The beleaguered Suzuki team will receive a welcome shot in the arm this weekend at Motegi, when not only will injured race regular
John Hopkins be returning to action alongside
Kenny Roberts Jr, but the pair will also be joined by factory tester and wild-card regular Akira Ryo.
The Pacific Grand Prix will be Suzuki's second - and final - home event of the season. Crucially, it will allow the Japanese bosses to see for themselves the severe problems which have hampered the GSV-R all season.
It may seem obvious, but with race bikes designed and manufactured in Japan, then raced by a British based team all over the world, lines of communication back to the factory can easily become stretched.
One of the reasons the Suzuki has failed to improve significantly throughout the year is rumoured to have been a lack of understanding in Japan at the depth of the problems faced, the factory apparently being led to believe things were progressing better than they were.
"The advantage (at Motegi) will be that Suzuki's top racing engineers and managers will be there to see our problems for themselves, and to discuss with us how to solve them," stated Roberts.
Last year, Ryo achieved the GSV-R's best result, finishing a close second at the opening round at Suzuka in the Japanese GP. A combination of wet weather, intimate track knowledge, and a close understanding of the new machine's responses meant the rider from Tokyo was able to lead much of the race, finishing close behind eventual champion
Valentino Rossi.
Ryo will be riding a rather different machine from those of Roberts and Hopkins, incorporating experimental developments in both engine and chassis. As test rider for the GP project, his main task is to push development forward. But his many laps of the Motegi circuit plus the boost of racing the world's best on his home ground mean he will be trying his hardest for a good race result.
