Suzuki 1000 Katana S 2019 — Specifications

When Suzuki decided to resurrect the Katana, the brand didn't take the easy road. Rather than engineering an entirely new platform, it dug into its own mechanical archives and built something hybrid: a GSX-S 1000 dressed in a design that draws directly from the 1980s, the era when the original Katana landed like an uppercut in the world of motorcycle styling. The result is polarizing, unapologetic, and this S version pushes the concept one step further in terms of distinction.

Let's be clear from the outset: the S variant is not a technical evolution. No revised fork, no reworked engine mapping, nothing of the sort. The 999 cc inline-four, inherited from a previous-generation GSX-R 1000, still produces its 153 horsepower at 10,000 rpm and 107.9 Nm at 9,500 rpm. The aluminum perimeter frame remains unchanged, with its 43 mm inverted fork up front and a rear monoshock. What Suzuki is selling here is a differently dressed version, enriched with accessories aimed at those who want to stand out in the car park without visiting a custom shop.

The standard equipment is complemented by a taller windscreen that slightly improves wind protection without altering the silhouette, tank pads, a two-tone black and red seat, and fork leg decals. It follows the same logic as certain Italian special editions, where visual identity takes precedence over raw performance. You either like this approach or you don't, but it has the merit of being honest.

The true centerpiece of this S version remains the Akrapovic titanium and carbon exhaust. This is no mere sound accessory: it unlocks nearly 3 additional horsepower, adds 2.2 Nm of torque, and sheds one kilogram and one hundred grams from the machine. On a motorcycle that already tips the scales at 214 kg fully fueled, that's not insignificant. The price rises to €14,199, €500 more than the standard Katana, though Suzuki offers a €900 customer incentive that rebalances the equation.

Who is this machine aimed at? Certainly not beginners: the 825 mm seat height and 153 available horsepower demand a rider who knows what they're doing. The 12-liter tank requires disciplined fueling on longer runs, which orients the Katana S toward mixed urban and B-road use rather than grand touring. Up against a Triumph Speed Triple RS or a Ducati Streetfighter V4, it plays in a different league of sensations, more vintage in spirit. That is precisely its argument: offering something nobody else is really doing, with an engine that means business and a face that turns heads.