Farewell, old friend! Euro5 regs force Suzuki to call time on the GSX-R1000

Suzuki boss Paul de Lusignan has confirmed to MCN that the GSX-R1000 will be discontinued in Europe, with only a limited number of Phantom models left in dealerships.

“In the UK, the GSX-R1000R on sale is the special edition Phantom,” Suzuki GB’s Director of Motorcycles confirmed. “There are a very limited number of these left. As the current GSX-R1000R does not meet Euro5 emissions regulations these will be the last models on sale in the UK of this generation GSX-R1000.”

As a result of not meeting the latest regs, the remaining UK Gixers are now being sold using a process known as derogation, which allows manufacturers to register limited numbers of non-conforming models.

De Lusignan continued: “At this current point in time, our focus is on other, higher volume areas of the market, with superbike sales currently counting for a smaller percentage of our overall sales. As a result, our resource has been invested in those areas.”

First introduced in 2001, the GSX-R1000R (as we know it today)  will remain part of the official model line-up next year as the final bikes are sold. Parts and servicing support will also remain.

“We’ve always prided ourselves on our support for existing customers, regardless of model, and whether on road or track,” the Suzuki man added. “We will absolutely continue to support GSX-R owners with parts and servicing.”

News of the model’s departure has been met with sadness by many owners, including Oxfordshire-based Charlie Sadler, who rides an original slabsided 1100, a 2006 race bike and the latest GSX-R1000R. She has previously had a 2001 and 2013 machine, too.

“I was really hacked off when I heard the news,” she told MCN. “I’m big fan of the GSX-R and it’s really sad that we may not see another version. It’s a brilliant bike you don’t have to faff around with – you can just jump on and go.”

This was added to by York rider Alex Kirichenko, who purchased a 2008 model this year. He said: “I always had a soft spot for them and it finally happened this year for me. It’s a great bike and it’s more than I’ve ever needed for the road.”

Although in love with his latest purchase, Alex says he has noticed friends moving away from sportsbikes as they get older.

“They’ve moved to the [Suzuki] GSX-S or GT for more comfort,” he added. “Litre sportsbikes have stopped being fun bikes for the masses; now they are just for selected people with the means to buy them – that’s a shame.”

But will we see the model return in the future? De Lusignan would not be drawn on this question, but we have recently seen the Hayabusa return to Europe after previously being discontinued, so we could we see a revitalised superbike one day.

When asked if there was potential for future, softer GSX-Rs to rival the likes of the Yamaha R7 and Aprilia RS660, he added: “At this stage we cannot comment on future GSX-R or sportsbike models, but we are constantly evaluating the situation.”

Read our Suzuki GSX-R1000 reviews below:

• 2001 Suzuki GSX-R1000 review
• 2003 Suzuki GSX-R1000 review
• 2005 Suzuki GSX-R1000 review
• 2007 Suzuki GSX-R1000 review
• 2009 Suzuki GSX-R1000 review
• 2012 Suzuki GSX-R1000 review
• 2017 Suzuki GSX-R1000 review