Moto GP Indy 2013 Suzuki celebrates 50 years in US

[viperg]

The 2013 Indianapolis Moto GP was a special year for our beloved Suzuki's celebrating 50 years in the US.

My father flew in from CA to ride my GS1100 G Cooley Custom while my son rode my Katana 1000S, and I bombed along on my GT 750 Sport Cafe. We rode roughly 500 miles for the trip. We watched practice and did the track lap Friday on our three vintage Suzukis. On Saturday we were at the Cycle World Rolling Concourse with 150 other vintage bikes.

Kat ready at the show after Rolling.

82 1100G Cooley Custom AKA ViperG.


Bad Buffalo flexing some Suzuki Smoker muscle in the modified class.






A guy from Suzuki asked us to bring the bikes down to the Suzuki Tent to put in the Suzuki historical time-line for Sunday.




My 1976 GT750 Water Buffalo. As many of you know my GT750 representation is slightly different from the original 1972 J model on the time-line wall. I have owned both and assure you my current set-up is more fun to ride and just as reliable (more so) than the original. My buddies original, low milage, running RE5 next to my Buffalo. His exact model represented on the Suzuki wall behind the bike with Cycle World cover pictorial.

[viperg]

Three generations of Suzuki riders Grandfather, Father, Son... representing!





Known as Franken Hustler by the owner. Made up of numerous left over parts.


A pair of RG500's from the hey day of smokers


A fine example of modified T500 keeping company with my Buffalo at the Concourse.

[barnfresh 78gs]

Wish I would have hooked up with ya there... I was on the black gs550.... o_O

[Charlie G]

Very nice. I bet it was fun riding with the whole family and being part of the time line wall.

cg

[viperg]

Very nice. I bet it was fun riding with the whole family and being part of the time line wall.

cg

It was a lot of fun having us all together. Here we are before we did the track lap. In order Father, Grandfather, Son & friend Todd with his RE5.



Warm up lap of GP

[dorkburger]

That is incredibly cool. Both the cycles in the exhibit, and especially a 3 generation riding group.

[steve murdoch]

That Cycle World wall is a very cool back drop for taking photos.
The family that rides together, stays together. Nice pic, Viper.

[viperg]

Wish I would have hooked up with ya there... I was on the black gs550.... o_O

Yes that would have been nice to meet you. I saw your Blk 550 at the CW concourse. Did you go to Suzuki on Sunday?

[viperg]

And now for the final highlight of my 2013 Indy Moto GP weekend.... On Sunday after the GP race at the Suzuki tent they called my name for the final Suzuki give away. I had to answer 5 Suzuki Trivia questions to earn the right to take it home. My son said I uttered the words "AH Sh-t" as I made my way to the Suzuki girl with the microphone.

Well, since I have a big orange S tattooed on my ass I of course got all of the questions correct. I just got it out to fire it up and it matches my Katana 1000S perfectly! Awesome end to the perfect riding family weekend.

[viperg]

Cycle World Editor Mark Hoyer included my Katana in his photo highlights of the 2013 Rolling Concourse with 150 bikes in the event this year! There were so many fantastic machines present from every era! My 21 year old son piloted the Big Kat for the entire 500 mile trip. I tell ya, the boy loves this bike!

[trevor]

Wow..great pics! Looks a great time too. So tell us, what were the 5 questions?

[viperg]

Wow..great pics! Looks a great time too. So tell us, what were the 5 questions?

Well, I was waiting for someone to ask. Judging by previous questions for other Suzuki items given away I thought I was possibly in for it. Such as....

"What Suzuki did Wes Cooley ride?"

"What was the first year for the RE5 Rotary?"

"Name the number of AMA SuperBike races Suzuki has won and and which Suzuki won them?"

"What does Hayabusa mean?"

"How many total GSXR's have ever been made since the models introduction?"

Etc, etc...

So my questions were really 3 questions with 5 sub parts. I jokingly asked if I could phone a friend and the Suzuki girl said "maybe if you need to."

Suzuki Girl: "OK I have three questions and you have to answer 2 out of 3 and all of their parts correctly to win the IPad. Can you name all of the CC levels in our Boulevard line?"

Me: "Uhhhh... no!" Remember I could throw out one question.

Suzuki Girl: "OK you have two more her goes. Name all of the GSXR's and their displacements offered in our sport bike line."

Me: I was thinking to myself are you kidding, can it be this easy... "GSXR 600 (600cc), GSXR 750 (750cc), GSXR 1000 (1000cc)."

Suzuki Girl: "That is correct! Now for your last question can you name the motorcycles and their displacements in our V-strom line?"

Me: "DL 650 (650cc), DL1000 (1000cc)."

Suzuki Girl: Congratulations you are correct.

I had know idea about the Boulevard line since I have never been a cruiser guy. However, I do know my sport bike & multi purpose bikes. Almost embarrassed to admit how easy the questions were.

[viperg]

By request, this is for all of you Suzi & Rotary lovers out there! My buddy has a very lucky RE5 as my Water Buffalo longingly looks on.

SUZI gracing the RE5.

[viperg]

So my November 2013 issue of Cycle World arrived and to my surprise I found myself, my son and my father all in the CW Rolling Concourse cover story photo leaving the Pagoda at Indy for the rolling portion of the show. Three generations of Suzuki riders from my family represented in this pic... Grandfather, son, grandson.

Page 40 of Cycle World November 2013


Upper left in back on my Blue 1976 GT750 (Me), 1982 Katana (son), upper left blue/white viperG 1982 GS1100 (Dad).


The Indy Pagoda in the early morning light with the sun coming up is a sight to behold!

[steve murdoch]

Very cool and well deserved, Viper.