Suzuki Katana?… PWEDE!!!
MotorsikloNews
The Samurai… one of the most feared warriors that ever lived. Precise and deadly, fast, and strong, every move is perfection… A perfect warrior needs a perfect weapon… the Katana. Just like a Samurai, man has again created the perfect motorcycle for the most enthusiastic rider… named after the warrior’s sword… The All-New Suzuki Katana!
Like a Phoenix that sprung back to life since it first took flight in 1981… this is a more majestic form and power is so much in on its aura.
We have tested it and indeed there’s a lot to be said about this beauty… as perfect like the sword… but not as deadly to be feared… intimidating? Yes… but only to the weak… Are you good enough to be the warrior to wield this sword?
At first, I thought, All sports bikes are the same… that they share one integral denominator… Speed!
But, in my years of riding… I know that speed is not the only basis to love the ride and tame a bike as beastly as this… but balance, the lines you take in every adrenaline-pumping turns and the technology that brings more life to the machine will make each ride as fulfilling as the first time you ever twisted a powerful bike’s throttle.
As my friends Joey Rivero and Mel Aquino always say… you are but a student and the passion for riding will be more seductive when you learn the basics of how to be a good and effective rider. How else can you scratch that itch that you so have endured for so long… the thirst for power and speed that we are all drawn to whether we admit it or not… And the embodiment they say is in the Katana… That, we’ll have to see for ourselves.
The 6 speed, 999cc liquid-cooled inline 4 engine produces 150horsepower, which is more than enough to give chills on your spine as you go through those humbling speeds. Enured with 73.4 x 59.0 mm bore and stroke, gives you a longer stroke making it a torquier engine that has a smooth throttle response from low rpm… which makes those in city riding more enticing that rushes those reds inside you in excitement…
Weave in and out those gaps by squeezing that flicky throttle.
Though I warn you to be careful for you’d respect that grunt… and respect you must… though beautiful this machine is also a beast… that you should remember. At times the engine will jerk and kick dead from standstill in traffic… I blame it on myself for I forget that this bike has a quick throttle response and built to go Broooommmm and not to turtle out crawling in traffic. Just smoothen that wrist, please… I know it’s tempting but… It may be a difficult bike to use in traffic but… Hey… are you a rider? then ride it whenever and wherever! No excuses.
I’d really hoped Suzuki gave it a much bigger tank… for the 12 liter capacity seems a bit small to go cruising far distant places for the bike is comfortable to ride that you’d want to find more roads to conquer.
The 20kpl we get mixed on Highway and in city riding is just about right for its fuel-injected engine… and the 17kpl we get going up the hills of Baguio and Benguet is also a welcome note… though we shouldn’t be really talking about fuel consumption right… experiencing that Speed and power every time you’re on top of this baby… that’s priceless…
Ohh… it’s also Euro 4… clean fun that’s for sure. I admit I’m no race bike rider or a superbike experienced jockey… I’m just everyone else… a bike lover a lifestyle I’ve been living more than half my life now… Does that make me a rider worthy to bring you all this? Hell yeah!
So, now let’s talk about the handling…
Three modes… Low for good roads (we have quite a few here in Manila), the best road to enjoy the Katana’s power. Medium for not so perfect roads we see here in the country, bumpy and uneven, and a High mode for wet and slippery roads, exactly what our tropical climate have to bring to our kalsadas.
True to the modes provided did we find it’s performance, not perfect but better than expected. The smooth linear power exiting those turns really makes you feel connected to the road… revitalizing (***breathe in and exhale)
Want those knee slides, feeling that sporty?
The compact twin-spar aluminum frame coupled with a 57.5 inch wheelbase make those turns as balance as it gets. That’s what the 25 degree rake and 39 inches of trail gives and the fully adjustable 43mm KYB inverted front forks and the single KYB rear adjustable rebound damping shock helps on that road tugs making it cruise smooth which is surprising to its supersports characteristics..
Agile, nimble…. sweet!
Heavy on a standstill at 474 pounds, making that filtering bumper to bumper traffic a pain… but not to discredit it to be used for a daily driver… You get used to it. Though your wrist, hand, and fingers will feel sore on long hours of riding due to a slight front leaning position angle and stiff clutch lever action… again you’ll get used to it.
Just to be clear, there’s no tiis ganda or pogi happening here… it’s just the norms you get riding bigger bikes. Tried tagging a pillion passenger along, and it doesn’t feel heavy on its handling… though that seat space and high passenger pegs won’t make it as comfortable for your partner. Soft seats for long travel make my butt happy, but a bit stiff for the back rider though… So tag someone blessed with hefty butts they’d bounce just right.
But… you’d feel them scream and like Anacondas squeezing you tight when you let that throttle go! Hahaha… scaryyyy… Dependable braking is here… thanks to the Brembo twin 310mm front discs brakes with BOSCH ABS, so don’t be gentle on those speeds… it was meant to go fast and stop with ease.
Those tires are Dunlop Roadsport 2 with 120/70 front and 190/50 rear both 17 inches in diameter… fat tires that grip superbly on the roads… Trust me, those leaning turns really is satisfying. And that “You drop it, you buy it” thoughts disappear instantaneously when you’re on those turns… Bahala na… ang sarap eh! With that being said, I topped up at 220kph in a really red sweet potato way!
That’s my courage number, anything higher will put me to sleep due to high blood pressure.
Sorry SCTEX and TPLEX… I couldn’t help it… the Katana is just soooo tempting to speed in… where else can you let out those 150 horses right? It has a blacked-out exhaust that looks clean and delivers strong to mid-range output… I know it felt like it’s alive every time I ask it to move on that twist of the throttle.
And that digital Speedometer console is so large you’d see all the information needed to keep you running worry-free… The clusters ergonomics are good and in reach for operation… and it starts smooth on a press on that electric starter… typical Jap bike fashion of course. Looks, of course, is subjective… it’s basically the same perspective when you married your wife or your husband… they may be ugly to some but way good looking to you!
So to me… it’s so gorgeous!
The first ever design in the 80’s rocked me, and this one rocked me even more! Lights are all LED… it’s good night times… but not great, though the tail light gives that visibility you need. Oh and by the way… that tire hugger mudguard is… useless! More on the aesthetics I guess! Who the heck cares… you get wet anyhows when it rains!
That’s all for our take on the new Suzuki Katana, well is it a good bike to have? Well, certainly… why not?! A good sportbike that can go head to head with other biggies on the highways and a good bike to ride in the city if you have balls of steel that won’t melt with that engine heat while seated in traffic for hours.
Quality is good and you can ride as far as you’d like without worries of breakdowns.
Yeah… I’d get one if the budget permits, for that 800k plus can buy me a house in Cavite… but if you have the dough… this is a bike for your garage. Whew… what a fun bike to review! Kajo here… See you all next time!
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Article: Lifestyle On Wheels – J. Joya
Photos: Motorsiklo News
Production: J AD Media
#SuzukiKatana #SuzukiPhilippines #LifestyleOnWheels #MotorsikloNews #Motourism #TrafficNetwork
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