It’s finally coming! I’ve been waiting to get my hands on the new Suzuki Katana for months, and I’ll get my chance on Wednesday at the US launch. You know the drill – it’s time to tell me what you want to know about it!
The bike should be available in showrooms later this month with a MSRP of $13,499. Obviously, the color to get is “Metallic Mystic Silver”, aka “the color you remember from the 80s”, but there’s also a “Solid Black” for weird people.
Like the Kawasaki Z900RS (review here), the Katana is trying to strike a balance between modern performance/reliability and old school looks with a dash of nostalgia thrown in. Which bike pulls off the styling better, do you think?
Also like the Z900RS, the Katana isn’t a built-from-scratch bike. The Z900RS was heavily based on the Z900, while the Katana is heavily based on the GSX-S1000, and there’s a ~$2,000 price premium for the styling.
The motor is still based on the legendary K5 GSX-R1000 motor from 2005 (man, Suzuki is getting their money out of that design). Expect 150 horsepower and 80 pound-feet of torque with traction control, Low RPM assist (bumps up revs when you’re leaving from a start) and Suzuki’s Easy Start System.
It looks like it could be surprisingly comfortable – I actually wanted to take this bike out to Texas for my recent trip, but it wasn’t going to be ready in time. So now I’ll have to find a different way to enjoy and evaluate it!
Click here to see what Suzuki has to say about their returning legend, then hit me with your questions in the comments.
Specifications from Suzuki
ENGINE
Engine 999cc, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled, 4-cylinder, DOHC
Bore x Stroke 73.4 mm x 59.0 mm (2.890 in. x 2.323 in.)
Compression Ratio 12.2:1
Fuel System Fuel injection with SDTV
Starter Electric
Lubrication Wet sump
DRIVETRAIN
Clutch Wet, multi-plate type
Transmission 6-speed constant mesh
Final Drive Chain, RK525GSH, 116 links
CHASSIS
Suspension Front Inverted telescopic, coil spring, oil damped
Suspension Rear Link type, single shock, coil spring, oil damped
Brakes Front Brembo, 4-piston, twin disc
Brakes Rear Nissin, 1-piston, single disc
Tires Front 120/70ZR17M/C (58W), tubeless
Tires Rear 190/50ZR17M/C (73W), tubeless
Fuel Tank Capacity 12.0 L (3.2 US gal.)
Color Metallic Mystic Silver or Solid Black
ELECTRICAL
Ignition Electronic ignition (transistorized)
Spark Plugs NGK CR9EIA-9 or DENSO IU27D
Headlight LED
Tail Light LED
DIMENSIONS
Overall Length 2130 mm (83.9 in.)
Overall Width 835 mm (32.9 in.)
Overall Height 1110 mm (43.7 in.)
Wheelbase 1460 mm (57.6 in.)
Ground Clearance 140 mm (5.5 in.)
Seat Height 825 mm (32.5 in.)
Curb Weight 215 kg (474 lb.)
WARRANTY
Warranty 12-month unlimited mileage limited warranty
Extension Longer coverage periods with other benefits available through Suzuki Extended Protection (SEP).