Suzuki’s legendary KATANA returns for the 2020 model year as a comfortable, sporty all-arounder with a hint of the edgy styling found on earlier models. Suzuki released preliminary details of the bike, but availability in the U.S. market will not be announced until next year, and labeling it a 2020 model means we will be waiting a bit before we can test one.
We can tell you that this will be a very fast motorcycle with a revised version of the long-stroke four-cylinder 998cc engine found in the GSX-S1000F we previously tested. Expect something north of 130 horsepower with gobs of low-end and mid-range torque. Much more street motor than most will ever need, or want.
Although detailed specifications are not yet available, this is much more than a prototype. Suzuki has released detailed images of the frame and engine components, for example. There is a dedicated web site, and here on MD you will find several high resolution images.
Here is a brief announcement from Suzuki on the new KATANA:
The Suzuki KATANA
This is not a retro-styling exercise but a modern performance motorcycle that is destined to be as revolutionary as the original KATANA. Of course, its name comes from the sleek and beautifully crafted Japanese sword known as a katana. Inspired by the same artisan spirit demonstrated by Japanese swordsmiths, Suzuki’s development team tested and tuned each component until they were satisfied the KATANA would deliver the optimal balance of power, comfort and control. At the heart of the KATANA’s performance is a new version of the championship winning long-stroke GSX-R1000 engine. Heading out on the road, riders will immediately appreciate the KATANA’s agility and rider-friendly nature. Maneuvering its compact, lightweight chassis around bends instills confidence and brings pure pleasure. The seat and optimized riding position are designed to enhance controllability and keep riders comfortable on longer outings so they will want to ride the KATANA all day long. With the 2020 KATANA, Suzuki repeats and rewrites history at the same time.
ADVANCED LOOK- 2020 KATANA
- The distinctive design of the legendary KATANA exists in a totally modern motorcycle.
- 999cc engine offers excellent low- to-mid range torque with good peak horsepower.
- A variety of advanced electronics include traction control, Easy Start and Low RPM Assist.
- Twin-spar aluminum frame, braced superbike-style swingarm, KYB-supplied suspension, dual front Brembo Monobloc four-piston brake calipers with 310mm floating rotors.
- Unique satellite rear fender extends from the swingarm creating a taut-looking tail design.
- New style, full LCD instrument panel is unique to the KATANA.
- Metallic Mystic Silver paint with KATANA lettering and logos that mirror the original 1981 model.
MSRP: TBA
Estimated arrival at U. S. dealers: TBA 2019
Click here to learn more about the KATANA
Odd, from this angle
http://www.motorcycledaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/100218middle5-730×488.jpg
I find the styling closer to a 2020 version of the original Kawasaki ZX900A Ninja than I do to the original Katana
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kawasaki_GPZ900R_Ninja_01.jpg
I do like it, though. I can hope that the rider triangle is well placed.
It sucks when riding in the rain on a motorcycle whose rear-end design doesn’t prevent you
from getting the dreaded dirty water roost all over your backside.
Hated that on my Hypermotard.
I wonder what this bike will be like. (With and without that license plate holder arm.)
By the looks of the stubby (but stylish) tail- things don’t look reassuring.
When the original Katana came out, it was obvious it was a landmark styling success. But, there were many who couldn’t wrap their brain around it, and polite to say, hated it. Same here today. Some point out the beak, and hate it, some point out the plate holder, and hate it, some point out the “robot like” look of it, and hate it. I like how Suzuki used a good bike underneath, and combined with a fresh new look of the original Katana, came up with a winner. Sad, some just dont see it. “These are not the droids are you looking for, move on”.
Very NICE! Well done, Suzuki!
I am getting tired of these robot inspired looking machines!!! The original Katana was far better looking, just bring that one back! New bikes are just UGLY…..most anyway.
The very first year of the Suzuki Katana the bike was a 1000cc motorcycle. The bikes later came in 1100cc and 550cc versions with there even being a 650cc shaft drive Katana (GS650M) with a 6.1 gallon tank in 1983. Of course the Katana was a cutting edge sport bike in the beginning but later “softened” into faired sporty tourer.
Other than the original 1000 and 1100 versions of the Katana, I believe they only made a 600 and 750, which were full bodywork sporties (mildly tuned at that). Certainly don’t think there was a shaft-drive 650 version (not called a Katana anyway).
You got your Kats mixed up. In the US for 1982 there was a 1000 and a 550. For 1983, an 1100 and 750 that looked like the 1000 and a 650 shafty that looked like the 550. The oil cooled, full bodywork 1100, 600, and 750 showed up a few years later…
Holy Sh…..mokes! Must be A. G. E. disease. I have to laugh at myself, as I pride myself on my general moto-knowledge. Until I looked at some pictures, I completely forgot about the original 550 Kat. And to boot, I started riding in the early seventies and by the time the original Katanas were out I was in full sporting-street mode after graduating from Moto-X. Thanks for the memories.
WSHart is bang on the money. I owned a Katana 650 shaft drive briefly back last century & replaced it with with the Katana 750cc 4-valve aircooled pop-up headlight model. It does pay to remember that Suzuki is a Japanese company that sells motorcycles across the world and that what holds for a regional market like the US may not be the complete story. As for the hideous fully faired GSX600F & GSX750F (aka plastic teapots) as far as I can see they were only called Katana in the US and that we can all agree was a travesty.
Suzuki made Katana’s in all sizes. Few of them came here to the states. Later years were nothing more than a mundane production model, with the name KATANA. In most peoples view, only the first year model, and possibly the second year 1100, are real KATANA’s. The styling on the first year, was just ground breaking. Underneath it, was pretty much a normal GS bike with a couple of performance improvements, not even an oil cooler, just a fake plastic grill that looked like one. Long live the KATANA.
Why do all these new bikes have that piece of garbage hanging over the rear tire??? Who thought that was a good idea?
Some european countries have a law that the license plate be mounted at the farthest rear of a vehicle, and the tire cannot be the last thing. So, the stupid little hanger is a good work around to keep the bike somewhat clean without having to use a long body and drooping fender.
I didn’t know we belong to Europe.
Then you haven’t been paying attention. If you are a motorcyclist that isn’t into cruisers or full touring rigs, then you are either part of the Asian or European market depending in what you are shopping for.
Speak for yourself, I don’t belong to anybody. I am an occupant of the planet earth though.
Homer Simpson…
No, still too many angles, not properly balanced, etc etc, Another coffee shop bike (CSB).. IMHO a new Katana should have used a revised upgraded gsxr 750 motor, slick smooth minimal fairing plastic, single seat, premium suspension, brakes, and wheels with only one rider mode with minimal number of electronic intervention settings and of course more gas..a premium canyon carver.
I had a mid80s Radian which I loved. It also had squarish headlights and styling and a small tank (but I am almost positive this one is bigger than 3 gallons. Suzuki’s not that dumb). I like this bike very, very much. The GSX is a little big tippy-toes for me; I wonder how this is.
Go sit on a GSX-1000 (regular or F) and you should have your answer.
Needs a second left hand exhaust and I bit taller windscreen, Also through in a centerstand.
It’s a nice design. Coherent. Not only does the side profile itself hint at katana’ish proportions, but from every angle the various creases reveal katana shapes as well. Nothing overdone and cheesy, but still nice.
I have a hard time believing Suzuki would put a 12 liter tank on a “to be ridden all day” literbike.
No mention of a less racy transmission is a bit concerning. The one on the GSX-S, is just too close ratio and racy for an everyday street bike. Risking speeding tickets while idling in first, is just a bit much. Ditto redlining a liter bike while lazily cruising down the freeway. As the GSX-S was designed for Gixxer riders aged out of the crouch, but who were otherwise happy with their bike, I can see why they would use a Gixxer box. But for this, more genteel edition, I hope the ratios are spread a bit wider.
Wind protection “looks” good. On the S, there is none. On the SF, almost none, and what is there serve mainly to lift air into the visor to create noise, up to reduce-front-lift-at-120 speeds. This one “looks” to have gotten it right: Wider, not taller. More like a ‘Busa/14 class bikes, just smaller.
Was about to list my St1300 for sale till I learned the katana’s tank only holds 12 litres! I’m so disappointed as a previous owner of 2 1982 models that has been waiting patiently for the reboot only to learn that this “comfortable sport tour” comes standard with a serious case of range anxiety. If Suzuki can add some more capacity to the tank I’ll be one of the first with a deposit.
Only this isn’t a “comfortable sport tour[er]”. It’s a “comfortable sport bike”. Same as the GSX-S model it’s derived from. Not once in Suzuki’s marketing copy are the words “tour” or “touring” mentioned for the Katana. The same as with the GSX-S.
Reminds me of when the Versys 650 was released. People complained that an ADV bike shouldn’t have street tires and such like the Versys. Kawasaki never sold the Versys as an ADV or dual-sport. Was never mentioned as such by Kawasaki. Was listed in the “Sport” section of their website. Yet, it was criticized by many for not having enough engine protection, not having knobby tires, and not having the suspension stroke of a KTM Enduro.
I like it. Modern with a definite link back to the original Katana, the look is there. The “sword” is back.
Just like back then, I can’t wait for Hans Muth to now design a similar new R65LS or K75S.
Just a little more windshield or upper fairing would make it look more balanced I think.. It is an odd combo of retro and futuristic, but I think I like it.. The original Katana was a real funky monkey in its day.
big power and standard riding position get my vote, but it could use a more realistic rear section for passenger seating. And please let there be at least 5 gallons of dino juice in side all that bulk!! This thing is begging or a road trip, not a poker run of gas stations…
I like it.
Just needs someone to put an old style exhaust on it, put the plate back up under the seat and some big old blinkers and then go confuse people. 🙂
Kudos to Suzuki for rolling the dice. Maybe it will look better in person than in pics. Lots of bikes do. If it really has a 3 gallon fuel tank, that wipes out much of the benefit of decent ergos.
It definitely resembles the old Katana. Neither the old nor the new versions do much for me in the looks department.
Its impossible to please everyone. In this page there are comments wishing it had a bigger tail for saddle bags and there are comments wishing it had clip-ons. Half of you want a tourer and half want a race bike and suzuki has to try to build something in the middle because this isnt supposed to be either of those things. I think its a cool concept and its something different. The standard bikes are a chance for designers to show their creativity. The silliest thing is the people that complain about the exhaust and license plate holder, is if they dont already replace those on every bike they buy.
Low clip-on and cheap high tabular handlebar are not the only thinkable options. They could use nicely sculptured alu-cast two pieces, bolt-on handlebars like i.e. FJR. Same height as the tabular, same ergo value and much better look. The same concerns rear seat size. A little bigger one would not ruin the look, but improve ergonomics. Small tank is a different story. With big airbox over the engine and already existing frame, they couldn’t do any better. Higher tank would look humpy and not “katanish”. Creating new frame for this model only, was probably too expensive for them.
By the way, with bigger rear seat they could find some space for an auxiliary tank right underneath…
Front fairing looks more like a GSX1100ES than a Kat.
Wow, good catch! Yup, ’83 GS1100ES. This new Katana fairing and w/s kept catching my eye, and you correctly described a similarity I missed.
I will agree with all the people saying that the upright, tubular handlebar is visually all wrong. However, I think from a functional perspective, that setup is much smarter than the low clip-ons everybody expected this bike to have. Its position in the marketplace will be as an all-around musclebike, not a track-focused race replica. Being leaned over hugging the tank all the time would ruin what looks to a pretty comfortable, versatile bike.
I would be all over this for a sport tourer if it had a 22 liter tank like the original. Somewhere I read 12 liters which is an absolute joke. I sadly lament the demise of the sport tourer and by that I exclude behemoths like the FJR1300. The KTM Super Duke GT is out of my financial league. The Kawasaki Z1000SX, stupidly called Ninja here in North America is too heavy for my liking. Maybe a KTM 790 GT would be the ticket or a Triumph Street Triple RT. There has got to be a market for this, surely I am not the only one. I tried two adventure bikes which are fine for touring, not so fine for sport.
Yamaha Tracer 900GT.
” Somewhere I read 12 liters which is an absolute joke.”
I’ve read the same and hope that was just a typo in their spec sheet. That would be a bonehead move otherwise for such a bike unless they miraculously figured out how to make this 150 HP beast get 70 mpg or so.
Clip-ons and a slightly taller and more upright windscreen angle like the original or GS-ES series would be my only suggestions. Can’t wait to see it in the flesh!! And thank God for a normal styled headlight!!!!
Wont be a big seller but this is what Suzuki thinks is a success!!Kan of Tuna is back
This is based on the critically praised GSX-1000.
What about it makes you think this will be a “Kan of Tuna”?
The early Katana’s were nicknamed “kan of tuna’s”. It’s been a while, and not everybody remembers the originals.
Hmm… I never heard the nick-name until the second generation.
I have a 1983 1100 Katana in the stable (the silver one with the blue accents, red Suzuki logo and blacked out motor). To this day I consider it to be one of the best looking motorcycles ever designed. Under powered and handles like a dog compared to a modern sport bike, however it makes up for all of that with character. Having said that it will still blow the doors off of most of the current crop of retro standard bikes..
I like what Suzuki has done with this bike. It is about time that we finally get a retro bike with modern power, brakes and suspension. It will look good in the garage beside my 83.
Well, what do you know? It’s as though Papa Katana sired offspring in the 80’s and now, some 30 odd years since being birthed by PK, Son of Katana has come along bearing a remarkable resemblance to his paternal kin. Personally, I love it! SOK is true to the PK original with that unique Katana appearance that pays homage to the history of the brand but with fully modern specs and refreshing balance in this era of specialized two-wheeled machinery. Outwardly, it looks like the practical kind of motorcycle that does everything well and grows on you with ownership. This is one I definitely want to have a closer look at at the manufacturers’ bike show.
My first impression as an original Big Kat owner: good styling, except of cheap high bars made of plumbig tube. 12 liter fuel tank is disappointing comparing to original 22 liters. The same concerns pasenger seat size. I was expecting, instruments design will be somehow based on very nice and distinctive original, but not this time. I look on the new one more like on successor of 750 cc model. 1100 was a pure blood hyperbike with top specs and ground breaking design. The new one is good, but not top, as this role is now reserved by Suzuki for their Hayabusa.
I like the short tail design. I don’t take passengers. I ride to get away from them. And anybody that rides a sports bike with a passenger is not responsible and putting their passenger at risk. Sports bikes are not built for two up riding, ever. So, cut that tail off to prevent the temptation. Another reason that I prefer the short tail is that I cannot lift my leg over those high tail designs. You have to be a freak ballerina to lift your leg over a high tail seat.
I ride solo too, all the time, no exception. But the tail serves other purposes. Do it right, there’s room for some tools and a tire repair kit and mini pump. Make it stout enough and you can put on some hard cases or at least throw some soft bags over it. Right now, the tail isn’t long enough for soft bags and not interfere with the rider’s legs. And if you can’t lift you leg over it, it’s time to stop wearing the skinny jeans.
I don’t taker passengers either. Unless I meet a stripper with Grandfather issues…
I have always wanted a modern Katana. Be careful what you ask for, its been said. I knew if they built something like this, it would not be a early seventies bike with some modern components. Leading up to its release, everyone had opinions on what it would look like, what bike it would be based on. And, it turned out to be pretty much what everyone thought. Not sure why it has a 90 mi range, and like so many others, I have the “why this”, “why that” when I look at it.
Its on the radar, I need to sell a couple of somethings not being used now. I’ll see.
I like it, except for the I4 engine. Never liked them. A V-twin version would be great, but obviously deviates from the whole idea too much.
I don’t know. The engine from the 1000 v-strom would be a pretty cool version, giving it some fun, grunty character and noise.
A revised SV1000/SV1000S would be cool, but it would be a bit odd to release it as a Katana. They tried making the SV650 as the Gladius, but more people thought about gladiolas than about Roman gladiator swords.
I’ve always been a fan of the original Kat. As someone who starting riding street bikes in the late 70’s, the original Katana was an aspirational bike for me. By the time I could afford one, bike styling had moved on making the the Katana out of step with the times. I’ve always enjoyed seeing one at a bike show.
I really think Suzuki has done great job of capturing the essence of a 40 year old design on this modern platform. It’s pure Katana. Modern retro bikes are THE style right now, so Suzuki is meeting customer demand. I’m much happier to see a modern Kat than a modern water-buffalo.
I suspect that rather than a modern Water Buffalo or even a modern Katana, most people here who were looking for a modern retro from Suzuki were really hoping for a modern Wes Cooley Replica GS1000, i.e., a CB1100 with more power.
Yep… and with all modern components.
Looks like a GSX-S1000F with a chopped seat and an ugly nose tacked on. Not a lot of effort put into this one.
The GSX-S1000F is loads more useful than this. And it looks better.
Agreed
Nope. The GSX-S1000F is very awkward looking from most angles.
I think it looks great from most angles. Personal preferences differ.
Nice looking except for case of stumpy-tail disease. where do I hang my saddlebags? maybe a tail rack will come out for it. Otherwise I like it, the styling that is, in general better that the gxsf..
I’m a suzuki fan. can’t wait to read more about it.
I am so down with this, it is exactly what I was hoping Suzuki would bring to the market. Well, a Recursion based bike would be nice too but this is great! Pricing baby, that’s what its going to come down to and maybe I will expand beyond my current small displacement bike collection.
If I were a Suzuki bean-counter, I’d re-badge the Bandit gsf 1250 thereby using existing tooling, and call it a Katana. The Bandit’s styling is timeless and mature.
I hate effin’ plastic . . . . .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dug-G9xVdVs
great response, but far funnier is Hoffman’s “wood or wire?”, when asked what type hanger Mrs Robinson wanted.
GSX-S styling sucks. This is way better. As my first bike was a ’82 1000 Katana I approve of this bike. I probably won’t be a customer though as the roads I ride need longer suspension travel.
I like it. It looks like its missing some hard luggage, that would balance out the design. And the functionality too.
+1
Great call. Give this bike some factory luggage similar to the Ninja 1000’s (will hold a full-face helmet—are you listening, Tracer 900GT?), and this Katana jumps right to the top of my list. Upright, plenty of motor, not too heavy, not too costly, and no windshield to cause noisy turbulence on the freeway. Slap some matching silver saddlebags on this thing and it’d look vaguely ’80s Teutonic. It would look like an adult’s go-fast sport-tourer.
Fine by me.
It definitely lacks aesthetic balance. The stubby rear end makes the front look bulbous and severely overweight, though in reality it might not be.
i like that it looks like you sit in the bike rather than on it, the tank rises from the seat so when braking you dont slide forward. It is trange looking just like the original
If my eyes don’t deceive me, this looks to have higher bars and a more upright seating position than the GSX-S or GSX-F, or even the Ninja 1000. If so, this one becomes a more tenable proposition for me. Hopefully Suzuki has sorted out the fueling on this one, vs the glitchy throttle response of the GSX siblings. Otherwise, I don’t love the looks of this bike, but I don’t dislike them either. It certainly appeals to me more than the GSX line ever will. This one at least has unique styling character.
I kind of like it. I can see it growing on me, especially once I see it in person. This bike needs to be a budget MT-10, without the Yamaha’s fueling glitchiness.
The MT-10 has an even bigger achilles heel/deal breaker for me: It has a serious drinking problem. If a Super Duke can pull down 38-40 mpg even when being ridden quite irresponsibly, there’s no excuse for the MT-10 posting 29-32 mpg.
Agreed, regarding the MT’s poor fuel mileage. Also, the MT-10 is just so horrifically ugly.
Wow, I never realized the MT-10 guzzled fuel like that. That is some truly terrible fuel economy. Like, Aprilia levels of bad. I wonder why.
Same reason 600 SS’ get relatively dismal mileage. It’s an engine designed to make 150+hp running wide open, choking on itself when riding around at street speeds.
Actually, that is not what the motor in the Mt10/fz1 was designed for. Have you read about it or taken a ride on one? Beleive you’d have a different opinion if you did.
MT-10/FZ1 was not designed only to run wide open. They re-tuned the current R1 motor for low to mid to make a more street-able motor, if I’m not mistaken. That’s partly why the poor fuel mileage surprising.
I’ve owned 150hp liter bikes myself and could always manage 40ish mpg on them unless I was just going like a bat out of hell everywhere. Other powerful 1000cc I4 sport standards like the Suzuki and the BMW also manage around 40ish from what I’ve read. If what he said about the MT-10’s fuel economy is accurate, that is significantly over par.
Unlike many in this board, I’m one who was never enamored with the original Katana or just about anything else styled in the ’80s. Maybe it will grow on me, but this doesn’t work for me right now.
On the positive, I’d say this is a pure sport tourer with some emphasis put into both the sport and comfort equation. Many have been asking for that.
The original Katana 1000 was a different beast than the Katana “sporty” bakes they made for many yrs.
Styling is always a gripe, yet having a bike that is not a full-tilt racebike, naked version of the full-tilt sport bike, or transformer looking liter bike, there is a market for a comfortable street bike with above average performance. I think the segment currently occupied by the Ducati Super Sport is a viable one. There needs to be a bridge between the current retro craze and full-tilt racebikes. To me, that is something conservatively styled, enough highway power to manage rider, gear, occasional passenger, and sporty enough to manage solo sport runs. Liter interceptor should be next …
That’s why Suzuki should rebadge the ended Bandit gsf 1250 and upgrade its brakes and suspension to pass along some savings to the buyer.
It is easy to be critical about styling, but put yourself into Suzuki’s shoes: can you produce something even remotely similar? I know, we are just consumers/fans and some of us are experts in their field. We can say what we find fit and that is good thing.
Suzuki traditionally has not been a queen of styling (that title would likely go to someone else), but they try hard, in pronouncedly Japanese way. Mainly, they excel in mechanics like no one else. Overall, this machine looks muscular and invites comparison with CB1000R. My respect to Suzuki!
I wanted to say some ‘restraint’ in styling was a good idea and it fits to Katana name and purpose. It looks comfortable to average rider with plenty of low end power and that was probably main objective.
I’m not getting the adventure bike front end. Overall, it’s a nice design and the horsepower is a bit much. I’m not a customer for this bike, but I hope Suzuki hits a homerun as the motorcycle industry needs more riders!!
That’s not a beak. See the original ’82 Kat for the reference.
“See the original ’82 Kat for the reference.”
…Which as one can clearly see also has a stubby beak.
I’ll be curious about pricing. If it’s the value that the old Katana was, it will sell. It wasn’t the fastest or best handling bike, but looked decent and was dirt cheap. Other than the tail, I like the looks, but am probably not a customer.
I’m not a fan of the stubby tail on this bike, since I prefer function over form, but it’s not a deal breaker. My biggest concerns would be the weight of the bike and the size of the fuel tank. I like the other specs of the bike and that it has upright handlebars. For me, there’s a lot to like about this bike.
Comfortable for the rider? Possibly. Comfortable for the pillion? No. My wife would take one look at that and refuse to get on.
Can we please, please, please return to normal sized subframes and pillion seats, at least for some of these bikes? Apart from styling, there is simply no reason to truncate the rear ends this way.
These are supposedly general purpose (not track focused) street bikes for crying out loud. But every manufacturer continues to treat this segment like no one ever carries a passenger, attaches soft luggage, or rides in the rain (I’ve read many complaints about those swingarm mounted fenders failing to keep rear wheel spray off the rider).
BMW is about the only company that offers some relief. The R1200R and R1200RS look just about perfect, but my budget won’t stretch that far.
Agreed on all fronts.
The Honda CB1100 and Kawasaki Z900RS offer what you and many others claim to want. From the manufacturer’s point of view, the ball is now in your court. It’s up to you and those many others to step up and make the purchase, otherwise the manufacturers will correctly conclude that what you claim to want is, in fact, something that you’re not willing to buy.
I’m 6’2″ and about 219#. My wife is 5’10” and about 155#. The CB1100 only has a load capacity of around 350#. So that one’s out.
Z900RS is better, with a load capacity of 398#. But still not quite enough, since me and my passenger are around 374# before you add clothes and gear. And while it doesn’t have a wasp tail rear end, the pillion portion of the seat is still quite short, and there are no proper grab bar/handles.
Again, I’ll point you to the R1200R/RS. It has proper passenger accommodations and a load capacity of 470#. It would be perfect…if it didn’t cost so much.
But none of the things I’m complaining about add that much to a motorcycle’s cost. I’m not one of those “Must have 150hp and weigh less than 500#” guys. Nor am I a “must have multiple fuel maps, cruise control and lean-sensitive traction control” guys. 100+ hp, 60+ torque, 500#, and just simple ABS would be fine.
The two bikes within my budget that come closest to what I’m looking for are the Versys 1000 and Bonneville T120. The former is just plain fugly and the latter a bit underpowered, but I’m willing to compromise a bit, since I’ve literally been unable to find any other modern bike that will work for me. (By the way, the existence of these two bikes proves that the manufacturers *can* make affordable bikes that meet these requirements, they just more-or-less *refuse* to.)
V-Stroms? Great passenger accommodations, and all the other great traits.Unfortunate to look at too long, but they work so well and well priced, especially used since they have been in production quite awhile.
I road a Strom 1000 recently and was impressed. It was a surprisingly good bike. And with a 463lb load capacity fully fueled coupled with a very reasonable price and plenty of legroom, it should meet Mr. Sausage Creature’s needs pretty well.
I like the big shoulder look that started with the VMax but this is not a bike I would buy. Sorry, Suzuki.
As a huge Bandit fan I kinda like this. I think Mr Roboto would ride this around and fight crime with the other avengers. I don’t think I would ride this, the styling is just too B-kingesque IMHO.
Better styling than many recent Japanese efforts, but still just off in places. Looks massive/dense plus lots of busy details.
High performance and all day comfortable riding position… What a concept! Most riders don’t need a racers crouch 99.9% of the time anyway, only posers do. I like the styling too.
Well… the GSX-S1000 does that right now, for pennies on the dollar after discounts.
That said, I like the look of this one a whole lot better, too! This one may very well have my name written all over it if it’s priced about like the GSX-S is. Even at MSRP, that bike is a hell of a value.
Honestly, it looks like suzuki just restyled the GXSF1000 and called it Katana. Not my cup a tea.
I think that’s exactly what it is. I prefer the looks of the original. I thought the original Katana was ugly when it was new. Where this one misses, appearance aside, is that the fairing doesn’t appear to offer any real wind protection for the rider.
I think the Ninja 1000 is still probably the leader in execution of this type of bike.
correction: it’s “GSX-S1000F”.
this was inspired by a styling exercise based on that bike, which is pretty much how the original Katana happened (GS1100E if memory serves).
I will be so glad when those rear end treatments go out of style
The first thing that I look for is to see if the those ridiculous tail sections are bolted on. If they are going to make such a silly mistake, they could at least make it easier to fix.
And they wonder why sales are slow. They go from ugly headlights a few years back to these stubby rear ends.
Yup. That piece that holds the license plate looks like crap on any bike. It’s not a bad looking bike, but the peg position makes it another bike I won’t buy. (Sigh).
EU law requires the rear fender extend to the back of the tire. So manufacturers can either bolt on a low hugger style fender like on the Katana or a long fender from the subframe like this Ducati:
[img]https://images.ctfassets.net/o6sr41tx16eu/1iBWOpAi5yw80EUKygeCI2/b37c400e311420aaf16bf56cdb164e6a/Supersport-S-MY18-White-41-Slider-Gallery-1920×1080.jpg[/img]
Lol. I like them.