the small screen to the tail.
The problem is the tank now
holds only 3.2 gallons (the
GSX-S1000S holds 4.5, and
the OG Katana from 1981 held
6.3 gallons), meaning the new
Katana won't get you much
further than about 110 miles of
freeway cruising before you
have to refill. If you get out in
the hills and really go for it, you
can drop that number to below
100 miles of range.
This becomes one of the Katana's
weak points, as almost all the modern
retro's in the market (Kawasaki Z900RS,
Honda CB1000R, etc), will get you to
140 miles before needing a refill.
Another annoyance is the dash. With
inspiration taken from the GSX-R1000,
the 2020 Katana's dash looks like it's
VOLUME 57 ISSUE 10 MARCH 10, 2020 P91
from its dad's age. It's difficult to read
anything other than your speed or
gear at a glance as you're faced with
too much information, all in the same
Gameboy-level font, and the screen is
almost impossible to read with the sun
behind your back.
One of the good things within the
Suzuki's electronics package is that the
three-level traction control system can
be switched off and it will stay off after
you've cycled the ignition. I'll grant you
this factor is only really handy if you want
to get out there and throw some wheel-
ies up, but it's still a nice thing to have.
Another niceity is there are no ride
modes to mess around with. Suzuki
was the first to bring adjustable ride
modes with the GSX-R range back in
2007 with the S-DMS (Suzuki Drive
Mode Selector), but they have seen
it fit not to grace the Katana with its
presence.
Low-speed
throttle response
is one of the
Katana's weak
points.
The back end looks fantastic.
