Key highlights
- Suzuki Motorcycle India pulls the plug on the Katana after three years of lukewarm sales.
- The litre-class supernaked featured a 999cc inline-four engine with 152hp and retro-inspired styling.
- With its exit, Suzuki no longer offers a 1000cc four-cylinder motorcycle in India.
Suzuki Motorcycle India has officially discontinued the Katana, its neo-retro litre-class supernaked, from the Indian market. The model is no longer listed on the company’s website, and dealers have confirmed that fresh bookings have stopped.
Launched in 2022, the Katana was priced at INR 13.61 lakh (ex-showroom) and positioned as a premium alternative to the Honda CB1000 Hornet SP. While it had the pedigree and performance, it never quite found its footing among Indian superbike buyers.
What made the Katana special?
The Katana was powered by a 999cc inline-four engine derived from the GSX-S1000. It produced:
- 152hp at 11,000rpm
- 106Nm at 9,250rpm
- Paired with a 6-speed gearbox
The bike featured a square LED headlamp, a short tail section, and a stepped seat—all nods to the original Katana from the 1980s. It was a bold design move in a market that often plays it safe.
Despite its performance and Japanese reliability, the Katana struggled to attract buyers. It was often available with heavy discounts, and even then, sales remained sluggish.
What’s left in Suzuki’s big bike lineup?
With the Katana gone, Suzuki’s 1000cc inline-four offerings in India are officially extinct. The only remaining big bikes are:
- Hayabusa (INR 16.90 lakh)
- GSX-8R (INR 9.25 lakh)
- V-Strom 800DE (INR 10.30 lakh)
Both the GSX-8R and V-Strom 800DE use a 776cc parallel-twin engine. Suzuki has revived the GSX-R1000R globally, but there’s no word yet on its India launch.
Why it didn’t click
The Katana ticked all the right boxes in terms of performance, heritage, and uniqueness. But it was priced higher than its rivals and lacked the brand pull of more established litre-class players. In a segment where buyers want either full-blown track machines or ultra-premium badges, the Katana sat awkwardly in the middle.
It was a bike for connoisseurs, not crowd-pleasers. And in India, that’s a tough sell.
Also read: 2026 Kawasaki ZX-10R launched in India at INR 19.49 lakh
