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At a time when it seems every motorcycle manufacturer is coming out with a limited-edition model with a high price and (usually) a gray paint job, Suzuki has announced upgrades for 2024 to its low-volume Katana neo-retro bike and a less shocking price of $13,879. And it's blue. Not gray. (But still matte. Can't have it all, I guess.)
When Suzuki introduced the original Katana in 1981, we thought it was what motorcycles of the future would look like. Instead, the future gave us just about every other look except that one and the Katana line morphed into rounded, full-fairing bikes that straddled the line between sport and sport-touring. In 2017, Suzuki showed the Katana 3.0 Concept and in 2020 returned the Katana name to the lineup, paying tribute to the original Katana.
For 2024, Suzuki is keeping that distinctive styling but is adding features to the Katana, along with some additional perks, to make the bike feel more premium and ownership feel more special.
The Katana still uses the popular 999 cc inline-four engine that Suzuki calls the "long-stroke" engine, which has also been pressed into duty successfully in modern bikes like Suzuki's sport-touring GSX-S1000GT+ and has a lengthy lineage dating back to famously overachieving bikes of old, such as our own Dave the Gixxer. Now equipped with ride-by-wire electronic throttle bodies, the 2024 Katana gets electronic features found on other Suzukis, such as the Suzuki Intelligent Ride System (S.I.R.S.), which provides three ride modes (not previously available on the Katana) and five-level traction control (previously three levels). It also gets an up-and-down quickshifter and comes with the Easy Start System that lets the rider start the bike with just a touch of the starter button, and the Low RPM Assist System that increases engine speed for easier standing starts.
Suzuki didn't specify the horsepower output on the 2024 Katana, but said peak power was increased slightly through various changes in the engine, in addition to the throttle bodies, and the company claimed 147 peak horsepower for the previous Katana and 150 horsepower from the related engine in the GSX-S1000GT+. Power is routed through a slipper and assist clutch and KYB suspension and Brembo front brakes round out the components.
Features such as full LED lighting all around add to the premium feel Suzuki is aiming for, though some buyers will probably be disappointed the display is still an LCD rather than a TFT. But in the 1980s, LCD was still the stuff of the future, so maybe it makes some sense in the whole neo-retro thing.
Suzuki is throwing in a couple of perks to make the Katana buyer feel more special. Buyers get two years of free maintenance through a program called Katana Premium Care and also get a print of this ink-on-canvas illustration by Makoto Endo.
Suzuki dealers are now taking pre-orders if the Katana looks like your kind of thing.
| 2024 Suzuki Katana | |
|---|---|
| Price (MSRP) | $13,879 |
| Engine | 999 cc, liquid-cooled, 16-valve, inline four-cylinder |
|
Transmission, final drive |
Six-speed, chain |
| Claimed horsepower | NA |
| Claimed torque | NA |
| Frame | Twin-spar aluminum |
| Front suspension | KYB 43 mm inverted fork, adjustable for preload, rebound, and compression damping; 4.72 inches of travel |
| Rear suspension | KYB shock adjustable for preload and rebound damping; 5.12 inches of travel |
| Front brake | Dual Brembo four-piston calipers, 310 mm discs, with ABS |
| Rear brake | Nissin single-piston caliper, 240 mm disc, with ABS |
| Rake, trail | 25 degrees, 3.94 inches |
| Wheelbase | 57.5 inches |
| Seat height | 32.5 inches |
| Fuel capacity | 3.2 gallons |
| Tires | Dunlop Roadsport2, 120/70ZR17 front, 190/50ZR17 rear |
| Claimed weight | 474 pounds |
| Available | Pre-orders accepted now |
| Warranty | 12 months |
| More info | suzukicycles.com |
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