Retuned as a street bike lump that meets Euro emissions regs, it still makes a decent 150bhp, though is maybe a bit too retro in its tech, with no ride-by-wire throttle or variable valve timing as used on the modern GSX-R1000.Īnd the chassis also has the look of a previous-generation GSX-R, with the tasty braced swingarm off the 2016 1000, and a sporty aluminium frame, USD forks and radial Brembo calipers. The new Katana looks so much better in the flesh!
KATANA MOTORCYCLE CRACKER
The GSX-R motor they chose was a cracker in its day – the K5 variant of the 1000, with its longer stroke layout and flawless reputation. The first two things on my wish list definitely happened – though not quite how we might have expected. Bosh a GSX-R1000 engine into a decent high-road-spec chassis, give the styling job to some fizzing-hot automotive-design students, and watch the sales roll in. When I heard it was coming then, I was already dangerously prejudiced in its favour this would be a cracker. Stuff like Kawasaki’s Z900RS, Triumph’s various classic twins and the Royal Enfield 650 twins are selling like disposable facemasks, and the market has loved a retro design for a good few years now. So a modern retro version seemed like an open goal for Suzuki, especially nowadays. It would have looked bang up-to-date had it been launched in 2001 or even 2021, instead of 1981. But its sharp, clean design, plus the ultra-cool name (taken from a Japanese samurai sword), lifted it above the crowd. It was a big-boned, high-performance superbike from the dinosaur era of massive air-cooled engines, twin-shock rear suspension and steel cradle frames. It’s a perfect storm situation – the original 1980s Katana is one of the most evocative designs ever, with a big place in the heart of any biker born (like me) in the 1970s. The Suzuki Katana has been perhaps the most obvious case in recent years for me. And while its impacts in this line of work – testing motorbikes – are far, far less important, it’s still something we strive against. It can lead to unfairness at work, miscarriages of justice, or even worse crimes. Stylish retro revamp of firm’s GSX-S1000 roadster looks great and goes well, but small fuel tank lets it down Is this the early death of new petrol bikes?.World Superbike Championship - back to it's best.
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KATANA MOTORCYCLE FULL