Suzuki GSX1100F Katana reviews

I Purchased this beast new on 1992. I had owned a 1982 gs 1100 s. Talk about another beast these standard where the foundation for the drag bikes of the day. That being said the 92 was a dream come true. Yes definitely heavy especially for being 5ft 8 in but never felt like i had any problems the seat height was the key. Still have it today with only 10.000 mile all original. Just have a stage 3 carb kit and after market pipe Vance and Hines. Great for touring. Will never sell it! Show less

What a bike. I bought this powerhouse from a friend at work. He bought it new, and it now has about 50,000 miles on it. I replaced a couple beat-up lower covers and added a paint job. It rides and looks like a new bike. I'm amazed at the power and ride from this 18 yaer old sport-cruiser with 50,000 miles on it. This brute is capable of anything a new bike is at a fraction of the price. Show less

Riding the GSX1100F 1992 Katana on the highways (Freeways in USA language) is the only place I can get the bike to exercise the power in it. Doing 20 miles a day, to work and back just allows the bike to warm up. On the week ends, with less traffic on the roads, I take the Katana to open stretches and feel the power enclosed in it. Had the bike for 3 years and am enjoing every moment of it. What bothers me is the extreme weight of the bike, and the signalling lights that are of a unique shape and are hard to get. Also the Rear mirrors are not exchangeable with any after markets. In general a great bike. Show less

just bought a '93 big Kat with 8500 original miles. have been off last bike for two years ('97 zx-9r). more power than the 9, but much more buzzy and not as planted suspension wise. i assume it's because it's a lower tech engine and suspension. looks absolutely beautiful! not nearly as heavy feeling as others say. my old hurricane 1000 was more top heavy. harder to go slow in this bike, the engine wants to rev...9 was easier to ride real slow than this one. still figuring it out after 70 miles, but day one i give her a 4 performance and plantedness and a 5 for looks. Show less

I bought my 1988 GSX1100F for $1500 wiyh 30,000 miles on it.The last owner upgraded it with GSXR wheels (for fatter taller tires),4 piston brakes and a 750 GSXR head (for larger valves)that was not clearensed correctly so it slammed a valve through the top of the #1 piston. For $500 I put in a new piston 16 valves and set of rings + manual timing chain adjuster. I have put 2000 miles on it since. I love the bike, it rocks. I raced a dodge viper at a traffic light on the edge of town. I beat him so bad he did not even stand a chance, it was like he was chained to a tree. I get alot of looks and complements on the bike. I have a brand new maroon paint job and no logos. Everyone asks what kind of bike it is, and what year it is. I can hardly wait until spring when I can run it up to 140mph +. Its very easy to ride and steer so dont be afraid of the size, 600lbs and 110hp+. I had a chance to buy a couple years newer and smaller (600-750cc)bikes, but after riding with those owners my Katana is the best that I could have done for $2000. It walks right away from them! I love it and will not sell it for twice the money. Show less

My GSX1100f is a 1990 model although the series was unchanged from 1989-1993 (1996 in some countries) so they're practically the same bikes. I was fortunate enough to land a used one in pristine condition and with only 10k miles on it. Having come from a Yamaha Virago 250cc and a Kawasaki ZZR400, this jump to the liter bike class was an extreme move to say the least. The big Katana is one mean machine with an incredible amount of power. Prior to owning this bike, the fastest i had gone was 175kph ... and those were scary attempts at pretending to be a speed demon. On the Katana, I've done lots of 200+kph runs with an achieved top speed of 240kph (with more to spare.) What makes the exerience so much more unbelievable is how stable the bike performs when running at those dizzying speeds. The bike fools the rider into feeling that you're only travelling at 120kph when in reality, you're already doing 200kph. At close to 600lbs wet, the bike is indeed heavy but for its intended sport-touring purpose, it's perfect. I normally like to take leisure cruising speed rides but have on quite a few occassions been irritated by bikers on their Kawasaki ZX6R's and Honda F4i's who think they've got the meanest machines on the road. On these occurrences, I've "unwisely" been goaded into showing them a thing or two about the concept of displacement. My newest bike is a bnew R6 but i'm keeping my Katana to be my long-term long ride buddy. It may not be much of a looker but it's very comfortable, stable and powerful. Show less

I actually have an '89 but it is practically the same bike. It is approaching 35k and it is still running strong. Have had no problems with it other then normal maintenance(brakes, oil change,etc.). Would recommend this bike to any rider with some experience. This bike will still rip and pull the front tire with the best of them. Show less

good dealer Recently bought my 1993 GSX1100 from Cycleworld Suzuki.The motorcycle is very nice.It has tons of power and handles great.I had a problem with the chain which Cycleworld fixed immediately.I have had an excellent experience with this dealership and this motorcycle.I look forward to many enjoyable miles of riding on my GSX1100. Show less

Hey...I gotta tell you the bad things first..it's heavy..it's buzzy...the mirrors really show of my elbows well and the power windscreen is a gimmick that really drives the air to your head. OK so enough of that, this bike is a powerhorse. If your looking for a inexpensive sport tourer..take a test ride on one of these baby's. My Kat has 19000 miles on it and is still strong.It has a very soft ride..good for those expansion cracks..hehe. But this bike screams....high 10's in the 1/4 under 3.0 in the 0-60. Great midrange power for pulling past those 18 wheelers...and hey this bike is cheap nowadays. I Have to rate it as a 4.5 .... or a 4 for this review site. Show less

These bikes are built around the ever so powerful gsx engines with more mid range. This bike has better 0-60 and 0-100 times than most new bikes with 3.0 and 6.0 as tested by all cycle magazines in the past. Still an awesome ride with comfort! 50k of sport touring still running strong with stock clutch, routine maintenance, change of brakes and tires twice. If you like to sport tour for hours with out having to stretch your legs or back this is the rig. Show less