20 Suzuki GSX600F Katana

From the low-mass pioneer—a genuine shocker.

52 Suzuki GSX1100F Katana

A Japanese toast: to long rides that are fast and exciting.

60 Honda CBR600 Hurricane

More rain, thunder, and lightning for the loyal opposition.

32 The ’88s: The Honda Push

Now see this: fl at-six Gold Wing,

V-twin sport bikes, arresting colors.

37 Offshore Aliens

Interesting, illegal, eyes-only.

38 Kawasaki: Fast Train To Ninjaville

Lemme see. The ZX-10 leaves at 0:00.00

from the Christmas tree.

45 Suzuki’s Wild Cards

An entirely new GSX-R750, plus other aces.

M Showstopper!

From acronym-happy Japan, Suzuki springs

the full-coverage NUDA.

50 BMW Stalks Its Future

The sun also rises ... over Germany.

27 The Compleat Motorcycle Chef

Open-air performance with hydrocarbon saute!

By James Beardless

66 The Modern Age

The Indian Power-Plus, and how the day before yesterday

ted to yesterday, which led to today. By Kevin Cameron

71 Ideas In Time

Sometimes a good idea has to wait

for materials and technology By Kevin Cameron

78 Les Ranger’s 200-mph Shirt

You’d give the skin off your back for this Tee.

Photos By Freud

80 The 200-mph Club

Step-by-step up Mercury’s flight of go-fast stairs.

7 Editorial/Foo/ed 'em Again?/Phil Schilling

8 TOClFrame-Up/Kevin Cameron

14 Letters/Turbo-Wash

16 Pipeline/Superbike vs. Superbike/Jim Greening

18 B i t s/Softai! For Two/Tim Carrithers

Only hours after its high-speed in-

troduction at Riverside Raceway,

Suzuki's new GSX Katana begins to

come apart—slowly, methodically—

in Cycle's garage. There's a mystery

about this motorcycle we can’t quite

fathom. Respectable lap times on slip-

pery tires at Riverside, that aging

dragon of a racetrack, provided few

clues. We re puzzling over other num-

bers, the kind that never show up on

Seiko watches.

Off comes the fuel tank, a broad,

humped 5.3-gallon cell with no pro-

jections down into the engine bay. The

Katana’s plastic bodywork peels

away in seven sections held in place

with alien bolts. Underneath is a real

shocker from motorcycling’s low-

mass pioneer: Look at this frame!

Enormous, rectangular-section steel

beams, reinforced with gussets and

cross-members, bow outward, 19

inches at the broadest point, wrap-

ping around the farthest edges of the

engine block.

Everything about the Katana is un-

expectedly massive. Tread to tread

this Suzuki measures 84 inches; the

Hurricane, also with 17-inch wheels

front and rear, comes in un-

der 80 inches.

The Katana's compo-

nents run lock-step with...