New Katana ?

[PaulD]

Apart from the stupid handlebars, rear mudguard and exhaust I’m beginning to like it (a bit)

[pookie]

825mm I believe

Too tall for you, Steve

[pookie]

Apart from the stupid handlebars, rear mudguard and exhaust I’m beginning to like it (a bit)

You could fix the bars with aftermarket clip ons, the silly number plate / indicator set up could be cured with a tail tidy and there will be a stack of replacement exhausts, simple

Biggest thing that would put me off getting one would be the north of £11,000 price tag

[PaulD]

Biggest thing that would put me off getting one would be the north of £11,000 price tag

Yes I see what your saying
Mind you with a dog that’s eating me out of house & home, a wife who’s addicted to shopping, the three bikes I’ve already got plus a job that only pays just over the minimum wage it may as well be £11,000,000

[pookie]

Bit like the original Kat, I remember getting a copy of which bike? magazine (remember that?) and just looking amazed at the Katana pictures, I knew I wanted one then, and when the 250/400 models came out in 1991 I wanted one even more, I still get asked all the silly questions like 'why is there only half a side panel?' and 'why is the tailpiece blue and the rest of the bike silver?' its a true marmite bike and the 'new' one seems to have carried on that tradition.

[fossie]

Apart from the stupid handlebars, rear mudguard and exhaust I’m beginning to like it (a bit)

Stupid handlebars ......just look at 90% of Katanas have higher bars on because it is more comfortable to actual ride on modern roads

[pookie]

There's a video on you tube of a Japanese journalist at the intermot show getting all excited about the new Katana, he can hardly contain his excitement when he sees the Suzuki stand with its big Katana sign above it, then he sits on it and can't reach the ground with his feet! although my Japanese isn't very good (I can't understand Japanese) he seems to mimic the fact that the bars are too high and demonstrates what it would be like with clip ons, one good thing to come from the new Katana launch is that there is a whole range of merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, keyrings etc) that will be launched at the same time as the bike.

[PaulD]

In my opinion high handlebars don’t make a comfortable ride, my kettle had US stylee high bars and fairly high and forward footrests and after 30 minutes my shoulders ached so bad I had to stop! My Z13 started off with high bars which after six months I replaced with flat bars for the same reason. My Kat is comfy for two hours at a go which being honest is the longest I’ve ridden it in one stint, and I’m not exactly flexible being 65yrs old the only thing I don’t like is the footrest position which although is comfortable get in the way when I put my feet down when I come to a stop? So I don’t think high bars equal a comfortable ride, plus they look like cows ears
Just my opinion you understand

[fossie]

A lot of what you say I must agree with, yank bars are basically yank.....(spelling!), but in does depend on relation to foot rest position, to far forward and high bars ....for posing only ...yank again...clip ons and rear sets fine at speed , etc only way to know about these are sit on the actual machine .......sucking us in eh?
But over £2000 I'm out!

[PaulD]

The really strange thing about the Kat is the footrests ain’t really rear-sets? in fact the first time I sat on it it reminded me of a standard bike with ace bars fitted as in my yoof I thought this is all wrong, it just doesn’t feel right but when riding it somehow makes sense? Apart from as I mentioned earlier when I come to a stop the footrests hit my legs. Very disconcerting and more than once I’ve almost toppled over