1991 Suzuki GSX-R750 Got a Touch of French Refinement
Several years ago, Le French Atelier was born out of sheer passion on the outskirts of Paris, France. Ever since the firm's foundation, its talented moto surgeon crew has been keeping rather busy, to say the least. As a result, an abundance of delicious one-off builds has flooded the French custom scene, and there's no sign of LFA planning to slow things down any time soon!
Today, these folks pride themselves with an extensive portfolio that hosts some of the juiciest two-wheeled entities you'll ever come across, such as their handsome Kawasaki Zephyr 750, a stunning BMW R80 RT1 and one rad Yamaha XSR700-based creature, to name a few. Needless to say, these damn things will leave just about any self-respecting gearhead lost for words.
I'll tell you what, let's proceed with a quick examination of one such venture. The project in question is based on a 1991 model in Suzuki's unrivaled GSX-R750 range. To be quite frank, this bad boy does a pretty sweet job at looking the business.
For a clear demonstration of these Frenchmen's abilities, we'll kick things off by taking a minute to refresh our memory on the original bike's main specs and features. In this fashion, you'll get a solid idea as to how far this undertaking has come.
The '91 GSX-R750 is put in motion by an unholy four-stroke DOHC inline-four leviathan that boasts a generous compression ratio of 10.8:1 and as many as four Mikuni carbs with 38 mm (1.5 inches) throttle bodies. It has a solid displacement of 749cc and four valves per cylinder head.
At around 11,000 rpm, this ruthless piece of twin-cooled machinery is perfectly capable of generating up to 115 hp. On the other hand, a feral torque output of 58 pound-feet (78 Nm) will be accomplished at approximately 10,000 revs. The engine's crushing force is channeled to a chain final drive via a six-speed constant mesh gearbox. Ultimately, Suzuki's beast is honored with a top speed of 153 mph (247 kph), while its quarter mile time is rated at just under 10.9 seconds.
Its powertrain is enveloped in an aluminum double cradle frame, which rests on 41 mm inverted forks at the front. On the opposite end, suspension duties are handled by a double-sided swingarm and a fully-adjustable monoshock. Stopping power is supplied by dual 310 mm (12.2 inches) discs and four-piston calipers up front, along with a single 280 mm (11 inches) brake rotor and a one-piston caliper at the rear.
As to Le French Atelier's unique showstopper, the wizards began by stripping the bike naked of its stock bodywork to reveal its magnificent powerplant. The following step consisted of fabricating a neat custom subframe from scratch and attaching it to the main structure.
The new subframe supports a hand-crafted aluminum tail section and a fresh leather saddle that keeps things looking classy. Additionally, the tail unit also houses GSX-R750's electrical components and a tiny rear lighting kit. On the other end, you will find an aftermarket headlight module and a discrete speedometer. The latter is hugged by a tweaked tripe clamp.
In terms of performance, the 749cc inline-four colossus underwent an extensive overhaul. Its Mikuni carburetors were refurbished and optimized, while the airbox was discarded to make room for a set of conical filters from K&N. Lastly, the four-stoke behemoth breathes a little more freely, thanks to a modern four-into-one-into-two exhaust system.
Now, since we've concluded this masterpiece's story, you may want to consider heading over to LFA's Instagram and Facebook profiles for some more drool-worthy goodness!
