So when you gonna get all this stuff done ? And dont forget the pics !

Whaddya mean "all that stuff" ? That's like one day's worth of stuff , if that . And that's only if you mount the tires yourself .

most is already done. plugs, oil, bleeders. just waiting to get the tires off and to get the shock in the mail and ill be set.

About those plugs... I'm new to bikes, and I'm wondering, are iridium (and other precious metal) plugs really worth it on a bike? I'm used to racing Mustangs, and for the most part precious metal plugs (ie. iridium, platinum) are good for longevity more than performance. We tend to run copper plugs (much less expensive), and just change them more often.

Thanks in advance for helpin a noob out.

Spark plugs have a "burn-off temp" at which they act like a self-cleaning oven and burn off fouling on their own. Below this temp, fouling will build up (generally, the richer the mix is, the faster the build-up). Using the choke, which is actually an enricher circuit on the Kat's carbs (not a choke at all) loads plugs up fairly quickly, and this is the reason the owner's manual says not to use the choke excessively (30 seconds). It's also important that the bike come all the way up to temp to clear the fouling; more so in cold weather where you are apt to use more choke and where the engine takes longer to come up to temp all the way.

Irridium plugs simply have a slightly broader range of temps at which they will burn off fouling happily (about 50 degrees more range in each direction). The concentrated heat placement of the finer center electrode means the electrode itself should reach temp slightly faster as well, effectively reducing the build-up rate at the electrode. If your bike is already running effeciently, there will be no noticable difference between the two plug types (irridium vs regular), but in borderline cases, that 50 degree temp difference may make a difference.

As for recommendations by Suzuki:
NGK is the OEM provider to Suzuki of their spark plugs (as well as to all the other Japanese MC manufacturers), to the degree that NGK's engineers are in on the combustion chamber design to ensure their plugs will be ideal for the tasks when the engines are first designed. The Suzuki spec is NGK CR9EK for the 98+; NGK says that their irridium (CR9EIX) is a direct replacement if desired and is 100% cross-compatible. In as much as they were in on the design from the get-go, I would say this constitutes a worthy endorsement.

Finally, run NGK or Denso equivilents in your Kat. Too many horror stories with other plugs not working well for many riders (in part because we run oil-air cooled engines which run hotter; most spark plug companies won't take that into consideration when making the CR9EK equivilent plug).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

Thanks a ton, CyberPoet!

I think I'll stick with the NGKs. In the Cobra community, we've run into some problems with Densos. I'm not sure if they've addressed the issues we were having, but I won't risk it.