KIWI RIDER 01 2019 VOL.2 | Page 86

Did you see these other Classic features?   P & M PANTHER NORTON INTERNATIONAL 1993 GSX-R750. Water-cooling and a little more refinement 1985 GSX-R750. The first race bike for the road GSX-R1100, bigger is better, but it comes with more weight I bought a GSX-R750 in 1993, and it was one of the finest motorcycles I have ever ridden. By this stage it was water-cooled rather than oil-cooled, which probably explains why it was 30kg heavier than the original. It had fully transistorised ignition, but was still using Mikuni carburation. Yet another version of the GSX-R750, called the GSX-R750T appeared in 1996. This time performance had increased to 126bhp, with a top speed of 257km/h and weighing in 179kg. It matched the GSX-R, in the Auckland Domain performance of Honda’s CBR900RR and far exceeded all other 750s. The GSX-R series is without a doubt one of the most successful sport/racer for the track or street bikes, ever produced. From the beginning in 1985 it was still a force to be reckoned with into the 21st century, and I haven’t even touched on the success it achieved as a works endurance race bike, or in production racing all over the world... that’s a story for another time. Sharing your passion facebo ok.com /Caffein eAndCla ssics