The Most INSANE LOOKING 80's Motorcycle Ever - The Rare Suzuki Katana

[@Chrissurfs]

It was the first superbike I ever saw, my jaw dropped. I was a kid holding on to my moms hand and I still remember.

[@PhD63]

Had the GSX1100S version in 1982. What a fabulous machine. My god it was fast, in a straight line. Never had it flat out but regularly took it up to 120 mph.

[@Chrissurfs]

An 1100 cc air cooled engine. Amazing.

[@Toast-ej2lr]

In the United States the 82 was a 1000 for homologation of the then current superbike rules. 83 displacement increased to 1100 and engine painted black. 82 had simulated suede seat and 83 went to vinyl. The suede seat was good for wearing leathers enabling riders to slide on the seat for hanging off. What a wobbling wonder. No brakes and and flexi-flyer frame sucked. 17" rear and 19" front wheels were a poor choice. The styling was the cool thing, you either loved it or hated it. Mine was good for 140 MPH. This was the open class production bike to have until Kawasaki introduced the Ninja 900 in 84. The idiot at 6:21 with highway pegs on a Katana ain't right. Wes Cooley is laughing!

[@tenners3258]

I had 2. Both with Harris competition exhausts. Bloody excellent motorcycles.

[@henrya3530]

I remember the Katana. Very popular motorcycle in my part of the world. The flip-up headlight version was considered the coolest. Not mentioned in the video is the distinctive exhaust sound known as the 'Katana howl'. A rider working their way up through the gears on full-throttle meant anyone within a km or so knew there was a Katana on the road without seeing it. From a distance they still look impressive but when you get close to one in real life you realise that you are looking at a forty year old machine.

[@kyleklintok7730]

Friend of mine bought serial # 00007. So i got to ride the seventh one off the assembly line. I never had experienced that level of showroom power before. I was on a deserted two-lane in the country and accelerating in 3rd and looked down. I was doing 103mph. The realization that i had two gesrs left was just mind boggling.

[@usedport100s]

This video is dope, keep up the awesome work man

[@JamesBeastonjr]

That was my first streetbike

[@bjoe74fm]

1981 spoke wheel model was the one to buy, New Zealand import, 122 bhp. the tank at the rear you always bumped you in the zippy sternum,, I owned these new, a mistake in my youth hehehehe

[@manatuhou1165]

84 pop up headlight 750 my first bike bloody loved every minute on it and would still buy on today

[@artguti1551]

I was a teen when I saw the movie Mad Max at the drive-in movie theater with my high school friends. I lived in the Southern California area of Carson. When the 2nd Mel Gibson movie came out "Road Warrior", I was digging the look. A high school friend had a 1980 Suzuki, and it was fast! So, in 1983, I bought a GS1100S Katana (with the blue stripes across the tank). I was 21 yrs old at the time and the bike cost me about 5 thousand dollars. I liked the look of Mel Gibson in the Road Warrior and bought some Equestrian boots and leathers. I was only 5'4" and weighed about 125 lbs...so I fit comfortably on the bike tucked in. I had a great time riding from 82 thru 85.

[@edgibbons452]

I owned an '81 and crashed in '83, "came close", 41 yrs ago tonight. Surgeries, still ridin'. 22yrs old anD WOW.

[@gixermouse]

I was sooooooo desperate to have a Katanaa when I was a teen, I would've literally killed to have one... Then, I passed my test, the GSXR750 was born and I fell in love with the Katana's younger sister. I've been a Gixermouse ever since, but the new Katana..... Literally sex on wheels :o I can't be a Katmouse.... FML

[@artguti1551]

I bought a GS1100S Katana in 1983...and soon afterwards, my younger brother bought the GSXR750. We were the envy of our neighborhood.

[@Buzzkill-wn7tf]

Back then I rode with a buddy who had a 1982 1000 Katana. We used to swap bikes on road trips because the Katana got kinda uncomfortable after a while--worse for him as he was a bigger guy. But I tell you what...it RIPPED when you twisted the throttle! I loved that thing and always wanted to own one of my own. Alas, that was not to be.

[@colinm1325]

Hey, what were you riding?

[@Buzzkill-wn7tf]

Mostly a '78 Suzuki GS750 E. Also a Yamaha FJ1100 that I got from a guy getting divorced by trading a truck for it. Both great rides but I liked the 750 best for some reason.

[@MrMotorNerd]

Metzler ME 33 on the front . Reasonable choice

[@billieguitar]

Wait what over 100hp per liter AIR COOLED from 40 years ago that sounds nuts old vehicles are all so NUTS I miss old bmws and hondas and everything i dont like the new stuff i want to drive something mechanical im tired of displays and touchscreens and everything breaking in 5 years its a nasty joke capitalism played itself hard in the end.

[@maliciousintruder3010]

Can't you just buy an old car?

[@billieguitar]

@@maliciousintruder3010 Yep I had an e36 for almost a year, up until last year actually. Best thing in the world but I was bad and lazy to keep going to mechanics etc so I didnt even get to fixing the alarm so it got broken into 2 separate times lol and I got bored of dealing with that and stuff on it falling apart so got rid of it. Engine was still solid tho btw. My life is slower these days so less cash too, I cant afford to keep running any car anymore at this point. Bicycles are nice, I have a pseudo mix of DJ and trail bike sort of thing, or I guess technically just a slightly smaller and shorter trail bike by todays standards. I love simple responsive things. Nostalgia doesnt die tho, I cant forget a good drug or a good romance or a good car, those things r for life so I keep watching automotive videos often ✓✓✓

[@ZarpSterr]

Did not like corners too much. The swing-arm Bushes would wear easily., creating a disconnected feeling. And when you dropped the front forks by an Inch, and used a softer front tyre, things were better. Loved the motor, though. Screamed like a Banshee, throughout the range. Unkilllable.

[@videogamingvideos]

1:27 Ride?

[@carljohanastrom8316]

Norsk skilt!?,,, Suzuki fortsette med 'rare' modeller,,,,hayabusa ser ju meget rar ut den og!,,,først nor en tar vekk plasikken blir den grei...😊