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Team Classic Suzuki Reveals Lockdown Project: Big Kat Is Back

Team Classic Suzuki's lockdown project build; a Katana based around a 2008 GSX-R1000 world superbike machine

What does a high-profile team do when unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures?

They get busy. 

And judging by the beauty of a bike that’s just been revealed, Team Classic Suzuki had their hands in multiple baskets. 

The newly revealed chimera-style superbike has the winning features of a Katana with the engine and chassis of a GSX-R1000 World Superbike – and it’s no surprise that Team Classic Suzuki chose the Katana as the object of their project.

The European Classic Endurance Championship saw Team Classic Suzuki race a Katana to a class win after building a race-ready version at Motorcycle Live. Unfortunately, the bike did not survive and was crunched in the melee. 

The engine of this project build – a WSB-spec 999cc four-cylinder capable of producing around 200bhp and previously used in 2008 by the Alstare team – has been tinkered with by none other than Team Classic Suzuki’s Nathan Colombito, who also popped in a Yoshimura EM Pro electronics kit.

Other specs include homage to the original Katana in the form of Öhlins twin shocks, Alstare WSB headers that connect to a Racefit link pipe and end can. 

With motorists worldwide committing more to classic superbike builds, this one is a build to bookmark for later.

Enjoy the gallery of photos below, courtesy of Team Classic Suzuki.