L-R-G turns Suzuki Gladius into supermoto
Brought to you by the same people as last year’s L-R-G Hayabusa, this Suzuki Gladius gets a similar winterfresh paint scheme, but a very different style of tuning. Where that Busa was the ultimate expression of the established street-tuning style, this Gladius actually manages to achieve something new, pointing the way for a possible future spin-off model direct from Suzuki. What’s impressive here is how few modifications were required to turn the Gladius into a supermoto.
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Essentially a tacky paintjob, MX fender, RM-Z front end, modified
swingarm, Excel wheels and LeoVince exhaust, the transformation is at
once simple and effective. Of course, the elimination of the stock
Gladius’s ugly rear sets, license hanger and exhaust helps a lot too.
We just wish they’d left off the tacky gold bits.
The ease with which this Gladius was transformed into an attractive
supermoto points the way for Suzuki’s own development of the model. If
it could achieve something similar straight from the factory, it could
offer a low-budget, stylish entry into the beginner bike market;
something that could offer a more distinct USP over bikes like the
Ducati Monster 696, Yamaha FZ6R and Kawasaki ER6-n.
I am astonished by how much I hate that pain job!
Normally, I love odd, unique, and different paint schemes, but gawd…
“Pain Job” is right. The only thing I can’t stand about this is the requisite ‘tacky paint’ Winterfresh? Its a motard, not a retard.
It’s similar to what LSL-Motorradtechnik did to the ER-6n (they call it the Urban-X).
In any case, love the idea – hopes Suzuki (or whoever else) picks this up and makes a budget streetmoto / supermoto!
My eyes! MY EYES!
Those colours went out in the late 80′s… and for a very good reason too….
I’ve got a 650 V-Strom with the headlight/fairing parts removed (drops about 30 lbs) and it feels like a fat middle-aged supermoto. Or is that me? In any event it works very well as an all around street bike. And its ugly but it ain’t sea-foam green!
If you can’t crash it without destroying it, it’s not a supermoto. Moto-FAIL
I’ll have to disagree with you, beatpusher. It needs frame protectors, but otherwise I bet it would do fine.
Sans paint, I really like this bike. It gives a fresh update to an old workhorse without losing the legion of fans the SV650 platform has built over the years. I wouldn’t be surprised if this makes it into next year’s lineup.
Looks like a blast! Love or hate the paint job, it’s certainly unique. Garish, but unique.
I saw the L-R-G Gladius at the Chicago IMS show and this is a bike you need to see in person to fully appreciate the concept and fun looking ride it must be.
It wouldn’t matter what paint scheme it is if you take it out mudding or is everyone too chicken shit to get dirty?
http://hellforleathermagazine.com/galleries/lrggladius/2009-l-r-g-suzuki-gladius-2.php
That bike in the background…. can somebody fill me in as I must be going mad – the rear wheel is either hubless in some way (which can’t be as there is a centre hub) or they’ve invented ‘sky hook’ spokes.
They’re Lexan: L-R-G Hayabusa
Eeeeek! And they hold up….????
Something about the Gladius design really doesn’t do it for me. Whether it’s too me-too or feminine, I can’t say, but here’s to hoping for a makeover.
What a crappy paint job, and custom work; hate it.
Those front fork shields are just the business.
Nothing a couple cans of flat black wouldn’t fix.
Uhg… the Gladius… yuck….
-peter
I like it. They could clean up selling the modified suspension as a kit alone. 1 banner ad on advrider and they would kill it. If the mod is functional that is.
Maybe Hyosung could beat them to the punch? Their GT650 might translate into something similar and a little cheaper.
Italjet developed a street tracker, the Grifon, based on the Hyosung GT650. The spoked wheels look great on big bikes…
http://korider.net/index.php?topic=321.0
that thing looks retard… what is wrong with suzuki?
For those who don’t know – white and kelly green are the corporate colors for L-R-G. Plus these photos are not even close to the actual colors in person.
Remember this 90 degree V-Twin 650 would kill any 450 4-stroke dirt bike turned supermoto on the streets. Maybe not on a track but you don’t go anywhere on a track.
Paint job aside, they could really have come up with a different exhaust solution instead of slapping on this huge almost-stock-sv-pipe.
That pipe just hurts my eyes.
Also, I feel they didn’t let us sit on it at the motorcycle show for a reason. The sitting position must be just horrible.
It has stock rearsets from the Gladius..and the massive tank you have to hunch over… But who knows, maybe I’m wrong.
This concept attempt certainly is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Although, walking around the Suzuki booth made me feel like it was late 90s. Outdated design everywhere I looked.
see this one at Oto2.wordpress.com
bullshit!