Motorcycle specifications Suzuki1000 Katana 2021 An icon cuts through time

The Katana is struggling to find its audience. Too late on the market? Too offbeat? An image that just can't take hold? Suzuki deserves credit for taking a delicate gamble with this neo-retro. To make their mark on this highly fashionable segment, every manufacturer draws on their past and reinterprets it with a more or less spicy sauce. When it came to reviving one of the landmark machines in its history, which would Suzuki choose?

The 750 GSX-R? It certainly earned its place in the motorcycle pantheon in 1985; but it's revived almost every year with special series.
The RE-5? A brilliant idea, but a flop at the time. Besides, hardly anyone gives a damn about rotary engines today... The GS 750? The Van Van?
No, you need a model that shocked people, that shook things up, that became a benchmark for some or all. And the bike that most closely matched the challenge was the KATANA!

As at the dawn of the 80s, this bike marks its territory and its difference with an offbeat design. Suzuki has skilfully transported the 1100 Katana 's strange allure into its future, drawing a present of the same ilk. This leap forward in time dictates the appearance of this 'Classic': taut, robotic, deviant lines, it is carved by saber blows, from which it takes its name. The half fairing takes great care to present the most indisputable (and much-discussed) element this bike was meant to bear. A square headlight, set vertically and wedged between the diagonals of the fork head. Effect guaranteed. LEDs take care of the luminosity.
To clean up the stern, the number plate and indicators are mounted on a support anchored to the swingarm. An appendage found on more and more machines. The result is a seat that's perfectly free of the obligatory heaviness, where the two-tone saddle can serenely doze on a fire with vampire gums.

the style is accomplished. In form, while in content... Miss Katana hasn't totally respected the spirit of her grandmother. And yet, like her, it is based on the big roadster of the range. Except that Suzuki had transformed it into a Sport-GT at the time. A pair of wrist-mounted handlebars elongated the riding position, making for a sporty look and an ordeal for the forearms. The new generation will offer a more relaxed roadster riding position... it's almost a pity; something more typical would have suited the silhouette better. Personal opinion. It won't be quite the same as on a GSX-S 1000, due to the 10 mm higher seat height, at 825 mm from the ground.

In the '80s, the real name of the big Katana was GSX 1100 S. Today, its 'revival' is technically based on the 1000 GSX-S. It's funny how names ironically transcend time. Part-cycle and engine will have little to criticize. The big 4-cylinder engine comes from a former GSX-R 1000, and has been reworked for roadster use and enjoyment. With 150 hp and a Suzuki-like roundness and consistency, this block is a power companion in very good company. Less explosive than the last generation of hyper-roadsters, it is more reassuring, but still strong enough to tear out pairs of molars.
Also closely derived from a GSX-R 1000, the aluminum perimeter frame does its job valiantly, aided by a fully adjustable 43 mm Kayaba upside-down fork and a rear shock from the same manufacturer, with adjustable preload and rebound damping. As braking will be necessary at some point, two 310 mm discs are ready to suffer under the onslaught of Brembo 4-piston clamps.

On-board electronics are no different either. Silicon cards include ABS, Easy Start System and deactivatable 3-stage traction control. The bare minimum these days, while the competition keeps outbidding us with curve-active ABS, driving modes and anti-machines everywhere. Suzuki still leaves the rider with a fair amount of confidence, just a little less than a Z 1000.
It's a shame that the Katana doesn't benefit from a few bonuses, to mark a technological difference in riding. Kawa has done this with its Z 900 RS, which is better equipped in this respect than its Z 900 sibling.
No extra sensors, no extra neurons... But there is a new dashboard, specially designed for it. A digital panel in the same format as the latest 1000 GSX-Rs, filled with a clean graphic charter. There's plenty of information, nothing's missing, and a nice little touch that will make her proud: the Japanese 'Katana' logo at start-up.

the fuel tank appears to have been borrowed from the back of Robocop. Its design harmonizes the past with the Katana's plasticity, alas with a surprising punishment. It carries 5 liters less fuel. With a total capacity of 12 liters, autonomy is likely to become a concern. This could be seen as another homage to the past: who remembers the reduced range of the 1000 TLR, where anguish overtook you once you'd passed 100 km on the trip meter?!
Another, more anecdotal, penalty: the vintage trim fitted to this GSX-S makes it 5 kilos heavier. But don't worry - 215 kilos is still a reasonable weight. Within the Japanese roadster canon.

Suzuki could have shaken up the market much earlier; the Stratosphere concept-bike having paved the way, this Katana would have had a far greater impact, arriving on the heels of the BMW NineT. It's not too late, but the sword arrives during the battle, with greater difficulty in asserting itself. What's more, some will see it as nothing more than a GSX-S 1000 with a new coat of paint. That's true, but what a refit! With it, the Suzuki roadster finally has something to stand out in terms of style - the standard and F versions lacking in sex appeal.
The 1000 Katana is by far the most powerful neo-retro on the market today.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos