When the boys from Hamamatsu decided to kick things up a notch from the GS series of motorcycles, they turned the sport bike world on its collective ear. The GSX-R series took a left turn at the intersection of air-cooling and water cooling, and created a hybrid oil & air cooled weapon that was faster and lighter than contemporary sport bikes of the day. The original GSX-R became an instant club racing favorite and owned the 750cc road racing class right off the showroom floor. It was that good. Suzuki was quick to notice and set up contingency prize money at many events, thereby promoting the GSX-R heavily for racing. Soon they developed a bespoke homologation racer of the model, specifically intended to compete at the highest levels. The rare and coveted model was known as the GSX-R750R Limited Edition. Only 199 examples were produced.
1986 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750 Limited Edition for sale on eBay
Utilizing air cooling externally and oil cooling internally, the GSX-R750 engine was lighter than new fangled water-cooling that required additional plumbing and liquids. By increasing the amount of oil held in the sump, by increasing the size of the oil cooler, and by utilizing oil jetting technology derived from the XN85 Turbo experiment, Suzuki was able to package up the inline 4-cylinder into a compact – yet reliable – arrangement. To compliment the engine, the GSX-R chassis was built up in aluminum (miracle metal for the era), providing stiffness and continuing to promote the lightweight theme. Full race replica bodywork replete with twin headlights gave the bike a unique profile. To all of this, the LE model further enhanced the sporting intent of the model: a dry clutch offering less rotating inertia, drag and overall weight; forks lifted from the bigger brother GSX-R1100 (which included Suzuki’s electronic anti-dive control); and the bigger bike’s wheels, brakes and tires to augment the already impressive cornering capability. In all, the LE was an even sharper version of the already potent GSX-R750, and today these are rare and coveted beasts.
From the seller:
1986 SUZUKI GSX-R750 Limited Edition SportBike. this is a real survivor, it has been on display at MOTORCYCLEPEDIA MUSEUM for the past 8 years. last ran when we brought it ot the museum. it has a few flaws as shown in pics. Yoshimura exhaust, Performance Machine Chicane wheels (stock wheels are included in sale ).FOX twin clicker rear shock. Great museum piece or Club Road Racer. A little TLC and a new owner is all it needs. Sold in “as is” condition.we are in the process of getting Paprework for the bike (lost) Buyer is responsible for pick-up and/or shipping of the unit. DONT LET THIS PIECE OF SPORTBIKE/ ROAD RACING HISTORY SLIP AWAY.
This particular example of the mighty GSX-R750R Limited Edition looks to be very clean and only lightly modified. Standard road amenities are still in place (lights, turn signals), although there have been some farkles added for performance. The Yosh exhaust is an expected component, and is definitely period correct. The PM wheels are interesting, but do not really change the bike (the seller claims the stock wheels come with the bike). The adjustability of the Fox shock is definitely desirable. The carbon front fender is non stock, as are the individual air filters – but both add some meanness and pizzazz to what is the least identifiable and least exotic homologation bike of the OW01/RC30 set.
Bidding for this bike has been pretty strong, and with 5 days or so to go the price is way below book value. At the current bid of just over $10k this could be a steal, but history shows that these usually cross the block for nearly double that amount. This one will be fun to watch and see, as the market has been acting as strange and the long road to normalcy and economic recovery is still ahead of us. Still one cannot deny that the end of summer sell off is well and truly underway, and some fantastic machines are flooding the market. Does this GSX-R750R Limited Edition make you itch to don some leathers and carve some corners like a club racer? Summer weather is still here in many parts of the country – better move quickly before this rare beast is gone. Good luck and stay safe!!
MI
So now we’re down to just 199 being made?
eBay shows sold for $13,100.
dc
@April – Suzuki cranked out lots of GSX-Rs, but in 1986 only 199 were imported into the US for homologation purposes (to make them eligible for AMA Superbike racing).
-Mike
Sorry – that is 199 Limited Edition models into the US in 1986.
What is the source for your number?
Fair question – with a difficult answer. Definitive info on the “RR” is conflicting, with numbers between 199 and 299 in the US for the year, and approx 500 worldwide. Reputable sources (including popular motorcycle publications) vary in the case of the LE, which is common with older Italian offerings but rare for well-known Japanese makes. Clearly the minimum numbers were for AMA homologation purposes, although the LE was offered in Japan as well as other markets. Confusion is also added with the number of replica LE models that are standard G series models with the dry clutch and some of the other LE parts bolted on, but are not factory double Rs. With no known range of VIN numbers, the import figures are perhaps more a range than an absolute.
-Mike