First unveiled in concept form in 1979, the Suzuki Katana is nothing short of a motorcycling cult classic, penned by a team of ex-BMW designers and sporting a distinctive, sharp, wedge-shaped half-fairing. In a bid to pay homage to the 1980s icon, Team Classic Suzuki has whipped up an ultra-high-performance Katana tribute built around an ex-World Superbike GSX-R1000 racer.
The team started with a 2008 Gixxer 1K that was previously campaigned during the 2008 season by the Alstare team, and as such features a 200hp WSBK-spec liter-sized inline-four wrapped in an Alstare WSBK chassis paired with an over-sized swing-arm and a bespoke Alpha Performance Fabrications subframe. The Katana tribute’s running gear is all top-of-the-line, boasting Öhlins suspension, Brembo brakes, an oversized MB Motorsport race radiator, and magnesium Dymag CH3 wheels. Now housing a modern LED headlight, the iconic wedge fairing is a NOS item from Suzuki’s Vintage Parts Program that’s been widened and outfitted with custom carbon fiber winglets. The build also features a custom belly-pan, a bespoke Italian-made Katana-logoed seat, and a one-off four-into-one exhaust setup. To see more of this impressive WSBK-spec 200hp Katana, you can visit Team Classic Suzuki’s website linked below.
