VALE ARLEN NESS
Legendary isn’t a word we throw
around lightly, but that is without
a doubt one of the ways you could
describe Arlen Ness. The King of Custom
Motorcycles sadly passed away on the
22nd of March, aged 79.
In a statement released via the Arlen
Ness Motorcycles Facebook page, the
Ness family said “Arlen passed away
comfortably in his home surrounded
by loved ones after the most creative
and inspirational life anyone could
imagine.”
Arlen Ness was one of the more
widely successful custom motorcycle
builders, with tie ins with Harley-
Davidson and later Polaris owned
brands Victory and Indian Motorcycle.
Ness is survived by his son Cory,
grandson Zach (both in the family
business), and his wife of 59 years,
Beverly.
“Motorcycling has been a great ride,
Ness once said. “My whole life since
I’ve been motorcycling has been
wonderful. I’ve met so many nice
people. Friends all over the world…
We can go almost anyplace and stay
with friends. It’s been great”.
Truer words have never been spoken.
KATANA JUST WEEKS AWAY
Suzuki’s reimagining of the iconic
Katana has been long-awaited,
and the wait is nearly over for Kiwi
motorcyclists keen to get their hands
on the latest in the long line of sharp
edged bikes from the Japanese
manufacturer.
Suzuki New Zealand has confirmed
that the new 2019 Katana will arrive
in Kiwi dealerships in early May,
with pricing to be confirmed closer
to the date. Other markets close to
New Zealand have announced their
pricing (e.g. Australia at $18,990)
which indicates the new Katana will be
somewhere around the $20,000 price
point.
The new Katana is based upon
Suzuki’s popular GSX-S1000 which
debuted in 2015. Powered by a
tweaked version of the K5 GSX-R1000
motor which produces 147hp and
108Nm of torque, the Katana further
tweaks the recipe with 1981 Katana
inspired bodywork, a full complement
of LED lighting, remote fender and
somewhat controversially for Katana
faithful – a flat handlebar instead of
the original’s clip ons.
Other features include a back-torque-
limiting clutch, Suzuki’s three-mode
Traction Control System, Fujico disc
brakes with Brembo front brake
calipers and ABS, and new tyres with
a tubeless inner structure designed
exclusively for the Katana.
KIWI RIDER 21