Everybody remembers the famous Katana and seems that the folks at Suzuki coped pretty well with the idea of bringing their iconic model back for 2019. After some teasing videos and a prototype presented at the Milan show last years, Suzuki unveiled at Intermot the production-ready Katana. A sharp looking sports tourer with nostalgic accents, based on the GSX-S1000 that the Hamamatsu based manufacturer hopes to be a big hit just like the first model that was launched back in 1981.
Take a look at our video of the Suzuki Katana unveiling. You can watch the movie below of directly on our
“>YouTube Channel.
We are already common with the GSX-S1000 which is a naked roadster that features a powerful engine and state of the art electronics, so for the new Katana things are looking quite good. The in-line four-cylinder power plant comes from the 05-09 GSX-R1000 that was one of the most powerful superbikes of that moment. The power figure stands at 148hp for the roadster and most definitely things will be the same for the Katana.
The early models of GSX-S1000 were well known for their aggressive throttle that at some point reacted like an on/off switch. Suzuki took care of that problem by replacing the throttle body with the ones that GSX-R and a new set of ten-hole injectors to even up the curve. There’s no shortage of electronics for the Katana that will feature a three-stage traction control and ABS ensured by a set of Brembo callipers. All the lights on the bike are LED, and the dash is a TFT unit that resembles a lot with the one on the GSX-R1000 superbike.
The coolest thing about the new Katana is definitely the look because it shares the same line with its older sibling. There’s the same line than cuts from the tank towards the headlight slightly curved like a Katana sword. The headlight keeps the square shape which is very attractive because you don’t see that very often on a modern bike. Another cool asset is the plate holder that comes fitted as on the single-sided swingarm bikes.
There’s a cool blend between old and modern solutions making it a take or leave it bike. For example to create that slim tank the capacity was reduced to 12 litres. We all know that the litre bikes come with an increased appetite for fuel, but fortunately, this will be the only bad thing about the new Katana.
We don’t have any information about the price or the availability but, we know that Suzuki has come up with a few options for the bike like a smoked screen, a seat wearing the Katana logo, heated grips and many more, so the things are preety serious. To make it desirable the price has to be just under the $12000 figure, and we might see it hitting the dealer floor next spring.
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