[92xjunker]

OK..... I'm not a nice guy. You're 16 and barely old enough to ride a bike on the street. Your money would be better spent doing a few lessons on a track to hone your riding skills, rather than how the bike "looks". To make a long story short, learn to ride what you have and try your best not to crash. Fuck the "stance". JMHO

he's right on the money, learn to actually ride so you minimize the chances of a foolish crash.

[skjeflo]

I would like to get a more aggressive stance out of my Kat but i don't know how i am 16 so i would like to keep it cheap but well built. Any suggestions?

I am trying to find a rear seat cowl for a 2004 600 Kat. I cannot find them anywhere are there any for sale or anything. I looked on Ebay and cannot find them anywhere? and also i would like to make my bike look more aggressive looking. Regarding the head light mods of any input will help!!!!!!!

OK..... I'm not a nice guy. You're 16 and barely old enough to ride a bike on the street. Your money would be better spent doing a few lessons on a track to hone your riding skills, rather than how the bike "looks". To make a long story short, learn to ride what you have and try your best not to crash. Fuck the "stance". JMHO

Yes, he is 16 and therefore probably won't listen to advice from elders, but we do have to try.

Understand that you own a Katana, not a Gixxer. The Kat is not and never was a true "sport" bike. It is a sport touring bike, meaning it does lots of things pretty good while truly excelling at none. Its heavy, its handling is average at best nowadays (in stock form, by comparison with more modern bikes) and it is relatively under powered.

That said, there are those on this list who can make their Kats sing and dance. But first, YOU have to know how to sing and dance. Get the bike (I assume your first) ready to ride safely and accept it for what it is, and isn't, and just ride it and learn. Use your time riding you first bike to learn all you can about riding, invest your money in something you will always have with you (even after you have moved on to a different bike), an education about the proper way to ride.

[Purplehaze]

Agreed with the rest here. I may be 18 and just in my second riding season but age doesn't make much of a difference so listen to me:

Take it slow, don't bother changing anything as of yet unless it is broken.

As you learn to become a better rider, upgrades will be more suited to you. By 'Stance' I assume you mean cosmetic mods. Changing the actual stance (read: suspension) of the bike can change the entire experience and possibly look, but as someone who is just learning to ride a motorcycle throwing a massive change like that into the list of things to adapt to is the last thing you want to do.

Most of those have already been covered by other members: Ones that can change the look drastically; Exhaust, Windscreen (recommended by me), paint/vynl wrap/plasti-dip, Shovel Chop/"Fender removal", and headlight. You may opt for ones that don't change the look too much to the untrained eye (non-rider/not-familiar with Kats): gauge lighting/gauge swap, tank pad/bra/bag, Mesh Mod (recommended by me, this actually probably belongs in major changes of the look), painted forks/swingarm/tires/brake-calipers, Underglows/LED Lighting, Flushmounts/different indicators, aftermarket mirrors (may need a bit of fab work for this), and added frontal-lighting.

Whatever you end up doing, I recommend you wait a few months of riding to do anything. This is (I assume) your first riding season, and (I assume) not the last. Most/all/(mine did/does) pass the 10ft test. Park your bike and walk 10ft away, if it looks good you really don't have to worry to much about stance or cosmetics until they become more of a desire to you than an exciting first eek out into modding (read: rushing things).

Besides, that's what winter is for.

[captain catfish]

hey guys, some very good information here. just some back ground, i encouraged katana1997 to seek info here for what he was looking to do for his bike, yes its his 1st street bike, but not 1st bike. a little back ground he has ridden dirt bikes for 8 yrs up to cr250s. his father rides and so does his grandfather. he did take a riders safety course and his parents bought him all new gear (helmet, jacket, gloves, boots).

i have told him a lot of what you guys have about going slow on the mods, but we all get really enthusiastic with new toys. i figured you all would be the 1s to know the in and outs of what he wants to change.

thanks for leading him the right way.

catfish

[maniac1886]

+1 PurpleHaze

Thanks for the tip Krey. Front suspension is going to be my next big (expensive) project. The busa front ends go for like $600-$700 on ebay. Im not ballin like that so until I can make the step to do all that, I acknowledge that the forks have needed attention. I have been starting to read into it a little more, trying to wrap my head around emulators and have looked through some rebuild threads. My next couple hundred dollar chunk that I drop on the bike will be suspension. I spent almost $500 on her over the winter which left me right about maxxed out for a while. She's a work in progress.

[Katana1997]

I am sixteen yes but that doesn't mean I haven't learned to ride well yes I am not perfect but when I ride I want it to look the way I want it to. I don't want to learn to ride on something I don't think looks good. Half of owning a bike is making your own and you learn more about your bike doing these sort of things so in essence I am become a better rider by doing this

[skjeflo]

...and you learn more about your bike doing these sort of things so in essence I am become a better rider by doing this

Doing your own work will make you know your bike better (all for that ) but will do NOTHING for your riding abilities or street sense. Too many RIP rider threads on all the lists I'm on as it is.

Whatever you choose to do, do it right or don't do it at all.

Don't do a Busa front end without making sure the rear is set up to match it. (See TMOD for suggestions)

Don't lower the front end just for looks (unless your want to be know as a poseur, in which case you should have saved up for a Busa in the first place), do it because you want it to handle better and you have done the research on the HOW and WHY of it all. (TMOD again, or others on here)

Don't grab for the brass ring of more power without doing upgraded brakes at the same time, if not before.

Have fun, stay safe and know that you have a huge group of knowledge on here to draw from. They may not always tell you what you want to hear, but most of the time what you need to hear.

[92xjunker]

Doing your own work will make you know your bike better (all for that ) but will do NOTHING for your riding abilities or street sense. Too many RIP rider threads on all the lists I'm on as it is.

Whatever you choose to do, do it right or don't do it at all.

Don't do a Busa front end without making sure the rear is set up to match it. (See TMOD for suggestions)

Don't lower the front end just for looks (unless your want to be know as a poseur, in which case you should have saved up for a Busa in the first place), do it because you want it to handle better and you have done the research on the HOW and WHY of it all. (TMOD again, or others on here)

Don't grab for the brass ring of more power without doing upgraded brakes at the same time, if not before.

Have fun, stay safe and know that you have a huge group of knowledge on here to draw from. They may not always tell you what you want to hear, but most of the time what you need to hear.

+1,000,000. We would rather have you unharmed, then we can help you achieve your goal. " it not a matter of IF your going to crash but WHEN your going to crash". Please get some seat time first. We'll help all we can.

[GSXFJim]

.... I don't want to learn to ride on something I don't think looks good...

I hate to to tell you this, but looks will never make you a better rider.

[Slofuze]

I hate to to tell you this, but looks will never make you a better rider.

This

[skjeflo]

As compared with many other bikes on here, mine looks terrible with scratches on the fairing, a mismatched front fender and it hasn't had a bath since last summer. It could use some suspension work, the carbs could use one more going through and the seat need recovering.

On the up side, it starts on the first push of the button every time, from cold starting at 20 degrees, to hot starts at 90+. It has brand new tires and brake pads, rund own the road just fine and returns a consistent 43mpg, even with my big sail riding it.

Do I want the bike to look nice, sure. But I'd rather have it safe, reliable and available when I want to ride it.

Accept the bike for what it is and you'll be happier in the end.

[Kreylyn]

I would like to get a more aggressive stance out of my Kat but i don't know how i am 16 so i would like to keep it cheap but well built. Any suggestions?

How tall are you?


Kinda important to know as geometry change could include seat height changes.


Krey

[rschlegel]

I know your sixteen and have ridden dirt bikes before. You've taken a rider course and that's great. I don't know what types of roads you ride on. If you live where its all straights and hardly ever any turns then some of the geometry stuff won't be as noticed. Of course if its straights and your hauling butt, what you are looking for causes less stability at speed. Everyone here just gets concerned about new STREET riders getting hurt. Good chance that if you make a mistake on the road it will be the last one you make. What you seem to be looking for makes your bike handle differently than it was engineered. If you really ride smart and take your time to learn your bike you will probably change hour mind or your bike. Whatever you do, don't be a smart ass on the road. If your gonna haul ass, take it to a track day.