No, Ducati is not offering a new, ultra-exclusive variant of the 1098 called the SPACE RANGER. They should, but that's besides the point. The point is that Suzuki is apparently a stakeholder in the company that makes this 300cc ode to Ducati's superbike.
China has a long, proud tradition of ripping off iconic designs and selling them at bargain basement prices. Electronics and the occasional car get the most attention, but the knockoff bike market is huge. A cursory search finds hundreds of bikes "inspired" by everything from Hondas to Yamahas. And then there's this: the WJ300GS.
It's made by Wonjan Motorcycle Mfg Co., LTD., packs a liquid-cooled, 300cc single, and is actually a follow-up to the WJ300 Pioneer (below). Look familiar?
It's Wonjan's own freakish little Monster knockoff and the GS model is basically the faired version. But it gets better. They've also sell CBR and Shadow clones, and even a riff on our beloved Grom.
But what's interesting is Suzuki invested a significant chunk of change into Wonjan back in 1993, and that partnership apparently continues today. The company boasts that it produces 500,000 motorcycles a year and has an ongoing relationship with Suzuki for technology sharing, manufacturing, and even police and military vehicles, and claims it's "one of the most important cooperative partner for Japan's SUZUKI in China."
We've reached out to Suzuki for comment and to understand the extent of its involvement with Wonjan but have yet to hear back.