Suzuki GSX-R 750

When Suzuki launched the GSX-R 750 back in 1985 the world sat up and took notice. I can still remember that bike with its blue and white colour scheme and the two round headlights. The bike was based on the GS 750 of the time, but it went on a serious diet. Suzuki opted for an aluminium frame and everything about the bike was focused on reducing weight. It excelled in racing and it was on this bike that the likable Texan Kevin Schwantz made his mark.

After more than thirty years of evolving and developing, the Suzuki GSX-R 750 is still going and I finally got to swing a leg over it. The GSX-R is indeed a good looking bike. It is styled like its bigger siblings and even draws styling cues from the Haybusa as is evident in the headlight design. The seat is surprisingly comfortable, but the footpegs are perched high up on the frame. The clip-on handlebars force you to lean far forward as a sport bike should.

The instrumentation is simplicity itself. You have a large rev-counter flanked by an LCD screen. There is not a lot of information on the LCD screen, but I did notice a stopwatch. This means that Suzuki is serious about the GSX-R being used on a track and it becomes even more obvious when you consider the adjustable Showa suspension and an electronic steering damper visible under the dashboard. This damper provides little resistance when the bike is moving slowly but becomes progressively stiffer as the speed increases. Even the footpegs are adjustable for you to find your optimal track setup.

There are 310 mm disks up front, grabbed by radial mounted Brembo callipers, but they are not ABS assisted. Indecently there is also no traction control so you are pretty much on your own.

When you thumb the starter, the familiar in-line four sound emanates from the relatively small silencer. A crank of the throttle gives the sweetest intake sound. The sound drowns out the sound of the exhaust and became a joyous symphony I could modulate with my right hand.

When you accelerate you can immediately feel the power deficit it has over the 1000, but the 750 is certainly no slouch. It does still pack a 150 hp punch. The red line starts at around 14 000 rpm, so you can reach the national speed limit without shifting from first. By then the engine screams like a banshee but still does not sound strained. What did occur to me is that this bike is mighty fast but it is not intimidating.

At R161 500 the 750 is a bargain if you consider the prices of 1000 cc bikes nowadays. The GSX-R is just a no-frills, honest bike that you can use every day and let loose on a track any day of the week.

Article & Photos: Brian Cheyne