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    Affichage des articles dont le libellé est SUZUKI KATANA BY MOTOHANGAR. Afficher tous les articles
    Affichage des articles dont le libellé est SUZUKI KATANA BY MOTOHANGAR. Afficher tous les articles

    mercredi 12 février 2014

    SUZUKI KATANA BY MOTOHANGAR


    2006 Suzuki Katana
    When we heard that Motohangar had ripped the bodywork off a Suzuki Katana, we were dismayed. After all, the Katana is one of the most iconic motorcycles ever made.
    But then we found out that Patrick Jones and crew were revitalizing a 2006 Suzuki Katana, not one of the 1980s originals. A little research revealed that the name was revived in the USA for the GSXF range, a series of bland sport-tourers with none of the angular magic of the original.
    2006 Suzuki Katana
    “This one came to us from one of our first clients,” says Patrick. “He got a CB750 from us a while back, and then wanted something as a daily driver/commuter. So he bought a Katana, and asked what we could do with it.”
    “We wanted it to have a mix of old and new flavors,” says Patrick, “and a bit of ‘industrial urban assault’ styling!” To get the right aesthetics, Motohangar went for bare metal and minimal paintwork, plus aggressive-looking Avon Distanzia tires. (“They seemed to really pull the look together.”)
    2006 Suzuki Katana
    The budget was small, so the huge seat was given a starring role and the taillights were fitted underneath, after a little subframe modification. The stock GSXF tank was stripped back to the metal, and minor black detailing was added elsewhere for a monochromatic look.
    A shortened FMF exhaust system suits the style of the bike and was a major part of an overall weight-reduction regime. The rest of the work was relatively straightforward: relocating the battery, adding pod air filters, and re-jetting the carbs for maximum performance.
    2006 Suzuki Katana
    To improve the stance of the Katana, Patrick lowered the front end a tad, and then added Vortex clip-ons and a GT380 headlight. And it looks good. Maybe not as arresting as the original German design, but a helluva lot better than the starting point.
    “It was refreshing to work on this bike,” Patrick comments. “We’ve been doing a lot of CBs and 70s bikes, so this was a change of pace and we’re proud of the final product.”
    2006 Suzuki Katana
    If you’ve ever seen a GSXF ‘Katana,’ you’ll know that Motohangar has done an amazing job.
    Got a taste for 1980s styling and the best part of $50,000 to spare? Then check out theresto-mod Katanas available from the Japanese shop AC Sanctuary.
    via BIKEEXIF