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Katana Hate?


hiro

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Why is a Katana so bad? Is it just relatively bad or absolutely bad? I've been considering one just to have something with more power than my 300 and that is relatively inexpensive. If nothing else, wouldn't I at least learn to appreciate better bikes in the future? heh One thing though, dealing with carburetors, I'd rather only have two than four. 

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1 minute ago, hiro said:

Why is a Katana so bad? Is it just relatively bad or absolutely bad? I've been considering one just to have something with more power than my 300 and that is relatively inexpensive. If nothing else, wouldn't I at least learn to appreciate better bikes in the future? heh One thing though, dealing with carburetors, I'd rather only have two than four. 

It depends on what you want it for.

They were marketed as supersports, but they are not proper supersports.  It a fine motorcycle in other roles though.  The looks don't seem to work for everyone.   

 

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2 minutes ago, whaler said:

They have odd old school rim sizes and you can not get proper modern tires.  This may have changed towards the end of the model, but the early to mid 2000's still had old school tires.

Hmm... I was spying a 2002. 

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good commuter bike. while heavy, the frames are rigid. the motors are damn near bomb-proof, and if you want more power an old school gsxr750 motor is a direct swap except for the oil pan iirc. they are ugly as fuck, i can't dispute that. I do have a special place in my heart for the suzuki S.A.C.C.S. engines, having a bandit 1200 myself. you can also build a pretty cool street fighter out of them, r1 shock is a direct swap, hayabusa front end swap takes minimal effort. I wouldn't buy one personally unless it was an 1100, those looked a little better and were as fast as the gsxr1100 of the day.

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47 minutes ago, whaler said:

They have odd old school rim sizes and you can not get proper modern tires.  This may have changed towards the end of the model, but the early to mid 2000's still had old school tires.

First hit on tire sizes for the 2002. 

Front tyre: 120/70-ZR17
Rear tyre: 150/70-ZR17
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6 minutes ago, Isaac's Papa said:

This alone is reason enough to avoid the bike. 

Why?  Those are modern rims.  Lots of sticky rubber in those sizes.  No need to have anything larger for a light bike.  Prolly could shoe a 160 on the rear, but I doubt if it would handle any better.

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33 minutes ago, hiro said:

First hit on tire sizes for the 2002. 

Front tyre: 120/70-ZR17
Rear tyre: 150/70-ZR17

 

13 minutes ago, Isaac's Papa said:

This alone is reason enough to avoid the bike. 

Why tho? heh

(My 300 has 110-70-17 and 150-60-17 (stock is 140-70-17). Wow, I just saw that the 2017 Triumph Street Cup has 100-90-18 and 150-70-17.)

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2 minutes ago, JustinNck1 said:

I know when I had a flat, hundreds of miles from home, I was glad my bike had a common 180/55/17 cause I knew any dealership would have it.

I know when Justin saved my life by noticing I had burned my tire right up 500 miles from home I was glad I had a common size also.

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3 minutes ago, hiro said:

This is what got me thinking. Maybe I should be banned from thinking. heh  https://columbus.craigslist.org/mcy/5968183649.html

I bike looks good, but keep in mind. It's 15 years old, so be prepared to do some maintenance work. At the end of the day, no ones opinion matters except yours, because you're riding it.

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If you're keeping the 300, the kat750 (or even the 600) will feel fast.  

It is heavy. Great tourer if you get luggage. 

I had a 750 for about 18 months. It's a solid, simple, good motorcycle. 

It is not a light or "sharp" handling bike, but it's better than people like to admit. 

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34 minutes ago, redkow97 said:

If you're keeping the 300, the kat750 (or even the 600) will feel fast.  

It is heavy. Great tourer if you get luggage. 

I had a 750 for about 18 months. It's a solid, simple, good motorcycle. 

It is not a light or "sharp" handling bike, but it's better than people like to admit. 

Wow, the Katana dry is over 70 pounds heavier than the Ninja 300 wet. Looks about double the power. I guess that would be an interesting first ride.

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5 minutes ago, Isaac's Papa said:

It's ridiculously heavy but so are dump trucks. People buy those. :dunno: 

I'd settle for a pick-up. heh Looking at NEW bikes, I would consider the Z650, FZ-07, and SV650. Looks-wise, overall, I think the (white) Z650 is the best. For some reason the engine of the FZ looks nicer to me. The SV...while I would be more than happy to own it, it has the look of something that was crashed and repaired. heh I mean, only the tank is painted. Fairings "missing." The other parts are blacked out except the big, round headlight slapped on the front. But if it's the better bike, I'd take it. Actually, this one does look nice Also, I wouldn't mind trying one of those round headlights that automatically adjust to lean angle. 

here. 2016-Suzuki-SV650-LAMS-Bike-Review-Stat-

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1 hour ago, hiro said:

I'd settle for a pick-up. heh Looking at NEW bikes, I would consider the Z650, FZ-07, and SV650. Looks-wise, overall, I think the (white) Z650 is the best. For some reason the engine of the FZ looks nicer to me. The SV...while I would be more than happy to own it, it has the look of something that was crashed and repaired. heh I mean, only the tank is painted. Fairings "missing." The other parts are blacked out except the big, round headlight slapped on the front. But if it's the better bike, I'd take it. Actually, this one does look nice Also, I wouldn't mind trying one of those round headlights that automatically adjust to lean angle. 

Having a newer bike definitely has it's advantages (Fuel injection, ABS hopefully, and less maintenance to worry about), but the insurance also cost more than an older bike.

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