Well the cat is out of the bag . . . James Stewart has left Yamaha for a new start on Suzuki for the 2012 AMA 450 Nationals.
In quick succession, JGR / Yamaha released JS7 and Stewart popped up on his new Suzuki. Amazing how a new ride heals broken bones . . .
The first thing I noticed is the secrecy surrounding Stewart’s new RM-Z . . . why no engine photos!
And why is there a black frame / swingarm combo on the bike he’s testing vs the polished aluminum in the team bike photo. Is this a mule bike with base settings to compare to the works bike.
Is this the new generation of RM-Z or a new prototype to sway Stewart to jump ship.
The Stewart riding photos provided by Suzuki are deliberately not showing their engine package . . . do they have a new engine design like KTM, revamped their 450 model ? Is this the way they convinced Stewart to break with Yamaha?
Time will tell if this is a new design for Suzuki and if Stewart can capture some of his old magic since the last time he raced the outdoor series.
2012 AMA 450 Nationals are about to become really interesting . . . just in time since Ryan Villopoto knocked himself out of competition with a knee injury.
Ryan Dungey vs James Stewart . . . KTM vs Suzuki.
Will 2012 AMA 450 Nationals be a grudge match for Suzuki to get back at KTM since Suzuki lost almost their entire race team staff to KTM ?
We will see . . .