[rockat]

I have been up to about 110-115 on the speedo (probably closer to 99-104) on occassion. Mind you, it had been on a 3 lane highway that at times is 4 lanes; it is always around 6:30 a.m. on Sunday morning and there are no cars around at all.

I have an '03 600 and I'm about 180 lbs. The bike feels like it could easily go much faster, but I don't see the need. Of course, there is no need to do 110 either...

[93gsx1100g]

Won't say how I used to ride. Very conservative now. I do get up to 100 now and again but slow right back down. A friend of mine just got caught doing 129 in a 75. I don't want to explain to the judge why I still act like a juvenile although I still do on occasion.

[mihai]

143 flat out and on my 600 2004

[Psycho1]

Originally the 600 Kat was considered a sportbike, or at least Suzuki thought it was, since they raced them in the supersport class for several years (even after the first overweight, underpowered, failed gsxr600 came out in 92). I still think of the pre 600's and 750's more of a "budget sportbike", then the heavier larger, more ergonomically refined post Kats as the "sport tourers". With heavy engine mods (early 90's race prep) and the right gearing a pre 600 can run 145-150mph, stock 130-135 is about all it'll get.

[rk97]

any bike can be ridden hard. the insurance classifications are based on expected use, not necessarily true performance potential.

Watch the AMA Harley XR1200 class. Those bikes are the furthest thing from sportbikes, and the pros will turn lap times on them that I struggled to best on my 600RR... (take a look at their times before assuming I suck on a bike)

On a road course, a good rider on a pre 600 will smoke a novice rider on a 2014 GSX-R 1000. Rider abilities being equal, then sure, the more sport-oriented bike shows what 25 years of technology has done for the industry. That doesn't make the old bike any less capable, the new bikes have just gotten more capable.

That said, if your abilities are not enough to push the limits of 1990 technology, I highly doubt you can get substantially more out of 2014 technology. Adding power doesn't always make a bike easier to ride. I am not Mat Mladin. Where he can use 160hp and rail through a turn harder on the lighter, stiffer chassis, I derive substantially less benefit from those improvements - probably more in a straight line than in the turns.

It's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than ride a fast bike slow anyway... Go out and race and XR100 on a kart track and tell me I'm wrong.

[GanjaGreg]

i hit 150 on my 93 katana 600 all the time.. ive tested the speedo up to 100 against a brand new car speedo from a 2014 hyundai and its the same, not sure if PO did some motor work but it feels pretty fast to me!

[92xjunker]

Or 110

[rk97]

i hit 150 on my 93 katana 600 all the time.. ive tested the speedo up to 100 against a brand new car speedo from a 2014 hyundai and its the same, not sure if PO did some motor work but it feels pretty fast to me!

get a GPS measurement. Your speedometer lies to you. Even on brand new cars.

My cars have always read 4-7 mph faster than the GPS verifies. Motorcycles are usually off by more. As speed increases, the margin of error tends to increase as well.

[GanjaGreg]

get a GPS measurement. Your speedometer lies to you. Even on brand new cars.

My cars have always read 4-7 mph faster than the GPS verifies. Motorcycles are usually off by more. As speed increases, the margin of error tends to increase as well.

actually just found out the engine in my bike is a 750 PO did an engine swap and someone sold him a 750 as a 600 and he didnt know i guess.. We had the bike dynoed yesterday and it came up 95RWHP so theres no way its a 600. I rode a honda shadow before so the sport bike thing is new to me... Always just thought it fealt really fast for a 600 ppl always giving me shit saying aww that little cute katana does it go over 100? And im like yeah it will hit 150 and everyone thinks im smoking crack but now it all makes since heh..

Still probably more like 140 top speed.

[92xjunker]

Everyone crying about speeding on public roads are more than likely guilty themselves. Owning a sport bike means you enjoy riding a sport bike, otherwise you would have a cruiser that's more comfortable, more reliable and easier to ride. I sold my Harley after I ground the pegs to pointy triangles and put holes in the primary cover and exhaust.

only, a katana isn't a sport bike, it's a sport styled touring bike. And you statements are more incorrect than correct, I wouldn't own a harley.

[Mrclean81]

I'd like to know how steep of a hill you guys are descending down to hit 140 or 150 on a Kat. My 600 tops out at 115 on the speedo with a 160lb rider and stock gearing.

[maniac1886]

I'd like to know how steep of a hill you guys are descending down to hit 140 or 150 on a Kat. My 600 tops out at 115 on the speedo with a 160lb rider and stock gearing.

Hm.. that doesnt sound right to me. I've hit 135 on the speedo twice on the expressway. Theres 2 other times I've hit 120 on the speedo on the expressway. At 135, the throttle was wide open and still increasing speed when I quit. At 120 I had more throttle, less room. Yes they were public roads, but they were stretches of expressway that I was/am very familiar with and all these times were at night with no traffic as far as i could see in front and behind me. I'm 6' 200 lbs. Stock gearing, Stage 1 jet kit, Yoshi Full exhaust.

[Mrclean81]

Basically the same setup as mine. Dynojet stage one kit and Yoshi exhaust. In my bikes defense, there are no roads around here safe enough (other than interstates that are heavily patrolled by the State Police) to really stay in a bike for a long period of time. It may have a little more in it, but I don't care to find out on these roads.

[maniac1886]

once you get passed an indicated 120, it takes a bit to get up the rest of the way

[rk97]

other than fuel economy, there is no reason to gear a bike to do more than 120mph anyway...

I've been to Nelson Ledges, Mid-Ohio, New Jersey Motorsports Park (Thunderbolt), Summit Point (Main track), Calabogie, Putnam Park, Gingerman, and maybe some other tracks I'm forgetting. Summit Point has a pretty epic front straight, and it's still barely long enough to hit 150mph. And that's only possible if you get a great drive out of the final turn.

Watch some onboard video from WERA races where the speedometer is visible. "C" class bikes (typically liquid-cooled 600cc I-4's) rarely indicate over 140mph.