Editing Suzuki GSX1100S Katana

{{Infobox Motorcycle
|name             = [[Suzuki]] GSX1100
|image            = [[File:Suzuki-GSX-1100S-Katana.jpg|frameless|Suzuki GSX1100]]
|aka              = GSX1100L, GSX 1100 L, GSX1100ES, GSX 1100 ES, GSX1100EF (reduced effect), GSX 1100 EF (reduced effect), GSX1100EF, GSX 1100 EF, GSX1100F (reduced effect), GSX 1100 F (reduced effect), GSX1100FR, GSX 1100 FR, GSX1100F, GSX 1100 F, GSX1100G, GSX 1100 G, GSX1100S Katana, GSX 1100 S Katana, GSX 1100 E, GSX 1100, GSX1100E
|manufacturer     = Suzuki
|parent_company   =
|production       =
|model_year       =
|predecessor      =
|successor        =
|class            =
|engine           = Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder.
|bore_stroke      =
|compression      = 9.5:1
|top_speed        = 220 km/h / 136.4 mph
|power            =
|torque           =
|fuel_system      =
|ignition         = Transistorized
|spark_plug       = NGK D8EA (in E-01,24,25,30,34), NGK DR8ES-L (the others) - gap 0.6-0.7 mm (0.024-0.028 in)
|battery          = 12V 50.4 kC (14 Ah)/10HR - type YB14L-A2
|transmission     = 5 Speed
|frame            = Steel, double cradle frame
|suspension       =Front: Telescopic, oil damped, spring 4-way adjustable with [[anti-dive]] <br>
Rear: Dual shock oil damped, [[damper]] 4-way, spring 5-way adjustable
|brakes           =Front: 2 x 275 mm Discs, 2 [[piston]] [[calipers]] <br>Rear: Single 275 mm disc, 1 piston caliper
|front_tire       = {{tire|3.50 - V19}} 
|rear_tire   	  = {{tire|4.50 - V17}} 
|rake_trail       =
|wheelbase        = 1520 mm / 59.8 in
|length           =
|width            =
|height           =
|seat_height      = 775 mm / 30.5 in
|dry_weight       = 232 kg / 511 lbs
|wet_weight       = 243 kg / 535 lbs
|fuel_capacity    = 22 L / 5.8 US gal / 4.8 Imp gal
|oil_capacity     = 3.2 L / 3.4 US qt / 2.8 Imp qt
|fuel_consumption =
|turning_radius   = 3.5 m / 11.5 ft
|related          =
|competition      =
}}

It could reach a top speed of 220 km/h / 136.4 mph.  

==Engine==
The engine was a Air cooled cooled Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder.. The engine featured a 9.5:1 [[compression ratio]].  

==Drive==
Power was moderated via the Wet multi-plate.  

==Chassis==
It came with a 3.50 - V19 front [[tire]] and a 4.50 - V17 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via 2 x 275 mm Discs, 2 piston calipers in the front and a Single 275 mm disc, 1 piston [[caliper]] in the rear. The front suspension was a  Telescopic, oil damped, spring 4-way adjustable with anti-dive while the rear was equipped with a Dual shock oil damped, damper 4-way, spring 5-way adjustable. The GSX1100S Katana was fitted with a 22 L / 5.8 US gal / 4.8 Imp gal fuel tank. The bike weighed just 232 kg / 511 lbs. The wheelbase was 1520 mm / 59.8 in long.  
== Photos ==
[[File:Suzuki-GSX-1100S-Katana.jpg|600px|Suzuki GSX1100]]
[[File:Suzuki-GSX-1100S-Katana-81--4.jpg|600px|Suzuki GSX1100]]
[[File:Suzuki-GSX-1100S-Katana-81--1.jpg|600px|Suzuki GSX1100]]
[[File:Suzuki-GSX-1100S-Katana-81.jpg|600px|Suzuki GSX1100]]
[[File:Suzuki-GSX-1100S-Katana.jpg|600px|Suzuki GSX1100]]

== Overview ==

Suzuki GSX 1100S Katana



















Road Test





LOOKING more like a 'Star Wars' interceptor than a motor bike, the GSX1100S
took two-wheeler styling by the scruff of the neck and threw it bodily into the
1980s. Things will never be the same again.
Compared with the Big Kat, the 550 and 650 Katanas were mere toys, meek
.harbingers of things to come, andonlyaclose encounter of the third kind
will grant you a true insight into the future.
The gospel according to Suzuki reads: "Motor cycle riding is indeed
enchanting. All riders seek the fulfilment of that fascinating dream full of
excitement ..."
My own fascinating dream full of excitement has nothing at all to do with
a motor cycle and, although I wouldn't mind a shot at fulfilling it, I don't
think I've got the strength. But I know what Suzuki are getting at - at
least, I think I do.
They see the Katana as the embodiment of their concept of the ultimate
dream machine -tomorrow's bike, today. And a lot of people must agree for it
was the motor cycle MCI\I readers voted 1981 Machine of the Year. It seems
as though Suzuki have had something like the Big Kat in mind ever since they
introduced the GS-series of four cylinder four strokes in 1975.
The first GSX appeared four years later in 1979, and Suzuki were well on
the way to something special. They had the engine they needed, and were busy
working on a unique, hydraulic anti-dive front fork which was to be fitted
first to their racing machines, and ultimately to their new roadster.
All it needed was a brave design team willing to forget everything they'd
learnt about' traditional motor cycle styling, and who could design a
machine immediately recognisable as a new concept. The brief given to
Target design, the Anglo-German freelance men commissioned to do the
artwork, was to 'Give it Italian flair'.
The result isn't to everybody's taste - but you've got to admit the Big
Kat isn't an easy bike to overlook. Apart from making the bike look
futuristic, the styling also had to be practical. And Suzuki subjected the
final design to repeated wind-tunnel tests, constantly revising and altering
details, until they arrived at what appeared to be the most satisfactory
combination.
The most prominent feature is the nose cone fairing, tank and frame cover
which are unitized into one. The total effect is a silhouette of the
Japanese sword - and that's where the Katana name is derived from. Held only
by top rank officials, the unchallenged authority of the Katana is clearly
demonstrated in the ancient Japanese tradition.
It's typical styling has certainly had an effect on the Katana's handling
and high speed stability. With the rider flat on the tank, his helmet and
back form part of a smooth, sweeping line extending from the mud-guard, over
the fairing, and through to the seat.
With the rider in this position, the Big Kat cuts through the air like a
Katana sword through butter - ultra-stable and without a trace of a wobble.
But when you're sitting up it's a different story. Instead of directing the
air flow neatly over the bike, the fairing pushes it up on to the solid wall
of a human chest, creating a disturbed airflow and lots of turbulence.


This turbulence completely upsets the bike's carefully balanced
aerodynamics, and at over 130 mph, the Katana has to fight against the wind
and begins to wobble. This is easily cured by dropping back on to the tank
and, as it only happens near the machine's maximum speed, I can't see many
road riders having any problems.
Another slight problem is the Katana's dislike of side winds which tend
to force it off course if you're not careful. Again, I suspect this is a
side-effect of the styling, so it's something you have to put up with. On
the road, the Katana is extremely comfortable to ride, with the seating
position just right, and the dropped 'bars allowing you to lean on the same
wind which causes the problems at ultra high speed.
Obviously, how well the bike fits you depends on your size. But with my
six-foot frame, I found my knees slotted neatly into the recesses at the
side of the tank and I was totally comfortable at all speeds and over any
distance.
As with the smaller Katanas, there's an incredible feeling of one-ness
with your machine once astride the bike. Sitting inside, rather than on the
bike instantly promotes confidence. It also keeps your groin warm.
The riding position is pure racer and, like the styling, won't be
attractive to everybody. But it's well suited to the bike's capabilities.
The engine is pure racer too. Suzuki's four stroke DOHC engine has built up
quite a reputation over the years for reliability and smoothness. The GSX
was the first engine to feature Suzuki's unique twin swirl combustion
chamber. In the GSX-S series, the engine has been modified to give the
original 99bhp lump even more warp drive- 111 bhp to be exact. Two or three
years ago even the works 500 racers didn't produce as much power as that.
Frightening, isn't it?
Inertial weight of each valve was kept low in the mill to allow larger
volumes of intake and higher rpm. This, coupled with the TSCC for more
effective combustion, has given the engine a remarkable spread of power and
completely eradicated any trace of a power band. This lack of power band and
the amount of power available make the Katana a sensational machine to ride.
You just open the tap and hang on for dear life. Very few things pass this
evil pussy on full chat.
Flat out the Kat will pull almost 142 mph, making it the second fastest
stock production bike we've tested at MCN. The CBX was just a shade faster
but had a slight tail wind to help her. Katy did it all alone. True Honda's
CB1100R recorded an incredible 148mph. but that bike was purpose built for
production racing. The Katana is an unveil the counter Superbike.
Actually. Suzuki were a little disappointed with the top speed figure,
they quote 1 47 mph in their advertising. But, as far as I am concerned,
141.5 mph is quite fast enough for a road bike. Bloody hell, that's already
twice the legal limit, and anybody who says they can make full use of 111
bhp on the road is either a liar or a contender for the world championship.
The last GSX we tested ran through the timing lights at 134.5 mph. so that
extra 12bhp has certainly made its presence felt.
High speed runs are my specialty but for the drag racing it was over to
MCN's sprint supremo Terry Lee Spelling - I just stood at the side smirking.
With 111 bhp on tap, standing-quarters are always interesting, and I had a
great afternoon watching 'TLS' fighting the bike Sumo-style as it tried
every trick in the book to avoid going in a straight line.
The Katana did break one record that afternoon, the one for the longest
tire-smoking skid mark away from the line. It almost matched the length of
the skid mark in Terry's leathers. Despite the hairy cams and uprated motor,
the Katana doesn't really have much of a thirst by present day standards.
During track testing it managed to drink a gallon of two star every 29
miles. But on the road it would run for anywhere between 35 and 40 miles on
a gallon. As with all Japanese bikes, the oil consumption was negligible. As
well as looking futuristic the Katana had the distinction of being the first
production bike to be fitted with anti-dive forks. With conventional forks,
the only way to At high speeds the rider has to dissolve into the tank to
prevent wind pressure upsetting the handling. prevent them from taking a
severe nose dive is by having the suspension set very hard. But this means
the forks don't soak up the bumps all that well, so rider comfort suffers.
Suzuki's forks help solve the problem quite simply. As the inner fork leg
slides down under braking oil from the lower part of the leg enters it. By
regulating the flow of oil, the load imposed by the weight transference can
be matched by a progressive increase in the oil pressure.


Thus the more load applied to the front end. the harder the forks
become-and the less the front dips. Hit a bump, and a special valve releases
the pressure just enough for the forks to absorb the shock before returning
them to their firmer setting. Actually riding the bike, the only thing you
notice is that the front end drops only slightly even under heavy braking,
and that the back brake is more useful than usual.
Another advantage at night is that the headlight remains more or less at
the same height, cutting out the need for any self-leveling device. The rear
shocks have four-position damping adjustment and five positions of pre-load
easily adjustable with a retched lever mounted on the bottom of each unit.
Unfortunately, rear shocks have an incredible influence on a machine's
handling, and here I think Suzuki have a bit of a problem.
Under most circumstances, the Katana handled very well, winging its way
round corners like the racer it seemed destined to be. But round long,
sweeping bends it would gradually begin to wallow, and on one occasion this
got so bad I was getting ready to jump into my jet pod and bail out before
it came out of the corner and righted itself.
Jacking the rear shocks up certainly helped but the problem was never
completely eliminated, and I don't think it will be until Suzuki take a
fresh look at the suspension. Apart from this disturbing trait round long
bends, the craft handled as well as any big bike. You could feel the weight
but it was never a real problem. On the subject of putting power on the
tarmac, the GSX-S has an excellent gear-box. The change is immaculate and
the ratios well spaced, making the box a joy to use.


Also impressive are the brakes. The twin discs up front are incredibly
powerful and, although Ihe Katana won't exactly stop on a sixpence, they're
certainly one of the best I've used on a 'megabike'. The front wheel will
lock if you grab too big a handful but there should lie no reason for this
to happen very often as the action is beautifully progressive, giving you
absolute control.The rear brake is housed in an aluminum box-section
swinging arm which was designed to help reduce the bike's unsprung weight.
The frame itself is a double cradle loop built from high tensile steel pipe
and finished in an attractive silver-grey. In keeping with the bike's
futuristic styling, the instrument panel is distinctly Battlestar Galactica,
with an unconventional speedo.
This takes a little getting used to but doesn't present any great
problems- and like the rest of the machine, it sure is different. The choke
control is fitted to the left-hand side panel and again, is of an unusual
dial type. The motor requires quite a lot of warming up first thing in the
morning but once the Kat has wiped the sleep out of its eyes, it'll usually start without any
assistance. Like its feline namesake, the Kat is happy to go out at night,
using its powerful halogen headlight to keep the road ahead well illuminated
during the dark and gloomy hours. The dip is a little severe but once back
on main beam it's possible to motor along just as fast as you want to go -
or as fast as the police will let you, whichever is the faster.
To aid re-entry into the atmosphere, the pipes carry a black chrome
finish to aid heat dispersion and add to the bike's inherent good looks.
Well tucked up out of the way, you'd have to be going pretty hard to touch
them down, Suzuki claim a 49-degree banking angle. If you are trying hard, the centre stand will go to the tarmac, but
touching the engine down is definitely race track stuff. Fast though the
Katana is, I suspect the majority of people will buy one more in an attempt
to be different than anything else. The styling is a poseur's dream, and
when riding through town it's hard to resist a crafty look at yourself as
you pass by plateglass windows. The Katana is the shape of things to come.
So, even if you don't like the styling, I've a feeling you'll have to get
used to it-

Source MCN, 1983{|  class="wikitable"
|- 
!Make Model
|Suzuki GSX 1100SX Katana
|- 
!Engine Type
|Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder.
|- 
!Displacement
|1074 cc / 65.5 cu in
|- 
!Bore X Stroke
|72 x 66 mm
|- 
!Cooling System
|Air cooled
|- 
!Compression
|9.5:1
|- 
!Air Cleaner
|Dual element (Paper and polyurethane)
|- 
!Lubrication
|Wet sump
|- 
!Oil Capacity
|3.2 L / 3.4 US qt / 2.8 Imp qt
|- 
!Induction
|4 x Mikuni BS34SS
|- 
!Ignition
|Transistorized
|- 
!Ignition Timing
|15º BTDC below 1500 rpm / 32º BTDC above 2350 rpm
|- 
!Spark Plug
|NGK D8EA (in E-01,24,25,30,34), NGK DR8ES-L (the others) - gap 0.6-0.7 mm (0.024-0.028 in)
|- 
!Battery
|12V 50.4 kC (14 Ah)/10HR - type YB14L-A2
|- 
!Generator
|Three-phase A.C. generator
|- 
!Starting
|Electric
|- 
!Max Power
|83.9 kW / 111 hp / @ 9500 rpm
|- 
!Max Torque
|97.1 Nm / 9.9 kgf-m / 70.9 lb-ft @ 6500 rpm
|- 
!Clutch
|Wet multi-plate
|- 
!Transmission
|5 Speed
|- 
!Final Drive
|Chain, Daido D.I.D 630YL, 96 links
|- 
!Primary Reduction
|1.775:1 (87/49)
|- 
!Final Reduction
|2.800:1 (42/15)
|- 
!Gear Ratio
|1st 2.500 (35/15) / 2nd 1.777 (32/18) / 3rd 1.380 (29/21) / 4th 1.125 (27/24) / 5th 0.961 (25/26)
|- 
!Frame
|Steel, double cradle frame
|- 
!Front Suspension
|Telescopic, oil damped, spring 4-way adjustable with anti-dive
|- 
!Front Wheel Travel
|150 mm / 5.91 in
|- 
!Rear Suspension
|Dual shock oil damped, damper 4-way, spring 5-way adjustable
|- 
!Rear Wheel Travel
|109 mm / 4.29 in
|- 
!Front Brakes
|2 x 275 mm Discs, 2 piston calipers
|- 
!Rear Brakes
|Single 275 mm disc, 1 piston caliper
|- 
!Front Tire
|3.50 - V19
|- 
!Rear Tire
|4.50 - V17
|- 
!Rake
|30°
|- 
!Trail
|118 mm / 4.65 in
|- 
!Dimensions
|Length: 2260 mm / 89.0 in Width: 715 mm / 28.1 in Height: 1195 mm / 47.0 in
|- 
!Wheelbase
|1520 mm / 59.8 in
|- 
!Seat Height
|775 mm / 30.5 in
|- 
!Ground Clearance
|175 mm / 6.9 in
|- 
!Turning Radius
|3.5 m / 11.5 ft
|- 
!Dry Weight
|232 kg / 511 lbs
|- 
!Wet Weight
|243 kg / 535 lbs
|- 
!Fuel Capacity
|22 L / 5.8 US gal / 4.8 Imp gal
|- 
!Fuel Reserve
|5 L / 1.3 US gal / 1.1 Imp gal
|- 
!Consumption Average
|6.4 L/100 km / 15.6 km/l / 36.6 US mpg / 44 Imp mpg
|- 
!Standing ¼ Mile
|11.9 sec / 191 km/h / 119 mph
|- 
!Top Speed
|220 km/h / 136.4 mph
|- 
!Road Test
|Honda CB1100RC-Kawasaki GPZ-Suzuki Katana 1983 Motosprint

|}

[[Category:Suzuki motorcycles]]