In what is likely to be the worst kept secret in the Malaysian motorcycle market, Suzuki Motorcycles is back on local shores under new distributorship. The question, of course, is when would the Suzuki range be on sale in Malaysia, with conditions not helped by the interminable series of lockdowns due to possibly out-of-control Covid-19 case numbers.
While many were expecting Suzuki to return under new distribution last year, the pandemic unfortunately put paid to that but it looks like Malaysian Suzuki fans can rejoice. A Facebook post by Wah Motor Superbike in Klang, Selangor, invites pre-orders for a selection of models from the Suzuki range, starting from the SV-650 middleweight naked sports.
Pre-orders are also being taken for the adventure-touring middleweight, the V-Strom 650XT as well as the naked sports four-cylinder GSX-S750 although the bigger 2021 GSX-S1000 – review of the 2016 Suzuki GSX-S1000 here – is missing from the line up. Rounding the range of Suzukis entering the Malaysian domestic motorcycle market is Suzuki’s current trio of litre-class sports bikes, the Suzuki GSXR-1000 superbike, the more race-oriented GSX-R1000R and the homage to the original 1981 GSX1100S Katana, the 2021 Suzuki Katana.
However, no news of the third generation version of the Suzuki hyperbike, the 2021 Suzuki Hayabusa, launched early this year and slowly making its way to world markets. Nothing mentioned about the smaller machines in Suzuki’s range as well, such as the Suzuki Nex II scooter, the Satria F150 and the GSX-R150, all of which have equivalent competition in Malaysia from Hong Leong Yamaha and Boon Siew Honda, and available in neighbouring Indonesia.
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One of the perceived weakness in Suzuki brand last time was the availability of the spareparts. But in terms of the bike itself, it is way better compared to Yamaha or Honda. Too bad Malaysian bikers are more towards “follow the trend”. Case example: The Suzuki FX125 and Suzuki FXR150 was launched in 1996 and it took Hong Leong Yamaha until 2008 to launch the LC135. Even the Digital Meter was used by FXR150 since 1996 compared to the Yamaha FZ150 which was launched also in 2008.
FX125: coolant? Kena jaga air la! leceh!
Lc135: coolant? Kapcai pakai air, best, hightech
Suzuki has a very bad reputation concerning spareparts in Europe too.
There even was a time when they folded head gaskets and send it in an envelope to the customers.