Katana unveiling at Aussie MotoGP round

One of the biggest announcements at the recent Intermot show in Cologne was the news that Suzuki was bringing back the iconic Katana name with retro-style naked litre bike.

The bike, expected to go on sale in Australia around during the third quarter of 2019, will make its first southern hemisphere appearance at an exclusive unveiling night in the lead-up to the 2018 Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island.

With the help of the Suzuki Ecstar MotoGP team, the covers will be lifted off the new Katana on Thursday, October. Full details as follows:

Interested customers will need to RSVP to secure their place on the guestlist by emailing their full name and phone number to motorcyclemarketing@suzuki.com.au.

Based around the firm’s GSX-S1000 naked which uses a retuned version of Suzuki’s GSX-R1000 long-stroke K5 engine good for a claimed 150hp (110kW) set within a twin-spar alloy frame. The Katana tips the scales 6kg more than its naked stablemate, presumably thanks to the bulky front fairing necessary to achieve the look of the original and popular version of the bike from the 1980s.

It’s well equipped, with a GSX-R swingarm, a fully-adjustable 43mm upside-down front fork and radial-mounted Brembo calipers, while traction control, ABS and the firm’s Low RPM Assist and Easy Start headline the bike’s electronic features.

A very 1980s-looking stacked rectangular headlight is modernised with LED bulbs and the silver paint scheme with red a Suzuki logo makes it instantly recognisable as a modern take on the 1981 machine.