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Suzuki 6-Hour Special Katana by Guy ‘Guido’ Allen, May 13 2021
Rare wire-wheeled variant never made it to the track It’s not quite up there with the appearance of a Loch Ness monster, but for an air-cooled Suzuki nut, it’s a close second – that is, the emergence on the market of a low-mile pukka wire-wheel Katana 1100 with a known history. It’s been in the hands or auto racing identity Bryan Thomson since new and he’s now decided to let go of this and a few other toys. This model summary penned by motorcycle historian Ian Falloon gives an overview:
Muth and fellow Target Design directors Hans Georg Kasten and Jan Olof Fellström presented Suzuki with a radical design created through wind tunnel testing. The rider and motorcycle were incorporated as a complete aerodynamic package, with the fairing and fuel tank flowing air over and around the rider. The first prototype appeared in April 1980, with an official unveiling a few months later at the Cologne show. To everyone’s surprise Suzuki announced the Katana (named after a Samurai sword) would go into production during 1981, and so it did, for the 1982 model year. The air-cooled 1074cc four-cylinder engine had double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, and Suzuki’s TSCC (Twin Swirl Combustion Chamber) but was still an evolution of an earlier design. Itproduced a class-leading 111 horsepower at 8500rpm. However, the chassis lagged behind the engine as beneath the style was a twin shock rear end, skinny front forks (albeit with trendy hydraulic anti-dive), and a 19-inch front wheel. The wheelbase stretched 1520mm and the weight was a considerable 232kg. Intent on winning the 1981 Castrol 6-Hour race at Amaroo Park, Suzuki Australia ordered 100 6-Hour Specials. These were fitted with 19 and 18-inch wire wheels from the Canadian-spec version. The 18-inch wheel was preferred for racing as there was a wider range of tyres available and the lower sidewall didn’t flex as much as the 17-inch. But with the shipment stranded off Sydney heads due to a tugboat strike the Katana missed the cut-off date for race entry and the wire-wheeled Katana didn’t actually race in the 6-Hour that year. Ironically Suzuki still won the 1981 Castrol Six-Hour race; with a GSX1100 shod with a 17-inch rear wheel!
This example claims under 3700km on the odo. It's being auctioned by Donington Auctions in Australia with an estimate of Au$30-40,000 (US$23-31,000, GB£16-22,000). The auction concludes June 20. *** Australian 6-Hour Specials were standard Katana 1100s, aside from the wheels and minor trim such as the 'suede' finish on the seat covers. More 1981 Suzuki GSX1100 Katana specs Our Katana
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