Signs of life are starting to trickle out of Hamamatsu, as Suzuki finally seems to be working on new models for our riding pleasure. First, it was the news that the turbocharged Suzuki Recursion concept is likely to go into production, and now it’s that the Japanese OEM is reviving iconic names from its past: Katana and Gamma.
Suzuki has re-registered the Katana name & logo with both the European and American trademark offices, while the Gamma logo has been re-registered in the EU. What this means precisely in terms of future models is up for debate.
The short-lived Suzuki RG500 “Gamma” was a 500cc two-stroke superbike platform, which raises some eyebrows on how the name could apply in a four-stroke dominated world.
If it is a two-stroke model, it makes sense that Suzuki wouldn’t register the name in the USA, as the Land of the Free has made on-road two-strokes an almost impossibility.
It would be unfortunate to see the Gamma name used for a small-displacement street-bike line for Europe, though that is our best guess with the available information.
As for the name Katana, the evidence might already be in front of us with the Recursion concept. The Suzuki Katana line started life as a performance-oriented machine, and slowly saw its name watered down into the sport-touring segment.
Using the Katana name in conjunction with small-displacement / high-output turbocharged machines would be a fitting re-use of the iconic mode line.
One interesting aspect to note with the USPTO filing is that Suzuki filed for the Katana trademark back in October 2010, but only allowed it to be published in September 2014. Whatever motive the Japanese company may have for the Katana name, it has been brewing for quite some time.
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