With a growing wave of factory defections from full support of the World Superbike series, led by Yamaha’s recent announcement, and the four-stroke GP rules scheduled to go into effect in 2002 (allowing four-strokes of 990cc capacity), is the 750cc class finally dead?
For quite some time, Suzuki has been the only manufacturer updating its 750cc class production sportbike. Although Kawasaki had been rumored to debut a new ZX-7R this year, word now is that Kawasaki is focusing on the open class and discontinuing its development of its 750-based racer.
Sales of sport bikes for the street are largely divided between the 600cc class and the open class — with 750cc machines left out of the picture (again, with the exception of Suzuki).
If the primary remaining reason for development of 750cc class sport bikes is satisfaction of homologation rules for World Superbike and other Superbike series, that reason could be disappearing. Aside from the apparent defection from World Superbike, many regional Superbike series are contemplating rule changes that would allow open class bikes to compete.
