Cycle News

2020 SUZUKI KATANA R I D E R E V I E W P94 Then And Now I was barely 20 years old when I first laid eyes on the original Suzuki Katana in 1982. It was a magazine test bike and, still to this day, I vividly remember how out there I thought it looked. I must admit, I also thought it was kind of, well…ugly. But at the same time super cool! Bottom line, though, I loved it. And it left a last- ing impression on me. So when Suzuki announced it was bringing it back, I was excited, and thrilled to see that Suzuki did a good job preserving that original Katana vibe nearly 40 years later. The main thing I remember about riding the old Katana was how ridiculously uncomfortable it was because of its ultra-low seat and handlebars, and how you were forced to lay on the gas tank. The Katana designers back then obviously didn't give rider comfort a second thought, or any kind of thought for that matter. Luckily, today's designers did give comfort a thought and made this one extra comfortable, fitting it with taller bars and a much better seat; no longer do you have lay on the tank. When it comes to riding the old Katana, that's about all I remember, so it's hard for me to compare it to the new one when it comes to performance. However, I can tell you that I enjoy riding the new Katana very much. The new one feels small, light and nimble. And it has plenty of motor for me. But perhaps what I like best about the motor is the way it sounds; it's kind of loud, sounds aggressive and racy and makes you want to open 'er up every time you run it through the gears. Now that I think about it, so did the old one! Okay, so the new Katana isn't the most refined motorcycle on the road, but neither was the old one (I remem- ber that now, too), but that's what I really like about the new Katana. I don't mind that throttle re- sponse is a little on/off, that the mo- tor has an old-school feel, and that the dash looks like it came straight out of a Datsun B210. To me, that's the appeal of the new Katana. Still, I have gripes with the new one and they are, I must say, no- table, a few of which Rennie has al- ready touched on. I'll reiterate; fuel range is awful and there is quite a bit you don't get for a motorcycle that costs nearly $13,500. And, maybe it's just me, but the steering stops could be wider. Plus, the Katana might not be the best choice as a real-world every- day commuter, at least not for me, but this motorcycle isn't about be- ing practical. It's more about having good simple fun and having a cool motorcycle at your disposal when- ever the mood to blast up a nearby canyon road or ride downtown to your local taco shack on a warm sunny day strike. Sure, there might be other excellent motorcycles out there that can satisfy these moods just as well, too, and for less money, but they just aren't a Katana. Kit Palmer from modern engine designs. It sounds mean, old-school, which is a good thing because modern four-cylinder engines don't sound like this anymore. Midrange torque is plentiful, although the gearing feels a touch too short for my liking. Suzuki could have possibly stretched its legs a little fur- ther, as the engine has plenty of torque to handle it. The throttle has a different cam profile at the twistgrip to the GSX-S, but herein lies a problem. Throttle response at low to mid openings and speeds is snatchy and jerky and not at all pleasant. Cutting through LA traffic at low speed is an exercise in throttle and clutch finesse, as just leaving it to rolling off and on makes the ride pretty uncomfortable. Once the speed increases above 40-ish mph the throttle behavior improves dramatical-

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