DL 1000 Vstrom triple on 1100 Katana

[John Kat]

This must be the first DL Vstrom triple fitted to an 1100 Katana!
Many thanks to @Chuck78 for the great idea in order to reduce the trail on these bikes.
I still need to add the lock stops but else it's straightforward with the special upper bearing from AllBall racing

 

[John Kat]

The lock stops are a no-brainer as the frame itself does the job as you will see on the picture!

 

[John Kat]

And now with the instrument cluster in place!

 

[John Kat]

After much hesitation I finally purchased a handlebar to go with the Vstrom triple.
The goal was to get something looking as close as possible to the original clip-ons.
In the end I selected the Fehling LD2 Dragbar that's as narrow as the clip-ons at 635 mm.
https://www.xlmoto.fr/guidon-fehling-drag-bar-ld-2-chrome-22mm#?p
I would have preferred an aluminum bar but I couldn't find a suitable one...
The bar fits perfectly and luckily, no extensions are needed for the clutch nor the accelerator cables!
Here's a picture of the mock-up:

 

[John Kat]

And here's another picture:

 

[bwringer]

Which fork legs are you using?

 

[John Kat]

Which fork legs are you using?

The fork legs are from the 1st gen Bandit 1200.
They are the right length for the 1100 Katana.
Sorry for the late answer...

 

[John Kat]

First test today with the Vstrom triples fitted to the 1100 Kat.
The modifications include Bandit 1200 fork legs, GSXR 1100 front wheel complete with disks and calipers, Nissin PR19 master cylinder, EMC shocks with GSXR 17*4.5 rear wheel including disk and caliper.
The bike is also considerably lighter with a 4 into 1 into 2 exhaust from Kerker
The test was interesting as the day before I had ridden my OEM Katana.
Needless to say, the difference is enormous!
Don't get me wrong I like the OEM Kat but the riding position is really awfull, there is a lot of vibration that gets through the bars and the suspension is made out of wood.
The modified Kat, despite the very narrow handlebar is a dream to ride.
There is very little vibration coming through the handlebar as it's cushion mounted and there is far less wind buffeting.
In fact it vibrates less than Honda's latest CB 1000 R...
The position on the bike is almost comfortable despite the high footpegs.
The front end geometry feels just right, the front wheel no longer falls into the turns and the effort to turn is really on par with more modern bikes.
One just wants to lean the bike over and over again in the twisties.
The engine's midrange increases the fun even further ( without the vibes!)
The brakes are powerfull with good feedback from the Nissin radial M/C.
Is the bike perfect?
Of course not!
The bike feels nimble on the go but is still very heavy compared to a CB 1000 R...
The bottom line is: do I want to go and ride the bike tomorrow morning?
The answer is YES definitely!