T he lineage of the Suzuki
katana dates back to 1982. there were
various iterations of the motorcycle
until production came to an end in the
mid-2000s. in 2020, Suzuki brought
the legendary motorcycle back to life
and, in a surprising turn of events, the
katana was launched in the indian
market a few months ago.
as the name suggests, the design of the bike has been
inspired by the Japanese sword of the samurai. this is
essentially a sport-tourer speaking one of the most unique
design languages. You get a half-fairing at the front with a
rectangular leD headlight and sharp DRl units jutting out of
the corners of the fairing. the “katana” logo can be seen on
either side of the fairing, while the fuel-tank sports sharp cuts
that give it its character and help it stay true to the original
model. at the rear, the bike gets a singlepiece seat which is quite comfortable and
has minimal bodywork surrounding it.
the katana is fitted with the arched
aluminium swing-arm from the
gSX-R1000 and extending from it is a
rear fender that hugs the tyre and holds
the registration number-plate mount.
ergonomically, the katana is a
comfortable motorcycle where the rider is
placed slightly over the tank, the wide
T
Iconic “K5” in-line
four tweaked to put
out 152 hp and 106 Nm
Rectangular-shape
headlight stays true to
the original Katana
Simple LCD dash
displays adequate
information
handlebars are set higher, and the foot-pegs towards the rear in a
sporty position. With a kerb weight of 217 kilograms, this is a
fairly heavy motorcycle to move around but quite manageable
once you get going. given its large steering radius, taking
u-turns is quite a task on narrow roads but the accessible 825
millimetres of seat height will accommodate most riders.
the katana is based on the naked gSX-S1000 and makes use
of the twin-spar beam alloy frame inside which houses Suzuki’s
legendary “k5” 999-cc in-line four-cylinder motor putting out
152 hp at 11,000 rpm and a peak torque of 106 nm at 9,250 rpm,
paired with a six-speed gearbox. Minor upgrades have been
made to the camshaft profile and valve springs and now the bike
also gets a new intake and exhaust system components.
the most noteworthy change comes in the form of an
updated electronics suite. the bike gets three power modes, a
ride-by-wire throttle, a bi-directional quickshifter paired with a
new Suzuki Clutch assist System, and five-level traction
control. there is also an easy-start system that will avoid stalling
at low speed. Sitting in the half-fairing is an lCD dash that is
quite basic but does a good job of providing vital information
with premium switchgear to complement it. the power modes
and traction control (tC) can easily be switched on the go.
there is no phone connectivity because you are going to spend
your time actually enjoying the ride experience.
as soon as you fire up the bike, you are greeted by a sweet
symphony of the k5 motor. the power delivery is smooth and
the throttle response very crisp. it works extremely well on the
highway and is super tractable for something with so much
power. While just the first gear can get you past 100 km/h, the
motor can also do 30 km/h in third gear with ease and pulls
away effortlessly once the throttle is opened. the power modes
are well calibrated to suit different riding conditions. C Mode is
where the bike is the calmest and could essentially be called the
rain mode. B Mode is perfect for an all-round experience and T he name “Ronin” comes fRom
Japan and is referred to as a wandering
samurai with no lord or master. The TVs
Ronin is a unique motorcycle in that sense
as the manufacturer wants it to be
unscripted just as the name suggests. This
motorcycle follows a retro design language
with some scrambler and modern street bike
elements. for this review, we have the bike in the top TD trim
which gets a dual-tone colour scheme and dual-channel aBs as
well. a round LeD headlight unit at the front encases a
T-shaped DRL and this unit offers brilliant visibility while
cruising around at night. The 14.5-litre teardrop-shaped tank
sports the TVs logo and the rectangular side-panels get “Ronin”
branding. The rear end sports a sleek LeD tail-light running
under the seat, although the disproportionate mud-guard design
looks like an after-thought.
TVs also wanted to mimic large-capacity cruisers, so they
added an enormous chain cover that looks like a belt-drive
system from afar. While this unit does get a small window for
chain lubing and maintenance, its position is not ideal to get
T the job done. The long exhaust unit at the rear has been slightly upswept with a large bash-plate covering the bend pipe. adjustable clutch and brake levers are the modern elements that complete the design. The mirrors might look and feel premium but they are extremely difficult to adjust. The switchgear feels nice and it is easy to operate the functions on sharp indicator units, a set of good-looking mirrors, and
the offset instrument cluster that also supports phone
connectivity via the smartXonnect application.
There is also a range of accessories that will further enhance
customization and practicality, depending on the customer.
Personally, i am not a fan of this design but the fit-and-finish
levels are good and many people on the road were intrigued by
its presence. This is still a very new product so we will have to
wait and see how many customers would like to add this to
their garage.
once you get astride the motorcycle, the relaxed ergonomics
and compact dimensions will immediately tell you that this is a
relaxed cruiser for the urban jungle. a rider sits upright on the flat
seat with a tall handlebar unit and their legs placed forward. With
these ergonomics, standing up on the pegs and riding does not
TesTed
TVs Ronin
50 Bike India October 2022 |