Know All About Suzuki Katanas

Just look at that big, interplanetary angularity-fest. It’s tough to believe this rocket-thing first stalked the streets over a quarter-century back, at a time when all ‘usual Japanese machines’ looked ostensibly the same and were a similar incoherent and unimaginative assembly of seemingly random components.

Back in 1980, a Katana drew attention like a stab in the eye with a fistful of glass –and it still does. It was as different from standard showroom fare then as it is today and, depending on whether the sensibilities were ready for it, was either a lithe slice of silver sexiness, or an over the top robo-ugloid.

Some folk just weren’t ready for a bike with ‘styling’; a thing men with moustaches and Alfa Romeo sport cars did to womens’ hair. The oriental factories would carefully design the mechanics of something with two wheels and an engine before putting out the call: ‘what shall we make it look like?’

‘A motorbike, dummy’, was the standard reply.

Suzuki trashed this mould by going to Germany, a land where men with moustaches and small Italian sports cars home-serviced washing machines to a backdrop of unsynchronised music, or worked for design houses. And it was to such a haus, Target Design, that Suzuki turned for the Katana’s lines. What a difference a ‘tache and loose fitting cheesecloth shirt make.

Unlike today’s ‘concept’ machines, that either chuff out of the factory with neutered mills or/and look nothing like the floozy-draped showbike (Bulldog anybody?), the Katana was the full performance deal, competitive at the pinnacle of eighties superbiking. The rumbling great 16-valve TSCC motor was the best (most powerful and reliable) engine by a considerable degree and the chassis was more than a match for all but Honda’s mega-buck CB1100R homologation factory special.

Whether it’s the loveliest thing since the Ducati 900SS, or an over-the-top metallic quasi phallus, Suzuki’s big Kat’ is an incredibly authentic and undeniably brave piece of design history. Without it we may never have enjoyed David Essex’s seminal performance in Silver Dream Racer.

A Recent Ride

Just getting onto a big Katana is an event in itself: stretching out horizontally, splaying arms around the high tank to reach for the clip-ons, folding left leg double ready to prod the high-set gear lever. This is not so much a machine you sit on as cling too and hug. And bikes don’t fire up like this these days. A couple of lazy engine revolutions and the GSX1000S bursts into life, the whole bike feeling alive, throbbing and buzzing as the motor’s restrained by a frame from which it wants to leap free. And it smells, smells of hot oil film and motive power.

This is not a bike you pull away on so much as launch. Let the heavy clutch out slowly, without a glove-full of revs, and it stumbles off the line thanks to the 1000’s slide carbs. Give it some spuds instead and the long, heavy bike digs in and thrusts forth, jockey head down, Lester Piggott-style, race-decibels barking from the Harris Works pipe.

That exhaust pulls glances aplenty in town as it shakes the shop windows in which I’m clocking a rather dashing reflection. These glances turn to double takes because someone’s riding a spaceship down the high street. To the uninitiated this could be some spanking new model.

But town-posing life is tough with legs ridiculously cramped, turning circle huge and controls cumbersome, especially when combined with so much weight through wrists. The air-cooled lump gets hot and the clutch starts to drag, needing on-the-move adjustment. Time to break out.

Leaving the town behind is nothing short of liberating and with every mph the Katana makes more sense, wind lifting weight from the wrists while the screen stops blast getting excessive. The slide carbs really don't like low revs, the engine preferring to shout its presence from 7000rpm to over the 9000rpm redline (both clocks over-read significantly).

Hagon shocks do a similar job to the originals, which is nothing much at low speed, before getting wallowy as the bike is hustled along. In its day the Katana stayed firmer longer and wallowed later than the competition. Today, there’s just enough feel to describe stuff the other end of the springs as ‘remote’, especially at the front, which starts to bounce wide, no matter how much effort is put into holding it tight. The vast wheelbase, with huge front hoop and its massive gyroscopics keep the bike super-stable, but also mean it’s very slow to change direction. It’s not a bike you steer, so much as point in a general direction.

That doesn’t mean it’s not fun to ride, it’s just a 1980s bike that demands a 1980s riding style. This means running into a corner slightly faster than you meant to – thanks to a weak front brake and a skinny tyre you can’t load up thanks to anti-dive – and trying to hold it on some power to prevent it running wide, while clenching arse cheeks and hoping all is well at the other end of the forks. Ground clearance that was phenomenal for a Japanese multi of its day is still plenty adequate for riding with old-style tyres.

Picking it upright and gassing the straights and sweepers is sensational, keeping it between the hedges a challenge in itself. And I suppose this is the best thing about the Katana. It’s fast. Not quick by today’s standards, but fast. And it feels fast without busting a ton-twenty, which is refreshing.

The short ride over, hands are numb with the vibes, middle-aged kneecaps fit to pop out through jeans. But it’s been worth it, because this big Katana is as good a bike to ride now as it was a 20 years back when a 19-year-old me used to terrorise the North Circular on my 1000S. And as bad. It’s so different that comparing it to anything else of its day, let alone modern tackle, is a worthless exercise. The most curious thing is that even having ridden most motorcycles manufactured since, the blend of Katana sensations is as fresh and satisfying now as it was then – it feels exactly, uniquely, the same.

What is a real Katana?

Like many flagship models, the Katana spawned a host of copy-Kats aiming to cash in on the big fella’s reputation. In the US, a whole raft of bikes since 1980 have been Katana branded, from the hapless GSX400F (and even the wheezy twin), to ugly rubbish like the GSX600F and GSX1100F. Still are. These bikes are quite patently not Katanas and to argue otherwise would be an exercise in futility – so don’t. There is even a Suzuki Katana moped – talk about selling the family jewels.

1980, Suzuki GSX1100S Katana

1075cc, 110bhp @ 8500rpm, 232kg

Very much like the 1979 Cologne Show prototype, with small fly-screen added, the first road going Katana emerged to wow a wide-eyed public. This was the fastest, hardest-accelerating bike of its day.

So is it a Katana?

No, it’s the Katana

1981, Suzuki GSX1000S Katana

998cc, 108bhp @ 8500rpm, 232kg

Homologation race special (superbikes had to be sub-1000CC) featuring 32mm slide carbs rather than 34mm CVs. In all other regards, the same as the 1100.

So is it a Katana?

Yup, the aficionado’s weapon.

1981, Suzuki GS650G Katana

673cc, 64bhp @ 9500rpm, 210kg

Shaft-drive, eight valves, poor power-to-weight ratio. Comfy, ultra tough and reliable, it made a great despatch bike. No fairing, though, high bars and no shark-nose fairing.

So is it a Katana?

No cigar – the clue’s in the ‘GS’ with no ‘X’.

1981, Suzuki GS550M Katana

549cc, 54bhp @ 9000rpm, 205kg

Much like the 650, though with chain-drive, which meant it handled a bit better. Just a rehash of the horrible, sluggish GS550E, though. Bars too high, no fairing.

So is it a Katana?

If this is a Kat’, my CBR6 is a 916.

1982, Suzuki GSX750S Katana

747cc, 68bhp @ 8500rpm, 222kg

Japanese-market-only model, virtually identical to the 11. Just as heavy, but with only 68 horses from its GSX750E motor it’s a slug. Looks the part, though.

So is it a Katana?

With this power/weight it’s more of a butter-knife.

1984, Suzuki GSX750SE Katana

747cc, 76bhp @ 9000rpm, 222kg

Much quicker than the 750S, but with weird pop-up headlamp, watery styling and mono-shock, box-section chassis. When 200 washed ashore in the UK Suzuki GB sold them in Japanese spec’.

So is it a Katana?

Pearl white with gold frame, get out.

1991, Suzuki GSX250S Katana

248cc, 39bhp @ 13,500rpm, 160kg

Based around an oil-cooled 250 Bandit lump, it’s a fun, revvy riot and authentically styled, though with modern wheels and brakes. Has wider tyres than the original 1100!

So is it a Katana?

As it’s a performance bike, and revvy-mad, then yes.

1991, Suzuki GSX400S Katana

747cc, 52bhp @ 10,500rpm, 182kg

Styling even closer to 1980, with original-pattern wheels, this was an ‘homage’ model. It works well and is a really practical nearly-Katana for lasses and the masses.

So is it a Katana?

Not really, maybe a mini-Kat but a bit tame in the engine department.

2000, Suzuki GSX1100SY Katana

1074cc, 95bhp @ 8500rpm, 232kg

Last of the line, this is a slightly modified version of the SR, that was released as a retro in 1994. Detuned GSX-R motor and lots of small chassis mods, but incredibly close to original.

So is it a Katana?

Only if you put a 140+bhp GSX-R motor in it.

The Practicalities

The bike I tested here is a 1982 GSX1000S and has covered 25,000 miles. It sports a Harris Works pipe, (with flaking collector) which is loud, but legal thanks to the bike having been registered before the first wave of noise regs in late ’82. It’s worth, says owner Andy Clarke, around £2600, which is more than the bike cost new.

Andy’s Katana is a perfect example of both the joys and difficulties of owning a bike in its twenties. Parts are tough to get hold of and can be frighteningly expensive. He’s up for a standard four-into-two exhaust, but will be looking at spending £600. Paint is starting to wear thin in places and keeping fasteners in reasonable nick is a continual ongoing job. Andy has just fitted a ‘new’, second-hand set of carbs to replace the worn out originals, but these leak and haven’t been balanced or set-up as yet so it runs a bit rough. There is a serious shortage of good 1000 carbs and this can only get worse as the remainder wear out. If you don’t mind the non-standard looks, early GSX-R750 carbs can be made to work well with a bit of set-up time.

But this bike is still a seriously sorted example, despite the bits and bobs. It took 8 months and 15 viewings to find one this good. And Andy’s happy: ‘I always wanted one when I was a lad and now I’ve got one. Park it near anything and it still looks modern and always draws a crowd. It’s uncomfortable and doesn’t handle, but it’s big, heavy, and fast in a straight line – and that’s what I want from a bike.’

Five top Kat mods

Front end

GSX-R750/1100 forks and front wheel go in quite easily. Offset billet yokes can steepen and quicken the steering.

Brakes

Preferably immense six-pot callipers that will bolt straight to your GSX-R forks/discs, or fitted to standard forks using billet plates.

Back-end

Again the GSX-R route, with mono-shock conversion and 750 swing-arm etc. Some engineering needed.

Engine

Forget tuning the original, just stick in a vastly powerful, hugely strong 1135cc EF engine and tune that if you want even more.

Tailpiece

A GSX1100E unit can be made to fit. It’s still hardly gorgeous, but many think better than the incongruous blue stock thing.