Aleix Espargaró, the Aprilia rider and amateur YouTuber, has recently added a special item to his private collection. He now owns his very own Suzuki GSX-RR from the 2016 MotoGP season. This acquisition is a significant milestone for Espargaró, who has been sharing his life as a racing driver on YouTube, giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at his daily routines and showcasing his impressive garage.
Suzuki went the extra mile to rescue his 2016 GP bike from being destroyed. While some bikes were saved for display at museums, Espargaró was fortunate enough to be considered for an exemption. Hopefully, the 2022 GSX-RR ridden by Alex Rins will also be preserved.
This particular GP bike holds sentimental value for Espargaró as it is the exact bike he rode during the 2016 MotoGP season. The GSX-RR was loaded into Espargaró’s motorhome by his mechanic, Robert, during a stopover in Milan.
Overwhelmed with excitement, the 33-year-old Catalan expressed his gratitude, stating, “It’s not a dream, it’s real! Suzuki has actually given me the GSX-RR that I competed with in the 2016 MotoGP World Championship. I’m almost moved to tears; it’s truly a goosebumps moment. It’s incredible. Normally, it’s impossible to obtain a Japanese MotoGP machine for personal ownership. I’ve always inquired about it, and the answer has consistently been no. However, when they retired from MotoGP, they contacted me and offered the bike that initiated the project as a token of gratitude. At first, I thought it was a joke, but after a year and a half of paperwork and contracts, the 2016 GSX-RR #41 is now in my possession.”
The only modification made to the bike was replacing the front fairing with the original one, excluding winglets. When Espargaró took his old GSX-RR for a test ride, he was amazed by its size, saying, “I didn’t remember it being so small—almost as narrow as a Moto2 Kalex. It’s incredible how MotoGP bikes have evolved over the years. The 2016 Suzuki is remarkably beautiful, but undoubtedly, today’s MotoGP bikes are much more competitive.”
Espargaró showed his appreciation to Suzuki, Sahara-san, Davide, and Roberto Brivio for making this extraordinary acquisition possible. He emphasized the sentimental value of the bike, stating, “It’s a dream; I feel like a little kid. Seeing the bike again was an incredibly emotional experience because it symbolizes where it all began. Suzuki was the first manufacturer to believe in me and subsequently changed my life. It was through Suzuki that Aprilia noticed me, leading to victories and podium finishes… That’s why this bike holds such a special place in my heart.”
Espargaró raced for Suzuki in 2015 and 2016, finishing in 11th place in the World Championship on both occasions. Although he didn’t achieve a shared podium, he did secure an impressive pole position at the 2015 Catalunya GP.