After unveiling a brand new Katana concept at EICMA in 2017 that teased us all, Suzuki have finally pulled the pin and made the dream a reality for 2019. Essentially, under the skin of the gorgeously reworked body the Katana is a modified version of the GSX-S1000, using the same 2008 GSX-R1000 engine as the previous naked which has been tuned to give just under 150bhp – although there’s a few slight changes to the geometry of the throttle connection to make the Katana as smooth as possible from the get go. The same goes for the frame, which is once again based on the current GSX-S1000; although a little fun fact is that it does only weigh about the same as what you’d find on the current GSX-R1000.
Suzuki have equipped the Katana with fully adjustable KYB front forks and shock as well, alongside the ever popular Brembo radial mount Monoblock front brake calipers for some decent braking power. They’re the same stoppers you get on the GSX-R1000, although the discs are slightly smaller at 310mm.
Electronically, the Katana comes equipped with a three-mode traction control system (and off), alongside the Suzuki Easy Start System for one touch start up and the Low RPM Assist system to try and help you not to stall. They’ve also equipped it with an LCD dash. They’ve kept the styling pretty retro with the distinctive shape still evident, and although there isn’t word yet of when they’ll be in dealerships and what the price is, we expect them to be hitting the UK some time around April with a price of around about £11,000. Ish.
