Suzuki took the wraps off a special 30th anniversary GSX-R model that hearkens back to the original paint scheme of the 1986 bike sans the cool blue seat. The GSX-R started a revolution in the sport bike world with the launch of the mighty GSX-R1100 and 750 back in the eighties stoking the hearts of many a young motorcyclist with its straight from the track looks and performance. Kevin Schwantz helped bring the revolutionary Suzuki sport bike to prominence on the AMA circuit and of the bike he says:
“I first rode the GSXR in 1985 at the Suzuka 8-Hour with Graeme Crosby. We didn’t get the Suzuki GSX-Rs in the United States until ‘86 but raced them in American Superbikes in ‘86 and ‘87. I won the Daytona 200 on a Suzuki GSX-R in 1988 and continued to race the 8-Hour all the way through to the 1992 season.
“I’ve been involved with Suzuki and raced Suzukis my entire career and to have seen the GSX-R evolve. I like to think that some of the Grand Prix racing I did helped with some development of the GSX-R; maybe some of the technology they learned from GP racing is stuff that has evolved and gone into the production GSX-R motorcycles. Whether it’s a 600, 750, 1000, or all the other different sizes that they have made, they’re all just as much fun to ride.
“The GSX-R was ground-breaking technology, the latest, greatest thing when it came out and it has continued to be an awesome sports bike, a great handling motorcycle and it is still very, very competitive in the Suzuka 8-Hour. With over a million GSX-Rs made it is true to say that there are millions and millions of people who have bought them, ridden them and love them.
“The Suzuki GSX-R to me is the definition of a sport bike. When the GSX-R came out it completely changed the definition of a sports bike and it has continued to improve ever since.”
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