by Dries van der Walt from https://www.wheels24.co.za/
Let’s take a step back in time to 1981 when Suzuki caused a sensation with the most outrageous bike the world had seen up to then: the revolutionary GSX1100S Katana.
When the Katana was launched, it changed street motorcycle trends in one fell stroke. In fact, the Katana’s influence is still evident in motorcycle designs 38 years down the line.
Tickling the fancy
Design by German design legend Hans Muth (who turned the ungainly-looking BMW ‘/5’ series bikes into classic beauties), the Katana was the stuff that my teenage dreams were made of, and when the new iteration came around I wasn’t going to allow the opportunity to test its modern iteration, so I added my name to a lengthy waiting list for the opportunity to review one.
The new Katana, launched earlier this year but classified as a 2020 model, was also penned by an independent designer, Rodolfo Frascoli, who was also responsible for Triumph’s Speed Triple and Tiger 1050.
Frascoli’s 2017 design concept tickled Suzuki’s fancy, and they greenlighted the GSX-S1000-based concept for production with very little revision to the underlying platform.
Hitting the sweet spot
Design-wise the new Katana is a worthy successor to the original. The lines that were so radically different in 1981 have aged well, and several younger onlookers who had never seen the original remarked positively on the bike’s looks.
One unintended compliment that summarised how well the bike has captured its predecessor’s appearance came from a young hipster, who said: “I love it, except for the headlamp – it looks so… eighties!”Like the GSX-S1000, the Katana is a practical everyday sportbike.
The seating position hits the sweet spot between sporty and neutral so that you only need to lower your upper body to transition from your commuting position to crouching for the twisties.
Ridden hard, the bike is responsive to light steering inputs and stable both through corners and at speed, and offers reassuring grip.The new Katana is nowhere near being the fastest bike in production, but that’s hardly the point of this exercise. That said, with 110kW on tap, it is no slouch either.
Back in time
In the upper rev range, it goes like the proverbial stink, but as is common with everyday sportbikes, it also offers decent punch in the rev range where you spend most of your riding.
With its abbreviated tail, the Katana doesn’t offer much in the way of luggage room, making a backpack just about the best option for carrying your daily paraphernalia.
As far as long-distance riding is concerned, you would probably be best advised to send your luggage ahead or have a support car to do the heavy-lifting duties.
But none of these caveats, I suspect, will matter to potential buyers. The older ones will most likely be the ones who buy it to have a modern version of the bike they fondly remember from when they wore youngsters’ clothes, and the younger ones will likely do it to own a bike that stands out from the crowd with just enough retro cool to make a statement.
For either group, it will be a win, because they not only get what they are looking for, but they also get a thoroughly modern sportbike with all the mod cons we have come to expect, clothed in a body that is both timeless and exceptionally beautiful.
SPECIFICATIONS
Manufacturer: Suzuki
Model: Katana
Engine
Type: Inline-4
Displacement: 999cm³
Maximum Power: 110kW @ 10 000rpm
Maximum Torque: 108Nm @ 9 500rpm
Fuel supply system: Electronic fuel injection
Fuel type: Premium Unleaded
Transmission
Type: 6-speed constant mesh
Final drive: Chain
Dimensions
Overall length x width x height (mm): 2 130 X 835 X 1 110mm
Kerb weight: 215kg
Capacities
Passengers: 1+1Fuel tank: 12 L
Brakes
Front: Twin Disc
Rear: Single Disc
Suspension
Front: Fully adjustable 43mm KYB fork
Rear: Linkage-assisted shock w/ adjustable spring-preload and rebound damping
Wheels & Tyres
Tyre, front: 120/70 x 17
Tyre, rear: 190/50 x 17
