Suzuki Katana
Real ownership data from 368 UK Katana motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common Katana problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | major | 10.7% |
| Brakes | major | 9.4% |
| Tyres | fail | 4.3% |
| Other | fail | 3.7% |
| Steering and head bearings | fail | 3.3% |
| Suspension | fail | 3.2% |
| Brake discs and pads | fail | 2% |
| Chain and sprockets | fail | 2% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is brake discs and pads.
Katana mileage and reliability by year
Use this to judge whether a specific bike is high or low mileage for its age.
| Year | Examples | Median mileage | Miles/year | First-time pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 7 | 8,273 mi | 832 | 68.97% |
| 2007 | 7 | 4,523 mi | 451 | 83.87% |
| 2003 | 7 | 8,853 mi | 4,312 | 80% |
| 2002 | 10 | 8,846 mi | 1,054 | 84.62% |
| 2001 | 15 | 11,413 mi | 530 | 77.97% |
| 2000 | 21 | 12,019 mi | 662 | 71.43% |
| 1999 | 35 | 6,527 mi | 122 | 79.85% |
| 1998 | 34 | 20,688 mi | 1,015 | 84.18% |
| 1997 | 22 | 15,426 mi | 653 | 82.57% |
| 1996 | 11 | 30,327 mi | 204 | 78.26% |
| 1995 | 10 | 22,728 mi | 848 | 84.09% |
| 1994 | 8 | 27,345 mi | 796 | 90.91% |
| 1993 | 14 | 15,706 mi | 630 | 83.75% |
| 1992 | 10 | 23,210 mi | 261 | 92% |
| 1990 | 5 | 22,741 mi | 47 | 75.76% |
| 1985 | 7 | 33,527 mi | 347 | 75% |
| 1984 | 20 | 34,208 mi | 456 | 82.58% |
| 1983 | 23 | 32,752 mi | 298 | 85.5% |
| 1982 | 53 | 32,453 mi | 292 | 82.58% |
| 1981 | 19 | 27,384 mi | 230 | 91.87% |
Katana questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Suzuki Katana?
Across 368 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (10.7% of all recorded faults), brakes (9.4% of all recorded faults), tyres (4.3% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Suzuki Katana?
The median Suzuki Katana in the UK has covered 19,279 miles, and typically rides about 424 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 8,612 and 35,556 miles.
Is the Suzuki Katana reliable?
82.73% of Suzuki Katana MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.85 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 368 Suzuki Katana motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.