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A car, a motorcycle and an outboard engine: Suzuki wanted to pay tribute in a special way to Kevin Schwantz on the 30th anniversary of his world title. The Swift Sport Hybrid, the GSX-8S and the DF200AP were presented in the presence of the Texan champion as part of Autolook Week in Piazza San Carlo in Turin. Only 5 units are planned for the three models (indeed, 4 for the outboard, because Kevin wanted one for himself) which can be reserved from 9.34am on 4 September through the Suzuki website.
Schwantz enjoyed the presence of a huge crowd in Turin, taking part in a talk show together with Franco Uncini and moderated by Livio Suppo, without forgoing a parade through the streets of the city on his 1989 Suzuki 500: "My favourite bike: it wasn’t very reliable, but very powerful”.
Of course he talked about motorcycles, the past and the present.
Kevin, it's strange to look at your 500 and think of modern MotoGP bikes.
“I always think my bikes were the best, the 2-stroke era was special, from Agostini's victory to that of Roberts Jr., there were great races, the best we've seen. But development has taken another direction, we are now in the 4-stroke era and you have to do the best with what you have".
You don't seem too convinced about this change.
“For me, we should have stayed with 2-strokes, they were gladiatorial bikes (laughs). The world goes on and we are in the 4-stroke era, but in my opinion they should remove some electronics, even if I realise that bikes are always faster and you need controls to enjoy them. Even the top riders would struggle without."
Who would win in MotoGP without electronics and without aerodynamics?
“No one, but we would see a lot of riders in the gravel (laughs)
Many people think that riders of your generation could have made a greater difference on the bike than those of today.
“There's a lot of electronics on today's bikes that help you to do what we used to do manually, like traction control or wheelie control. We didn't have all these things and the rider was more important, you could have had a less than excellent bike in practice and then be able to win if you were on a good day. Ours were violent bikes, I respect every rider who rode them".
Now some observers argue that Bagnaia wins only because he rides a Ducati.
“When you become world champion it is always a combination of the rider and the bike. Ducati is the best bike at the moment, but Bagnaia is a great rider, I like him".
On Friday at Barcelona the 6 Japanese bikes were at the bottom of the standings, how do you explain it?
“It's something incredible, there were 2 Yamahas and 4 Hondas. I don't know what has happened, but the signs are that the Japanese are struggling. Racing is like this, there are good moments and bad moments, you have to try to do your best. I'm sure in Japan they are working hard to make sure something like this doesn't happen again."
Can you understand what riders like Marquez or Quartararo are going through right now?
“It's horrible when your bike doesn't allow you to stay in front. At the beginning of my career, in 1987 and early 1988, when the new V4 engine arrived, I had only a few opportunities to be competitive, when it rained. It's hard for a rider not to have everything in his own hands and try not to get hurt. The problem is that when you have an injury, you can't develop the bike, improve it, it's not easy."
Some say it would be better for Marquez to leave Honda.
(laughs) “It's like when they ask me how many championships could I have won if I had ridden a Honda? No one can answer. It's difficult to say, Honda is probably working harder than ever, they might be competitive again in 6 months or 2 years, who can say".
Can a rider like Marquez wait?
“It's difficult, right now there are some excellent riders in Ducati, Aprilia and KTM. Perhaps Marc could be better than them, but he would find a completely different bike, he would have to learn everything from scratch".
Who do you think will be the next rider who can win in MotoGP?
“Acosta. I like him and I think he will do well in MotoGP. He's doing a good job in Moto2, he's consistent, he's made many mistakes in the past, but never huge ones. I think he will also be at the front in the premier class ”.
Would you like to ride a MotoGP bike?
"I don’t think about it. I'd like to ride it, but without having to train again to push it to the limit (laughs)".
How do you explain the fact that there are no more American riders in MotoGP?
“The main reason is that the constructors don't officially race in the American championship, unlike what happened in my day. In fact, I was called by Suzuki to move to the World Championship, now there isn't this possibility and the transition is more difficult."
