Reviving Katana Legend <02> From Design Sketch to Mass Production Prototype

All the brilliant form of 38 years ago started from here

It is a wonderful form that GSX 1100E cannot think as a base. It was a model that made the target design realize the styling magic of ED2.

[ED2 1980]

SUZUKI European strategy produce to a two-wheeled design monument

Even while won the top performance in each class, looks the opportunity good enough is said to be ...... quite a few, 1970 - 1980's early of the SUZUKI motorcycle. Katana is a born model in order to overcome such a situation, styling is in charge of Germany of the target design. In addition, ED2 which is the origin of Katana had been introduced a technique leading to a cafe racer based on MV Agusta 750S, which the company worked on in 1979 as a design competition organized by Motord magazine.

[MV AGUSTA 750S CAFE RACER 1979] It is two parallel four-cylinder car that feel common in every place. This is a cafe racer based on the MV Agusta 750S target design in 1999.

[Rough Sketch ED2] And the rough sketch of ED2 presented by SUZUKI, painted by Jean Fellstrom of the company.

[ED2 PROTOTYPE] The seat of the prototype was an original shape lower in the rear part than in the front part. The exhaust is a 4-1 ceremony set, and shaping such as choke dial and step plate is different from mass production motorcycle.

[ED2 PROTOTYPE] Basically it was Katana that emphasized maintaining the composition of ED2 ... ....

It realizes comfortable high-speed cruising, the composition of the meter / screen turns two turns. By the way, the fork did not equip the ANDF.

The original meter was innovative color scheme.

[Hans Muth] It was Hans Muth who was said to be the creator of Katana at one time, but the actual development of ED2 was done as a group work of target design.

It is the brave appearance of Katana world first test drive in the spring of 1981.

I will not stop, I will not bend. Yorere, heavy. GSX1100 S Katana continues to be love as the representative Japanese Motorcycle, of course, there are many information as old motorcycle. So, when you came to the world as the world's fastest motorcycle, how well did you run and how shocking was the machine? Here is a test drive impression of the GSX1100 S Katana prototype published in Young Machine's April issue.

[Young machine 'April issue of the year] Although it was just a test ride for four laps, the tester is very impressed with the power performance of Katana. It seems that it was impressed with outstanding high speed straight running stability.

1981 SUZUKI SPORTS MODEL TEST DAY

It is 1981 years leads to a large number of journalists SUZUKI sport model announcement test-ride event was held in Ryuyo test course. The menu includes a whole new model and it is different in degree of change, it corresponds to the number of that 14 models, moreover it is too attractive to say Omake and it is probably the world's first GSX " KATANA " is added. While in the special condition on the test course, let's deliver an impression of 14 motorcycle + KATANA (※ Here only the articles of KATANA are excerpted and published.)

[Young machine 'April issue of November Issue] It was brought in the Ryuyo test course at the test venue, ED2 which was exhibited at the Cologne show, and many editors / journalists were checking the differences from the mass-production specification that advanced development.

A phenomenal run of the base motorcycle

In December 1979, magazine reporters who visited the Ryuo test course for the SUZUKI new motorcycle presentation were overwhelmed by the rush of the GSX1100 equipped with TSCC16 valve engine and aluminum swingarm. The engine which demonstrates a strong torque in the full revolution region shows acceleration like a rocket just by twisting the throttle and it carries lightly to the world over 220 km/h. In the corner, the front fork that incorporated the damping force adjustment mechanism together with the air coil, the rear suspension with good movement sink moderately, it grips firmly with the ground securely, yet the mobility is light and wonderful. The face of the technical team was full of confidence and set the suspension to be proud of "How much GSX's running is!" At the time, of course, even now GSX1100 can be said to be the best commercial sports bike in the world regarding the ability to run.

It took off the veil at the 1979 London show. GSX 1100 (※ Currently called GSX1100 E) was the flagship model of the time that became the base vehicle of Katana. It was an impression that the style was clinging with the warbone, so in Japan it was called Beko (cattle in the Tohoku region dialect). Air-cooled 4-st parallel 4-cylinder DOHC 4 valve 1075cc 105ps / 8500 rpm 9.34 kg-m / 6500rom 243 kg (dry)

This is such a wonderful GSX1100, but the development team, and there was only one thing that bothered us. That's "A style does not match performance." In the world of four-wheeled vehicle, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati are said to be, Porsche, even BMW has a face that is suitable for high-performance sports motorcycle. Even on a motorcycle. For example, CBX .... The corner is not as fast as GSX, the speed of the straight line is more than equal, and anything has an exotic atmosphere. This thhng, a smell of high performance.

It is regrettable that design director Yokochi Yokouchi, chief development officer, worked hard at the time to make a basic machine just because the history was shallow, "A handle did not turn around to the appearance." I told him. Over the past year, the success in racing, the sales of commercial motorcycle and the growth of SUZUKI are remarkable. And during that time the design project which was missing was going on in Europe. It is better for Mr. Hans Muth who was a designer of BMW to "make the desired design using the GSX 1100", in Europe that can use the performance of the hyper bike to make something suitable for the feeling of the European people, it is a violent deed. Several sketches were finished. There is already a motif of "sword".

What kind of sword? To SUZUKI's question

It's a boomerang, he replied.

It is considered in the designer Italian blood of West Germany, based on a Japanese bike, design on the theme of weapon of Australian natives, is added opinion technician past the stage of the clay model, the process moves to production. Finally, appeared in the 1980 Cologne Show "Sword" is called a great response.

[GSX 1100 S PROTOTYPE 1981] The test drive was the 1981 test motorcycle where the atmosphere of ED2 remained. It was held a couple of months after the initial release at the Cologne show, 'In the beginning of the year 1981, SUZUKI held a test ride of GSX 1100S, which was still under development at the Ryuo test course. The air cleaner box at this point is plating specification, there is no rib at the rear end of the seat.

Compared to ED2, the front mask has become like Katana. However, the screen and the front brake master are different shapes from mass-produced vehicles.

The meter with the dial of the tachometer turned green followed ED2. Mile is the main speedometer, setting 55mph stands out considering the regulation of North America at that time.

The seat is an impression that the rear slightly jumped up, and the split lines of the two leather are different from mass production motorcycle.

In front of "KATANA"

The Katana series is sold according to the regulation of each country so that it can be raced by the user. It is 1100cc in Europe, 1000cc in the United States, and in Japan ... ... "Handle shape and style is acute" and there seems to be a difficult aspect.

In order to improve mobility at the same time with emphasis on straightness at high speed, 18-inch front wheels and 4.50-17 V tires for high loads are attached to rear wheels. Spoiler-like cowling, 4into1 exhaust, these were the GSX 1100S Katana that appeared in the Cologne show.

After that, three months further, an improved machine toward production prototype was in front of us for test drive. A double anti-nose dive is added to the front fork, the exhaust is connected to the left and right as DMG 4into 2, and the power chamber effect is also included. In the frame relation, the front part of the engine is rubber mounted and the stay shape was changed. A black curved screen with a complex curved surface was attached to the upper part of the cowl, but this was undesirable because the image was distorted due to trial production, but it should be changed in commercial motorcycle. Below that, a rubber boundary layer plate aerostabilizer is design.

There are also many minor improvements, but outside people do not understand. However, rather than looking at the picture, the real one is "Matmo and cool". Well, if you put in a katana, no, if you ride Katana and run through the city, there is no sense of strangeness. Full face than soft design, it seems to suit well for racing suit.

I want a conclusion ....

It grasps the duralumin made clip-on handle with a slightly bent shape from the stay. The seat was low and the footrest was lifted high backwards, so I expected that it was pretty painful, but it would match the body of my unexpected or chief. It is a big difference from the pain of Ducati's clip-on, it's a little narrow and well-squeezed touch. It gets tightly attached to the rear of the tank where the tank is filled with its belly from the inner thighs, and the weight can be deposited, so the position is easy.

Because it can only do 4 laps, I ignored the low speed running and tried opening the throttle from the beginning. When it flying a straight line slightly out of the face from the screen, speed-sensitive because of the weak criticism is it is sparse. If you look at the speedometer and how much it is out, the needle stick to the upper limit. It was 85 mile meters of American specification, only the hairpin was able to confirm operation, the rest were all scaled out. "The black needle tachometer on the green base is also difficult to read momentarily, and the Red Zone's from 9000 rpm is also in trouble for judgment.

[Young machine 'April issue of 1981]

The trust engine and frame that it is common with the GSX 1100 and run sensibly in a sensation. It's a machine too fast to think about extra things. Even when turning to 5000 - 7000 rpm at the corner that can be pulled out with power control, there is no punch power felt with GSX 1100 of uphand handle. It is a synergistic effect between the engine characteristic that the medium speed range has been swollen and the position where it is hard to feel G because of the forward leaning posture.

Even if you run with enough margin, the speed is very fast both in straight lines and in the corner. At the corner I do not use the bank angle of up to 47 degrees at the maximum but do not touch the ground but the body naturally fell to the inn side, kicking out the footrest and noticing that the outer arm is in a form holding the side of the tank. Because there are many contact surface with the motorcycle, the psychological sense of security is high. It does not require heavy throttle, response is good, throttle work does not require force.

The rear shock and the front fork which had set the spring to the weakest, the damping set to the 2nd step is somewhat stiff, but it is not about too hard. In a rough way of speaking, only have to run faster. Behavioral change with respect to throttle on/off is not bothersome because the sense of personal mototrcycle is strong. Due to running carefully while operating the front and rear brake lightly, depending on the person, the escape of the front when the throttle was off was within the allowable range. The BS made mug-pass · tire was light at the low speed corner, and it was felt that traveling around 4 laps was enough for meat sticking at acceleration and stepping at high speed corner.

Regardless, the straight running stability at high speed and its speed are far beyond the sense of domestic motorcycle so far. It's also 750, so I'd like to run with this position and suspension. Even on rough road it seems to be enough and I am at the cutting edge in terms of design. I would also like to expect sales in Japan.

It was introduced in the construction of the top six pages of the GSX1100 S Katana prototype test drive article published in the April 1981 issue of Young Machine. Report: Michael Kuroda / Photography: H. NISHIMAKI

Although the main character was a Katana, Suzuki for test-ride event of this day is to prepare the 15 units. In addition, for the shooting, we also brought four RG 500s to participate in the world Grand Prix. It should be noted that the company's flagship of the Japanese market at that time, was GSX750E to be the predecessor of 750 Katana.

[SUZUKI GSX 750E] It was a flagship in the SUZUKI Japanese market at the time of 1981.

It is the prototype Katana which became the main character. Other model follow Suzuki 's previous designs and their contrast is pretty.

It has the name Katana Brother machine ED1 GS650G

1981 GS650G is the first mass-produced motorcycle jointly developed by Target Design and SUZUKI. The name ED1 stand for European Design No. 1 motorcycle.

[SUZUKI GS 650 G [ED1] 1981]

This article is a reedition of the December 18 issue separate appendix. If you would like to have posted back numbers at hand,Clickhere

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Original Source[ Young Machine ] (*Japanese)

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