Forced inductions seem to be the flavor of the motorcycle industry right now. The first thing to roll out of a major factory with forced induction since a few ill-fated turbo experiments back in the 1980s is our favorite Kawasaki Ninja H2 which had us all drooling over this ‘world’s only’ supercharged hyper sports motorcycle.

With Kawasaki already ruling the roots with the H2 R and the recently launched H2 SX, there is another Japanese guy who is bringing a seat to the table. Touted to be called the GSX-700T, it will be Suzuki’s entry into the world of forced induction.

Showcased first in 2013, Suzuki gave us the Recursion concept, a striking half-faired street bike. What caught the eyes though was its tiny 588cc water-cooled twin motor that came with an intercooled turbocharging system.

It dealt with giving a liter-class performance within the mid-weight setup. And this was a huge thing for motorcyclists wanting access to something small yet phenomenally powerful. Nothing surprising here though, after seeing benefits in four-wheeled counterparts, it was bound to come to two-wheelers too.

This was followed by Suzuki going ahead and registering the name “Recursion” in both the US and European markets in 2015, and it put up the turbo-engine “XE” on display at the Tokyo Motor Show that year.

Now, fresh new information tells us that Suzuki is indeed launching a turbo-charged motorcycle drubbed as Suzuki GSX-700T. It was displayed to all the dealers in Europe at a dealer meet.

What’s interesting here is that the 700T is said to have a 700cc “XE7” engine, rather than the 588cc as seen on the Recursion concept. Maybe it was the seventh iteration of the original XE engine that ticked the right boxes, and hence the name.

This will still make the GSX-700T fall under the mid-weight bracket that will give out close to 150 hp of raw turbo-charged power. Eating away the likes of the liter-class performance right off their face.

Suzuki Motor Company is in desperate need of a model or two that will give their struggling presence a much-needed lift; especially after their poor show at the 2017 EICMA that just had the Suzuki SVX650 X on display. This GSX-700T might just be the one saving them, both in terms of sales and brand perception.

Knowing that a motorcycle takes at least 4 - 5 years from concept to production, the GSX-700T falls right in line with the unveiling which might happen sometime in 2018. Until then, stay tuned with us and we will update you with new light.

Kawasaki better watch their backs.

Reference

Kawasaki Ninja H2