The strange case of the lesser-spotted 750

Where have all the 750s gone? As Toyah might say – “it’s a mithterwy”.

At one time, the three-quarter litre class ruled supreme. So how did we get to the point where the Suzuki GSX-R is the only frontline 750cc sportsbike available? Is there still a case to be made for the 750cc class of bike? Let us examine the evidence…

I can think of only three 750cc machines that are available from new in showrooms today:

Suzuki GSX-R750
Aprillia Shiver 750
Kawasaki Z750
(You could also make a case for the 781cc VFR800)

Of these, the Aprilia and Kwak are naked bikes and the VFR is basically a bored-out 750 sports tourer. Suzuki stands alone among the major manufacturers in still making a 750 sportsbike and the mid-range Gixxer nowadays operates in the strange hinterland that exists between the cut-throat 600 and litre classes.

When I started playing silly beggers on two wheels back in the early-mid 80s, a 750 was THE bike to have. A mate of mine had a black GSX750 and, with me at the time on my 125, I thought it was beautiful – it had a lovely engine and decent power (for the time). 1000 and 1100cc machines may have produced more power but they were also much heavier than a mid-range 750 and didn’t handle as well. The 600 class didn’t really exist at that point. So what has happened in the years since? Why is a popular class of bike now all but extinct? I think the answer lies in the denominations that exist in race series - right now, there is no big ticket race series for the 750 class and there hasn’t been for a while. So it seems to me to be the case that manufacturers are choosing not to make a bike that doesn't sell well because there is no race class for it. Thus, the punters get what they are given.

Back in the real world, you could make a decent case for a 750 machine being perfect for the street. For all the comparisons made in the bike magazines of peak horsepower and peak torque numbers, we ignore the idea of just how much of that power is actually useable. What everyday riders are interested in isn't peak horsepower, but flatter, smoother torque curves - resulting in a much larger powerband. It's what makes the R1 (for example) such a poor choice for a streetbike. You've got a lot of power up top but you have to constantly work the gears to keep it there and so seldom can you use all it has to offer.

These days, 600s are pretty powerful and 1000s so small and light that there’s not much need for an in betweeny. Take Honda as an example - would a CBR750RR succeed in between the 600 and 1000 versions? I doubt it. Suzuki can surely only persist with theirs due to the fact that they have no competition. But very few riders are looking specifically for a 750 it seems. Times have changed and, sadly, without a headline 750 class race series, I think that from a marketing and desirability standpoint they are dead.

Elementary my Dear Watson….