fuel injected turbo katana

[Guest]

The frame and swing arm went off to take a powder so today I pulled the top end off my '82 7/1166. I road it last season. The left one..

She was oil hungry last season. I had bought it back off a dude who I had built it for several years ago. (I didn't build the engine on this one)
cylinders look like glass. Checked the clearances and the piston/cylinder numbers are bad. .004". for all four. Compresson was 155 across but was drinking oil. The machine shop that did the boring messed up cuz there are very few miles on the bike.

So, since I am selling it, I am going to send out another block for boring and check it when it gets back that it is no more than .0018"-.002". That should freshin her up some. Dyno numbers were 132 rwhp last season but she was a little toooooo loose.

The motor has less than 6,000 miles on it so I was none too please with it smokin. Brake in will be a little different than she saw last time I would expect. "hard and fast". My motto is break it in like your gunna ride it.

The cost will be around 300.00 without my labor so I am hoping to get 3,300.00 for it when all is done. The Ohlins and bandit arm are gone of course. She now sports koni's, stock carbs and stock swingarm.
Braced and powder coated frame
brand new wiring harness
gsxr wheels, forks brakes
6 piston brakes, steel braid lines
new gsxr controls
good paint and seat
new wind screen
Vance and Hines pipe
fresh engine and if I get my asking I'll install a digital keyless ignition

Oops, this turned into a sales pitch, sorry everyone.

I am hoping the frame will be back Monday. The swinger will be a while longer as dude isn't blasting gloss black for a week or so. So, may be a few days before my next post.

 

[Guest]

Frame and swing arm are back.... Now it starts getting fun..

 

[amxsteve]

is that cap properly vented i installed a aftermarket aircraft style cap and it spits fuel when hot

I have never loved the gas cap on these bikes and I hate digging for keys at the pump. Especially when I don't have an ignition key. So, the only thing I have to do now is get rid of seat key....HHmmmmnnmmm??? next season maybe.
Looked at different options, the first one was the obvious one and go with a aircraft style, but, that's pretty boring, every bike has one. I also didn't want to ruin the look of the tank by moving the cap ot the center.


So I went with a pop up cap. Gloss black to match the black the tank will be on top. Nice and flush, low profile and sleek. It will be an excellent match for my paint scheme.

May not be everyones cup of tea, but I like it

 

[Guest]

Powder Coating my katana

Powder Coating my katana

For those who have never powder coated a frame here is the run down.

It is always a good idea to protect all the threads in the frame with bolts. Bolts you won't want to be using later. That way when the frame is media blasted, the threads are not blasted too as well as, they don't fill up with media. If media gets into holes with threads in them it is a bit of a deal digging it out.

If you thread a bolt into said hole there is a good chance it will cease and brake off while you are trying to tighten it up. If some threads are blasted you can "chase" them with a tap. That will clean them up and they will be good to go.

Next, Powder is thick. Some things may not fit after powder. For a katana guy things like the rear brake pedal pivot bolt. IF powder gets into the boss, the shaft may not fit anymore. Same goes for the shifter pivot on the frame and the kick stand mount. Things like peg pins or bolts may no longer fit. Just ask the powder dude to tape off the shifter pivot and the inside of the brake pivot, or you may be doing a little sanding later.

leave the old steering stem races in place and replace them after the frame is done. If you do wheels, for goodness sake take out the bearings before. Sounds stupid but I know of guys who mounted wheels with media filled bearings because they were too lazy or too cheap to replace them. Bearings and grit do not play well together.

IF you are thinking of doubling down and doing some bolts with the frame, after all they are there anyway remember this. Allen head (socket head) bolts may be hard to get out with the allen key as the hole will be much smaller with powder in there. Hex bolts will not longer fit your wrench. Did I mention powder is thick?

I had all my stainless steel gound points taped off so they would be clean after powder. Powder dude saw fit to remove all the tape and powdered all of them but one for some reason so, I spent some time filing off the powder.

See you tomorrow.

 

[Guest]

If you do wheels, for goodness sake take out the bearings before. Sounds stupid but I know of guys who mounted wheels with media filled bearings because they were too lazy or too cheap to replace them. Bearings and grit do not play well together.

Not to mention that the grease from the wheel bearings will melt when going through the owen and leak over the new coating...

 

[Guest]

Today was spent preping and painting parts. Not much polish or bare alum on this project.
GLOSS BLACK: pegs, wheels, brake pedal, shifter, brake pivot, gsxr rear master, brake hanger, hub, Semi Gloss Black, under seat pan, bat box, surge tank, on and on. Took some pics tonight but they don't look 1/2 as good as the bike looks. Need some daylight. Also need some blacker black. NOt sure if I am happy with the T1 Plasticoat gloss black. Looks a little brown to me compared to the swingarm.

Cust some stainless steel spacers for the rear wheel and polished them for some contrast in the sea of black back there. I think I am going to change the color of the under seat pan as well. Pegs took some time to take apart clean, sand, paint, sand, paint, polish the pins, paint again.

I have to start the wheels shortly so I can get the tires mounted, as well as the forks. Painting them gloss black too. Basically everything south of the cosmetics will be a mixture of gloss, semi gloss black with touches of polish and alum.

 

[Guest]

Today was spent taking inventory of fasteners. Didn't realize how many and how many different sizes I need for all the extra bits.
Been having trouble with adhesion to my under-seat pan. I think it is anodized on one side. The stuff is like teflon. Nothing is sticking to the one side. Of course its the up side.

Was looking for a good place for the keyless digital ignition module, things are pretty tight for space since most of it is hidden.

The katana has chrome or plated acorn bolts and nuts for dress. After playing around with them I think its off to media blasing for them. Nothing is sticking to them either. Have to take a step backwards to get the under pan done now. will hold things up for a bit while that gets sorted out.

 

[Guest]

katana rear seat panel

katana rear seat panel

Right!
today was work on the rear seat panel. I had made one out of tin but was time to make a real one out of 1/8" alum. She is just about done, just need a little tweaking and fine tunign the lines to match the rear seat support/lock mount, then paint. Maybe, I may leave it natural with some clear.

The bits on it are, usb iphone power outlet, led button switch to power it as it used power while not in use and finally a volt meter to keep tabs on the consuption and state of the battery for various things. It and the usb will be connected to the switch so they won't be on all the time.

 

[Guest]

This is proving to be a challenge. Nothing seems to be sticking to the aluminum very well. My finger nail will scrape it off so nicks will be a problem. After days of trying different methods nothing has worked. I tried paint that does not need primer. I have tried primer and etching primer with no luck.

Then there are the bolts I am painting. On a katana the motor mount and pivot bolts are chrome or nickel plated. I have sanded and filed but no luck with paint sticking.

I found out that the aluminum I used for the under pan is anodized on one side. Some on the internet say that the anodize makes the alum perfect for painting, well, it doesn't. I took everything over today to the media blaster. Motor mount bolts, pivot bolt, nut and washer, as well as the under seat pans that hold all the electrics.

I am done messing around with them. I was thinking of trying to get away with it but once everything is in place it would be a job to remove it all to paint every season. I did not get them powder coated just media blasted. The bolts will be a special color, but the under seat pans will be semi gloss black. The pics below show the first couple of coats of etching primer. If the paint doesn't stick now (and I can't see why it would not) then off to powder they will go.

 

[Guest]

katana paint and prime

katana paint and prime

Much better....

panels came out great. Just like I had hoped. With the new lithium battery I am getting I have enough room in my battery box for the RFID keyless ignition module. The battery is 10 lbs lighter and 2" narrower than the stock gs battery. My favorite feature is no more trickle charging over winter. These bad boys can hold their charge for up to a year and can last up to 8 years and has 60 more cold cranking amps than stock.

and before you ask, the RFID unit in the bike is a mock up. The real one is sealed up with epoxy and the mount won't stay raw alum like in the pic. Still working on all the detail work.

Here are a couple shots of them done.

 

[Big Rich]

First off, great work on an awesome bike. I've always liked the old Katanas.

I haven't read the entire thread, but what kind of battery is it? Lithium-ion batteries don't get along too well with the charging system. Newer lithium iron ones may be a different story though.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Rich, appreciate the comments.

Yes, It is a lithium iron. It is charging system friendly and stable. No thermal runaway with the iron bats. They spec out so well I became a dealer. Going to do a youtube when it arrives and see how long it takes to kill it. The old 1100s can be hard to start in the heat sometimes. These should handle them nicely. I saw one video of a a 100cu/in harley cranking for over 3 minutes. The only thing that stopped it was the starter melting and catching fire.

And of course you can orient them in any position since there is no liquid. There is a smaller one that is rated the same as the stock gs1100 bat @ 210cca and 14amp/hrs and that thing is 1.4 lbs and 1/2 the size of the gs battery (3.5 x 4.45 x 2.28). I am using the 18amp/hr battery just because its the biggest and baddest and its still way smaller than the small gsxr battery I was using.

 

[Big Rich]

Good, good. Hate to see a bike go up in acidic flames, know what I mean?

 

[Guest]

Started the assembly process after powder coating, priming and painting. The rear wheel is not the wheel I will be using, infact it is for sale if someone needs one. Rubber is good on it.
The wheels will be the next task. They will be gloss black as will the front forks.

IF you haven't guessed, the bike color is going to be ZO6 Vette Atomic Orange.

 

[Guest]

Here are a couple more...

Below is a sprocket of my own design. I have them made in Oregon by my sprocket guy. I put them together with a front 530 sprocket for a conversion kit for stock gs bikes. The front sprocket has the spacer built into it and the spline is wider than all the others so there is better spread of forces along your output shaft. This should help with les ware on the output shaft spline. I think I am going to do the rear sprockets in polish and blue anodize. Only the black is hard anodize.
The 530 conversion sprockets are available from my site. The red sprocket nuts are not staying. they are just what I had laying around. They will be replaced with black, stainless or orange.

 

[rotty]

Wow this bike is going to be awesome..Love the work Rob..Love the little things you did.That puts your bike over the top..

 

[Guest]

bandit swingarm conversion

bandit swingarm conversion

If you were wondering what swingarm I am using on this project, it is a bandit 1200 swing arm. When I first began modifying katanas I was told to use a gsxr swing arm. That is what everyone used. A dude over the pond sugested I use a bandit arm. So, I went down to the local bike wreckers and purchased a bandit 1200 swing arm. Dude was right.

I say this because I have had lots of bad advise over the years. Anyway, the nice thing about the bandit arm is you don't have to butcher the frame to get it installed. With the gsxr swing arms you have to remove the peg stays and use rear sets. I did not want to remove the peg stays. The 1200 bandit arm is a little narrower in the pivot than the GS suzuki so I make custom reducer bushings to take up the space. The bandit pivot is also larger in diameter than the GS suzuki so the bushings reduce the pivot size back to 16mm to enable use in the katana frame, or 1100e frame and 750 frame for that matter. If you are doing this kind of upgrade, you can purchase these bushings from www.parts.suzuki-katana.com.

For the katana enthusiast there are a couple other areas to modify for perfect fitment. First, the mono shock boss mount on the swing arm has to be removed. If it is not, it will hit the battery box and gernade your battery. Next, it gets a little tight in the rear brake pedel actuator area. Some modifying is needed for clearance there and the brake return spring tab needs to be relocated and the pedal stop pad needs a trim.

Ok, now what is left is some shock mounts. Be careful, think ahead, and make sure you have enough room for chain clearance past the shock springs. Not all shocks are created equal. Koni shocks have small diameter springs where as Fox shocks are large diameter and run all the way down to the bottom of the shock. Many instances of chain/spring contact have been recorded. Moving the left shock mount outboard a few mm will rectify this problem. (remember to space the top of the shock out as well to keep things parallel.

CNC shock mounts are also available at www.parts.suzuki-katana.com. Now that you have replaced that wet noodle of a swing arm that flexed badly with the bike tire the katana came with, you will have no worries with the new radial 180 tire you are mounting on now. You can mount a 5.5" rim with a 180 tire onto the stock swing arm but I don't know why you would want to.

I have added some swing arm extensions to my bandit arm to give the katana some much needed stretch. Since the bolt on extensions are not made so much for cornering but for straight line runs, I have welded them on for safety. I have also modified the mono shock area to hold my oil catch can that is being fed from the clutch cover and cam cover crank case vent. If you are wondering why, take your oil filler cap off while the bike is running and put your hand over the opening.

 

[Guest]

I am a fan of clean lines and un-cluttered space. So, when it comes to the rear brake I prefer not to have a torque arm stablizing the caliper. I like to use the armless caliper/hanger set ups used on many Suzuki GSXR's.
In the top picture you can see the tongue and receiver that hold the caliper hanger in place. These were found on the early to mid 1990 GSXR's. The set up I am using is off a 2006 GSXR 1000. I machine up my own receivers to weld on the gsx1200 bandit swing arm. I think they work well and look very clean as you can see from previous pictures. The bottom picture is an inside look at my setup. It is important that you use the correct rotor and spacer as alignment is critical. The 2006 rotor is smaller than the 1999 GSXR. Also, you need to know what year wheel you are using as mixing and matching parts can be dangerous and a nightmare to put together. Visit my tech site www.suzuki-katana.com to see what does work and save yourself headaches, time and money. If you find the information helpful maybe buy something from the parts site www.parts.suzuki-katana.com and help support the site and keep it going.

 

[Guest]

katana tank, flush mount gas cap

katana tank, flush mount gas cap

Got the tank back from Tigger today. Everything looks good. I added a fuel drain for winters to be able to completely drain and dry the tank. In the pictures you can see the drain, fuel tap, return line and the low fuel warning thermistors.

A thermistor is is an electrical component that has high resistance when cold. As it heats up, resistance drops allowing current to flow. As resistance drops and current flows a circuit is completed. This circuit is what turns on your low fuel light warning of low fuel level. I used one from an sv650 which has a double thermistor. Low and critical low level. This is important with fuel injection as you can't rely on the reserve switch when the bike starts to starve for fuel. Unlike the gs1100e suzuki models, the katana has no fuel gauge so I wanted to come up with some solution to determine fuel level. This was my solution.

The wires that pass through the thermistors are negative ground wires. It should be fairly obvious why you would not want to run live 12 positive wires into a gas tank fuel of fuel and fumes. The return line I made myself out of a 90 degree npt fitting. AN8 to 18mm metric thread. I was going to weld on an AN fitting but thought it may be better not to. If the an fitting got buggered up, I would have to cut it off and weld again. this way it can simply be replaced. An NPT fitting was an option too, but I decided on the 18mm standard weld bung. This is standard for the O2 sensors and is the same thread for the low fuel sensor as well.

The Pingel fuel tap has a round inlet so a little enlarging of the opening for it is in order. If not the inlet will not feed into the tank all the way and forcing it will result in a torn screen. I decided to use the Pingel because one, I had it, and two, I have the ability to shut the fuel off to remove the tank. The other shut off is needed on the return fitting. There I will be using a check valve (one way). If you look close you may be able to see the safety wire on the drain plug. I drilled it because it is in behind the plastic and I didn't want my first indication of a leak to be flames as raw fuel drips onto my cylinder head and exhaust header.

As you can see, the flush mount cap is on too, looks as good as I immagined it would. Very happy with it. The fuel cap is a Harley Sportster cap and trim ring. I may machine a new trim ring myself, but for now I will go with it. It attaches with an adhesive backing. If you do something like this, make sure you use a vented cap.

 

[Guest]

katana wiring

katana wiring

oH BOY!

Time to install my brand new wiring harness. Love new wires, they are so supple and no worries about connections. As you can see from the pics though, I have a real mess to contend with. As you know, I am not a fan of clutter, so something has to be done about this spaghetti, and it will. All my new ground points will come in handy. The techs over at Simply Digital Systems tell me the the best way to ground the EFI system is all together away from any other grounds. That is one reason I added the ground points on the frame. Thinking ahead I used stainless steel so I could leave the metal bare/unpainted for the best connections possible.

There is a lot of wire related to the EFI that I don't need so considerable triming and crimping is in order. Good thing I just bought a brand new crimping tool for the job. I will be able to trim much of the clutter and confusion simply by getting rid of excess wire. I have located components together to minimize wire. I like my rides to look as good under the hood as they do sitting at the curb. This is going to be a bit of work...