Birth of The MOTOWORKS Suzuki GT380

The MotoWorks Suzuki GT380 Concept

Concept by Jeremy Lacy of Downshift Studio

All great ideas come from real-world inspiration. Building a one of a kind high-performance motorcycle should be no exception. The original 1975 Suzuki GT380 along with the GT550 was originally launched in 1972. According to SuzukiCycles.org "The GT380 and GT550 were predictable and sporty motorcycles, but up to a point. At touring speeds, they were comfortable and smooth, but twisting the grip farther brought a wobble and cornering at higher speeds showed the limitations of the suspension, swinging arm, and the tube frame. The GT engines were less highly tuned than for example the Kawasaki triples. It was tuned for the long run. Porting, timing, compression, carburetor size etc. were all chosen to deliver smooth power at the expense of maximum power. It made the Suzuki GTs more reliable than fast. The odd 3 to 4 exhaust system and rigid foot pegs also limited the leaning angle and the sporting nature of the bike. The GT triples were simply made for touring and not for sport-styled riding."

The 1975 Suzuki GT380 Canadian Model

The original design of the GT380 was good for its day, but here at The MotoWorks we wanted to create a motorcycle that's different, innovative, and one that's never been created before. About halfway through the creation of the Ducati MD1R MotoWorks owner and bike builder Sean Pellitier started using Solid Works to virtually create his designs before fabricating a single part.

It was a process that proved to be a huge time saver. Production parts became easier to manufacture while the tolerances and quality were second to none. This process was a game changer. The Suzuki GT380 is going to be the first bike by The MotoWorks built completely using Solid Works.  So follow us along on this journey from concept, to virtual creation, to a tangible object.