Suzuki Katana finally breaks cover at 2018 Intermot

Front view with LED headlights of the 2019 Suzuki Katana

The Suzuki Katana is back after its unveiling at this year’s INTERMOT show, as the 2019 Suzuki Katana takes an old classic looks, and making it looks new again to blend in with the 21st-Century. Whether it looks great for Suzuki Katana enthusiasts, I will leave it to them to figure that out.

Underneath that Katana-inspired bodywork is essentially a Suzuki GSX-S1000F, as the new Katana isn’t that all-new as have been the hypes recently, but the bike surely evokes strong emotions for those who remember its past, and for the new generation of riders, the 1980s styling has now becoming a trend, with Honda and Kawasaki having introduced their versions during last year's EICMA Show at Milan in Italy.

Katana's radiator unit, front disc brake and front fork

Thanks to its GSX-S1000F roots, the 2019 Suzuki Katana will make 147hp from its 999cc inline four-cylinder engine, an engine that can trace its roots all the way back to the 2005 Suzuki GSX-R1000 superbike. Like its predecessor, the 2019 Suzuki Katana is a big motorcycle, tipping the scales at 235 kg (wet) when its 13.5-litre fuel tank is filled to the brim.

On the electronics front, the Katana comes equipped with a slipper clutch, ABS brakes, and traction control with three levels of adjustment…again, same as the GSX-S1000F. For the lighting, the front is done with an LED headlight and turn signals, while the dash is a large TFT unit.