Suzuki to use sustainable fuel in Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race

Suzuki Motor Corporation is to participate in the 45th Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race 2024 which will be held at the Suzuka Circuit as one of the 2024 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC), from July 19-21 by using sustainable fuel and multiple sustainable items.

Suzuki will use the 40% bio-sourced Sustainable Fuel, certified by the FIM (International Motorcycling Federation), in the GSX-R1000R Yoshimura SERT EWC CN race bike. Since this is not the official fuel of the EWC, it will participate in the Experimental Class, a category set for experimental purposes. Besides sustainable fuel, development of new sustainable technologies will also take place including muffler, tyres, oil, fairings, and brakes which will be provided by the company’s sponsor partners involved in the development of this project.

The sustainable items to be used include:
Fuel: Elf, Moto R40 FIM 40% bio-sourced material
Muffler: Yoshimura Japan, Silencer with catalyst
Engine oil: MOTUL, Engine oil made with bio-sourced base oil
Fairings: JHI, Recycled carbon material (pre-preg material)
Fenders: Tras, Bcomp (Natural flax fibre composite material)
Front brake: Sunstar Engineering, Non-heat treatment steel discs, Low-dust pads
Battery: ELIIY Power, LFP battery for motorcycle, Storage battery for the garage
Tyres: Bridgestone, racing tyres with increased ratio of recycled and recyclable materials

The team, comprising three riders, is named ‘Team Suzuki CN Challenge’, is mainly composed of Suzuki employees. Yoshimura Japan is working together in a collaborative partnership. The purpose of the participation is to accelerate development of environmental performance technologies through participating physically in the demanding conditions of the endurance racing. By verifying valuable information gathered through this participation, Suzuki Motor Corp aims to discover higher goals and promote feedback of technologies to its future production models.

Toshihiro Suzuki, Representative Director and President, said: “I would like to thank the FIM, EWC organizer, and Suzuka Circuit who have given us this opportunity to participate in the Suzuka 8 Hours with Sustainable Fuel. Suzuki has been making efforts in re-allocating resources toward promoting development of sustainability-related technologies. EWC is an extremely demanding race for the machine, riders, and the team, forced to make long hours of running.”

He added, “By making development of Sustainable Fuel and other sustainable items of Yoshimura Japan, who has been fighting alongside us for a long time, and other partners in such a challenging environment, I believe that it would lead not only to improve Suzuki’s environmental performance technologies but also to contribute to personnel development and to increase motivation, which will be linked to making even better products in the future. I kindly ask for your enthusiastic cheers.”

Tsuyoshi Tanaka, Executive General Manager, Motorcycle Operations said: “I believe this initiative has a very significant meaning to realize carbon neutrality especially for mid- to large-displacement motorcycles which are believed that combustion engine will still be needed. I can say with confidence that endurance racing, which simultaneously requests running performance and endurance, is the optimal place for testing and development of not only fuel but also various sustainable items, and it is an activity that would revitalize the future of motorcycle industry.
We will not make it a one-time initiative but make firm efforts so that we can continue the initiative by aiming for higher goals in the years to come.”