Suzuki GSX-R History

A legendary motorcycle is born
The illustrious history of the series begins with Suzuki’s concept for first-generation Suzuki GSX-R 750 in March 1985: Born on the circuit, returning to the circuit. The Suzuki GSX-R 750 was designed to challenge global championships while fulfilling the sporting aspirations of non-professional riders.

Hiroshi Fujiwara, who was in charge of the basic layout of this first model, vividly recalls the excitement of his team at the beginning of the project. “This pure Supersport model was our first 750cc bike featuring an aluminum frame of unprecedented light weight and superb torsional rigidity. We had no real competitors in the market, other than factory racing machines.”

The oil-cooled 4-stroke, 4-cylinder engine of the Suzuki GSX-R 750 delivered more than 100PS – far more power than any previous 750cc motorcycle. The exceptionally low dry weight of 179kg (395 lbs.) was equivalent to that of a 400cc-class model. Isamu Okamoto, engineer of engine design recalls: “We knew that reaching our goal of the world’s best power-to-weight ratio required to realize overpowering performance would be an enormous challenge.”

The Suzuki GSX-R 750 was a natural sensation among motorcycle enthusiasts and the press at a time when the capacity limit for Formula One and endurance racing had just been dropped from 1,000cc to 750cc. Suzuki’s new 750 performed admirably in the AMA Superbike Championship and FIM World Endurance Championship and quickly became the racebike of choice among private riders worldwide, thanks to durability and affordability.

1985 Suzuki GSX-R750F
The Suzuki GSX-R 750 was the World’s first race-bred production four-stroke sportsbike. Featuring a 100bhp motor with an Endurance-style chassis and an aerodynamic full-fairing complete with Endurance-aping twin-headlights. Dry weight was a featherweight 179 kilos and the bike ran on 18-inch wheels. This bike sired the current generation of race-replica sportsbikes we see on the road today.

When American rider Kevin Schwantz rode the Suzuki GSX-R 750 into second place at the 1986 AMA Daytona 200, his name became synonymous with the machine. Schwantz’s unique riding style on the Suzuki  GSX-R750 demonstrated an incredible man-machine interface that quickly engendered a legend. Victories in AMA Championship and the Le Mans and Bol d’Or 24-hour endurance events soon followed, to anchor the beginning of Suzuki GSX-R 750′s winning history.

1987 Suzuki GSX-R 750 H
In came newer, lighter front forks with NEAS (New Electrically Activated Suspension) from the previous year’s ,RR’ version, along with wider rear rims.

1988 Suzuki GSX-R 750 J
The first major model re-design incorporated changes to engine and chassis. The double cradle frame was beefed-up, the engine featured a short-stroke design and now pumped out around 112bhp although weight had crept up to 195 kilos. Gaping holes around the smoother, more aerodynamic fairing fed the SCAI Ð Suzuki Condensed Air Intake, which fed cool air to the carburettor intake for maximum efficiency.

1990 Suzuki GSX-R 750 L
Using the ‘RR’s long-stroke motor, the L also had new pistons, combustion chamber design and 38mm Slingshot carbs. Inverted or ,upside-down’ front forks debuted on this model, as did the signature remote reservoir shock. A wider rear wheel rim also carried fatter tyres. Power was now up to 114bhp with weight around the 193 kilo mark.

1991 Suzuki GSX-R 750 M
Another major aesthetic change came with the M, featuring a new fairing with twin tail lights and an aerodynamic headlight cover behind which the trademark twin Endurance headlights sat. Power was the same at 114bhp with weight around 208 kilos.

The champion grows up
Following several model changes in the early years to raise performance and stay in the lead, Suzuki changed the engine of the 1992 Suzuki GSX-R 750 from oil-cooled to liquid-cooled and adopted a more rigid frame with a large, pentagonal cross-section. Hiroshi Iio, chief engineer of the GSX-R series, reveals a secret episode. “We development team members shared a clear goal to realize higher performance, lighter weight and more compactness that facilitated agreement on technical matters,” Iio recollects, “But aesthetic matters such as engine’s appearance did cause some arguments. For example, we asked Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force to show us various aircraft power units as inspiration for the fin shape on our ’92 Suzuki  GSX-R750.”

1992 Suzuki GSX-R 750 WN
The WN featured an all-new liquid-cooled motor for the first time in the Suzuki GSX-R 750 family. Liquid-cooling enabled Suzuki to get more power from the 750cc motor and keep that power consistent under all temperatures. The WN featured a new computer-designed frame and pressed aluminium swing-arm. Power was now up to 116bhp with dry weight at 208 kilos.

1995 Suzuki GSX-R 750 S
This was the final model to use the traditional Suzuki GSX-R double cradle frame, which had been seen on GSX-Rs for a decade. Cosmetic changes included the looks of the SPR, including the ally water pump, six piston calipers, swingarm and magnesium engine parts. Other changes were a silver finish on the forks, instead of the previous model’s blue.

For the 1996 model, engine designer Masahiro Nishikawa strove to figure out the most desirable characteristics for a new-generation Supersport. “I frequently visited major superbike championship circuits to collect on-the-spot information,” he says. “The answer was an entirely new engine with three-piece crankcases and a side camchain.” Combined with the all-new twin-spar frame inspired by the Grand Prix race bikes, this version achieved 19kg weight reduction from its predecessor.

1996 Suzuki GSX-R 750 T
All-change. This model astonished journalists and Suzuki GSX-R fans alike. With a beam-frame for the first time, an all-new motor pumping out 122bhp, it was known universally as the SRAD thanks to its Suzuki Ram Air Direct system which force-fed cold air into the airbox. The bike also shared the same dimensions as Kevin Schwantz’s 1993 500cc GP winning RGV. It was a winner from the start. Weight was down back to 179 kilos – the same weight as the original bike but with almost 25% more power…

The highly evolved Suzuki GSX-R7 50 adopted the catch phrase ‘The most advanced Suzuki GSX-R ever’ in 2000. That model’s totally redesigned engine featured a new electronic fuel injection system with dual throttle valves – a rider controlled throttle valve and an electronically controlled valve – that enabled optimal fuel injection for greater torque and power, as well as higher combustion efficiency with lower emissions. The new main frame was lighter, with a longer swing arm than the previous model. Together, the innovations offered 2000 Suzuki GSX-R 750 riders overpowering performance approaching that of a one-liter model.

Yukihiro Takasaki has been dedicated to development of the electronic fuel-injection systems in all Suzuki  GSX-R series models since 1999. “As a private race team mechanic I had a close contact with Suzuki GSX-R 750 when I joined Suzuki two decades ago,” says Takasaki, “so I was eager to take charge of Suzuki  GSX-R development. Our team was thrilled to complete a new fuel-injection control system that helped to exceed performance of carburetor-equipped competitors. I’m happy to say that Suzuki’s fuel-injection technologies are still leading the industry today.”

The unrelenting mision of excellence continues
The Suzuki GSX-R has steadily expanded the lineup for the last 20 years. In the year following the 750′s debut, Suzuki launched another Suzuki GSX-R with a 1,052cc engine boasting a maximum of 130PS at 9,500rpm with a dry weight of only 197kg (434 lbs.). Like the 750, the Suzuki GSX-R 1100 ruled the racetracks and the roads until 1998.

For riders who want the Suzuki GSX-R experience in a middleweight machine, Suzuki introduced the Suzuki GSX-R 600 in 1997. Kunio Arase, project leader for this new member of the Suzuki GSX-R family, says he started development with a mission: “The mission shared by every engineer for succeeding models of the legendary Suzuki GSX-R line has been to surpass the performance of any existing model in its class. We determined to achieve the fastest top speed and starting acceleration, yet the production model had to be transformable to a winning circuit racer with minimal modification. Indeed, the first Suzuki GSX-R 600 realized a top speed faster than that of the Suzuki GSX-R 750 two years earlier, taking the World Supersport Championship for two consecutive years.”

1997 Suzuki GSX-R 600 V through to Y
A 599cc machine aping it’s bigger brother the Suzuki GSX-R 750. Power was a shade under 100bhp and the bike was instantly competitive in British and World Supersports series. The chassis comprised of an aluminium beam frame, right-way-up forks, an adjustable monoshock at the back and four-pot Tokico brakes. Weight was just 174 kilos. Mild updates during the life of the bike saw power increase to around 110bhp, but styling remain the same.

1998 Suzuki GSX-R 750 W
With the ’97 bike only receiving colour changes, the 1998 machine featured one very important addition: electronic fuel injection. The system used large 46mm throttle bodies and a two-stage system measuring water and intake temperatures, environmental and intake air pressures as well as throttle position and engine RPM to ensure optimal fuelling in all regimes.

2000 Suzuki GSX-R 750 Y – K1-K3
The Y was the lightest, most powerful Suzuki GSX-R 750 ever. With around 125bhp hauling just 166 kilos around, the bike was the leader of the 750 class, but was also able to take on the 600s and 1000cc sports machines. The chassis had the same 1400mm wheelbase, but with a longer swingarm and lightened frame. A new look came from a complete aesthetic re-design. The model was so successful that it remained unchanged until 2004.

In 2001 the youngest member of the family was born, the Suzuki GSX-R 1000. Thrilling all riders and garnering one racetrack victory after another, the 1000 has become the flagship of the Suzuki GSX-R line with its phenomenal potential. This year, the third-generation of the Suzuki GSX-R 1000 is going to the market with an even bigger displacement engine to deliver more power, torque and acceleration, as well as a totally redesigned body with less weight and higher aerodynamics.

2001 Suzuki GSX-R 1000
Came into the class with a boom and swept to the top of the litre-class of sportsbikes. The K1 was an all-new 988cc, 180mph, 150bhp missile. Looks were derived heavily from the successful 750Y, as was the frame and chassis – although the frame was made from 0.5mm thicker aluminium to handle the extra power. To keep weight down to just 170 kilos, extensive use was made of titanium.

2001 Suzuki GSX-R 600 K1-K3
First major update saw the bodywork mimic that of the 750Y, although still the best way to tell them apart was the lack of upside-down forks on the 600. Fuel-injection came in for the first time on a Suzuki 600 and power was up to around 115bhp with weight just 163 kilos. Special edition models included a Telefonica MoviStar replica and a version of the Alstare Corona machine, which in SRAD form had won the 1998 and 1999 World Supersport.

2003 Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K3
Major changes saw more power – 160bhp, more torque, much-improved radial Tokico brakes and an updated chassis, as well as new aesthetics which gave the Suzuki GSX-R 1000 a slimmed-down look. Weight was also now down by two kilos on the previous model. Two limited-editions were produced: a Mat Mladin replica in the USA and a KZ model in Europe, which featured black bodywork and gold wheels.

2004 Suzuki GSX-R 750 K4
Sharing the chassis with the Suzuki GSX-R 600, the K4 750 has a new motor with lightweight pistons, increased compression ratio, new cams, titanium valves and a new cylinder head, adding up to a real-world 130bhp. Weight is down to 163 kilos thanks to a new frame, which is 15mm narrower than before. Four-pot Tokicos are awesome, while the narrow bodywork shares the overall look of the 2004 Suzuki GSX-R 600.

2004 Suzuki GSX-R 600 K4
This machine took Suzuki back to the top of the 600 class. In came a new motor pumping out around 120bhp and a dry weight of just 161 kilos. The bike had narrower dimensions, bodywork identical to the Suzuki GSX-R 750 K4 and upside-down front forks for the first time. A special-edition model in 2005 marked 20 years of the Suzuki GSX-R range with a limited run of machines in corporate Suzuki blues modeled on the first scheme on the original Suzuki GSX-R 750. It also included a black-finished exhaust end-can and a blue coloured chain.

Hiroshi Iio, the engine designer of early-1990s Suzuki GSX-R 750s, is now working as the chief engineer on the 2005 Suzuki GSX-R 1000. “Every GSX-R in history has been created to become the best and strongest sportbike of its time,” he recalls. “Of course, the latest Suzuki GSX-R 1000 brings the original Suzuki GSX-R concept to an even higher level. The 1000 is the most nimble, powerful and lightweight one-liter model yet, as well as an especially rider-friendly bike. I wanted to achieve a charming machine that give every rider exceptional joy of ownership. The chief styling designer and I collaborated to create functional yet attractive styling worthy of a new-generation sportbike.”

The 20th anniversary of the glorious Suzuki GSX-R in 2005 is a time for Suzuki to celebrate, while mapping out even further advances of Suzuki’s superb industry-leading motorcycles. The legend continues…

2005 Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K5
Another significant leap forward. New aesthetics hid major updates to the engine and chassis. The engine was now 11cc up to 998.6cc while weight was further cut to 166 kilos. Aerodynamic refinements saw the physical size reduced still further, while the 1000cc bike received a short, stubby end-can, which kept the mass central to the bike, improving handling. A limited-edition Suzuki GSX-R 1000 “Phantom” was available at the end of 2006 in grey/silver and with a Yoshimura Tri-oval slip-on for no extra cost.

2006 Suzuki GSX-R 750 K6
A major styling update sees the 750K6 receive the looks of the Suzuki GSX-R 1000, but with motor changes to hike power to 150bhp. The motor now barks through a stubby, low-slung silencer. Weight is now down to 163 kilos thanks to a re-designed frame and chassis.

2007 Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K7
Another landmark motorcycle from Suzuki. The most powerful Suzuki GSX-R ever… The K7 features more power and the engine control management system makes it possible to switch between three performance settings to match riding conditions. Internally, the engine is re-designed and features twin low-slung exhausts for better weight distribution as well as a developed chassis featuring adjustable pegs for the track-day addicts amongst you. Overall weight is 172 kilos.

2009 Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9
Still the most powerful Suzuki GSX-R ever at 182bhp – the K9 benefits from Big Piston Forks, slipper clutch and Suzuki’s Drive Mode Selector. Showa suspension replaces Kayaba. Winner of the 2009 British Superstock Championship.