Quick Ride

Quick Ride

SUZUKI KATANA 750 Kat or dog?

ROVEN AND refined” best describes Suzuki’s venerable Katana 750.

A member of the GSX sportbike family since the late 1980s, the Katana offers street riders a practical, broad-ranged sporting platform at a very appealing $6999 price.

Powered by the 16-valve, air/oil-cooled inline-Four that propelled early GSX-R sportbikes to racetrack glory, the Katana has been tuned for greater emphasis on lowend and midrange torque. Crisp throttle response, smooth clutch engagement and a slick-shifting sixspeed gearbox make tapping into the engine’s linear delivery a snap. A mild level of engine vibration builds with revs and feels coarse under deceleration-a characteristic inherent to early Gixxers. While gunning the

Kat in lower gears makes `er purr through the frame and grips, there's a generous sweet spot coinciding with fast freeway cruising between 70 and 85 mph, making life in the fast lane very good. The general-purpose

sportbike role is bolstered by a host of amenities that the everyday rider will find useful. The windscreen is tall enough to provide ample protection, while the spacious one-piece saddle and passenger grab handle offer accommodation for two. There’s also generous underseat storage-well, by today’s standards-plus a helmet lock and a helmethanging tab under the seat.

The instrument panel includes a fuel gauge and an LCD clock, while best of all-brace yourself-there is even a centerstand, along with all the tools necessary to adjust the drive chain.

Casual comer-carvers will find sufficient lean

available to give the longwearing Dunlop Sportmax Touring radiais a good workout. The Kat takes to the twisties surprisingly well, offering competent steering, stability and braking prowess; just don’t expect to win a game of cat ’n’ mouse with today’s track-bred machines. The 41mm conventional fork offers adjustable rebound damping, while the remotereservoir shock has the same, plus adjusters for compression damping and spring preload. The standard range of settings provides a good degree of long-range comfort.

Settling into the Kat’s deeply padded cradle nets a 31 -inch seat height for firm footing when maneuvering the 497-pound machine out of parking stalls. The riding posture is fairly upright thanks to the relationship between the saddle and the high-rise, clip-on-style bars. Taller riders may, however, find the distance down to the footpegs a bit cramped.

As for this 5-foot-10 seasoned GSX-R racer, I’ve grown to appreciate the virtues of a more relaxed sport-riding experience.

Just as the latest technology often wins on the track, the Katana’s long record of street versatility makes it a good candidate for the budget-conscious sportbike buyer. While it doesn’t have the claws of a GSXR750, it’s certainly not a dog, just your friendly domesticated Kat.

Don Canet