Project 1987 Suzuki GSX-R750 - Back in The Day, The Modern Way

With the suspension sorted, attention was then focused on making more power. There's no replacement for displacement, so the stock block was bored for larger pistons, then aftermarket cams and a port job finished it off.

The original motor utilized air and oil to keep things cool, and because of the beefier motor components we wanted the largest oil cooler possible to keep it from overheating. A wet nitrous system was then hidden in the undertail just in case we needed a little extra boost. Vance and Hines adapted its cool CS One exhaust system, and just like that we had a more powerful, fully rebuilt engine.

Not so simple was the issue of wiring. Obviously the original harness was nothing but a dried out, spider infested tangle of nonsense, so a new one had to be sourced. It should have been a simple process to get all the sparks properly distributed, but occasionally things don't work out so easily. Once those gremlins were exorcised we were able to move onto updated gauges, switches and lights.

The stock bodywork is the defining characteristic of the first generation GSX-R and we wanted to retain that look as much as possible. Our bike came with two trashed sets of bodywork, from which the "best of the worst" panels were selected for repair. Buddha Paint harvested Hayabusa fairings to help fill a few gaps, and after a lot of melted plastic and body filler were able to make the old parts new again.

Stinger Or Stinker?
After many late nights and weekends, the fruits of our labor culminated for the maiden ride. For good measure we brought along a stock 1987 and 2007 GSX-R750 to rate how our upgrades improved (or hindered) the bike.

With everyone's breath on hold, the revised and upgraded GSX-R fired up with a roar. Engine...check.

Power delivery was much snappier and more responsive than the stocker despite its lack of a true break in. The freshly built motor still felt tight, but the tweaked twenty-something-year-old technology felt faster than a modern 600, though not quite up to par with a 750.

The short wheelbase makes it flick like a booger while the upgraded front end absorbed the bumps perfectly at a moderate pace. OK, it's unlikely to set any lap records, but it definitely hugs canyon corners convincingly.

The modified Ohlins steering stabilizer was slightly too short causing it to work as a steering stop and affected the turning radius. This meant multi-point turns in the parking lot, but such are the limitations on a highly improvised custom.

In comparison, the stock 1987 GSX-R bounced like a bed in a cheap motel. Thanks to a worn out rear shock, the hit from the smallest pebble was pushed through the bike and up to handlebars. Going around corners was an act of bravery. As expected, the '08 clearly had the advantage in handling, but what did you expect?