The 16th Sunday Ride Classic, organized from May 17 to 18, 2025 at Paul Ricard, promises to be exceptional Don't miss the opportunity to celebrate the Suzuki GSX-R's birthday. This unmissable event for all motorcycle fans never fails to celebrate the jewels of motorcycling history, whether they be riders or competition machines. It will be an opportunity to celebrate the 40th anniversary of a motorcycle that changed history.
In this article we discuss the 750cc version of the " Gex ", covering, in particular, his racing career. Do you own a GSX-R yourself? Then come and enjoy yourself at the SRC: You can benefit from a reduced entry rate and participate in a parade on the Paul Ricard circuit by clicking here! Of course, you will also have access to the special exhibition focused on the GSX-R and its history.
A timeless line.
Introduced in 1984 on the Japanese market, the GSX-R400 arrived with great fanfare. A year later, it is the 750cc version which makes its appearanceDescribed as a road racing motorcycle, it leaves no one unmoved. In 1986, the Hamamatsu firm even unveiled an absolutely demonic 1100cc version.
In a short time, performance was improved and the "Gex" came in many versions. So let's focus on the one that interests us today, namely the GSX-R 750 type GR77B from 1988; cThis is the one that served as the basis for the racing version. We're still talking about a four-cylinder in-line four-stroke, developing 112 horsepower at 11 rpm.
The frame is revised, as is the engine with the new DAIS system, a forced air supply enabled by two ducts on the front face. The " GSX-R J » evolves into « K » in 1989, and then finally transformed into the GSX-R 750 R, the machine that took part in the first Superbike World Championship.
The advertisements are clear. Five hundred units. A machine whose performance falls somewhere between the factory bikes and the classic "Gex" 750. All engine components are reworked, the bore is modified, and a second radiator is added. The thinner fairing and single-seat seat, among other weight-saving operations, save eight kilos compared to the “normal” versionThe monster is ready to tear up the asphalt.
You may have forgotten, but before winning everything with Aprilia, Max Biaggi rode a GSX-R for Suzuki Alstare in Superbike during the 2007 season.
Yet, and as surprising as it may seem, the latter did not compete with the competition in Superbike during the 1988 seasonFirstly, few use it and compete in the entire championship. New Zealander Gary Goodfellow still won a round on it, with the fastest lap in the race.
Not much better the following year, with a small success for Doug Pollen in Japan; finally, the round that matters against the tough Japanese competition. In the meantime, the GSX-R evolves, but Suzuki is still not sufficiently involved in Superbike. Moreover, in the following years, The "Gex" gradually left the grid until they almost disappeared at the beginning of the 1990s.However, the GSX-R remains a legendary model, recognized by all and whose road version has marked a generation of enthusiasts.
It was only at the end of the 1990s that Suzuki made a comeback in this class, which had previously resisted it. First thanks to James Whitham, who achieved a few podium finishes, then Pierfrancesco Chili, which gave the firm a tasty victory in 1999.23
A lull followed, then success. The 1000cc version, which had become the standard, succeeded where its ancestor had failed. Troy Corser won the 2005 title riding the Suz', which still hadn't changed its name despite the engine size. It is, to this day, the only crown won by the company in this category. But that's not all, because you can still see it racing in endurance racing! Under its name GSX-R1000R, the Yoshimura SERT Motul team entered one in the FIM EWC World Championship, where she is also the reigning champion. The flame is far from being extinguished.
To make sure you don't miss this event, come to the Paul Ricard circuit on May 17 and 18 for the Sunday Ride Classic 2025, on May 17 and 18, 2025!
The SRC offers you access to its ticket office at a reduced rate
https://www.sundayrideclassic.com/billetterie
May 17 & 18, 2025
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https://www.facebook.com/SundayRideClassic
The Suzuki GSX-R 1000R has notably won the 24 Heures Motos and the 2024 Bol d'Or. Photo: Yoshimura SERT Motul
