The Suzuki GSX-R is a series of sport bikes made by Japanese manufacturer Suzuki. Current models are the GSX-R125 and GSX-R150 since 2017; GSX-R600 which was manufactured from 1992 to 1993, and then since 1997; the GSX-R750 since 1985; and the GSX-R1000 since 2001. First generation: 1984 In 1984, Suzuki released the first GSX-R (GSX-R400, internal model number GK71b), on sale only in Japan, taking advantage of licensing laws there which were prohibitive of bikes over 400cc. Then in 1985 a 750cc GSX-R was introduced and followed by an 1100cc version in 1986. If the 750cc bike was a fast and capable race-bike for the street, the 1100 was an exercise in raw power and excess. A bit heavier than the 750, at a claimed 435lbs for the 750 and about 480lbs for the 1100, but with considerably more power (130 hp stock) and torque. Previous to both of these models. The first GSX-R of 1984 was a breakthrough model and the closest that any Japanese manufacturer had yet come to building a "race bike with lights". Throughout the 1970s the big four Japanese manufacturers had built bikes with a similar architecture: steel double loop frames, air-cooled inline fours with either SOHC or DOHC configurations. At the start of the 1970s two-valve-per-cylinder heads were ubiquitous, by the end of the decade four valve heads were available on the high end bikes. The similarity of the designs across brands and years led to the coining of the term "UJM" for Universal Japanese Motorcycle, which began with Honda's CB-750 of 1969. These bikes were available in a variety of sizes from 350cc to 1200cc from all four of the Japanese manufacturers, and beginning in 1976 served as the basis for production-based race bikes in the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) Superbike Series. As a result of the experience on the race track it became obvious that the big UJMs were not ideal for racing. Weight was high, frames lacked stiffness and flexed in disturbing ways, power from the big motors overwhelmed the tire technology of the day. Beginning around 1980 all four manufacturers began to modify the UJM formula in different ways to achieve performance advantages on the track and product differentiation in the market. In 1982 Honda introduced the VF series, which used a V4 rather than inline-four motor configuration. The first model year only cruiser style bikes were offered, but in