Suzuki Motor USA is recalling certain 2020 and 2024 Katanas, as well as 2020 through 2025 V-Strom 1050s due to a headlight issue from its supplier. On affected bikes, the upper beam of the headlight may be too bright, and may thus either impair the vision of the motorcycle rider, or other drivers on the road. This could, in turn, increase the risk of a crash.
Headlight maker Koito Manufacturing Company identified that affected headlamp assemblies "[exceed] the maximum allowable photometric intensity limit at test point 4D-V." This occurred because of the application of a piece of protective tape that cause the reflector in the affected headlamp units to elevate by around 0.5 degrees. This, in turn, caused the upper beam to become too bright to conform with US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).
Approximately 1,543 motorcycles are believed to be affected, according to Suzuki Motor USA's records. This represents approximately 50 percent of the population. The breakdown among potentially involved years and models is as follows: 2020 Suzuki Katanas (127), 2024 Suzuki Katanas (23), and 2020-2025 Suzuki V-Strom 1050s (1,393).
