style="font-size: larger;" | Katana AY50

2001-model Suzuki Katana AY50
Manufacturer:	Suzuki Suzuki is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Produced:	1997-present
Type:	Motor scooter Scooter (motorcycle) A scooter is a motorcycle with step-through frame and a platform for the operator's feet. Elements of scooter design have been present in some of the earliest motorcycles, and motorcycles identifiable as scooters have been made from 1914 or earlier...

The Suzuki Katana AY50 is a 50 cc scooter

Scooter (motorcycle)

A scooter is a motorcycle with step-through frame and a platform for the operator's feet. Elements of scooter design have been present in some of the earliest motorcycles, and motorcycles identifiable as scooters have been made from 1914 or earlier...

 produced by Suzuki

Suzuki

is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...

 and sold primarily in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

. starting in 1997. It is named for the katana

Katana

A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...

 samurai sword, as well as the early 1980s motorcycle of the same name

Suzuki Katana

The original Suzuki Katana was a then-novel sport motorcycle designed in 1979–1980 by the southern Bavarian firm of Target Design at the request of Suzuki of Germany specifically for their market....

. As a result, the scooter was widely criticised by the motorcycle press and enthusiasts of the classic motorcycle over the name as for damaging credibility of the Katana name.

The designation "AY" indicates that it has a two-stroke engine (A) and that it is intended for use in urban areas (Y), see Suzuki motorcycle naming conventions.

Design

Some of the parts used on the Katana are clearly inspired by racing

Racing

A sport race is a competition of speed, against an objective criterion, usually a clock or to a specific point. The competitors in a race try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time...

, like the carbon-look Magneti-Marelli

Magneti-Marelli

Magneti Marelli S.p.A. is an Italian company which deals with development and manufacturing of systems, modules and high-technology components for the automotive industry...

 instruments and the Showa

Showa Corporation

is a manufacturer of high-performance automotive, motorcycle and outboard suspension systems based in Gyoda, Saitama in Japan.Founded in October 1938 in Japan's drive to develop its military capability in preparation for World War II, Showa supplied aircraft suspension and landing systems to...

 upside-down front suspension. A helmet

Motorcycle helmet

A motorcycle helmet is a type of protective headgear used by motorcycle riders. The primary goal of a motorcycle helmet is motorcycle safety - to protect the rider's head during impact, thus preventing or reducing head injury or saving the rider's life...

 can be stored in a space below the seat.

Specifications

The powerplant of the Katana is a two-stroke

Two-stroke cycle

A two-stroke engine is an internal combustion engine that completes the process cycle in one revolution of the crankshaft...

 engine with a displacement

Engine displacement

Engine displacement is the volume swept by all the pistons inside the cylinders of an internal combustion engine in a single movement from top dead centre to bottom dead centre . It is commonly specified in cubic centimeters , litres , or cubic inches...

 of 49 cubic centimetres producing 2.43 kW. Being just below 50 cm³, it is regarded as a moped

Moped

Mopeds are a type of low-powered motorcycle designed to provide economical and relatively safe transport with minimal licensing requirements.Mopeds were once all equipped with bicycle-like pedals , but moped has been increasingly applied by governments to vehicles without pedals, based on their...

 in most countries. In addition to the air-cooled

Engine cooling

Internal combustion engine cooling refers to the cooling of an internal combustion engine, typically using either air or a liquid.- Overview :...

 AY50, a liquid-cooled version designated the AY50R is produced.

The engine of the AY50 is also used in the Suzuki Estilete UF50 and Zillion UX50.

As with most popular scooters and mopeds, many aftermarket

Aftermarket (automotive)

The automotive aftermarket is the secondary market of the automotive industry, concerned with the manufacturing, remanufacturing, distribution, retailing, and installation of all vehicle parts, chemicals, tools, equipment and accessories for light and heavy vehicles, after the sale of the...

 modifications and replacement parts to increase acceleration and top speed exist. However, tuning

Engine tuning

Engine tuning is the adjustment, modification or design of internal combustion engines to yield optimal performance, to increase an engine's power output, economy, or durability....

 of 50 cm³ vehicles is illegal in most countries.

Katana AY50 (air-cooled)

• Capacity: 2; rider and passenger
• Dimensions: 650 × 1890 mm
• Wheelbase: 1200 mm
• Weight:
• Seat height: 790 mm

• Displacement: 49 cm³
• Power: @ 9000 rpm
• Power-to-weight ratio: 0.027 kW/kg
• Torque: 3.2 N·m @ 5.500 rpm
• Transmission: Continuously variable
  Continuously variable transmission
  A continuously variable transmission is a transmission that can change steplessly through an infinite number of effective gear ratios between maximum and minimum values. This contrasts with other mechanical transmissions that offer a fixed number of gear ratios...
  
  
• Noise: 84 dB @ 4500 rpm
• Starter: Kick
  Kick start
  Kick start refers to a method of starting an internal combustion engine by pushing a ratcheting lever with one's foot. Kick start mechanisms were almost universally a part of motorcycle engines before the mid-1970s, and were phased out of production over the next twenty years or so as electric...
  
   and electric
• Fuel: Unleaded petrol, 6 litre capacity

• Front tyre: 120/70-12
• Rear tyre: 130/70-12
• Rim dimension: 3.5"
• Front brakes: Disc
  Disc brake
  The disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a wheel while it is in motion.A brake disc is usually made of cast iron, but may in some cases be made of composites such as reinforced carbon–carbon or ceramic matrix composites. This is connected to the wheel and/or...
  
  
• Rear brakes: Drum
  Drum brake
  A drum brake is a brake in which the friction is caused by a set of shoes or pads that press against a rotating drum-shaped part called a brake drum....
  
  
• Front suspension: Inverted Showa
  Showa Corporation
  is a manufacturer of high-performance automotive, motorcycle and outboard suspension systems based in Gyoda, Saitama in Japan.Founded in October 1938 in Japan's drive to develop its military capability in preparation for World War II, Showa supplied aircraft suspension and landing systems to...
  
  forks
• Rear suspension: ?