Danny Webb at the Classic TT on the Isle of Man in 2016.50While road racing accounted for much of Team Classic Suzuki’s exploits, it branched out in 2017 into Classic Endurance racing, and to do so built a stunning Katana.It was assembled at the Motorcycle Live Show in the UK in 2016 ahead of the 2017 season and the bike’s ffrst outing was to be the Endurance Legends four-hour race at Donington Park, where it would be ridden by motorcycle TV commentators and former racers James Whitham, Steve Parrish, and motorcycle TEAM SUZUKI RACING NEWSjournalist Michael Neeves. Starting sixth on the grid, Whitham made up plenty of spaces ofi the start, and went to make a pass for the lead into the final corner on the opening lap, only to crash out and force the team’s retirement.Despite the disappointing entry into endurance racing, the bike was rebuilt, thanks to the team’s support from Suzuki’s Vintage Parts Program, and returned to action at Spa Francorchamps with Guy Martin and Pete Boast onboard with the Lincolnshire duo ffinishing seventh.Success finally came the following year when Boast was joined by three-time British Superbike Champion John Reynolds for the four-hour of Oschersleben, when the pair stood on the top step of the Superbike class podium.Coming full circle, the Katana saw service at the 2018 Classic TT when newcomer Jay Lawrence raced the bike alongside teammates Webb and Phil Crowe, who was deputising for Dunlop that year. The bike was then raced at the Phillip Island Classic in Australia by Lawrence, with Reynolds and Neeves in action on XR69s.For the 2019 season Team Classic Suzuki expanded into more short-circuit action and built a GSF600 Bandit for the UK’s Bandit Challenge series. A one-make championship designed to support low-cost, competitive racing, Team Classic Suzuki’s involvement in the series only served to further promote the championship.Michael Neeves at Aragon Endurance in Spain in 2017Kevin Swchantz RGV500 restoration at the Motorcycle Live Show in the UK was one of the most spectacular and popular ever.John Reynolds on the podium at the 8-Hours of Oschersleben in 2018.2020 Winter Issue2019 Winter Issue“A couple of Kevin Schwantz’s RGV500s are maintained by Team Classic Suzuki and see regular use, with Kevin frequently riding them on parades. The team also has Kenny Roberts Jr’s title-winning RGV500 as well as his 1999 machine, plus Anthony Gobert’s 1997 Lucky Strike Suzuki.”Team Classic Suzuki
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