LOT 407 N
1989 Suzuki GSX-R750RR Special Edition Registration no. not UK registered Frame no. GR79B-100265 Engine no. R714-000270
Sold for £10,925 inc. premium
Lot 407N
1989 Suzuki GSX-R750RR Special EditionRegistration no. not UK registered Frame no. GR79B-100265 Engine no. R714-000270
The Autumn Stafford Sale: The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show|20 October 2019, 11:00 BST|Stafford, Staffordshire County Showground
1989 Suzuki GSX-R750RR Special Edition
Registration no. not UK registered
Frame no. GR79B-100265
Engine no. R714-000270
Registration no. not UK registered
Frame no. GR79B-100265
Engine no. R714-000270
• One of only 500 made
• Circa 20,000 kilometres from new
• Offered from a private collection
Suzuki rewrote the 750-class rulebook when it launched the GSX-R750 on an unsuspecting world back in 1985. Lighter than a 600 and as powerful as a 1000, it made all other super-sports 750s seem flabby and slow. Yet within a few years Suzuki felt obliged to undertake an extensive redesign, a move prompted by the arrival of the Honda VFR750R, better know as the RC30. Like its predecessor, this second generation GSX-R benefited from experience gained in racing, featuring a much stiffer frame and swinging arm, larger-diameter forks, larger front brakes, 4-pot brake callipers, 17" wheels, and a more aerodynamically efficient fairing. The engine had a shorter stroke (for increased revs), bigger valves (same size as the GSX-R1100's), larger oil radiator, 4-into-2 exhaust system, and 36mm flat-slide 'Slingshot' carburettors that gave the model its nickname.
Development of the 'Gixxer' had been heavily influenced by lessons learned from the works TT F1 and Endurance racers of the late 1970s and early 1980s, so it can have surprised few when Suzuki reversed the process and launched a street-legal racer based on the new GSX-R750 'Slingshot' roadster - the GSX-R750RR Special Edition. This was another 'homologation special' aimed at the World Superbike Championship where the GSX-R was pitted against the Ducati 851, Honda RC30, Yamaha OW01, and Kawasaki ZXR750R in the series' 'Golden Era'. Among a host of performance enhancing features was a longer-stroke version of the air/oil-cooled 16-valve motor, bigger carburettors, 10mm spark plugs, racing valves and springs, stronger crankshaft and rods, and a magnesium cam cover. A larger oil cooler (plus smaller supplementary), close-ratio gearbox, stainless-steel exhaust with alloy silencer, glassfibre fairing, and an alloy fuel tank completed the picture. At £9,000 in the UK, the 'RR' cost almost twice as much as the 'ordinary' GSX-R and only 50 were officially imported out of the 500 sold worldwide.
Now more than 30 years old, many early GSX-Rs have suffered at the hands of successive owners, with anodised fastenings, tinted screens and after-market pipes among the commonest modifications, a state of affairs that has resulted in original examples of the early versions – such as the ultra-rare GSX-R750RR Special Edition model offered here – becoming increasingly sought after by collectors. This machine has covered only some 20,000 kilometres from new and represents a not-to-be-missed opportunity to acquire a fine example of the sought-after GSX-R750RR model. The Suzuki has spent a long time in a private collection and is presented in excellent condition.
• Circa 20,000 kilometres from new
• Offered from a private collection
Suzuki rewrote the 750-class rulebook when it launched the GSX-R750 on an unsuspecting world back in 1985. Lighter than a 600 and as powerful as a 1000, it made all other super-sports 750s seem flabby and slow. Yet within a few years Suzuki felt obliged to undertake an extensive redesign, a move prompted by the arrival of the Honda VFR750R, better know as the RC30. Like its predecessor, this second generation GSX-R benefited from experience gained in racing, featuring a much stiffer frame and swinging arm, larger-diameter forks, larger front brakes, 4-pot brake callipers, 17" wheels, and a more aerodynamically efficient fairing. The engine had a shorter stroke (for increased revs), bigger valves (same size as the GSX-R1100's), larger oil radiator, 4-into-2 exhaust system, and 36mm flat-slide 'Slingshot' carburettors that gave the model its nickname.
Development of the 'Gixxer' had been heavily influenced by lessons learned from the works TT F1 and Endurance racers of the late 1970s and early 1980s, so it can have surprised few when Suzuki reversed the process and launched a street-legal racer based on the new GSX-R750 'Slingshot' roadster - the GSX-R750RR Special Edition. This was another 'homologation special' aimed at the World Superbike Championship where the GSX-R was pitted against the Ducati 851, Honda RC30, Yamaha OW01, and Kawasaki ZXR750R in the series' 'Golden Era'. Among a host of performance enhancing features was a longer-stroke version of the air/oil-cooled 16-valve motor, bigger carburettors, 10mm spark plugs, racing valves and springs, stronger crankshaft and rods, and a magnesium cam cover. A larger oil cooler (plus smaller supplementary), close-ratio gearbox, stainless-steel exhaust with alloy silencer, glassfibre fairing, and an alloy fuel tank completed the picture. At £9,000 in the UK, the 'RR' cost almost twice as much as the 'ordinary' GSX-R and only 50 were officially imported out of the 500 sold worldwide.
Now more than 30 years old, many early GSX-Rs have suffered at the hands of successive owners, with anodised fastenings, tinted screens and after-market pipes among the commonest modifications, a state of affairs that has resulted in original examples of the early versions – such as the ultra-rare GSX-R750RR Special Edition model offered here – becoming increasingly sought after by collectors. This machine has covered only some 20,000 kilometres from new and represents a not-to-be-missed opportunity to acquire a fine example of the sought-after GSX-R750RR model. The Suzuki has spent a long time in a private collection and is presented in excellent condition.
Footnotes
As with all Lots in the Sale, this Lot is sold 'as is/where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding.
Saleroom notices
The engine number is R714100270.
Additional information
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Auction Viewings
- 19 October 2019, 09:00 - 17:00 BST
- 20 October 2019, 09:00 - 17:00 BST
Lot symbols
| N | NOVA declaration |
| If purchased by a UK resident, this machine is subject to a NOVA declaration, whilst the responsibility of submitting the NOVA rests with the Buyer to do so, Bonhams will facilitate the process by engaging an agent (SHIPPIO) to undertake the NOVA and C88 (customs) application if applicable on the Buyer's behalf. A fee of £350 + VAT to do so will be added to the Buyer's invoice. |
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