As with most of his books, the author exposes the reader to the relevent points of his subjects without burdening the reader with the indepth knowledge required by the serious student of the japanese sword. It began manufacturing motorcycles in 1952 and has become well known around the world. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. Welcome to my 1st gen suzuki katana s website, supporting 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984 classic suzuki katana gsx 750s,gsx s and gsx 1100s motorcycles. I would like the katana more but heard its about 80lbs heavier. Even if hans muth, now 83, isnt so crazy about it in his interview in the katana book suzuki gave us. But, for me, the katana falls short of topping the oldisnew retro bike class. I had seen pictures of the suzuki katana in various motorcycle magazines and instantly loved the styling, and liked the idea of having the power of the 750cc engine.
Very few blades have enjoyed the notoriety in history, literature, and film as the japanese katana. See more ideas about katana, suzuki gsx and suzuki motorcycle. Even though the book is called katana the book of japanese blades, half the book is also about hunting knives, fighting knives and other blades. Suzuki katana 600 motorcycles for sale motorcycles on. It won the hearts of riders around the world and forever changed street motorcycle trends. Suzuki motor corporation is a japanese multinational which specializes in the automotive industry. Book japanese motorcycles heritage suzuki katana yoshimura.
Suzuki katana 2019 the mcn guide and model history mcn. It has been restored to the original condishion and everything works like it should. The katana was suzukis 1980s futuristic designed sportsbike and many riders loved it, although it was awfully uncomfortable to ride. Suzuki gsx1100f model history suzuki motorcycles all. It is named after the katana samurai sword, as well as the early 1980s motorcycle of the same name. Suzuki considers bringing back katana motorbike writer. Suzuki gsxr750 by rob simmons, kevin schwantz hardcover from haynes publishing. The gsxs is a motorcycle built for realworld excitement. Created by ukrainian designers, vladimir panchenko and artem smirnov under the respectful alias great japan, the katana bike is the metal and carbon fibre equivalent of japans original art form origami and a modern recreation of the samurai. The new katana shows style, but does not carry a new, modern and evolutionary message. For people like richard bruner, the 1982 suzuki katana gssz is a time machine of a different sort. The launch of the gsxr introduces the ultimate sports bike. Suzuki katana motorcyclist motorcycle news, motorcycle. It mentally takes him back to his senior year of high school.
Buying a suzuki katana was a significant investment at the time so after obtaining a bank loan i contacted dk motorcycles and asked them to import a bike from japan. With an ultimate 1298cc liquidcooled dohc inline 4cylinder engine, this bike is hailed as one of suzukis best of all time. Several books had the big kat on their december 1981 covers, including motorcyclist and cycle guide, with futuristic layouts that stressed the starship, flashbike and quantumleap aspects of the bikes aesthetics. Suzuki has unveiled a new katana set for public release late next year and it looks downright awful.
These same models were offered in europe, but without the katana name. I feel names like these should not be confined to the history books i feel the same about the mighty hayabusa, and suzuki has done an admirable job of revitalizing a great brand from its past. Clymer motorcycle repair manuals paperback clymer pubns. Suzuki katana 750 sportbike, best used motorcycles cycle world. For one, it featured the largest engine ever successfully fitted into a twowheeled production vehicle in the 90year history of twowheelers with a displacement of 1498cc from a. Its offroad bikes and roadracers have won world titles, and its street machines range from the cruiser boulevard series to the legendary gsxr series of sportbikes. Suzuki katana 750 sportbike, best used motorcycles cycle.
Before katana, i had read 2 books back to back that were quite demanding. There is even one entry on chisels, albeit expensive,highquality ones. It was designed in 19791980 by target design of germany for suzuki the katana name was later applied to a range of sport touring motorcycles in north america through the 2006 model year also offered in europe but without the katana moniker, and starting at the change of the. Japanese motorcycles heritage the legend of katana katana history 1982 gsx1100s katana sz. This involved an upright riding position and dual seat, much like many of todays naked bikes. There is no doubt that one of the most iconic motorcycles in history to ever hit the. We have teamed up with amazon to offer you a selection of motorcycle books. Worthwhile as a general guide of the history and use of the katana throughout the tumultuous history of premodern japan. The epitome of fine craftsmanship, this famed sword combines sophisticated japanese aesthetics and pure beauty into a sharp design. Suzuki stuns the biking world with its futuristic gsx1100s katana. As already mentioned, this is a glorified catalog the writer, takashi aoi, is the owner of a sword shop.
Both had stories centered around new mythology and world building. In order to shake things up, suzuki commissioned a design exercise that led to a concept presented in 1979. For a great part of japanese history, only samurai were permitted to carry swords. The new katana sportbike infuses powerful performance with optimal balance and superb controllability to deliver extraordinary. Throughout its history, the katana 750 also competed with its 600cc sibling on the. Suzuki katana 1100 until the mid 1970s, style wasnt considered a priority in motorcycle design. It went into the history books as the first vehicle to be described with the generic term motor cycle. It produces automobiles, motorcycles, marine engines, all. Throughout its history, the katana 750 also competed with its 600cc sibling on the sales floor. Yamaha upped the performance ante and ultimately reshaped the streetsport category with its yzfr1. A suzuki katana collection unlike any other motorcycle.
The allnew katana is a completely new model which derives from the. Visordown is the worlds fastest growing motorcycle website with all the latest. The katana name was later applied to a range of sport touring motorcycles in. Suzuki says that in 2001, the r wrote the rule books on performance, weight, handling, and styling. Just like kawasakis truly ugly z900rs, the 2019 suzuki katana fails to capture either the spirit or the look of the muchloved original and instead takes a pretty bland modern model and drapes it with some styling cues. The katana name was later applied to a range of sport touring motorcycles in north america through the 2006 model year, and starting at the change of the millennium to a line of 49 cc50 cc scooters in europe. The width, height, and wheelbase of the katana 600 are 29. As a result, the scooter was widely criticised by the motorcycle press and enthusiasts of the classic motorcycle over the name as for damaging credibility of the katana name.
Unfortunately, the bike was shortlived and the name was reused and abused for a scooter and some midsized bikes about 15 years ago. The siv katana motorcycle if samurai rode bikes man of. Derived from the legendary, championshipwinning 20052008 generation gsxr the new gsxs lineup carries the spirit of the suzuki gsxr to the street, with shared technology and components packaged into a chassis designed specifically for street riding comfort. The impact was so great, the katana continues to influence motorcycle designs even today.
I feel names like these should not be confined to the history books i feel the same about the mighty hayabusa. Motorcycle history yoshimura and suzuki celebrate 40 years of racing success from wes cooleys 79 and 80 titles, to tony elias 2017. Suzuki is bringing back the katana berts mega mall covina. Each of the styling features and performance components that distinguish the katana. Motorcycle suzuki katana series katana 400, katana 600, katana 750, katana 1100 duration.
Suzuki has got plenty of evocative badges in its history books. The ed2 concept katana was first shown publicly at the cologne motorcycle show in the fall of 1980, and the mission of bringing significant attention to suzuki was accomplished, as motorcycle magazines around the world published photos and enthusiastic commentary about this unique and groundbreaking new design. Motorcycle suzuki katana series is a sport motorcycle designed in 19791980 by target design of germany for suzuki. Im looking to buy my first bike and its between a 2000 katana 600 or an earlier ninja of same power. The suzuki katana ay50 is a 50cc scooter produced by suzuki since 1997 and sold primarily in europe. The public reaction was so positive that suzuki ended up producing th.
The bike sold in its thousands, however was replaced in 1984 by the more conventional looking, bulky gsx1100efe and the gsxr750, confining the katana to the history books until now. I spent more than one lunch period in the school library reading about it in all of the motorcycle magazines of. Suzuki katana 600 motorcycles for sale new and used. Suzuki gsx1100sxz e24 parts book, book part number 9900094705, suzuki. Part tribute to japanese culture, part glimpse into a sleek industrial future, the siv katana sword motorcycle is a complete work of art.
You are welcome to use the buttoms above if you want to check out the usa, amazon. Motorcycles on autotrader has listings for new and used suzuki katana 600 motorcycles for sale near you. Clymer suzuki katana 600 19881996, gsxr7501100, 19861987 clymer motorcycle repair series by ed scott listed under suzuki gsxr manuals. Today we are facing trendy shapecosmetics lasting for a short time. The original suzuki gsx1100s katana caused a sensation when it launched in 1981. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. Several books had the big kat on their december 1981 covers, including motorcyclist and. It was this bold styling and headline performance that inspired rodolfo frascoli to design the new machine. It was designed in 19791980 by target design of germany for suzuki. The model was called gsx1100f katana there, although the real katana, gsx1100s, was still manufactured in japan. A books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. The suzuki katana is a standard motorcycle sold between 1981 and 2006 and then since 2019.
Available as a blue or yellow bike, the 2004 suzuki katana is about 84. The presss reaction to the suzuki katana was a mixed bag. Suzuki motorcycle history suzuki is another member of the big four from japan. It was one of those books that didnt require a lot of hard thinking, yet has all the elements of a great ya novel. These characteristics made it the perfect motif for the suzuki katana. If you are looking for videos, parts, custom builds, pictures and technical information that will help you with customizing and updating your suzuki katana motorcycle, you have found the right website. Books about motorcycles, motorcycle travelogues, or anything motorcycle related. The samurai sword weapon book 5 and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. This fame is due to the legendary quality of the blade as well as the almost mystical relationship between the katana and its wielder, the samurai.