CROTCHROCKET OF THE GODS

During the 1980 Köln motorcycle show held in then West Germany, the world was stunned by the unveiling of two machines; the Honda CX500 Turbo and the Suzuki GSX1100S Katana. Though the Honda stole the technical accolades it was the Katana that ruled the show with it's radically aggressive styling. No motorcycle before had displayed such attention to the racer-replica design, thus making the Katana the Godfather of bullet bikes.

As with most prototypes, the buying public did not expect Suzuki to put the Katana into production. When Suzuki released their 1982 models in the summer of 1981, included in the lineup was the GS1000SZ Katana. The motorcycle was unchanged from the show model except for some subtle improvements in the powertrain.

The Katana came into existence through the work of Hans A. Muth, an engineering designer who worked for Target Design in then West Germany. Mr. Muth spent countless hours using wind tunnels to sculpt the rider position and body style into a motorcycle capable of comfortable high speed ventures. From the beginning Suzuki wanted a sport bike, and Mr. Muth delivered. Following in the tradition of Frank Lloyd Wright's "form follows function," Mr. Muth designed the Katana so that the combination of rider and machine would make a complete aerodynamic package. The fairing and prominant fuel tank flow together to help airflow pass over and around the rider. The Katana is an uncomfortable roach at slow speeds, meaning it must be ridden hard and fast for the comfort to appear.

The Katana was only imported into the United States for 1982 and 1983, with a different engine displacement for each year. The 1982 displaced 1000cc while the 1983 displaced 1100cc. Suzuki did produce smaller displacement motorcycles with the Katana name but this website is only concerned with the Litre class machines brought into the United States. For more information about the other models, please look at my links regarding sites in the UK.