Despite the fact that Suzuki’s existing GSX-R600 and 750 models don’t meet the Euro 4 emissions rules introduced in 2017, the bikes will remain unchanged in 2018.
Suzuki is taking full advantage of a provision that allows it to sell small numbers of non-compliant (Euro 3-spec) machines for up to two years after the introduction of the new European-specific regs.
The news that the bikes won’t change for 2018 comes courtesy of the California Air Research Board, which has published the first of its 2018 certification documents. These include certificates for 2018-spec GSX-R600s and GSX-R750s, showing they will be identical to the existing models.
Even when we revealed a new GSX-R750 was in the pipeline – Suzuki places a huge value on the name and doesn’t want to let it wither even if demand is relatively low – we said it might be 2019 before the bike was ready.
As we explained at the time, Suzuki is also busy developing a new Hayabusa, which was previewed more than a year ago as the Concept GSX and is expected to be shown in production form by the end of this year as a 2018 model.
Suzuki will also reveal the final version of its turbocharged Recursion project, probably at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show in October.
With two such important sportsbike projects in the pipeline, the new GSX-R was always likely to be pushed back a few months.
By Ben Purvis
