The big news from Suzuki at the 2021 EICMA show might not be considered the biggest news event today, but the Japanese brand has sharpened the edge of its Katana street bike, and that pleases us.
Accordingly, the 2022 Suzuki Katana gets a modest horsepower increase to 150hp (up from a previous 147hp), and a good overhaul on its electronics suite.
Team Classic Suzuki is known for making some impressive vintage-inspired machines, but today’s example might be the pinnacle of their prowess.
With racing basically non-existent during the early days of COVID, the team found itself with an abundance of time on their hands…and idle hands are the Devil’s workshop.
So, taking an ex-Alstare Racing WorldSBK-spec Suzuki GSX-R1000 from the garage, Team Classic Suzuki created this very attractive (and potent) Katana.
After much teasing, and officially debuting the model almost a year ago, we finally know what the 2020 Suzuki Katana will cost American buyers, and the answer is a stout $13,499 MSRP.
We had hoped that the new Katana would be priced aggressively against its naked bike competitors, especially since the “new” machine is largely a restyled Suzuki GSX-S1000F, which comes with an MSRP of $11,299.
That new bodywork must add over $2,000 of value in Suzuki’s eyes though, with the 2020 Suzuki Katana commanding the largest price tag out of the Japanese models in the relevant category.
The Suzuki Katana isn’t even officially out yet for the US market, and already there are rumors of an up-spec version of the classic-inspired sport bike coming from Japan.
The news centers around Suzuki wanting the Katana to compete better with the high-performance naked models already on the market, namely the Aprilia Tuono V4 1100, Ducati Streetfighter V4, KTM 1290 Super Duke R, et al.
The move then is an “R” spec machine, rumored to see its 999cc four-cylinder engine bumped out to 1,135cc. Other go-fast parts are likely to be included (read: brakes, suspension, wheels, etc), and perhaps some updates to the styling to make it more aggressive looking.
One of the highlights from the INTERMOT trade show in Germany was the new Suzuki Katana. Set to be an early 2020 model, the Suzuki Katana takes the GSX-S1000F platform, and brings a unique retro-modern look to its chassis.
This means that the heart of this sport bike comes from the 2005 Suzuki GSX-R1000, which has been re-tuned for street duty.
Though Suzuki is light on details, this should mean a 147hp sport bike, with basic electronic aids. This should also mean an attractive sport bike for under $12,000 here in the USA, if our math is correct.
The wait is finally over. The Suzuki Katana is back. Breaking cover at this year’s INTERMOT show, the 2019 Suzuki Katana takes an old classic, and makes it new again.
True the to concepts we have seen in previous years, the new Katana is a stylish modern take on the iconic lines from the the 1980s.
Essentially a Suzuki GSX-S1000F with new bodywork, the new Katana isn’t perhaps all-new, in the truest sense of the word, but the bike evokes strong emotions for those who remember its past; and for a new generation of rider, the 1980s styling fan is just now becoming a thing, making this a well-timed launch.
This is our fourth installment of teaser videos for the new Suzuki Katana, and this time we actually get something to chew on, as the new sport bike makes an appearance this time around.
It is a brief look at the Suzuki Katana, but the lines are clear. This will be modern take on the popular Katana, similar to the concept we saw last year.
Is it INTERMOT yet? Because that is the only way that we will get Suzuki to stop teasing what is almost definitely a new Katana motorcycle. Giving us the brand’s third installment on a teaser video series (1 & 2), this time around we see the fuel tank of the machine in question.
The shape doesn’t tell us too much. It is clearly for a street bike, and it has some sporty curves to it. Though, we are obligated to say that you shouldn’t read too much into that analysis. The part at the end though, where a katana sword is being drawn, well…yeah…ok.
Expected to be built off the GSX-R1000 platform, the Katana should be a more comfortable sport bike option to the venerable superbike, with an anticipated retro flare from the 1980s, which should help differentiate the motorcycle from the Suzuki GSX-S1000(F).
Here is the second teaser video from Suzuki, getting us hyped for a new motorcycle release at the INTERMOT show in Colgone, Germany. Like the first video, this one features a blacksmith creating a Japanese sword…a Katana, if you will.
As such, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to imagine that Suzuki’s teaser campaign is for anything other than the rebirth of the Katana motorcycle. We have seen the name trademarked in various markets, including the United States, there have been concept models of restomod creations shown at numerous times, including in Suzuki’s own show booths.
Lastly, there have been links to the Suzuki Recursion concept becoming the new Katana lineup, which would feature a turbocharged twin-cylinder engine.
Yesterday, Suzuki posted this teaser video, gearing us up for a reveal at this year’s INTERMOT show in Cologne, Germany. If you watch the clip above, you can tell why…I mean, it has all sorts of sword references, and Suzuki has been doing quite a bit with the “Katana” name as of late.
Recently trademarking the name in the United States, as well as partnering with custom bike builder on resto-mod versions of the GSX1100, Suzuki has gone out of its way to remind us of this iconic motorcycle from decades passed.
With the video ending with a cursive writing “斬” – Japanese for “slash” or “kill with a sword” – the subject of this teaser should be obvious…or so it seems.