Andy Harriman’s 1230cc Katana…
In 1980, the Suzuki GSX1100S Katana got here flashing throughout the motorbike world similar to its sharp-edged namesake, revealing an entire new imaginative and prescient of what a superbike could possibly be. Whereas the angular strains and geometric planes of Hans Muth’s design have been to not everybody’s style, the Katana would affect the form of sports activities bikes for years to return.
It was a revolutionary time within the business, when producers have been pushing the bleeding fringe of efficiency and design with each mannequin yr, experimenting with all the pieces from monocoque bodywork to pressured induction, liquid-cooling, aluminum chassis development, and far more. Although GSX-R would rapidly surpass the Katana in outright efficiency each on the monitor and strip, the Katana stays iconic of the period.
Andy Harriman of Beduff, England, has owned many massive Suzukis over time, however by no means a Katana…till now. The bike you see right here began with a 16-valve GSX1100EFE mill — a brute of an engine launched in 1984 and rated at 124 bhp. This one has been constructed right into a 1230cc monster by none apart from Gary Hurd of the UK’s Grumpy 1260 Suzuki Components & Efficiency, primarily based out of Bexwell Aerodrome.
The massive-bore EFE engine was matched with FCR flat-slide carbs and a Racefit one-off titanium pipe — trick!
In the meantime, the body was braced and decluttered. Up entrance, there’s an Öhlins entrance finish with billet yokes, whereas Öhlins rear shocks and a JMC swingarm maintain the rear finish planted.
The cockpit is outfitted with drag bars and LSR grasp cylinders and clutch perch. The tank contains an plane filler and Pingel race gasoline faucet, and the rider sits astride a lush suede seat.
Then right here’s the livery — fairly in contrast to any we’ve seen on a giant Katana. Says Andy:
“Inspiration for the paint: I like Suzukis in blue and sort of a quantity board at entrance. And yellow wheels is the way it needs to be, Barry Sheene and Kevin Schwantz rocked the yellow wheels.”
Andy has nicknamed this brutish restomod the “Fats Kat,” and he’s fairly pleased with the general construct:
“It rides spot-on, which is sweet. Pleased with the construct, bought the sort of a Professional Road look. Because of Briggo for his enter and Grumpy for constructing an ideal engine and setting the carbs
”
You’d be hard-pressed to discover a extra distinctive, extra badass air/oil-cooled Katana than this one. Now we simply have to hop throughout the Pond and beg Andy for a take a look at trip.
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