History – Suzuki GSX-R 1985 – the birth of an icon

The history of super sports bikes would probably be very different if Suzuki had not brought the GSX-R 750 to life. On the market since 1985, this bike was the inspiration for many brands to see the sports segment in a different way. Despite its recent withdrawal from various two-wheeled competitions, Suzuki was a pioneer for many years in various models and categories in the market, including sports bikes. In 1984, at the IFMA Motorcycle Show in Cologne, Germany, the Japanese brand revealed to the world what would be the first true hyper sport. With a total focus on performance and designed to win races and compete at the highest level, without neglecting the fact that it was a very capable bike for street riding. And so, in 1985, this bike made its debut at several dealerships around the world. Its full fairing with twin headlights remains one of the most iconic images of sports bikes ever. But this Suzuki was not just about looks.

LESS IS MORE

With a strong focus on performance, Etsuo Yokouchi – the engineer responsible for the GSX-R 750 program – sought to minimize the weight of this motorcycle. By joining three structural aluminum pieces with 26 other components, Suzuki managed to create a very lightweight frame for this hyper sport, thus achieving a dry weight of only 179 kilograms. The fuel tank was also made of aluminum and the motorcycle’s panel was mounted on rubber foam, keeping the weight below 180 kg.

HEART ALIVE

At the center of all this was a 749 cc inline 4-cylinder engine, with 105 hp at 10,500 rpm generated by the combination of the Direct Air Intake System and the flat-gate carburetors. The engine had 4 valves per cylinder and featured innovative systems such as the Twin Swirl Combustion Chambers that optimized the air/fuel mixture and the Suzuki Advance Cooling System that used oil jets to cool the cylinder heads and pistons.

THE STORY CONTINUES

And it was in the USA that Kevin Schwantz began his career and a beautiful marriage with the Japanese brand, battling with Wayne Rainey on a Suzuki Yoshimura GSX-R 750, it is also in the USA that the legacy of this model continues. Despite being discontinued since 2019 in the European market, the Suzuki GSX-R 750 remains alive and well in the United States and thus celebrates 35 years of uninterrupted production. Who knows, maybe we will see this iconic model again in our market with alternative fuels.