Even sitting among a large collection of truly magnificent motorcycles , it is obvious the Suzuki GS1000 XR69 is something special . It has a commanding , even mesmerising presence , with its immaculate fairings painted in one of the most striking colour schemes of all time - the bold red with yellow / black / white striping of British Heron Team Suzuki . Everything about the XR69 says “ don ’ t mess with me ,” from the Grand Prix front end to the heavily braced alloy swingarm . The few riders lucky enough to sling a leg over an XR69 liked the precise handling and power , but it also needed a firm hand and a knee in the tank to show it who was boss . This particular bike has a rare heritage . Graeme Crosby rode it to his first TT Formula One World Championship , then retired it at the height of its racing success and brought it back to New Zealand . The bike avoided being on-sold and thrashed round the racetracks until it was flogged out and worthless . It remains exactly how it finished the 1980 Swann Series in Australia , albeit with a refreshed engine . The XR69 dominated until a rule change by the authorities ushered in the 750cc
class , making the 1000 obsolete overnight – something that has happened far too many times over the years , and sidelined some fine and exciting pieces of machinery .
THE YOSHIMURA CONNECTION The XR69 ’ s genesis was in Pops Yoshimura ’ s project to develop race bikes from Suzuki ’ s bulletproof GS750 and GS1000 models . It was the late 1970s , and big bore four-stroke racing was resurgent after rulemakers had introduced a new 1000cc class aimed at stimulating racing by the new breed of over-750cc bikes out of Japan . Yoshimura approached Suzuki for help with his GS-based racer and the company agreed . Its focus on two-stroke world championships had been at the cost of four-stroke development , but along came Yoshimura-san with his extensive knowledge , offering Suzuki a shortcut that delivered race-winning technology without the company having to get out a big chequebook and its hard-pressed race department onto the job . It was what we would today call a win-win . In return , Yoshimura was able to specify special parts for its engines – beefed up
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