2019 Suzuki Katana Review | First Ride

[@golDroger88]

Bike looks great, dunno why everyone else says it's ugly.

[@captainaverage721]

You know when you're getting old when your teenage poster bike is rehashed and presented as retro😟

[@jigrodrigues]

So Suzuki made a retro from an 80s bike... which was futuristic... and the new one still is. Love the damn thing.

[@jmanjman6548]

Really like the styling on this bike. It has some resemblance to the original but looks very modern at the same time

[@florme6494]

I love the looks of this bike! Way better than the other modern retros out there. Well done Suzuki. I use to own the GSXS1000F and I would imagine this rides the same, just a better unique look about it. I’ve been waiting for you to review this one chops, thank you!

[@chris7jakarta]

the music theme in this video was a nice touch which took me back to Miami Vice with Crocket and Tubs with the classic Testarossa, 911 Turbo and Mercedes S-class cars :)

[@keyboarddancers7751]

I travelled from Lancashire to Cornwall to pick up an 1100 Katana back in April '92. I rode it home. My previous bike was a 650 Katana. The 1100 was a big brutish uncompromising hulk. That was the real essence of those big Kats. I loved it. They weren't 'easy' bikes.

[@supremoadventures9993]

My dream bike. So beautiful ❤️

[@pinkiewerewolf]

Loving the Katana's looks but like you I'm a 80's guy, VanHalen, Scorpions, Dokken... and lusting over the original Katana. Great review, Thank you Chop!

[@Bredaxe]

The kids that hate it also have no connection to the era. It would be like trying to explain black light posters to them. I remember having the Zepplin Stairway to Heavy black light poster amoung others. Some just wouldn't relate to the feeling and ambiance of the decade. Great times they were.

[@Gdc944]

The intro to this video is so good! Well done with that one mate, very well made and fits the bike perfect.

[@LambChopRides]

Thanks Graham

[@Paul-vl8zq]

The front of the bike looks like street hawk.. Remember that show? You had nite rider air wolf and street hawk.

[@michaelbruce6190]

Side Bob billy I loved that show, thanks for the blast from the past 🤪👍🏻

[@Hinckley_Biker]

Love your reviews, you don't whinge and complain if you find a negative, you tell it as it is and enjoy the bikes for what they are, and isn't that what biking is all about? We are so lucky now to have a such a diverse choice of motorcycles, oh I love the Katana BTW! 😁

[@andyjohnson9894]

Great review chops. Agree it looks loads better than the other mainstream 70's looking retros. Passed a new Kwak Z900 rs today and it made me look twice, looks great but so 70's yet again. This new Katana on the other hand is FRESH. Can't wait for the dry roads review. Big thumbs up, liking the channel mate.

[@marcdavis2840]

Love the intro - Narrated just like a mate telling you about his latest bike - nicely done again LCR👍

[@Englishbikerdan]

I hated the look of this bike at first but I don't mind admitting, it's growing on me!! Great video Chops!

[@LambChopRides]

Thanks Dan, it is a grower!

[@Drjfever]

Thanks for the great review. I saw this bike at last year’s MotoGP at Phillip Island. The look grows over time.

[@ninja12lawbreaker]

Me too, I appreciate the nod to the old Katana. I was too young for one the first time, but I recall a double page poster on my bedroom wall aged 14

[@BunnyUK]

The motorbike equivalent of a 1981 DeLorean sports car, with that 'dated-futuristic' look of the 1980s. The black Katana 2019 is StreetHawk wish-fulfilment.

[@jmanjman6548]

Bunny ride this and wear your calculator watch..

[@wltrlg]

I just needed this convincing video to pull the trigger on one; thanks!

[@LoCk3H]

Great editing and production on this mate. Really impressed..

[@alanssnackbardailyrelaxati8155]

I like its looks. Never had a bad Suzuki, rgv,tl or gsxr.

[@FantasmaSpartis]

The only negative thing about this bike is the 12 litre tank.

[@exothermal.sprocket]

Gear ratios are directly swapped from the 2005 GSX-R1000 which are pretty bad (very tall 1st, and too-short 6th). Cost savings not grinding a new set of gears, but they aren't really street gearing.

[@mickeypopa]

I wouldn't say it's the only negative thing, but it sure does stick out like a sore thumb. Maybe I'm just spoiled by the 21L on my Versys 650, but once I decide to upgrade it won't be to a bike with less than 18L on board. That will be my bare minimum.

[@fredwinter2978]

with a 12 litre tank it aint gonna sell.

[@adolfosalgado6068]

12 litros te convierte en un visitante diario a la gasolinera, una pena.

[@PabloConcrete]

Really nice review! Enjoyed the camera work and all different angles, thanks!

[@maxpowers6768]

I live literally 2 miles from caff and drove past on the day , saw a katana parked out front suzuki lorry out back , and said to dad “ bet they are launching it there” then I see your wet thumbnail haha !

[@Miguelito0oO]

I’m an 80’s kid, gotta love it!

[@msi9209]

Now u r a uncle i guess😀

[@Miguelito0oO]

@@msi9209 sure but still do the same things as when I was a teenager it’s all in your head😉

[@davidj2549]

Great vid mate. I pick mine up tomorrow!

[@threeamigos842]

Got one of these and it's brilliant fun.

[@dannyracer25]

Nice review chops 👌 like the looks thanks Danny

[@JarodThurley]

Hope to see an in-depth review! Thank you for sharing

[@MrLeeds65]

Great initial impressions Chops. You always do a great job👍

[@LambChopRides]

Thanks Andy!

[@sonamoto6246]

Loving the retro Miami vice intro! I personally don't like the styling but saying that I'm sure it's a very capable bike! Nice to see you were in my neck of the woods! Some good roads in the dry!

[@LambChopRides]

Yes roads were epic!! Such a shame it rained, only two days of rain in weeks and weeks and its the 2 days of the Katana launch :-(

[@sonamoto6246]

Lamb Chop Rides it's annoying with the weather but oh well eh! Hopefully your get to go out in the dry soon and give a better review. At least we know it's good in the wet! What Tyers's are fitted?

[@genxkevin]

great review....looking for a second bike...this one may do it.

[@juanvaldesz7603]

Love your channel.

[@mitfull]

Great review love the looks of this bike glad to hear it rides nice

[@barclayhoare8842]

How tall are you ?

[@gomertron6329]

It will be interesting to see if any of the other Japanese manufacturers go down the 80's retro route. GPz900 anyone? Nice review, cheers

[@edwardtupper6374]

Oh the twin round headlights of the early GSXR and FZR

[@RookCustoms]

@lambchoprides was maybe the reason you were feeling the lack of torque because you wee riding in the 3 drive range setting???

[@zitnbit]

I like the outro retro song. and also lovely bike.

[@streetscholar8650]

My first bike was a 92 katana. This looks like it could be fun.

[@Achilles22]

i bought one of the few Katanas in the UK

[@painsrides]

I've had it in my mind that if I do buy a 2nd road bike it would be a Kawi z900RS. But now that all this juicy info is out on the Katana I believe I'm being swayed toward it. Like you said its a retro form the era when I was teen and drooling over such bikes and to be honest it seems like more bike than the z900RS. Great review as usual Chops ;)

[@LambChopRides]

Thanks matey, yes I prefer the looks to the 900RS, more of the bikes I loved as a kid for sure! Not ridden the 900 RS but I would imagine this is more of a sports naked..

[@davidmuncer601]

Couldn't agree - the Z900RS is beautiful but this thing is so ugly to my mind!

[@painsrides]

@@davidmuncer601 ..I can't help it Dave, I was a kid in the 70's and barely into mini-bikes ....But the 80's are when I got my love for motorcycling and its the Katana look that pulls at my heart strings :)

[@painsrides]

@@LambChopRides ... If I do make a move, it'll be fun deciding between the two :)

[@davidmuncer601]

@@painsrides Fair enough ! I'm an old fart but I seem to like modern!

[@RZ350N]

Loved the styling then and it looks pretty damn fine now. Now they should make a limited edition of their 1986 concept bike the Suzuki NUDA. Now thats a bike I would like to see put into production.

[@fknucklewit]

I love this video. I have never been to England but have been riding in Australia for 20 years. On the proper (not right side of the road). I ride a K9 Suzuki Bandit 1250S. I loved the original Katana as a kid too. Have been to see the new one at the local dealership. Mmm tempting. Still love the Bandit though

[@michaelgardiner8347]

Shame about conditions , great video , I luv the look , look forward to the follow up 👍😁

[@Flip01]

It's a good reliable Suzuki that will be fun and rewarding to ride. I don't think it should cost any more then the standard gsxs1000 as it's not that different apart from styling. Good review thanks. 👍

[@chrisb4504]

Had to subscribe love how you describe Suzuki ethos you’re bang on and yeah watching this 3 year later but what an awesome bike please take me back to Miami vice etc 😂

[@loopertrooper6671]

LCR, Love your reviews! I love the silver version of this bike, it reminds me of the first time I saw this bike back in 1981, I was just a kid and was absolutely enamored. If only this bike had a 5+ gallon tank. On a separate nite, what helmet are you wearing?

[@KeepItWheel]

Great first impression review chops I hope you get the chance to give us a more in depth dry review lol ! I'm really loving this bike and cant wait to test ride one. Fantastic edit buddy👍

[@matthewpierce9640]

It's a bike you won't confuse with another. It doesn't tickle my fancy but they nailed the look they wanted. It looks like it belongs in the 80s Robocop movie and it's being ridden by the red tron guy.

[@steveluth3139]

This is on my must have list. Love this bike, also love this is one of those you love it or hate it no middel ground bikes.

[@ravikiran1738]

Amazing cinematography chopsy 😍😍

[@pistolpete6321]

I bought my first motorcycle in the 80’s and love the styling. I think you’re right that Suzuki should have gone farther with incorporating more tech from the GSXR but I’m sure the had a price point in mind that they needed to adhere to. That said if you’re going with polarizing styling you need to throw all the bells and whistles at it to attract a broader range of buyers, maybe they will do that in the next update. Great review in less than ideal conditions.

[@patthonsirilim5739]

the rawness suit the retro theme very well i dont think things like electronic suspension and autobliper is very important for bike like this

[@CampbellZeroOne]

I didn't like the whole square/boxey look back in the day, BUT I'm totally into how this new Katana brings it up to date. Nice and different. Shame about the lack of a quick shifter though. Are Suzuki trying to tell us that it's because we didn't have that back in the 80's? I bet Street Hawk had it on his XR500 😉😂😂😂 Cracking review Mr Chops.

[@Hunter_S-fr4ns]

Another good review... cheers

[@Wollestar]

The bike also looks like it is from the 80s and the ad from Suzuki together with the music in it supports that quite a lot.

[@GazVanDyk]

Nice one chops 😉

[@michaelsmyth1059]

Bringings back meroy when you where a young lad good review

[@sharpbends]

Kantana was always the epitome of fugly ;-) But good on Suzuki for making something quite distinctively unique.

[@Mike-me3sp]

The 750 Katana was gorgeous

[@sharpbends]

@@Mike-me3sp This one from 1986 certainly looked pretty good :-) commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Suzuki_Katana_750.jpg

[@randersson3672]

Awesome work on the video 😎🏆👍 Btw, when the Katana came out in the eighties it was the top of the line, this seems not to be..which is a pity.

[@edwardtupper6374]

Yeah true the next best thing would have been a GSX1100E. What a fabulous machine.

[@stevedunn5546]

Pity about the wet. I remember the original bike being 63 now. Own a Gsx 1400 and a v4 at the mo very interested in this bike. Was over Spain and Portugal this year. So how is it two up? Has it luggage and how does it compare to the 14?

[@wonderdays4287]

Great review & great bike. Want one so bad 😎

[@rocketn8]

That 80s intro. Haha love it.v

[@Davidlouis3]

Well done chops love the bike, do you think ok for first big bike ?

[@kevinhekers2380]

A the 80's when everything was as airodynamic as a brick i had a old 80's vw golf as my first car literly a brick with wheels on it but it was the best car i ever had and a great review as always chops

[@ChrisMcEvoy72]

Been looking forward to this vid. I too am a child of the 80s and the original Katana was one of the first bikes I really liked the look of as a kid. So I obviously like the look of the new one too. Great vid and definitely got me interested to try it for myself. Another one on the list of possible replacements for the 'Blade.... :) What the wind noise and impact like? The lack of a screen would be the only thing I'd have a problem with initially....

[@peterhird3542]

Hey LCR, I know this is an older video for you but I’m slowly catching up with you. I’m a Suzuki fan from my childhood...we won’t be discussing how far back that goes😂😂😂. But I can’t stand the high bars, as you mentioned the original had clip-ons. Go full retro and fit the clip-ons again. If the consumer doesn’t like the lower bars on this Katana...just purchase a GSXS1000...simple. Looking at the front it’s reminiscent of the old Suzuki Wet Bike 🤔. Cheers.

[@Djhinks]

Looks good would you choose this over the gsx-s 1000 as you have ridden both

[@raft5205]

I dig the Baywatch music at the end

[@theavangelist]

That white circle down there, that one, it was a roundabout

[@johna6968]

Producing a sequel was always going to be difficult. You cant please all the people all the time. Hats off to Suzuki for giving it a go but like you say Chops, I think they missed a golden opportunity to make an absolute winner.

[@chris5k132]

Absolute beautiful. Front end almost looks like a Ktm Rc 390/200

[@craigmorrison7937]

Good review chops 👍

[@dylanspaceman214]

What helmet are you wearing Mr lamb chop sir?

[@stevecrocker6904]

never regarded as "sexy" (whatever that means in motorcycle terms), I'm always impressed by Suzuki generally with their mix of decent price, quality, reliability and what it offers the owner - usefulness! Very different mindset to the Europeans who need to be out there first with every new bit of tech, but totally dependable and never a drain on the bank balance

[@progste]

When i heard the announcement I thought it would be cool, but then it's just a gsx-s1000 with a different front and a higher price.

[@ChuckTownRC51]

Different seating position and more comfy

[@edwardtupper6374]

Yeah where's the pop up headlight, wire wheels, two tone saddle, and of course the Katana key fob? Does this thing even have SACS?!!!

[@ChuckTownRC51]

@@edwardtupper6374 back in the 80s where they belong

[@fyorbane]

It also has a better dash and a better, smoother throttle connection.

[@ChuckTownRC51]

@@fyorbane and I think it has better brakes

[@-DC-]

The sad moment when side by side the original is far better looking, keep em coming Lcr 👍

[@rolandfullthrottle8316]

Been waiting for a decent review of this bike 😎👍 Must say you make every bike look small when you’re on it 😁

[@realnachewa]

Roland FullThrottle indeed 🤣🤣 the actual bike is much bigger than it shows over here 🤣

[@jacqalas]

Amazing video. Thank you.

[@markdennis930]

Lovely bike!

[@samkeates6003]

Your helmet is sick!

[@kieranJo70]

Hopefully Suzuki will bring back a retro RGV250 with TPI....

[@timmason7430]

When you consider the performance of the RGV, It kicks arse, even today.

[@kieranJo70]

I reckon a retro 2 stroke would sale well especially with the older people like myself.

[@kieranJo70]

Tim Mason .... totally agree, great bike and way more fun than a lot of modern bikes.

[@timmason7430]

Rebuilding my RD soon.

[@kieranJo70]

Tim ... we need more 2 strokes on the road 😀

[@niged]

How about riding the 2023 Katana in the dry, as it's now got a quick shifter?

[@LambChopRides]

Yes video coming 👍

[@niged]

@@LambChopRides Excellent 👍😁

[@GixxerZilla]

Cool bike bro!

[@1418jeff]

You’ve probably been asked this previously so apologies in advance but what helmet is it that you wear?

[@joeking4206]

Is there any chance of a review including the pillion passenger's experience? I would love to buy the new Katana but what be would my girlfriend's experience?

[@ragerider6283]

Great review & loved the cheesy 80's music! Shame about the weather but you absolutely did your best by giving it plenty lol. Definitely worth getting hold of one for a couple of weeks soon hopefully! This bike intrigues me & I agree with a lot of what you said. I would've made it an 1100cc more in line with the original & a bit of a torque monster too & not worried so much about bhp which would differentiate it more from the GSXS. Although as it's a retro of sorts I'd disagree with basing it on the GSXR1000 & it's electronics etc as I think that's what Suzuki should do with the GSXS maybe. I absolutely get where you're coming from though as it would be a better bike but I don't think it would be in keeping with its retro basis. Either way though can't wait to see more of it if and when you get the chance!

[@Steve96313]

Not a big fan of the looks - but that engine sounds like it could be a right screamer! Oh and kudos on the video editing and music choices, really made for an entertaining watch. Keep up the good work mate ;)

[@Nigelg79]

Loving the 80’s soft porn music intro! 😂

[@scottc3]

Great looking bike! Agree about the front indicators though, look a bit of an afterthought....

[@salvavtc200b]

what brand is the helmet?

[@michaeljkasnter]

Sounds good

[@jasondavies6220]

Can you get the screen for when it's pissing down

[@davidkhoii4331]

Cool bike!

[@JorgeCM75]

I have doubts about buying the Katana or the CB1000R, saw your reviews....but what can you tell me comparing both? Thanks in advance, and keep doing this great job.

[@rony3646]

Does it ever stop raining in the UK?

[@LambChopRides]

No not very often lately! ☹

[@nolongerinuse488]

I’m really interested in the intro song you used.

[@vduke1975]

What helmet are u waring?

[@ianallen6748]

Really good video mate, like the look of the bike and definitely handles well in the wet from your ride. How big is the petrol tank ??😉

[@LambChopRides]

Not really big enough Andy hehe, 124 miles on a tank real world so they say.. Did all day thrashing around on a tank full to be honest in this vid

[@seanfahey9787]

If that intro music played the whole time I rode that bike it's a no brainer, TAKE MY MONEY!

[@LambChopRides]

haha, Im sure that could be arranged :-)

[@md123420]

Id love to get this bike it screams old school