVs can really do.

It all started when Frank Woljung, a shop owner in the village bought a 250 from Suzuki dealership, Ben Burgess, Norwich. David Fairman, sales manager at Ben Burgess, said, “he just bought it to ride for fun. He takes it on tracks at the weekends and I think his friends decided they’d like to do the same”.

Franks friends have now all bought ATVs from Ben Burgess, Norfolk, including Andrew Smith, Fred Walker, Richard Delf, Adam Delf, and John Ellis. Andrew explains, “I’d had a go on my mates Suzuki a few times and wanted my own. Ben Burgess had an open day and I decided to buy the 400 Eiger. Now we all enjoy riding together on a Friday or Saturday”.

The ‘night riders’ all live and work in Hempnall and as Andrew explains, “it’s not quite a case of the butcher, baker and candlestick maker….but not far off. We all work locally. I work on a farm and then we have one in a shop, one in a lorry and another in a garage”.

The group set off at midnight most weeks and find it makes for a more interesting ride. Andrew added, “ We all work during the day so we have to wait until the evenings to ride the ATVs. Night riding is a lot more fun as you never know what’s coming next and also, at that time of night, there is no one else about”.

David Fairman said that it’s quite unusual for there to be so many ATVs in such a small village, especially since they are not for use on the farm. He added, “ATVs can be really good fun, when ridden responsibly and it’s great to see so many people using them for leisure in one small village”.

So next time you are out taking a midnight stroll in Norfolk, be sure to watch out for the Suzuki night riders.

Suzuki does it in the sand at Weston Beach Race 2006

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Suzuki is celebrating after a great result at this year’s Weston Beach Race. Top American Suzuki rider, Dana Creech riding a LT-R450 prepared for him by Suzuki Race Team Anderson ATV, matched his result last year by coming a close second to fellow American, John Natalie.

Other great successes for Suzuki came from our race teams. Anderson ATV’s Ricky Tordoff and K4 Offroad’s Andrew Davies, both riding LT-R450s, came 5th and 11th respectively. That’s pretty good going when a total of 314 people finished the race!

Doing it for the girls was Beverly Barnes who was the 1st female rider to finish the race. She was riding a Suzuki LT-Z400 prepared and sold by Nick Davies ATVs. She finished 95th overall, which is a great inspiration for any female riders hoping to take part in the future.

The Suzuki stand was buzzing all weekend as people queued for Dana Creech, Ricky Torfoff and Andrew Davies to sign autographs. After the race Dana Creech talked about his passion for Weston. “I love this race! I always look forward to it and really enjoy it. There is such a great atmosphere here and there is less pressure so you feel that you can relax and have fun. I ate a lot of sand though! ”. He came 2nd last year on a sidecar and was really pleased with his result this year. “I’m excited about coming back next year and going for 1st place.”

Creech praised his Suzuki prepared by Anderson ATV. He said, “I love riding a Suzuki. They’re awesome because you can get them straight from stock and still get a great result in a race. You can’t do that with any other bike in my opinion”.
Ricky Tordoff and Andrew Davies were also really pleased with their results. They agreed with Dana Creech that this is a great event and Tordoff added that “it’s been a great end to the season”.

Other highlights of the day included the Suzuki Cup. Anyone riding a Suzuki in the race was invited to the stand to pick up their free ‘I did it in the sand at Weston’ T-shirt and write their name on our racer board to be in with a chance of winning the cup. Dana Creech claimed the cup and he was really pleased for the recognition. It was a great site to see the crowds turned yellow in their t-shirts as well!

So a successful weekend all round for Suzuki. Here’s to next year!