Summary of Discontinued Motorcycles | What’s up Suzuki. Flagship GSX-R1000R and Even the Best-Selling V-Strom 250 Go Last!

Written by: Best Car Editorial Department, Photos: SUZUKI, YAMAHA, HONDA
*This article was originally published in Best Car Web on August 4, 2022.

The "2020 Emission Regulations" will be fully applied to motorcycles from November 1, 2022. With the exception of 50cc motorcycles, motorcycles that are not compliant with the regulations will not be allowed to be sold in Japan unless they meet the regulations by this date.

Not a few of the models being discontinued are about 10% of the current lineup. The following is a four-part series of articles on these models.

The second issue is about the Supersport class and Suzuki. The 600cc class of supersports has been nearly driven to extinction, and this trend is likely to spread to the 1000cc class, the pinnacle of the sport. The Suzuki GSX-R1000R is rumored to be the last of the class. Furthermore, Suzuki's popular V-Strom 250 and GSX250R are also said to be discontinued.

600cc Supersport is in the wind, and so is 1000cc?

With an eye toward racing, the 1000cc class supersport (SS), which pursues the ultimate in riding, turning, and stopping, is a thoroughbred that brings together the latest technologies from various manufacturers.

Its little brother is the 600cc SS. It became very popular in Europe in the 2000s because it was lighter and more compact than the 1000cc class, and its specifications were still more than adequate.
The 600cc displacement range was designed to meet race regulations such as the WSS (Supersport World Championship). Four Japanese manufacturers released 600cc models, followed by Triumph and other overseas manufacturers.

However, its popularity declined in the 2010s. The CBR600RR (Honda), GSX-R600 (Suzuki), Ninja ZX-6R (Kawasaki), and Daytona 675 (Triumph) were discontinued in Japan and Europe, partly due to the application of the Euro 4 emission regulations in Europe and the 2016 exhaust gas regulations in Japan starting in 2016.

Since then, Yamaha's YZF-R6 complied with the regulation in the 2017 model year, and the ZX-6R and CBR600RR returned with model changes, but the YZF-R6 will be discontinued in the 2020 model year.  The European version of the ZX-6R has already been discontinued, and the CBR is rumored to be last in the current 2022 model year.

It is said that the 600SS declined because middle-aged riders could no longer keep up with the extreme riding position and riding style. On the contrary, adventure and neo-classic motorcycles with an easy riding position are becoming popular.

And the trend of 600SS production termination is likely to spread to 1000cc SS as well. To our surprise, there is a rumor that Suzuki's GSX-R1000R will be the last in the 2022 model year!

Yamaha's YZF-R6 will be discontinued with the 2020 model year. In Europe, there is a race version that cannot be ridden on public roads. In Japan, the demand is high among track riding enthusiasts, and the used car market is rising.

With the end of the GSX-R1000R, the company withdrew from MotoGP and World Endurance.

Since its debut in 2017, the GSX-R1000R has not undergone a major mechanical model change and continues to be sold in Japan and Europe under Euro 4 (2016 emission regulations).

In Europe, Euro 5 has been fully applied since January 2021. The content is almost the same as Japan's 2020 emission regulations, which will be fully applied to new vehicles produced in and after November 2022, after a delay in Japan.

Originally, the GSX-R1000R, which does not meet Euro 5 regulations, could not be released in Europe, but special measures are provided for each manufacturer and model based on actual sales volume. This is why the GSX-R1000R is still in the lineup in Europe.

While compliance with Euro 5 and the 2020 regulations is still awaited, sources say that the current model will not be compliant with Euro 5 and will be terminated with the current model. The 1000cc class is the flagship of the sporty models that represent each manufacturer and has long been considered a "sanctuary" that they have staked their prestige on to keep it alive, but it appears that this corner of the market will finally be broken.

To coincide with the end of production, Suzuki announced on July 13 that it would withdraw its works participation from the Moto GP, the pinnacle of racing, and the World Endurance Championship (EWC), including the Suzuka 8 Hours.

Suzuki President Toshihiro Suzuki has decided to end his participation in the race due to the need to reallocate management resources. He commented that the company will redirect the technical and human resources it has developed through its racing activities toward the realization of a sustainable society and the creation of a new motorcycle business. There is also talk of allocating the funds for racing to the development of electric vehicles (EVs).

This trend and the trend of the GSX-R1000/R going out of production are by no means unrelated. The GSX-R1000R is a direct descendant of the GSX-RR technology fed back from the MotoGP machine, and is the image leader of the company's racing models. It is also the base model for the World Endurance Championship, which is contested by production models.

However, there is no possibility of its revival in the future. Suzuki's Hayabusa, for example, did not comply with the previous Euro 4 regulations, and its Japanese version ended in the 2017 model year. A blank period of time followed, but the 2021 model complies with the current Euro 5 regulations and is making a comeback.

Like the Hayabusa, the GSX-R1000R may be revived under the next regulation, Euro 6, after a brief production hiatus.
The content and implementation date of Euro 6 have not yet been determined, and it is expected to be introduced after 2024 at the earliest.

The current GSX-R1000/R was introduced in 2017. The Japanese version produces 197 hp and is only available in the "R" version with enhanced electronic control and suspension. It features characteristics that make it easier to handle than its rivals.

GSX250R, Vstrom 250, and Gixxer 250 were also discontinued in large numbers?!

In addition, Suzuki is rumored to discontinue sales of the GSX250R in Japan due to its failure to comply with the 2020 emission regulations. The V-Strom 250, an adventure model based on this engine, is also rumored to be last.

Both two models are popular, with the GSX250R ranking 9th (2,784 units) in sales in 2021 in the 126-250cc class.
The V-Strom 250 ranked 11th (2,436 units) in sales figures from Motorcycle News.

The Gixxer 250/SF, the best-selling Suzuki vehicle in its class and the 7th best-selling model in the 250 class, is also expected to be discontinued.

However, the Gixxer is produced in India and meets India's BS6 emission standards, which are equivalent to Euro 5.
Given the engine's new design year of 2019 and the fact that it is a global model, it is possible that it will be revived early, if at all, after a gap period.

As previously reported on this site, the GSX-S750, the last of the current 750cc "Nanahan" straight-4 models, has been officially announced as being discontinued.

The VSTROME 250, which uses the same engine and frame as the GSX250R, is a rare adventure in its class. Its tenacious long-stroke performance is well received by riders who love touring.

Motorcycles are doing well, and if four-wheelers are rebuilt, discontinued models should be revived.

According to Suzuki's consolidated financial results for the fiscal year ending March 2022 (April 2021-March 2022), net sales increased 12.3% from the previous year to 3,568.4 billion yen. However, operating profit declined 1.5% y-o-y to 191.5 billion yen, the fourth consecutive year of operating profit decline.

In the four-wheel business, operating income declined 11.2% to 152.8 billion yen (approx. 1,114 million USD). On the other hand, operating income in the motorcycle business increased by 321.6% to 10.9 billion yen (approx. 79 million USD).

Suzuki's motorcycle business is not in a slump. If the four-wheel business, which is the backbone of the company's business, continues to improve, we should be able to expect a resurgence in the end-of-life motorcycle business.

And in the near future, with the arrival of the new GSX-R1000R, we would love to see Suzuki return to MotoGP and World Endurance. Suzuki resumed its participation in MotoGP in 2015 after a hiatus from the 2012-2014 season.
The new GSX-R1000 made its debut the following year. We look forward to a similar trend.

In 2020, Joan Mir brought Suzuki its first rider's title in 20 years in MotoGP (photo). He has also won a total of 20 World Endurance titles as Suzuki, including the 2021 title.

Original Source [ Best Car Web ]