Like Honda and BMW, though considerably smaller, Suzuki is a car company that also makes motorcycles. And like Toyota, it owes its origins as a manufacturer to industrial looms -- in Suzuki's case, the silk industry.
After World War II, Suzuki began making clip-on motors for bicycles and transitioned to motorcycles in 1952.
Ever the innovator, Suzuki introduced a three-cylinder engine in 1971, a rotary engine in 1974, and the world's largest single-cylinder bike, the 779cc DR-BG, in 1990.
The M109R, with a 1783cc V-twin engine, has the largest reciprocating pistons of any vehicle on two or four wheels. It needs every bit of that power. It is eight feet long, nearly three feet wide and weighs 764 pounds. It also carries a list price of $14,099.
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