gs1000g mild cafe build

[garyS-NJ]

katana front end on GS

katana front end on GS

I'm thinking about putting a '97 katana front end and the katana wheels and front brakes on on '79 GS1000e (chain drive). I have read about concerns with rake and trail changes messing up the geometry making for a wonky handling bike (in fact, there were posts that said ditch the katana upper and lower triple trees for lower and upper from two different mikes (I guess to get more rake & trail, closer to the GS geometry).

I haven't done any research nor taken any measurements but found this thread and wonder if you Brandon, have had this bike out yet for slow and fast rides.. I read from page 1 - 14 and then from the latest page back a few and see you no longer have the katana wheels or GS wheels.. are the current wheels 17"? and then what about the ride height for the front end (set with your sonic 1.1 springs?, free length on them?. what about rear height, did you swap shocks to set that>? sorry some dumb questions here.

thanks!

 

[thebrandonbeezy]

Well the front wheel is a 88 to 97 kat 600. The rear i used the adjustable shocks in the rear to dial in the rake and trail. Its actually about the same as a kat 600. So for a gs it feels very nimble and light yet i dont have any wobble untill well over 100. I intend to install my steering damper at some point. I used all of the kat stuff including the stock triples and bearings with the factory gs races. The katana cable will work on the gs cluster so you can use the kat speedo drive thats calibrated for the 17. The rear wheel i dont know how easy on the chain bikes is to swap but i know people have used the kat 600 wheel. Mine is the same dimensions as the kat @17x3.5. The whole set up works wonderful together. Great newer forks with old school looks, so they wont look out of place on the gs. Also you could set up the gs 19 on the kat forks with the gs speedo drive and it'll work fine. I did it. That'll give you geometry closer to factory gs but slightly more aggressive. Like an inbetween, you know? Anyways i hope i answered your questions, any thing else feel free to ask buddy!

 

[thebrandonbeezy]

Also i haven't gotten around to installing the 1.1 springs yet

 

[thebrandonbeezy]

Started makings the pan, this is only gonna be for a year or so till i can afford to butcher a nice oe pan and what not haha. Or sell it. Lol also the seat cover i found in one of the saddlebags so ill use it as the cover for now

 

[thebrandonbeezy]

just about there..

 

[Guest]

Just catching up with your thread. I'm not really that far away if there is anything I can help with. I have an 850 parts bike and some 1000G stuff here and there. Hows the job search going and where is the ad for your FZR? I didn't see anything on Spacecoast Clist.

 

[thebrandonbeezy]

Ohh i forgot to update everyone. While ive applied at all the local dealers and have had interviews i genuinely did not want to leave my current job.. about 2 weeks ago i did have a moment where i snapped and locked up all of my tools and left with out saying anything to anyone because of one of my work orders being taken from me and given to someone else with low hours. After which i told my service manager that i no longer wanted to be a tech and that i wouldn't return unless things changed. Well they called me later that day and said my new job would be predeliverly inspections on new cars #gravy. Things have gotten better with my job, and ill be albe to start saving up again to pay for books and the course to get my home inspection license. I took the fzr down because 1 i got offered 100 for a running bike with a title. Thats bs. So i decided to fix it and im glad i did cause is only a $30 part haha.. the gs is still up cause i cant find the email to remove the ad, although the only offer ive had is a neon.. get out with that lol.. i could really use the hinges for the seat, mine were rusted through pretty baddly. Luckily the frame wasn't

 

[thebrandonbeezy]

Been a while, made some progress with the seat last night.. still a little work to be done before I can wrap it. But its very comfortable to ride now.

 

[thebrandonbeezy]

Now keep in mind this set up is just temporary, going to completely redo the entire back half of the bike next year

 

[Burque73]

Ohh i forgot to update everyone. While ive applied at all the local dealers and have had interviews i genuinely did not want to leave my current job.. about 2 weeks ago i did have a moment where i snapped and locked up all of my tools and left with out saying anything to anyone because of one of my work orders being taken from me and given to someone else with low hours. After which i told my service manager that i no longer wanted to be a tech and that i wouldn't return unless things changed. Well they called me later that day and said my new job would be predeliverly inspections on new cars #gravy. Things have gotten better with my job, and ill be albe to start saving up again to pay for books and the course to get my home inspection license. I took the fzr down because 1 i got offered 100 for a running bike with a title. Thats bs. So i decided to fix it and im glad i did cause is only a $30 part haha.. the gs is still up cause i cant find the email to remove the ad, although the only offer ive had is a neon.. get out with that lol.. i could really use the hinges for the seat, mine were rusted through pretty baddly. Luckily the frame wasn't

That's terrific news! Glad to hear things are turning around for you.

In regards to the bike, are you going to seal or waterproof that seat pan somehow? Might deteriorate and or twist with moisture.

Edit; Oh, just a temp thing.

 

[thebrandonbeezy]

I have an aluminum pan made, but that's gonna need a little more work to get it right. Which ill be messing with

 

[thebrandonbeezy]

That's terrific news! Glad to hear things are turning around for you.

In regards to the bike, are you going to seal or waterproof that seat pan somehow? Might deteriorate and or twist with moisture.

Edit; Oh, just a temp thing.

Thanks buddy, just had to put my foot down with the company. They were giving me nothing but the bs time waster recalls that the customers were waiting on. No one else in the shop was getting those tickets and it got real old real quick. Luckily now im getting decent jobs pulling ok hours. Not where i want to be but enough to buy time till i get my home inspection license. Bills paid thank goodness!

 

[Burque73]

Thanks buddy, just had to put my foot down with the company. They were giving me nothing but the bs time waster recalls that the customers were waiting on. No one else in the shop was getting those tickets and it got real old real quick. Luckily now im getting decent jobs pulling ok hours. Not where i want to be but enough to buy time till i get my home inspection license. Bills paid thank goodness!

I have a friend in the home inspection business, not for City building like code enforcement, but refinance/ purchase type inspections. He has done very well, overhead is low and the little truck he drives around just carries a box with a duct scope, camera and tape measure in it. I am envious since my van is always loaded to the hilt with equipment and I'm stuck on projects while he's done in no time and on to the next one. Could possibly ride a bike and do the inspections.

 

[thebrandonbeezy]

I have a friend in the home inspection business, not for City building like code enforcement, but refinance/ purchase type inspections. He has done very well, overhead is low and the little truck he drives around just carries a box with a duct scope, camera and tape measure in it. I am envious since my van is always loaded to the hilt with equipment and I'm stuck on projects while he's done in no time and on to the next one. Could possibly ride a bike and do the inspections.

Thats exactly what im going to be doing, my dad does it now in Daytona and wants me to subcontract from him down here in vero. Now im just saving up to pay for the course to get the license. Im hoping early 2018 ill be able to leave the dealership and go full time home inspector. I tagged along on a few already with him and did one myself (with his supervision of course) and it is very easy for me at least. I have pretty extensive construction experience, so I'm pretty aware of whats wrong and whats not. Honestly the hardest part was learning the app on his tablet to do all the paper work and what not.

 

[Burque73]

Thats exactly what im going to be doing, my dad does it now in Daytona and wants me to subcontract from him down here in vero. Now im just saving up to pay for the course to get the license. Im hoping early 2018 ill be able to leave the dealership and go full time home inspector. I tagged along on a few already with him and did one myself (with his supervision of course) and it is very easy for me at least. I have pretty extensive construction experience, so I'm pretty aware of whats wrong and whats not. Honestly the hardest part was learning the app on his tablet to do all the paper work and what not.

Awesome! Good for you, and your Dad. I've found that having our sons work for us is very beneficial for both parties. Great time out of the family setting to get to know each other too.

 

[Guest]

Good to hear things are looking up. I'm not sure what I may have with seat hinges on, but I'll look. A lot of those kind of things are in my parents barn a half hour away, but I'll be out there either tomorrow or Monday so I poke around in there and see what I can find.

 

[thebrandonbeezy]

Awesome! Good for you, and your Dad. I've found that having our sons work for us is very beneficial for both parties. Great time out of the family setting to get to know each other too.

My parents and i have had a rough relationship since i was in high school. I literally put the high in school for a lot of kids, and my parents couldn't stand it. I've since grown up, an my parent's have moved away. Our relationship has become the best its been in years and this to me is probably the biggest opportunity of my life.. to date.

 

[Burque73]

My parents and i have had a rough relationship since i was in high school. I literally put the high in school for a lot of kids, and my parents couldn't stand it. I've since grown up, an my parent's have moved away. Our relationship has become the best its been in years and this to me is probably the biggest opportunity of my life.. to date.

Much of that hits closer to home than you know. My son, only biological child btw as I have three step kids, ran from home at 15. He ran to his mom's house and wanted to live there. Coming as close to severing ties with me as he could. I raised him as a single dad for years till meeting my wife and blending families. Anyway that was an awful decision for him (yes I let him because of his age choose where to be) and he figured it out after almost a year of falling grades, legal troubles and, well, you know the downward spiral I'm sure. There was a good reason he didn't see his mom for years. He asked if he could come home. I was delighted but that was no cake walk. He had changed and we drifted apart in a painful way. As he got older we worked together on tile floor installations, refinishing hardwood, remodeling, door installations and all manner of construction stuff. His summers and other breaks from school were a time for us to work together. We learned who each other really are and have a very close working relationship in that we can function as a team without bickering about how to do something and almost without communicating verbally, get jobs done very efficiently. Customer's regularly comment on how well we work together. He's coming home from college in two weeks and will start the summer job with me again, Lord willing that is!

I wish the same for you and your pops. May you guys know each other better and enjoy the bond of father and son.


That should probably have been a PM but oh well.
Blessings to you Brandon!

 

[dorkburger]

Brandon, I'm glad to hear things are looking up. You only have dad once. Enjoy him while you can.
The inspection gig sounds great.

Town inspectors were mentioned - ugh. I sent a couple of evenings and most of last weekend helping a close family friend in need - recently divorced and selling her house. The town inspector nit picked like crazy during the CO inspection. I got everything addressed, and on the next inspection by a different guy, he told my friend that the previous inspector sure was picky..... but it passed.

 

[Burque73]

I was going to reply with another off topic comment on inspections but this thread has been sidetracked by my ramblings already.

This bike you're building is inspirational Brandon. I was telling my wife about it and she was excited to hear that it sounds like you'll keep it. Maybe you could flag the CL ad and hide it or something. It will expire soon though right?