It won its first 500 cc world championship in 1993 when Schwantz outscored Wayne Rainey and Mick Doohan to win the title.

The Suzuki was always slower than its opposition, as both the Yamaha and especially the Honda were much faster in a straight line; to compensate for this, Schwantz set the RGV up so it would compensate in the braking zones, and in the corners, allowing the Suzuki to slipstream the machines in front.

This style of riding was famously quoted by Schwantz stating that he would "See God, then brake".

Other riders failed to adapt their style to the Suzuki, talent such as Doug Chandler and Alex Barros.

However many did manage the Suzuki well such as Daryl Beattie who finished second overall in 1995 and Niall Mackenzie.