It could be time for pure supersport lovers to rejoice.
One by one, the great supersports of our time fell: the CBR600RR, R6, ZX6R, and GSX-R600. Well, technically, some of these bikes continued to be produced and sold in a few countries—the US being one—but development essentially ceased.
Sportbikes need to be sold in the EU if they're to continue being developed by the OEM, just look at any bike that ceased production in the EU and continued selling in the US. The ever more stringent Euro emissions regulations have made it nearly impossible for manufacturers to continue producing sportbikes in the fashion they once were. Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that riders were growing tired of peaky powerbands and extreme track-focused ergonomics but, as is always the case, you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.
Thankfully, it seems as though Suzuki could be about to re-enter the European ring and get back to doing one of the things it did best: developing reliable, near-unbeatable value for money, high-performance supersports.
In a recent interview with Motorcycle News, the President of Suzuki Motor Corporation, Toshihiro Suzuki, stated, “We cannot tell you the detail, but we think it’s important to bring supersport motorcycles to the market, adapting to the new regulations... We think it’s important, because it’s Suzuki’s heritage.”
What exactly the bikes might be is open to interpretation. Suzuki mentioned "supersports", which would point to a revival of the GSX-R600 and/or GSX-R750. Pumping money into launching a competitive GSX-R600 would make the most sense, as the 600cc supersport class is where Honda and Kawasaki are upping the game, add the fact that Ducati's new Panigale V2 makes proper supersport numbers and the introduction of the Yamaha R9 and KTM 990 RCR, and we're looking at a competitive, exciting supersport class once more.
As to when we'll gain more insight into what Suzuki is up to, all the President had to say was, "Please enjoy the next EICMA." With EICMA just passed, I'm already beyond stoked for EICMA thanks to this teaser. But, will a re-entry into the supersport niche be a success?
Come on, if you're thinking "no", get out of here.
When the current crop of 270-degree twins hit the market about a decade ago, basically starting with the MT-07, the fully-faired versions replaced the outgoing 600cc supersports. Except they didn't. Newer riders were happy to have softer, less aggressive sporty bikes, but they didn't fill the hole left by supersports. And that's not just me saying it, there are numbers to back it up.
Honda launched an updated CBR600RR in 2024, which is the first update since it discontinued the model in the EU in 2017. The Motorcycle Industry Association showed that it was the best-selling motorcycle between 501-750cc in Britain in June. And why wouldn't it? There are riders out there who don't want half-measures when it comes to performance and are wise enough to know they also don't need 200hp on tap and a bike that costs more than $20,000 to fill their track day appetites.
Let us know if you think the supersport class deserves to make a comeback in 2025.
