The 70’s saw Japanese manufacturers starting to win more and more market share thanks to powerful, reliable, and cheap motorcycles. Honda and Kawasaki set new sport bike standards with the CB750 Four and the Z1. In 1982, it was Suzuki’s turn to release a bombshell with the Suzuki Katana. In 1985 the brand did it again with the GSX-R750, and one year later the GSX-R1100.
The GSXR was a direct competitor to the Kawasaki ZX-11 and the Yamaha FZR, and somehow managed to do better. The air cooled, in-line four cylinder 1,052cc engine was developed 128 hp, making it a suitable tool for extreme riders and hooligans. The GSX-R engine went through some evolution during its history, including a bump in displacement to 1,127cc and an increase in horsepower from 128 hp to 145hp in 1992. Thanks to its engine, the GSX-R was able to reach speeds close to 170 hp. Suzuki managed to create some kind of road racing bike that definitely put power and adrenalin before comfort and flexibility. A problem over the years was that with modifiations, Suzuki kept adding weight while its competitors were shaving the pounds off. In fact, when released in 1986, the GSX-R1100 weighed “only” 433 lbs, which was very good at the time. By 1991 it weighed 497 lbs..but never mind that. Suzuki had created a monster that, still today, makes any sport bike enthusiast and collector’s heart tremble.
The bike presented here seems to be in excellent shape with its shiny and appealing (and very 90s) blue/white/pink livery. The odometer shows just 3,552 miles and the bike is in original condition, waiting for you to take her where she belongs: the canyons.
Find this Suzuki GSX-R1100 in Marina Del Rey, California here on Craigslist for $6,400.