Tokyo Motorcycle Show – Suzuki Katana GSX-R1000 Race bike
A quick rundown of the coolest Machines we saw at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show
WITH SUZUKI about to release the 2019 re-boot of the iconic Katana, it’s no surprise that new-shape Katanas were knee deep at the show. Every isle you went down had one or two of the machines on stands, either in standard or highly modified forms.
But this Katana was something I couldn’t just pass by without taking a closer look. This isn’t just a show queen either - this is a real-deal race bike. It’s built by Team Kagayama (as in Yukio Kagayama) and even won the Taste of Tsukuba with Yukio at the helm in May 2018.
The heart of the bike is a 185bhp GSX-R1000 L5 engine, traction control and all the other track riding goodies you’d need. The bike retains the original GSX1100S chassis, in keeping with the Taste of Tsukuba rules, with all the bodywork, mudguards and seat unit being made from carbon fibre.
If you were on the look out for a bike to turn heads at the local bike meet – this must surely be it!?
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
