Ken Roczen: Visit to Suzuki President Toshihiro Suzuki in Hamamatsu

At the end of July, US Supercross Champion Ken Roczen travelled to Japan. He visited Suzuki’s headquarters in Hamamatsu and was welcomed personally by the boss himself: Toshihiro Suzuki. The Thuringian surprised the Suzuki boss with his AMA Championship plate and a signed Suzuki shirt that he had worn at the US Supercross. Incidentally, it is pure coincidence that Toshihiro Suzuki shares his name with the company. Suzuki is a very common surname in Japan – much like Müller, Meier or Schulze in German-speaking countries.

Ken Roczen besuchte den Suzuki-Firmensitz in Hamamatsu

Foto: Ken Roczen

Meeting in the boardroom

The fact that the Suzuki managers and chief developer took the time to discuss matters with Ken Roczen can be interpreted as a sign that the management is, at the very least, once again addressing issues relating to off-road development. As a reminder: in 2017, the company suddenly and unexpectedly withdrew from the Motocross World Championship. This decision came shortly after the launch of the then-new RM-Z450. In 2018, Suzuki ended its factory involvement in the USA. Suzuki had previously withdrawn from the Motocross World Championship once before, in 1983. Five years later, in 1988, Suzuki returned with Sylvain Geboers as team manager and Stefan Everts as rider. Ken Roczen won the Supercross Championships on a motorbike that had not undergone any significant further development for almost 10 years. The Suzuki RM-Z450 is the only motorbike in the field that still needs to be started with a kick-start. That’s why Ken gave himself the nickname ‘Kickstart Kenny’.

Ken Roczen im Meeting mit dem Präsidenten und hochrangigen Mitarbeitern

Foto: Ken Roczen

Suzuki: A future with bright prospects

In 2016, Stefan Everts took over the Suzuki works team from Sylvain Geboers and strategically set the course for the future: amongst others, he had a certain Jett Lawrence under his wing and, of course, his older brother Hunter, who was already competing in the MX2 World Championship alongside Jeremy Seewer at the time. Looking back from today’s perspective, it’s easy to imagine the direction the Suzuki works team of that era might have taken.

Ken Roczen: No factory team, yet still champion

Ken Roczen’s title win is all the more remarkable given that Team HEP Progressive Suzuki is not an official factory team. However, this fact also gave the team freedoms that factory teams often lack: they were completely free to choose their parts and components. It didn’t matter, for example, whether the rider used suspension components from Showa or KYB. Factory teams are dependent on corporate policy decisions in this regard. You can find out more about this in the interview with Ken Roczen’s father, Heiko Klepka.

Ken Roczen in Hamamatsu mit Erdbeben-Schutzhelm

Foto: Ken Roczen

Roczen pays tribute to Suzuki icon Eric Geboers

Sylvain and Eric Geboers had close ties with the Japanese parent company, particularly in their roles as Suzuki team managers. Eric, in particular, guided and supported Ken throughout his development. In Hamamatsu, Eric had a favourite restaurant where they served a special whisky. ‘The Yamahazaki single malt whisky’, 12 years old, hand-signed ‘Mr 875’, in reference to the fact that Eric Geboers was the first rider to become world champion in the 125, 250 and 500 cc classes (125+250+500 = 875). Eric Geboers died in 2018 in a tragic accident whilst attempting to rescue a dog that had fallen into the water.

How Eric Geboers supported Ken Roczen

‘It’s just incredible that this was Eric Geboers’ favourite bar,’ explained Ken Roczen during his visit to Japan. “Eric and I had known each other for a very long time. In 2005, he took me to the Mini O’s in the USA and also arranged for me to visit Ricky Carmichael’s farm. That’s where I met Ricky for the first time. It’s a wonderful memory! It makes it all the more special to see Eric’s autograph and his bottle in this little bar in Hamamatsu.”

Will Suzuki become more involved in the future?

The question of whether Suzuki will revive its racing programme and invest in motorsport again naturally remained unanswered at the meeting. But the fact that the president is personally taking charge of the matter at least gives cause for hope. An iconic brand like Suzuki belongs in competition, even if it perhaps doesn’t fit with the current zeitgeist. The fact that Suzuki is officially recognising Ken Roczen’s achievements is a good sign. However, the fact that Ken Roczen was able to win the world’s most competitive championships on a motorbike that is almost 10 years old also demonstrates the high standard of quality maintained by the Hamamatsu-based manufacturer. Yet standing still is, in the long run, a step backwards. So let’s hope that Suzuki draws motivation from Ken Roczen’s success to develop new products and return to competition with official works teams.