Suzuki has been building up the hype for the past few weeks by releasing a series of weekly teasers that hinted (very obviously) at a big comeback within its lineup. It’s now official and the people at Suzuki are finally allowed to say the name: the Katana is back!
Katana Here, Katana There, Katana Erry'Where:
Suzuki looped a historical loop by unveiling the new generation of the famous model at Intermot; the very first Katana was unveiled in 1980 at the Cologne Motor Show. While there isn’t much surprise left after we got our first look at the bike in last week’s teaser video, this time, we get the full look around.
The design of the new Katana is in fact an homage to the 1981’s GSX1100S, the model that introduced the name Katana for the first time. From the square headlight to the dramatic fairing, the new Katana evolves from its first iteration rather than pick up where it left off a decade ago. The silhouette is more modern and feels more compact than it ancestor with a shorter body and bulkier front-end.
The Katana will weigh in at 474 lb and the wheelbase will spread 57.48 inches (1,460 mm). It borrows the GSX-R1000 engine, the 999cc inline four that will produce an impressive 148 horsepower and roughly 80 lb-ft of torque.
Under the historical design is a flight of modern-day technologies. The Katana receives such features as back-torque limiting clutch, three drive modes, ABS, Brembo brake callipers, as well as a set of tubeless tires designed specifically for the model.
The new Katana was unveiled in Germany, at Intermot after a long, seemingly never-ending presentation that first introduced us to all the other novelties within the lineup including the new RM-Z 250, as well as the updated GSX-S750 ABS and GSX-R1000 and R-1000R. There is no say yet when the new Suzuki Katana will be available in the United States or what pricing will be.
Also, check this guy out for an up close walkaround of the new Katana (we don't know what he's saying either, but if you do, bonus).
