Suzuki Katana discountinued
Suzuki Motorcycle India has covertly pulled the plug on the Katana for the Indian market and thus leaving a 1000cc gap in its product portfolio. It was the only 1000cc superbike that was sold in the country by Suzuki.
Now, if you have to go a for a big bike or anything that lingers around the litre class territory from the Suzuki stables, the options are rather above and below of the 1000cc mark.
You can pick the famous Hayabusa which comes with a sticker price of Rs 16.90 lakh, you can also pick the GSX-8R which will set you back by Rs 9.25 lakh, and lastly you can pick the V-Strom 800 DE which will cost you Rs 10.30 lakh, all the prices are ex-showroom.
The Suzuki Katana had a retail price of Rs 13.61 lakh, and for that amount you used to get a K5 derived 999cc, four-cylinder engine that pushed 106 Nm of peak torque. The engine came coupled to a six-speed gearbox. The Katana was one of the distinct looking motorcycle out there, I think the way it looked was one of its Achilles heels, while some took liking to the original styling inspired by the 80's model, others would not bat an eye at the sight of it.
The pros of the bike included the inline-four-cylinder aural symphony that the engine would make at the flick of the wrist and that coupled with the reliability that comes with owning a Suzuki bike along with the tech nannies and rider aids that came as a compliment.
But despite of all these boons, the bike could not manage to create a strong impression in the minds of customers shopping in that segment. With the Katana gone, there is a space for a litre-class motorcycle that could be filled by the company in the near future, and recently the GSX-R1000R has been revived by the brand, but will it make it to the Indian product portfolio? Only time will tell if we are that lucky or not!