The original 1985 GSX-R750 (F model) set a new standard in its class by specifying an air-and-oil-cooled engine in a lightweight aluminium alloy frame to minimise weight, rather than the heavier water-cooling systems used by rivals. The machine featured flat-slide Mikuni VM29SS carburettors, twin discs with four-pot calipers, and 460 mm (18 in) tyres front and rear.
The 1986 model received a 25 mm longer swingarm and introduced the GSX-R750R, a limited-edition racing homologation variant of which 500 were built worldwide. This model incorporated a dry clutch, close-ratio six-speed transmission, 29 mm flat-slide carburettors, magnesium engine covers and sprocket cover, a racing seat and Dzus quick-release fasteners, NEAS electronically controlled 41 mm anti-dive forks borrowed from the GSX-R1100, and 310 mm floating discs with a unique three-point steering damper.
A major revision in 1988 introduced a new short-stroke engine displacing 748 cc with a 73 mm bore and 44.7 mm stroke, a 13,000 rpm redline, Mikuni BST36SS slingshot carburettors with vacuum-operated slides, 17-inch wheels, and cartridge 43 mm forks. This second generation — sometimes called the "slingshot" generation — was heavier than the first but offered a stiffer frame and more power. The 1990 model introduced inverted forks as standard on most markets and returned to a long-stroke engine configuration.
Suzuki introduced water cooling on the GSX-R750 for 1992 in most world markets (US models retained oil cooling through 1992). The 1993 WP model saw major engine internals revised, with forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods replacing cast iron. The 1994 SPR homologation variant brought TRM40 carburettors, a close-ratio gearbox, magnesium engine covers, six-piston brake calipers, and a wider rear tyre.
The 1996 T model brought the most significant redesign of the decade, introducing a twin-spar frame derived from Suzuki's RGV 500 Grand Prix racer, a new compact engine with magnesium covers, and a weight reduction of 20 kg to 179 kg while power rose to 128 hp. The 1998 W model added electronic fuel injection. The 1999 X model won the sport bike of the year award in its final year of the SRAD design.
A fully new design arrived for 2000, described at the time as "lighter, stronger, faster." It introduced an upgraded fuel injection system with barometric pressure correction, a redesigned narrower cylinder head with straighter intake tracts, a new twin-spar frame, and more aerodynamic bodywork.
The 2004 K4 model adopted a 32-bit ECU, titanium valves, and four-piston radially mounted Tokico brakes, producing a claimed 147 hp at the crankshaft with a dry weight of just 163 kg — among the lightest GSX-R750s ever made. The 2005 K5 celebrated the model's 20th anniversary with special paint and exhaust. A comprehensive redesign for 2006 brought a new frame, swingarm, and engine with an increased stroke and stacked transmission. The 2008 K8 introduced revised headlights and multi-mode power adjustment.
From 2011, the GSX-R750 adopted Brembo front brake calipers, a Showa Big Piston Fork, a back-torque limiting clutch, and a more compact instrument panel, with the 2011 model approximately 9 kg lighter than its predecessor. This generation has remained in production through 2026 as the longest-running GSX-R750 series without a major redesign.
The GSX-R750 helped shape the Superbike World Championship's 750 cc classes from the late 1980s onward. It was competitive in AMA Superbike, British Superbike, and endurance racing across multiple decades. The 2005 model year is noted as the only GSX-R1000 to win a WSBK riders' title (Troy Corser), though the 750 itself remained a key homologation and racing platform throughout the class's history. The machine's 40-year continuous production run makes it one of the longest-running 750 cc sport motorcycles in the world.