1992 Suzuki RG250 Katana Custom

There is no more significant name in Japanese motorcycle history than the Suzuki Katana. Japanese for “sword”, the Katana was for a whole family of bikes, beginning production in the early 80s until the mid-2000s, before being re-released in 2019 and continuing to be produced today. In the late 1970s, Suzuki had become concerned about the stagnating design of the ‘Universal Japanese Motorcycles’ of the era and wanted to make its bikes stand out with a European-type design. They made sure to set the Katanas apart from the crowd, drawing on sharp angles, and blended-in bodywork, seats, side panels and tanks to create an iconic design, which made the space-age newcomer stand out. Elements of ‘Katana style’ didn’t just dribble down across Suzuki’s range in the early ’80s, it lives on to this day.

Many motorcycles have been called road-legal racers, but the RG250 Gamma was the very first mass-produced motorcycle with a lightweight aluminium frame and racing-type aerodynamic fairing, starting a new trend that would become common in the industry. It was fast and it handled very well, being called “The Portable Racing Game” by critics. Suzuki had used all its experiences from the race track and its knowledge in designing 2-stroke engines to create something special and unique. Yes, the RG250 was a real road-legal racer and gained much popularity in racing circuits. It’s not a bike for the faint of heart or commuters, but made for a track! The model was manufactured between 1983 and 1986 and it was finally replaced by the V-twin engined RGV250 in 1987.