STEVE’S SLED PERIOD 5 UNLIMITED SUZUKI KATANA
STEVEN MARTIN’S FAMOUS 1296CC Period 5 Katana is the wild ride of the pack. I had the opportunity to ride the TBR D&D QBE Suzuki Katana that our mate Steve Martin has made so famous at the Phillip Island Classic, Barry Sheene Festival Of Speed and in various QBE Insurance ads, and that was a dream come true that I couldn’t pass up. Not only have I always been a fan of the Katana and all classic era Japanese fours, as a motorcycle mechanic by trade I’ve admired the drag racing engineering brilliance and huge list of achievements Trevor Birrell and Dale Gilbert have collectively amassed over the past 30-years. Then of course, there’s the pure awe of watching Steve Martin reeling off insanely fast laps on this bike, like his 1:37.587 and ultimately winning the 2019 International Challenge.
The Trevor Birrell Racing/D&D Industries/QBE/Suzuki team came together when Trevor and Dale were looking for a new challenge from a life of drag racing. They all visited the Phillip Island Classic in 2009, along with their friend the late Peter Kerr of Racebike Services. Dale and Trevor were introduced to Steve Martin via Peter, who was an original sponsor and mate of South Australian Steve.
12 months later Steve blew everyone away on a Katana built by the guys and things went from there, the team winning the Phillip Island Classic in 2010, 2013, 2014, 2019 and BSFS in 2012. Dale and Trevor brought in their long time drag racing supporters, Castrol and Serco, while Steve brought in Pirelli tyres and
