Well-Known Machines Will Meet Their End
When most people think Suzuki sportbikes, they automatically think the Hayabusa, but the GSX-R750 isn’t far behind in their mind. That may change in the future. The motorcycle company will have to kill the GSX-R750 and GSX-R600 soon due to stringent emissions standards and mandatory ABS as stated by new legislation, according to Cycle World.
We recently reported the impending doom facing the Hayabusa, and how it will soldier on in the U.S. for a while longer thanks to more relaxed emissions. The Busa will return, though, you can bet your sweet high-speed buns on it. Suzuki has a new one in the works.
The same can’t be said for the GSX-R750 or the GSX-R600. The company seems to have no plans to breathe new life into either model with a redesign.
Two Deaths That Makes Business Sense
The mid-range sportbike market is slowing down fast, according to Cycle World. All motorcycle manufacturers are killing off their 600cc and 750cc sportbikes. A segment of the market that was once one of the most crowded will soon be more or less empty.
With sales sliding for the GSX-R750 and the GSX-R600 paired with the fact that the bikes don’t meet the new emissions standards in most of the world, it’s no wonder Suzuki will say goodbye.
With that noted, buyers in the U.S. will be able to enjoy both these mid-range sportbikes in 2019. Suzuki won’t continue building these bikes forever, but if you were one of the few buyers considering a new 750 or 600 then you have this as an option.
I always liked these two mid-range bikes. They seemed a perfect balance in a sportbike market dominated by high-powered literbikes. It’s a shame to see them go, but I hope this opens up production space for some new, sportbike offerings from Suzuki.
Do you have a press release from Suzuki or something to back this up?
Hi, this information comes from Cycle World. I included the link in the article when it was published. However, it was a little lower down on the page. I have moved the link up to the first paragraph and added some additional information for clarification. Hope that helps.
The assertion that “All motorcycle manufacturers are killing off their 600cc and 750cc* sportbikes” seems a bit of a stretch. Yamaha did a refresh of the R6 for the 2017 model year and Kawasaki did the same for the ZX-6R this year, complete with a very aggressive sub-$10k price tag.
While neither update represents a major evolution, it nevertheless demonstrates that there is commitment to the market segment on the part of major manufacturers.
*Since only Suzuki was making a 750cc sportbike in the first place, this is a bit of a head-scratcher.
Hi Andrew,
I’m not the only one pointing out the decline and disappearance of the mid-level sportbike market. As I mention in the article. Cycle World noted it. Also, many other motorcycle publications have articles and opinions on the topic.
A simple Google search of “are 600cc sport bikes disappearing” yields many results that say more or less the same thing. BikeBandit, Revzilla, Bennetts, and Visordown all have articles on the topic.
Also, I don’t think 600cc and 750cc bikes will disappear altogether, but that segment of the market will likely have far fewer options. Maybe other journalists and I are jumping the gun saying the segment is dying, but I don’t think it’s an outrageous claim.
It’s also an opportunity for the companies that put out bikes in that category. They should be able to snatch up more buyers due to the fact there are fewer players.