1981 GSX1100 Katana Based Project

[Rob S.]

Titanium bolt! Have you estimated the cost of this build?

[Nessism]

Fantastic project! Keep going....

That TI bolt is awesome!

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Hi Rob, I got a good deal on the Ti bolts. The supplier had a bulk buy promotion as they had just started a titanium parts department and a bulk buy got a 30% discount. I wasn't letting that deal slip past so bought all the bolts/nuts/washers in one lot. Some parts have not been cheap to buy or bargains but there are some parts I wanted new so there was no messing around with old worn out/rusty parts. A new tank, new genuine coils and leads, new reg/rec, new shocks, new forks, new wiring harness, and of course the Ti bolts. However, I did buy carefully and kept the bills within reason. Most of the other parts are used Suzuki items: hollow cam shafts, wheels, triple tree, engine, swing arm, mirrors, switch blocks and lights bought at swap meets or from friends and the net.

Used aftermarket parts were also bought for reasonable money and within the budget, some of these parts included: ally foot pegs, clip-ons, Ti exhaust system, fibreglass front guard, carbon chain guard, aluminium fork brace, aluminium cowl frame, oil cooler and a few other parts.

Where I am able, I modify parts or make parts like the carbon screen and bracket, carbon starter motor cover, carbon shark fins. By making and modifying used parts myself I can keep the cost under control as well as the quality control of the work. And there is that smile you have when you see something you have made solve a problem and do the job.

Things I didn't do, like painting. To help reduce cost with painting I had the frame blasted with another job so blasting was only $60. Post blasting I prepared the frame for painting and made the jig for the frame, delivered the frame to the painter and he did his thing, and a great job he did. He also painted the tank and body work however, I prepared these parts as well so painting cost was very low compared to the painter having to spend many hours doing all the prep work and painting.

The engineering place that made the aluminium spacers have been great to deal with and the interesting thing here is the cost of custom made spacers has been less than the cost of new genuine spacers.

Anodising all the ally parts in gloss black should be less than $100 if the quote is correct. Will know when I pick them up next week.

Cheers.

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Fantastic project! Keep going....

That TI bolt is awesome!

Hi Nessism, thank you.

Cheers.

[Shin-Ken 1074]

To allow for chain adjustment the rear brake caliper needs to be able to move and as an 1981 Kat swing arm was not designed to accommodate a 2005 GSXR 1000 K5 rear caliper, that needed to be addressed. Solution was to have a tab welded to the lower section of the swing arm and marry that to a tab welded to the forward section of the K5 caliper bracket. This would secure the bracket to prevent rotation under braking and provide a way to allow for chain adjustment. First step was to make the adjustment tab for the caliper bracket and mod the bracket to house the adjuster tab.

DW caliper 8 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


DW caliper 9 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr



DW caliper 10 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr

DW caliper 11 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


DW caliper 13 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


DW caliper 14 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr




DW caliper 15 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


DW caliper 16 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Lower section swing arm mod to house the caliper tab. Stitch drill and file.


DW caliper 3 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr



DW caliper 5 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr



DW caliper 6 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


DW swing arm tab by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


DW swing arm caliper tab 2 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


DW caliper 18 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr

[Shin-Ken 1074]

O.K. that is the caliper bracket chain adjustment almost done, still needs to have the locking bolt fitted. With the position of the two plates now established the torque brace can now be made to suit. A short brace from the forward caliper mount bolt welded to the slotted 6000 series ally flat plate will ensure all is well when under braking load.

DW caliper 20 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


DW caliper 21 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


DW caliper 24 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr

DW caliper 23 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Brace in position.

DW caliper 22 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Now to lighten the brace.

DW caliper 26 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


DW caliper 27 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


DW caliper 28 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


DW caliper 29 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


DW caliper 31 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Lighter and now polished before sending to be anodised with the axle spacers.

DW caliper 30 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr

DW caliper 32 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr

[KiwiAlfa156]

Beautiful work, my friend.

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Beautiful work, my friend.

Hi Darryl, thanks mate, great to hear from you.

Cheers.

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Lightened sump case, ti bolts and aluminium sump plug.

DW sump case by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


DW sump plug by Max Mutarn, on Flickr

[Shin-Ken 1074]

OEM sump case = 899 g.

Plus 15 x OEM steel sump case bolts at 8 grams ea. = 120 g.

OEM sump complete = 919 g.

DW sump complete = 662 g.

SZ OEM sump case by Max Mutarn, on Flickr

SZ OEM sump case bolt by Max Mutarn, on Flickr

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Picked up the aluminium axle spacers today, anodised Gloss Black.

Aluminium axle spacers Glooss Black by Max Mutarn, on Flickr