1986 Suzuki GSXR1100

During the 1970s and early ’80s, the motorcycle market was rapidly changing and evolving. Large two-stroke machines that were mass-manufactured were being banned from the street, and few manufacturers were building four-stroke sports bikes. Suzuki identified this gap in the market, and many models were manufactured in the late ’70s, such as the GS400, and the GS1000. In 1983 Honda introduced the VF750 Interceptor, a radically innovative bike that set the trend for modern sport bikes. Kawasaki followed suit in 1984 with its Kawasaki GPZ900R Ninja. Seeing the success of these bikes, Suzuki felt that something much newer was needed for the future, both in chassis and engine terms.

During the early 80’s, Etsuo Yokouchi and his team of designers began work on a bike intended to change the market and outperform Honda’s Interceptor. They started in 1983 on Suzuki’s domestic market Gamma 250 to produce a lightweight two-stroke for the streets. The RG250 was the world’s first production alloy framed motorcycle. Building upon the Gamma’s success, Suzuki introduced the four-cylinder, four-stroke, aluminium-framed GSX-R400 in 1984 for the Japanese market. A full 18 per cent lighter than comparable bikes on the market, the first GSX-R set the tone for those that would follow. “I felt that if we could do a 400 cc bike that was 18 per cent lighter, we should be able to do the same with a 750”, recalls Mr Yokouchi

Using a current model GSX750ES as a starting point, Yokouchi’s team went through every part, reducing weight wherever possible. A new aluminium frame was engineered in a distinctive shape with square tubes stretching back over and around the top of the engine, then turning sharply downwards just past the carburettors to beneath the engine where they met the lower tubes. This design, unheard of then, would soon become familiar to a generation of motorcyclists and is often referred to as the “humpback” frame. Where welding would have added unnecessary weight aircraft quality rivets were used. Weight was further reduced until parts failed to make the bike as light as practicable. The resulting motorcycle was rigorously tested to its breaking point: weaknesses were found and re-engineered until the bugs were worked out

The resulting GSX-R750 was introduced in 1985 but withheld from the United States due to tariff issues which would have imposed a 39.4 percent tax on each bike because it was over 700 CC. By waiting until 1986, Suzuki saved buyers money as the tax dropped to 24.4 per cent. In the intervening year, Suzuki responded to European riders’ complaints about the bike’s stability by lengthening the swing arm by one inch. With the groundwork laid by earlier, smaller bikes, Suzuki introduced the GSX-R1100 in 1986. The technology mirrored that of the GSX-R750 but added big bore power (137 hp (102 kW)), to the mix while keeping the bike as light as possible.

The GSXR1100 was produced between the years of 1986 to 1998. During the mid-1990s, the size-to-power ratio of the motorcycle began to feel outdated, as smaller bikes that achieved faster speeds were being released, and the GSXR750WT was released with this goal in mind to keep up with the times. Every year, Suzuki took the feedback of the public and refined the bike, each year having a new letter to signify the new model. The bikes were incredibly well-rounded and considered very easy to live with, and were fairly popular, especially for those looking to customize them.