Katana (old) Prototype

[Dadpole]

Well, Triumph still give their models names. And Honda do with some models (Firestorm, Fireblade)
And most manufacturers do with their crusiers.

Good on them for trying to give the bikes an identity.
What wories me is: What can we expect from a country that gave us the Datsun Cederic and the Nissan Homy. Not to mention my personal favourite - A Mazda 323 Captain Wind

[imdying]

Some bikes don't need conventional names to have an identity. The 'R1' is a classic example, or the 'X7', or even the 'Gixxer' range.

[Lord Derosso]

[QUOTE=Dadpole;777883]Not meant as a personal attack on anyone. I am simply of the generation that the Katana defined (if you follow). We old codgers like to see the word "Katana" and be transported back to our glory days.

Hell I was riding long before the Katanas were a spanner up an exhaust pipe.
My first 'superbike' was a GS750, note no extra letters or numbers, just plain GS750. Cant even remember what year it was though it had to be early 70's at least. I do like the old Katana very much and I wasn't worried about any 'personal' attack on my model but the reality is that she would blow away my GS750 and the VF750 I also owned some years ago and loved for its touring abilities. Never really saw the need for anything more than a 750. I always thought the Katana name was given to the originals both for the performace and especially because of their beauiful swordlike lines. I recall that they did release a 400, 500 and 550 Katana in the original lineup, but maybe I am wrong about that, though you certainly dont see many of them around now.

[nudemetalz]

I worked as a young boy during the school holidays in a Suzuki bikeshop in Auckland at the same time the Kat's were released.
I remember there being such a fuss as they were nothing like anything you'd seen before.

Yes, at the same time, they released the GS550M and GS650G these being virtually identical save for the 650's capacity and shaft drive. They weren't quite in the same league as the 750 & 11 though.
Also a 400 came out but was "soft Katana" styled.

I remember being on the back of my Dad's 1100 and hanging onto that strap for dear life as he'd "open 'er up a little" on the motorway onramp !!!

Oh the memories ....

[dangerous]

Wonder what an original one of those would be worth today?

I know a guy that recently sole his wire wheel for 20k

mates WW at mine last year after we went on a little Kat run

mate, whats the deal with the front indercators on the repowered bike? mine are like that but i figgered they had been put on after sale.

Gezzzz... all you lot dreaming of the old days, and Im out there living it
Having said that pushing the old bitch around the track aint no easy feat, god its heavy

[nudemetalz]

Nice photo!!!

That's an '83 (SD) model init? (wheels a giveaway??)

[dangerous]

Nice photo!!!

That's an '83 (SD) model init? (wheels a giveaway??)

yip 16" front, makes life a lot easier on the track but I believe on the rd was a diferent story

[nudemetalz]

You ever thought about....cough cough,...putting spoked wheels on the old girl...cough....

[orangeback]

[QUOTE=dangerous;778713]I know a guy that recently sole his wire wheel for 20k


mate, whats the deal with the front indercators on the repowered bike? mine are like that but i figgered they had been put on after sale.

yours are like that stock, as its jap import , i put them on mine as i got sock of walking in th the o/e ones and cracking the fairing

Hay D will you guys let me run a 83 RZ500 in that class ove pre 82 since you have a 83 kat in it ???

[Crasherfromwayback]

One of the true modern classics, shame they had to go and corrupt the name by slapping it on some of the later sluggardly yawn-mobiles.

Aaaaaaah, Hiscock- Katana-Wanga's, what a combination!

Let alone Robbie Phillis on his A10 equipped monster!

I'm pretty sure you'll find the 'wire wheel' version was made here as a racing 'special'.... Do what you liked here back then for proddie racing, as long as you made 'x' amount of them.....

[dangerous]

Hey D will you guys let me run a 83 RZ500 in that class ove pre 82 since you have a 83 kat in it ???

I'd love to see one out there, and I dont think that others will give a shit... but getting the OK from the BEARs club will be the prob, but we get on well with them so I cant see a problem.

NOW, my Kat being a 83 is elagible in pre 82 as it was in production before Dec 82, the only difference is the smaller front wheel and this dosnt matter as you can change wheels ie: even use slicks.

next BEAR's meet is 12/11/06 bring it out and get ya self a bucket twice the racing for no more cost.

[Kickaha]

I'd love to see one out there, and I dont think that others will give a shit... but getting the OK from the BEARs club will be the prob, but we get on well with them so I cant see a problem.

NOW, my Kat being a 83 is elagible in pre 82 as it was in production before Dec 82, the only difference is the smaller front wheel and this dosnt matter as you can change wheels ie: even use slicks.

What part of Pre 82 eligible bikes being in production before Dec 82 dont you understand?

[dangerous]

What part of Pre 82 eligible bikes being in production before Dec 82 dont you understand?

What I dont understand is you at times... wheres ya sportsmanship, christ all OB wants to do is have fun like us, who do you think you are that a fat bastard on a RZ5 will get in your way on the track.

The thing I love about the BEARS/Buckets is the fact we all get on great and have fun... its not like we are racing for the world title of jerks in post classic.

[Dadpole]

Hell I was riding long before the Katanas were a spanner up an exhaust pipe.
My first 'superbike' was a GS750.

Hmmmm. This all sounds very familiar. You are not me are you? Perhaps you are an alter ego that my warped mind blanks out. Perhaps I should increase the strength of the pills.
My first 'superbike' was a GS750 (78) also - although some may count my GT750 as a superbike too.
There was a 550 & 650 (shaft drive) Katana too.

[imdying]

What part of Pre 82 eligible bikes being in production before Dec 82 dont you understand?

Technically, you're totally correct. In the spirit of motorcycling, D is also right onto it.

I'm picking that the 82 data was picked because there's a particular beast that was released in 83 that they want to exclude... which is always the way, if you can't beat it, exclude it. They should have called it the old piece of shit racing class, then the Kat and RZ500 would be no less eligible than say an LC.