Suzuki SV650 Rally Concept Gets Cafe Racer Treatment

It seems that this year’s Tokyo Motor Show just got more exciting as Suzuki has announced the unveiling of the SV650X Cafe Racer concept.

The model was first unveiled last year as the SV650 Rally concept and its design paid homage to the 1970s tarmac rally cars. It featured interesting features like a shotgun-style Yoshimura exhaust, large front lights reminiscent of the one used on rally cars and a metal grill on the headlight. It also came equipped with clip-on handlebars and new side panels.

The SV650X, which is all set to be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show, has a more cafe racer-inspired design but will follow a more conventional design approach. To that effect, the company has replaced the retro-looking fog lamps to ones with a smaller profile, with LEDs. Even though the Yoshimura exhausts have been replaced by a standard canister in the production model, they may still be available as an accessory. 

Speaking on the occasion, Suzuki GB general manager, Paul de Lusignan, commented: “The SV650 Rally concept generated a lot of interest at last year’s show, with retro-styled machines proving very popular among riders. The SV650X is an evolution of that concept and shows how that would translate to a production machine. Currently, we cannot confirm a production schedule. We will first assess reactions to the SV650X before finalising plans.”

The Tokyo Motor Show is scheduled to take place from October 27th to November 5th, 2017.

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