It was met with mixed emotions by the world’s assembled press, but I’m a fan of it. For the first time on any production-model Suzuki, the rear fender, indicators and numberplate are all mounted on what Suzuki calls a satellite hanger which is mounted directly to the left-hand side of the swingarm. It shares the engine and chassis with the firm’s GSX-S1000 nakedbike, though the subframe was designed specifically for the Katana and its rather, well, bare bum. The 10km stretch of road, by the way, is so enjoyable that motorcycles are actually banned from the road on weekends, such is its popularity among the two-wheeled fraternity.Īnyway, while I couldn’t feel the system kicking in (the Katana’s traction control system retards the ignition timing based on gear, wheel speed, crank and throttle position sensors – there’s no IMU to speak of), I reluctantly switched it to level two, which didn’t outwardly appear to change anything at all, except calm down the frequency of the flickering light – that’s a capable and non-intrusive system by my count. In the very low single-digit ambient temperatures we were met with high in the Japanese hills, and on roads littered with paint and damp patches, the light which indicates the traction control system is intervening was flickering to the point of becoming distracting during the first few runs up and down the Arashiyama-Takao Parkway while in its highest level-three setting. ![]() ![]() Great on a learner-approved something, though probably superfluous on a 150-horsepower nakedbike, but if the technology is there, why not. So as well as a three-level traction control system that can be switched off all together, it boasts a non-switchable ABS system as well as the firm’s Low RPM-Assist which electronically raises the revs ever so slightly once first gear is engaged to reduce the chance of stalling. ![]() It’s relatively basic compared to some of its European counterparts but, frankly, so is its price – but more on that later. That’s not to say the Katana is void of any electronic rider aids. Remember there’s no switchable engine or power maps to handle this electronically, but there’s something remarkably refreshing about a mechanical fix. Cables which instead of forming a perfect circle around the outside of the throttle tube like they do on the GXS-S1000, they instead have been repositioned on a flatter cam at the opening in a bid to reduce snatchiness as you open the throttle. As an everyday roadbike, which is exactly what this Katana is, the engine is substantially powerful, thoroughly usable and delightfully audible – even if it doesn’t tick that 1100cc box.Īnd the best bit is it’s all actuated by some good old fashioned throttle cables. Thumb the starter, select first gear and as release the clutch and feed the 999cc inline-four cylinder engine revs, making your way slowly and deliberately through the six-speed gearbox, your helmet is filled with a gloriously guttural induction howl from deep underneath the nostalgic bodywork.Ĭapable of 110kW (150hp) at 10,00rpm, the long-stroke engine is sprightly throughout the rev range, offering grunty torque right through the midrange to the upper end, where it peaks at 108Nm at 9500rpm. Switch on the key and the green-on-black LCD dash has all the hallmarks of an Atari gaming console – which was as modern as it got in the early 1980s – as it goes through its start-up procedure. But this is 2019, the pool of development funds are becoming shallower and, frankly, the retuned version of the K5-K8 generation of GSX-R1000 engine used in this application is a peach. ![]() It’s based around the firm’s GSX-S1000 nakedbike and, I will admit, increasing the capacity out to something the other side of 1050cc in a bid to use the same 1100cc moniker as the original machine would have made this a far more credible remake. And at doing that, I reckon it’s nigh-on spot on. But, just like Kawasaki’s reimagined Z900 duo, or Honda’s new Monkey, the 2020 Katana is merely intended to tug on the heartstrings of motorcycling’s most nostalgic. Ever since the Japanese firm unveiled the 2020 Katana in November last year, diehard fans of the iconic model have been criticising the modern interpretation’s lack of authenticity. This is not 1981 and Suzuki’s newest Katana will neither be the styling trailblazer or the sales success the legendary GSX1100 was almost 40 years ago. It’s the latest in a long line of retro remakes, but Suzuki’s new Katana stirs more than just nostalgia
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