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So two years ago I bought a 1993 Katana 600 and loved it (avatar pic). Used it as my only daily for the summer and put about 4000 miles on it. Then came fall and I needed some cash for a new car (New England winter on two wheels would have been eh...challenging) so I sold her for about twice what I paid and got myself a cage. Last summer I picked up a horrifically ugly, alligator skin themed 1998 Kawisaki zx6-e and beautified it. I really liked that bike, probably because of how similar it was to the Kat, being a sport tourer and all. Ended up getting a really good offer on the Zx mid summer and we parted ways. Now fast forward 7 months and as the weather is getting nicer, that urge has been creeping up again and I found myself scouring craigslist for a deal.
Ending up finding this guy...who...lets just say he had a lot of stuff. I'm talking like 10 cars in his backyard all at various stages of backyard racecar-ification. Apparently he bought the bike from a friend two years ago and just never learned how to ride. His ad said the bike was in decent condition but cosmetically wasn't the prettiest. A bit of an understatement if you ask me. The poor kat has been sitting in his backyard under a tarp for the last two years. The left side front fairings are cracked in a million pieces because apparently kickstands and mud don't mix well. Other than that and being FILTHY, there surprisingly isn't too too much external damage. Luckily the guy had the battery in his shed on a tender and had said that he bought it brand new right after he bought the bike. We hooked it up, I sat on the bike and after about 10 seconds of cranking she miraculously fired right up and started purring like a kitten with that stock exhaust sound only a mother could love. I predict a carb clean in the near future...
Five Benjamin Franklins later and she was on the trailer coming back home. New proud owner of a 2002 Katana 750 with 12,000 miles on it. I live at school and the bike is in the garage at home so pics and updates will come sporadically on the weekends that I decide to make the drive home. I feel like I adopted a sick orphan and its my duty to nurse it back to health. Can't wait to tear into it and get started, wish me luck
Ending up finding this guy...who...lets just say he had a lot of stuff. I'm talking like 10 cars in his backyard all at various stages of backyard racecar-ification. Apparently he bought the bike from a friend two years ago and just never learned how to ride. His ad said the bike was in decent condition but cosmetically wasn't the prettiest. A bit of an understatement if you ask me. The poor kat has been sitting in his backyard under a tarp for the last two years. The left side front fairings are cracked in a million pieces because apparently kickstands and mud don't mix well. Other than that and being FILTHY, there surprisingly isn't too too much external damage. Luckily the guy had the battery in his shed on a tender and had said that he bought it brand new right after he bought the bike. We hooked it up, I sat on the bike and after about 10 seconds of cranking she miraculously fired right up and started purring like a kitten with that stock exhaust sound only a mother could love. I predict a carb clean in the near future...
Five Benjamin Franklins later and she was on the trailer coming back home. New proud owner of a 2002 Katana 750 with 12,000 miles on it. I live at school and the bike is in the garage at home so pics and updates will come sporadically on the weekends that I decide to make the drive home. I feel like I adopted a sick orphan and its my duty to nurse it back to health. Can't wait to tear into it and get started, wish me luck
A little tinkering with the carbs and we'll be golden
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