1981 Suzuki GSX 1000SV Katana

Make Model	Suzuki GSX 1000SV Katana
Year	1981 - 82
Engine	Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder.
Capacity	998 cc / 60.9 cu in
Bore x Stroke	69.4 x 66 mm
Compression Ratio	9.5:1
Cooling System	Air cooled
Air Cleaner	Dual element (Paper and polyurethane)
Lubrication	Wet sump
Oil Capacity	3.2 L / 3.4 US qt / 2.8 Imp qt
Induction	4 x Mikuni VM32SS carburetors
Ignition	Transistorized
Ignition Timing	15º BTDC below 1500 rpm / 32º BTDC above 2350 rpm
Spark Plug	NGK D8EA (in E-01,24,25,30,34), NGK DR8ES-L (the others) - gap 0.6-0.7 mm (0.024-0.028 in)
Battery	12V 50.4 kC (14 Ah)/10HR - type YB14L-A2
Generator	Three-phase A.C. generator
Starting	Electric
Max Power	80.5 kW / 108 hp @ 8500 rpm
Max Torque	91 Nm / 9.3 kgf-m / 67.3 lb-ft @ 6500 rpm
Clutch	Wet multi-plate type
Transmission	5 Speed
Final Drive	Chain, `Daido D.I.D 630YL, 96 links`
Primary Reduction	1.775:1 (87/49)
Final Reduction	2.800:1 (42/15)
Gear Ratio	1st 2.500 (35/15) / 2nd 1.777 (32/18) / 3rd 1.380 (29/21) / 4th 1.125:1 (27/24) / 5th 0.961 (25/26)
Frame	Steel, double cradle frame
Front Suspension	Telescopic, oil damped, spring 4-way adjustable with anti-dive
Front Wheel Travel	150 mm / 5.9 in
Rear Suspension	Dual shock oil damped, damper 4-way, spring 5-way adjustable
Rear Wheel Travel	109 mm / 4.29 in
Front Brakes	2 x 275mm Discs, 2 piston calipers
Rear Brakes	Single 275mm disc, 1 piston caliper
Front Tyre	3.50 - V19
Rear Tyre	4.50 - V17
Trail	118 mm / 4.65 in
Turning Radius	3.5 m / 11.5 ft
Dimensions	Length 2260 mm / 89.0 in Width 715 mm / 28.1 in Height 1195 mm / 47.0 in
Wheelbase	1520 mm / 59.8 in
Seat Height	775 mm / 30.5 in
Ground Clearance	175 mm / 6.9 in
Dry Weight	232 kg / 511 lbs
Fuel Capacity	22.0 Litres / 5.8 US gal / 4.8 Imp gal
Reserve	5 L / 1.3 US gal / 1.1 Imp gal
Consumption Average	5.9 L/100km / 17 km/l / 40 US mpg / 48 Imp mpg
Standing ¼ Mile	11.32 sec / 193 km/h / 120 mph
Top Speed	220 km/h / 137 mph
Road Test	Cycle World

A 1000 cc version of the new GSX1000S was made to homogenized the model for racing purposes. By decreasing the bore by 2,6 mm the cylinder displacement was decreased to 998 cc, just below the one-liter mark. The GSX1000SD was available in shops already in 1981.

The UK 1000SZ, built for racing, had slide carburetors, whereas the 1100's had CV carbs. The US 1000S, however, had CV carbs! Also, the US versions never had the black ”fins”under the nose fairing - the mounting holes were blanked-off on all US bikes.

Only 3000 units of the 1000 cc Katana were produced. Amazing but true: Not everyone thought this bike was easy on the eyes when it debuted in 1982.

To realize why, consider exactly which molds were broken when Suzuki unleashed the GS1000SV Katana. Back in the early ’80s, the norm in motorcycling was big-bore standards, complete with squared-off tanks. Think Honda CB900F. Think Kawasaki KZ1000. Heck, Windjammer fairings were still considered state-of-the-art.

Into this world blasted one of the most radical styling departures ever mass-produced. The Katana, named after a samurai sword, was shaped with help from designer Hans Muth to look like nothing else on two wheels.

In hindsight, it’s easy to get a premonition of today’s sportbikes in the design. The humpback, racer-inspired gas tank. The ready-to-pounce posture. But there’s something that remains unique about the Katana as well. You can see it in the two-tone suede-finish seat, the fairing-which is more accent than fully enclosing bodywork-and the yin-and-yang speedo/tach.

The design actually drew a lukewarm response in magazines of the day. Editors harrumphed that the bike was “an eyeful,” or that the “shapes don’t quite add up.” Even Suzuki seemed timid about diving head-first into the future, continuing to incorporate more mainstream styling in its GS550 and GS1100 models that sold alongside the limited-edition Katana.

Underneath the bodywork, the bike was all ’80s Superbike, which is to say capable, but hardly as innovative as the skin. Sleeved down from the previous year’s GS1100, the Katana sported a double-spine frame, dual rear shocks and dual front discs with anti-dive forks. It all added up to respectable, but hardly earth-shaking, performance.

In the end, the Katana was a concept bike for the masses. As such, it was not an overwhelming sales success. Offered for only a year, the limited-edition bike then faded from the scene, although the Katana name continues on a 750cc machine today.

But sales numbers aren’t everything. And with the Katana, Suzuki carved itself a niche as a styling innovator, a role that continues with the new GSX1300R Hayabusa.

Meanwhile, a machine that may have seemed merely strange in 1982 has since become a classic.