Lost love: Suzuki GSX-R750

Dave Forster has fond memories of the 2003 Gixxer that took him from road to race track.

“It was my first sports bike and it led to my first track days and then I did my first race on it,” he recalls.

Our general manager bought the Suzuki GSX-R750 K3 just over 10 years ago and enjoyed an exciting three years putting it through its paces.

“I did about 20,000 miles and did so much on it. I had it as a road bike, did a few track days and then turned it into a track bike before doing a race on it as well.”

He still remembers the race at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire with the Auto 66 Club. He found himself in a couple of races with no novice classes, up against experienced riders on 1,000cc motorbikes and in torrential rain.

Regardless of where he finished (that is best forgotten), he soon decided he couldn’t afford any more racing.

After a track day in Australia on a Suzuki GSX-R600 he decided he wanted a more modern Gixxer to replace his old GSX-R750 so found himself a 2011 600 model in 2014.

But he still recalls selling his GSX-R750 and seeing it being strapped into the back of a van and taken away.

Since then he’s owned at least 10 motorbikes, that have come and gone, but none have had the same emotional effect as saying farewell to his GSX-R750.

“I wish I could have afforded to have kept it but I couldn’t at the time. That’s the one bike I’ve always been gutted about selling.”