Industry Eye: TWO baby GSX-Rs in the pipeline

ACCORDING TO one of the most senior men in Suzuki, the company is looking to not only bring forms of traction control to smaller bikes in the range - but it could well see the GSX-R name applied to learner and one small sportster too.

Hiroyuki Nakai, Director of European R&D for Suzuki, said: "We have versions of a type of traction control on a few of our bikes this year, like the GSX-R600, 750, 1000 and Hayabusa, but I think we will see these systems on smaller motorcycles too."It might not end up like the switchable system we are using on the current bikes, this is just one system we have looked at. We are looking at four variations of it right now and we are always looking at how to improve and give out customers the very best technology."

According to some Suzuki insiders, the range will be boosted in late 2008 with the arrival of a new GSX-R125, but the biggest news to get your juices flowing is the much-whispered plans for a GSX-R250 four-stroke.

Unsurprisingly, Nakai wouldn't confirm the rumours about either bike, but did talk to visordown about his own personal thoughts on the idea.

He added: "From a personal perspective I think that a smaller sportsbike would be very interesting to ride on the road. I think it could be a very interesting motorcycle and I think such a motorcycle like that would benefit from a traction control system. I think traction control on all sizes of motorcycle would be very helpful to many riders."

Reading between the lines, and especially taking into account the high-up mumblings in the Suzuki ranks, it sounds like a four-stroke GSX-R250 is on its way. So expect a bike that revs through the ceiling, comes with traction control and looks like a modern RGV with a MotoGP-styling.

The project is some way off yet, but the talk of it is already gaining pace.

Now THAT'S a Merry Christmas all round...