Photo: Suzuki
There are many sports motorcycles out there that would love to be likened to a Samurai's sword, but we all know there is only one that can successfully pull that trick off and make it stick: the Suzuki Katana.
The bike has been around since the early 1980s, turning expectations about what a bike can do upside-down. And it now gets even sharper for the 2024 model year, with confirmation from Suzuki on several important upgrades for the American model, but also the spectrum of a limited run.
Visually the bike remains mostly the same Katana we love and fear, but there are unseen changes that make it an even more alluring proposition that it ever was. Those changes affect the engine and performance as well, and that's not something we see happening every day in the motorcycle world.
Suzuki says the bike's 999cc engine has been updated to provide more peak power than the existing, 2020 version, although it doesn't go into the specifics of how big the increase is. For reference, the most extreme of Katanas comes with the promise of 150 horsepower.
The bike also sees the introduction of something called the Suzuki Intelligent Ride System (SIRS). That's a combination of quick-shift, drive mode selector, traction system, and easy start that's been designed to make operating this monster easier.
The visual changes compared to the Katanas that came before are limited to the color of the bodywork, which now shows up as Metallic Matte Stellar Blue, offset on the forks and six-spoke wheels by gold.
A place where you can have a look at the new Katana for the U.S. market is already up and running, but it comes with no details about pricing (the previous one sold for $13,879). Suzuki says the order books for the model are already open, and will close on October 20.
Although we do know this is a limited-edition model, we are not told how many of them the Japanese bike maker plans to produce. Suzuki may run out of new Katanas without warning, as it will assign the bikes to customers on a first-come, first-served basis.
Those who do manage to get in line for one (it's not clear when deliveries will begin) will now get the Katana Premium Care program and two years of complimentary service. A series of accessories, including a meter visor, billet clutch and levers, or fuel tank covers, are also thrown into the mix.
The cherry on the cake is a "collector-style Katana art piece" signed by Makoto Endo. The Japanese-born is the go-to man for incredible motorcycle paintings and drawings, and the piece offered with the bike is his illustration (main photo of this piece) of the Katana once featured in Cycle World.
Visually the bike remains mostly the same Katana we love and fear, but there are unseen changes that make it an even more alluring proposition that it ever was. Those changes affect the engine and performance as well, and that's not something we see happening every day in the motorcycle world.
Suzuki says the bike's 999cc engine has been updated to provide more peak power than the existing, 2020 version, although it doesn't go into the specifics of how big the increase is. For reference, the most extreme of Katanas comes with the promise of 150 horsepower.
The bike also sees the introduction of something called the Suzuki Intelligent Ride System (SIRS). That's a combination of quick-shift, drive mode selector, traction system, and easy start that's been designed to make operating this monster easier.
The visual changes compared to the Katanas that came before are limited to the color of the bodywork, which now shows up as Metallic Matte Stellar Blue, offset on the forks and six-spoke wheels by gold.
A place where you can have a look at the new Katana for the U.S. market is already up and running, but it comes with no details about pricing (the previous one sold for $13,879). Suzuki says the order books for the model are already open, and will close on October 20.
Although we do know this is a limited-edition model, we are not told how many of them the Japanese bike maker plans to produce. Suzuki may run out of new Katanas without warning, as it will assign the bikes to customers on a first-come, first-served basis.
Those who do manage to get in line for one (it's not clear when deliveries will begin) will now get the Katana Premium Care program and two years of complimentary service. A series of accessories, including a meter visor, billet clutch and levers, or fuel tank covers, are also thrown into the mix.
The cherry on the cake is a "collector-style Katana art piece" signed by Makoto Endo. The Japanese-born is the go-to man for incredible motorcycle paintings and drawings, and the piece offered with the bike is his illustration (main photo of this piece) of the Katana once featured in Cycle World.
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