Reunited '89 Kat 1100

[RobertTravis]

About 9 or 10 years ago I sold my Kat to my neighbor. I was starting a new business & felt guilty leaving the dog home all day when I was out riding in the nice weather...so I sold her.

I was bikeless since I sold her & bought a KLR650 last year. It's pretty cool for what it is - but it sure wasn't my Kat! I was just kind of dreaming about getting this one back - nothing more than that! I didn't want someone else's 1100 because who knows what they did to it to ruin it (as most POs do) - I would only get another Kat1100 if it was MY old one.

I was about to pull the trigger on a ZZR1200 a few weeks back when my dad said that my neighbor a few doors down (actually neighbor's work mate) stopped by and said he had health problems and he wanted to know if I wanted to buy my old bike back!!! I was dumbfounded! I didn't say a word to ANYONE about wanting it back! Be careful what you wish for, right??!!

So anyway...I got her back with only 7k more on the clock than I sold it for. He kept up with oil changes, kept it under cover or in the garage and overall, not really that much worse for the wear. He did ride the back brake with his big clodhoppers and scored the disc pretty good & the front brakes are glazed pretty good. I took it for a ride & she runs pretty good - although I can tell the carbs need a good cleaning.

I've got all the bodywork off of it now & will soon be cleaning & replacing all the important stuff. I did the carbs (Dynojet, sync, etc), Yoshi slip ons (sounds MEAN!!!) not long before I sold it & she ran SO good! I've got 3 new rotors coming, new braided lines for brakes & clutch, progressive springs, and other goodies. I'm trying to restrain myself from wanting to ride it before I do all the work!

Anyway - Pic attached. She's the original midnight blue metallic. Not sure the paint code - I wasn't able to nail it down using some of the links I found here. It might be a Sherwinn Williams digital match thing I need to do...but that's later.

I've got the carbs off of it & it looks the like valve cover gasket is leaking around some of the bolts. Do you guys know if the vc gasket typically comes with o-rings or gaskets for the vc bolts?

How about fuel & vacuum lines? Know what size & recommend one over another?

Anybody do the sight glasses on the MCs yet? Mine are yeller & cloudy

THANKS!

[gsxkat1100]

Nice looking Kat. It was just meant to be with you.

Your location, is that Newark,OH?

[RobertTravis]

It was just meant to be with you.

I was thinking the same thing

Gotta love auto-fill Fixed! Used to live there (Newark, Dela-where?)...also used to live in your neck of the woods in Hudson. Got peeps out there.

Here's what she looks like now...Got the HEL braided lines today I did the 'stealth' option where they cover the lines with some kind of shrink wrap. All stainless hardware - came with new banjo bolts etc. Pretty sweet!

I'm wondering what the best way would be to clean all the 'innards' without messing anything up...like the greezy frame and dust/oil & dirt on this 25yr old girl. First thought is Simple Green + garden hose. I think the pressure washer may do more harm than good. I fooled around with some Simichrome on the wheels & they came up a little...along with a stainless cup brush on the Dremel. I'm thinking of doing both like that, paint the centers & clear the whole deal to keep them from getting pitted again.

You can see all the filth that came off of the outside of the carbs...that's just carb cleaner and dirt.

[shpielers]

Congrats on getting her back!

If you find a gasket kit it can come with all manner of things, but purchased seperately, it will just come by itself. I got mine and various orings/spark plug well gaskets etc from ronayers, decent pricing.

[RobertTravis]

Thanks. I pulled one of the carb bowls off last night and removed the float needle etc. Lots of fine particles in there. It might be time to treat the tank.

[shpielers]

Por-15 works great for that

[RobertTravis]

Por-15 works great for that

Cool. Didn't know that. Looks like Eastwood has a few kits.

[shpielers]

FYI I've heard several places that Kreem isn't permanent - it peels/flakes off after a few years so avoid that one.

[RobertTravis]

OK good to know. I really don't like the idea of coating the inside of a tank. I'm going to try giving it a good sloshing and cleaning and go from there. Some guys use chains...I may use pull chain to help loosen up any flakies.

I was looking in some old boxes and found some spares I had from when I owned the bike before & found a Visu-Filter 8419 still new in the box. I think it is rated 40 microns (.0015"). I'm looking for a way to catch some of the silt before it gets to the carbs. It was idling like crap & after pulling off the #1 bowl, I can see why.

It appears that I can sneak one of these filters in between 1&2 and 3&4 carbs without it interfering with anything...and it will be sitting vertical which should prevent vapor lock etc. They claim 7 GPH flow, so with 2 of them, I think I'll still have prenty for bonzai runs

[RobertTravis]

More disassembly & cleaning...

I polished the lens on the cluster today after changing the batteries out. The original were Union Carbide 803. I replaced them with Duracell #76A, which seems to work just fine. Incidentally it also fits HF digital calipers...

I gave the frame a good degreasing...used this stuff called 'Mean Green' from Dollar General. It works pretty good and @ $5 a gallon you can't beat it. It's like Simple Green. After pulling the back wheel and chain off, I've got prenty more grease to scrape and clean off. I've decided against doing a full resto - I'm going to clean up everything I can and replace the important stuff. The problem is, these sort of things have a way of snowballing...if you clean it up too well, there are bound to be areas that don't look as good next to the clean stuff...and now you have to do that too.

I've been gathering parts...after taking the back tire off, now I think I am going to replace it. I'm in there...might as well. Waiting on some carb parts and valve cover gaskets...plus some other little odds and ends to finish the brakes (all new rotors, pads, braided lines, MC diaphragms etc).

Pulled the back rotor off...looks like an LP from DJ Scratch's collection. Looks like the new one is indeed correct.

[shpielers]

Ooooo good to know what batteries work. That's on the to do list. Somewhere around the bottom, but still needed.

I know exactly what you mean about the cleaning aspect. My fairings are 8 different flavors of F'd up so I can get away with a little grunge being left behind.

[RobertTravis]

I just got off the phone with Sherwinn Williams (not Sherman Williams the actor) - they have an Automotive division in Cherry Hill. I told him I couldn't find the paint code for my bike and he said no problem - they can 'chip it out' or run one of my fairings under the spectrometer to get a perfect match. I'm stoked!

I have some scratches to fill & paint, plus some repairs to go over, but it should be a pretty good match.

FYI - I asked if he could put them in rattle cans - yes, but said the color wouldn't match as closely as if I got a pint/quart of their polyurethane stuff (which sands better) - but if you need a custom color rattle can they are like $35 ea. Which isn't all that bad if you need it & don't have any guns. I've got a few so I don't mind spraying it that way.

Not sure how many of you have seen the '89 1100 color on my bike. Most think it is black. It is a really dark midnight blue metallic that you really can't see unless the sun is bright or @ night under parking lot sodium lamps. It's quite illusive...just like the rest of the bike

[RobertTravis]

Parts

Doesn't look like over $500 of Genuine Suzuki (mostly rubber) parts, does it? Now I can get going on the resto...Still have more to order...