I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a second/replacement bike as I get closer to selling my truck and the riding season in PA winds down, resulting in some good deals.

I've got the little 97 GS to get me around town, so I'm thinking maybe I should be lookin' for something with more highway prowess.  I know that Kats are heavy and a little homely lookin' (but then, hell, so am i   )  Those things aside, Kats have better suspension and more protection from wind/bugs/etc than the SV's.  I can't say I've ever sat on one (I'll try to rectify that ASAP), but they appear to have bars that are high enough to make several hours on the highway tolerable for a young guy with a strong back.  Suzuki's website makes an offhand reference to gearing ratios in the Kat with highway speeds in mind, and my little GS is pretty buzzy at 70mph (i mean, my hands start to get numb after a few hours).

I knew I would do this sooner or later.. I'm second-guessing the SV650 as my next bike.  I'm thinkin' I'll either trade the GS in on an SV, or keep the GS and pick up a Kat with a few miles on it.  Considering my needs, and looks aside, what does everybody think about the Kat as a road-tripper?

capable [albeit ugly] road tripper. I met someone on a ride a while back riding one and he bought it for $800 then sank another $800 to repair some items...bike looked good and ran good. He was very happy.

Read up some at www.maximum-suzuki.com on the Kat. There's also www.katana-planet.com (i think thats right) but most of those guys are also regulars at max-suz.

My dream road tripping bike, would be a Honda VFR or any big BMW
Nothing against Kat but I think a highway eater should have hard bags standard.

"sport touring" is about the only thing the Katana is fairly competent at, even though it has pretensions of being a sportbike.  
Have you considered a Bandit 600? Better looks, better wind protection, easier mantenance (no fairing sides to remove or worry about), HUGE aftermarket, and performance and pricing are about the same.  Seems to be more like what you are asking of it and would look cool sitting next to the GS, like a family snap shot.

The Kat is a fine bike, but it's very different in style and performance than the GS.  The Kat is much heavier, which makes it a great highway bike (you won't get pushed around by crosswinds the way you do on a GS or SV650) and it's good seat and high clipons offer a comfortable ride.  It's more comfortable than my SV w/corbin seat and it's simple to maintain.  It's also much easier to ride than most super-sports (smaller powerband, less wheelie prone).  Go sit on one and compare it to a SV650.  I like my SV because I ride the twisties or city roads 90% of the time.  If you are looking for a comfortable highway cruiser, the Katana would be just fine.

what about the gearing ratios?  If keep the GS I'll be lookin' for a bike that is smooth at 70 or 80mph.  With the I4 and the different gearing, is the Kat significantly less buzzy at high speeds?  I certainly wouldn't want the Kat as my only bike.. the GS already has me spoiled in the twisties   .. but I'm thinking as a highway ride it would be cool.

Kats are still carburated right?  How reliable are they compared to the GS/SV bikes?  Any horror stories (or love stories) from folks experienced with the Kat?

Do they still offer the Bandit 600 in the US?  its not on the website

geez.. I ask alot of questions...  

peace

I have had 2 Kat's in the past ... actually they fit me like a glove. Get the Pre 98 was that...when they switched to the new Ugh body, and also try to buy one with threaded valve lash adjusters...88-92 and 94-98??? Might be wrong on the years a bit too. The Kat is surprisingly lower than the GS but it is a bit heavier. Of course it has the same shaZam! suspension, front and rear and pretty much didn't have the tires or brakes the GSXR's did. So I believe you are looking for a pile of GSXR parts, and the parts that you toss form the katana will neatly fit on your GS. So overall you are in the same position you are now. Other than that its pretty cool.
Cool.
Srinath.

That is an interesting economy of parts I hadn't thought of. Kinda like hand me down clothes.

But if it were me, I'd look at used B6s or a YZF...

Well... Hand me down is my middle name...
Cool.
Srinath.

I think the katana 750 makes a good bike.  Only 13 pounds heavier then the 600, 80 some odd HP and comfortable.  Whats not to like.

If you buy a used one rememberr most a lot of squids start out on Kats before moving to GSXR and they are no usually the type to take care of there machines.

Quote from: johnI think the katana 750 makes a good bike.  Only 13 pounds heavier then the 600, 80 some odd HP and comfortable.  Whats not to like.

Not sure about the new 750 but the old one was very similar to the 88-90 GSXR 750....very narrow and sudden burst of power... nothing till 9K and all the power comes on and its done by 10.5K. Very un rideable...you are tap dancing on the shifter all the time and just plain irritating in traffic...with a pipe and K&N's it got worse...much worse. People were putting smaller carbs - 600Kat I think on them to make them better. Memory has faded...somone please correct me if I got it back asswards...
Cool.
Srinath.

really,I ride Katana 600 (new)  every week......
and it is really ugly,and this is bike for grandfather :mrgreen:
But water Katana 400 is sweet bike .

If to take my f-3 and Katana 600 it is the same as d@@k and pen  :mrgreen:

Also my friend ride 750Katana.....
Never ride it.........
But it is some difference......600 look^s more cheeper.....
Even passanger brackets (750) are cool and made from alu

Oh, c'mon, we love Katanas.  People buy them, crash them, and then we get a replacement shock cheap     Seriously, they are relatively decent bikes, just rather heavy, kinda cheaply built, and ugly (imo).  I don't have anything the can-a-tuna, but for the same money you can find lots of better options.

The SV isn't the greatest highway/touring bike (not that the gs is either).  Its more of a city/twisty bike in a similar mold to the GS.  Its fairly small, lightweight, doesn't have great wind protection, and the SVS ergos are relatively racy for highway touring.  You can put some risers (or hawk clipons) and a higher windshield on it, but I'd go for a more pronounced difference if you want to keep the GS too.

I think the VFR makes a nice second bike to add to the stable if you are thinking more highway miles but want to stay on the sporting side of things.  Its heavier and has more power, but still pretty easily controllable (especially with the older VFR-700 and 750 models).  They hold their resale value well, but you can find good used examples for $3-6K regularly.  A KLR for dual sport style touring is also interesting, they have surprisingly good wind protection for such a little flyscreen and are reasonably dirt capable.

I think the new FZ6 is a really interesting option to move up to (though more like the SV/GS), but some other good options for the kind of factors you are describing are the YZF-600R (also fits in the sporty sport-touring vien), Bandit 600S, Kawasaki ZR-7S, or maybe even a Triumph Sprint ST or Aprilia Futura if you don't mind spending some more dollars.  Personally I was leaning towards a yzf next, but I'm thinking more '98-01 VFR at this point since I'd like to be able to carry luggage and a second passenger a little more easily

My bud just bought a Kat from another bud, who sold it for 400 bucks!

It was brand new, yellow, last year 750.. and it was just minor fairing damage. So hes gonna streetfight it, and wants my headlight when i get a new fairing.

Quote:
"sport touring" is about the only thing the Katana is fairly competent at, even though it has pretensions of being a sportbike.
- - - - - --

Hrmm, I have 16 bikes in my stable and one of them i just picked up this year. A 94 600 Katana with 5000 miles on it and i paid only $1200 for her.
I ride this bike more than any of my others actually, including my GS.

As for competent sport tourer, yes it is very comfortable for that however, with the right set of tires and few suspenion adjustments, she does quite well in the twisties. Granted she weights a pound or two more than the GS, she is still a lot fun to thrash around.

I've spent alot time on a friend of mines 750 Kat and to be honest, i'd take the 600 over his any day. As for the SV, another great bike. You couldn't go wrong with either bike as a second bike...

Rob

OMG, 16 bikes  
Do they all run?

I had the '88 Kat 600, and it was stable on the hwy, but it was actually buzzier than my GS and WAY buzzier than my SV.  The SV and GS are really susceptible (sp) to cross winds because of their light weight.  I'd go with the Kat 750.  Rode a friend's and I really liked how the power came on, and how it didn't flinch much at highway speeds...real smooth.  You also get adjustable suspension on the 750..

The other bike in my garage is a '96 VFR750, also Blue  

For a sports tourer the VFR's great bike and with the right exhaust puts out the note you expect from half a v8.  Also the Honda's build quality is exceptional - no rust anywhere (wish the GS's frame was rust proofed better as its does show some surface rust here and there).  Not as flickable as the GS but still a LOT of fun in twisties and my wife loves the pillion seat on longer trips - that is when she isn't chasing me with the GS herself.

my 2c worth
Conrad