In 1984, the Suzuki GSX-R750 was unveiled at the Cologne motorcycle show in Germany. It turned the biking world upside-down, and began the trend of specialised motorcycles, machines built to do one particular motorcycling discipline particularly well.
Previously, Suzuki produced the inline-four GSX engine, with air-cooling and sixteen valves. This engine earned a reputation for being nearly bullet-proof, and found much favour with both endurance racers and drag-bikers, especially in the US.
Following the launch of the Suzuki GSX1000S Katana, the public began to take notice of the boys from Hamamatsu, Japan, who previously had a reputation for making reliable, over-designed, conservative motorcycles that did not weigh far short of a boat anchor. All this changed when the GSX-R-series machines were born on the drawing board.
Drawing on Suzuki’s years of experience in road racing, the GSX-R featured an aluminium frame, a similar frame also installed on Suzuki’s RG250 Gamma, coupled with an air- and oil-cooled inline-four. This was in a quest for lightness, and Suzuki succeeded, with the then revolutionary frame weighing in at just above 17 kg, and the entire machine clocking in at 196 kg dry, an amazing weight for a litre-class bike in the eighties.
The twin headlights on the GSX-R were very much a focal point, indicating that this race-ready production motorcycle was destined for endurance racing, a test of both speed and reliability. Gaining a fearsome reputation both on the road and track, locally, the GSX-R earned the sobriquet “highway king” for its speed on the open road, where few other machines could match it.
Things took a turn in the early years of the millennium, when Yamaha’s R1 emerged, and Honda brought its A-game with the CBR1000RR. The two videos from 2015 feature interviews with the original GSX-R design team, and examines the philosophy behind the design.
That one of the team members still rides a 29-year old original GSX-R is telling, showing why the big Gixxer finds fans from all over. However, with Suzuki now back in MotoGP, and the impending release of the Suzuki GSX-R1000 L7, perhaps younger riders will understand why, once upon a time on Malaysian roads, no one messed with a GSX-R.
GALLERY: 2015 Suzuki GSX-R1000 L5
Panther jerung.
We too could have made a name for Malaysia if we had not sold our MV Augusta for 1 Euro.
Proton is such a brilliant company. Buy MV Augusta for few hundred million Euro but 3 years later, sell it for 1 Euro
Today MV Augusta is making inroads and a big name for itself. Pity Malaysia missed the chance.
Meanwhile MV is losing serious money for Mesidis… veli soo will offload it for 1 rupiah.
The best one for me is the fabulous 750 SRAD of 1996. Many riders hated it because of the slipper clutch and I have never ridden it as well but in terms of wow factor.. Its the best to come from.Suzuki other than the RGV250 VJ22 and VJ23
KATANA more rare one..
All those retro-inspired bikes which currently had become one of the hottest trend in the biking world, Suzuki should have capitalized on one of their legendary nameplates – The Katana. That shark inspired fairing which also adorned the buzzing Panther. Surprised Suzuki did’nt realize the potential. It could have a unique styling among the current bred of streetfighters..
As some comment here
The wow and win factor was 3 for me
The gamma/rgv 250, srad 750 and and the grandfather of all gsx and gsxr till now, Katana
Especially the 750, that 80’s feel plus the pop up headlight
Sad now seeing suzuki gulung tikar and only offer pricey cbu unit