Suzuki has launched its third big bike offering in India, in the form of its retro-styled, litre-class bike, the Katana. Priced at ₹ 13.61 lakh, it plugs the gap between the V-Strom 650XT and the Hayabusa in Suzuki’s India line-up.
Styled after its 1980s predecessor but underpinned by modern machinery, the Katana sits in a class of its own. The inline-four engine configuration is the most sought-after layout in the context of Indian ‘big bikes’ and the Katana uses a 999cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four cylinder engine derived from the legendary K5 GSXR-1000, making 152hp at 11,000rpm and 106Nm at 9,250rpm.
For this year, the engine has been endowed with new camshafts, valve springs as well as updates to the airbox and exhaust system, to meet Euro 5/BS6 emission norms. A fully adjustable front fork and a monoshock adjustable for preload and rebound damping, both supplied by Kayaba, are on duty here. Twin radially mounted Brembo calipers clamp down on 310mm discs at the front.
