Suzuki has announced a limited edition GSX-R1000R to celebrate the firm’s 100th anniversary. The flagship superbike sports the same retro-inspired livery as the GSX-RR MotoGP machine, with the traditional blue and slate silver colour scheme paying homage to Suzuki’s early Grand Prix machines of the 1960s.

The GSX-R range, and the 1000 in particular, has long been the flagship range of sportsbikes with an illustrious history both on-road and on-the-race track. It has won races and championships in the UK, the USA, and Australia, the Senior TT on the Isle of Man. It utilises the same variable valve timing system to boost both torque and peak power and gets a comprehensive suite of electronics, which includes 10 traction control modes, a quickshifter and auto-blipper, launch control, and lean angle-sensitive ABS.

2020 marks 100 years since the inception of the Suzuki Loom Manufacturing Co. The firm began the production of motorcycles in 1952 with the launch of the Power Free, and two years later changed its name to Suzuki Motor Co. Ltd. Since then it has gone on to produce some of the most iconic motorcycles of the 20th and 21st century, including the GSX-R series – most notably the genre-defining 1985 GSX-R750F and the 2001 GSX-R1000 K1 – the GT750, GSX1100S Katana, and RGV250, plus Bandits and the legendary Hayabusa.