Suzuki GSX1100S Katana (1981 - 1990)

The Suzuki GSX1100S Katana was one of the most daring production motorcycle designs of the early 1980s. Suzuki turned to German studio Target Design, led by Hans Muth, and the result was a sharp, angular machine that looked unlike the rounded Japanese superbikes around it.

The Katana’s influence came from its styling as much as its performance. It made the idea of a factory production bike as a design object feel credible, and its wedge-shaped bodywork helped define Suzuki’s identity at a time when Japanese manufacturers were competing fiercely for technological and visual leadership.