It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of a revered and well-loved member of the motorcycle community. Etsuo Yokouchi, the engineer of the iconic Suzuki GSX-R Line, passed at the ripe age of 87 on Wednesday, October 27th.
Not only was this fine man an engineer, but he was also a project leader and the Deputy General Manager of the Motorcycle Design Department.
Yokouchi’s work had him oversee the race department at Suzuki Motorcycles, with other various responsibilities in the design and developing studios.
All told, RoadRacingWorld states that motorcycles influenced by Yokouchi’s touch include the following:
The 1960s
Suzuki X6 Hustler Twin
The 1970s
Suzuki RG500 GP Supersport series
The 1980s
Suzuki GS750
Suzuki GS1100
Suzuki Katana 1000
Suzuki Katana 1100
Suzuki GSX-R1100
The 1990s
1996 Suzuki GSX-R750
The 2000s
2000 Suzuki GSX-R1000
“He championed the application of racing-developed technology to street models,” states John Ulrich, “and talked about high-performance motorcycles being born on the track, reaching production for street use, and then being modified for Superbike racing and returning to the track.”
Our hearts go out to Yokouchi’s family during this time. If you happen to be blessed with a machine that’s had the Midas touch from Etsuo, be sure to drop a comment and spare a moment in commemoration of his brilliant work at Suzuki.