Suzuki resisted the temptation to go with a 16-inch

Suzuki resisted the temptation to go with a 16-inch front wheel for the Gsxr, defying the trends of the day.
Up to that point, street bikes typically had either the 16-incher or a 19-inch front hoop.
The reason for the 18?
That was the size of the GS 1000 R's wheel, and it reflected the race-derived technology Suzuki's engineers wanted for the new bike.