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This is just a rant.
I bought my 93 Katana 750 about 6 weeks ago. It is my 2nd bike. I got a good deal and was looking forward to riding something sportier than my first bike.
After riding about 400 miles (1.5 days of riding around):
It had poor tires and some other problems, we all have excuses, long story short, I had a little crash in the gravel. Bent forks, bent triple tree, bent handlebar, messed up fairings, bent the exhaust, destroyed some turn signals and a mirror. I had some very slight scrapes.
We get the bike home and my best friend evar pulled some spare Katana 750 parts out of his closet: forks, triple tree, handlebar, fairings, turn signals, and mirrors. We had the bike mostly back together, although the fairings didn't match and the turn signal wiring was a mess.
All things considered, the only really serious damage was the bent fork tube. Everything else was either a cheap part off eBay or something that could be dealt with creatively.
I got it home, jacked it up, got the wheels off, ordered some tires, and had them installed. I spent the next 2 weeks repainting the fairings and messing with the signal wiring. Of course, I need to have the bike reinspected because the previous inspection sticker is on the old fork tubes. Big deal, but still a hassle.
I get the bike all the way back together and go for a test ride. MASSIVE head wobble, just on the verge of uncontrollable. GREAT. I order new steering head bearings and they arrive just in time for me to go on a 1.5 week vacation.
I come back from vacation and my best friend evar helps with the steering head bearings, we redo the fork oil, change all the brake pads (hell, why not?) and get the fairings and wiring back on the bike.
SWEET. After 6 weeks of owning the bike, I can get it inspected and ride it EVERY DAY plus WHEN I'M SLEEPING. FINALLY.
It passes inspection with flying colors. The dude says, "Where do you want the sticker?" I say, "Just on the forks." (WHERE EVERY @#$@ INSPECTION STICKER SHOULD GO.) I didn't realize that this mechanic was a CREATIVE guy with CREATIVE SOLUTIONS.
AAAaahh.
He puts the inspection sticker on the INNER fork tube just above the wiper. I didn't think to look and didn't notice. After riding 15 miles, my helmet is covered in fork oil; the inner fairings, fender, brake caliper, rotor, and tire is covered in fork oil; the inspection sticker is mostly scraped off; I'm REALLY !@#$ MAD.
After some tense conversation, the inspection mechanic agreed that they screwed up and would pay to have it fixed. I ride it to my bike mechanic's (in 427 F heat) and they say, "Dang I've never seen fork seals blow like that!" There's probably no oil left inside it at all. It looks like a bottle of baby oil exploded behind my headlight. It's literally dripping off of everything on the front side of the bike between the top of the steering head and the pavement. I get a written estimate ($200). They MIGHT be able to do the job next week. I ride back to the inspection station (this time it's 428 F - not a joke) and he signs and dates the estimate for me.
And I go home. Screw this. I'm not going back to work. (It's now 431 F - honest to God) I'm drinking beer and looking forward to late August.
By the end of August, I will have owned this bike for 8 weeks and will have seriously ridden it for only 3 or 4 days.
AAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh.. AhahHAAAHAhhaAHAAAAHhh.
Just flipping out a little bit. Thanks for reading my rant.
I bought my 93 Katana 750 about 6 weeks ago. It is my 2nd bike. I got a good deal and was looking forward to riding something sportier than my first bike.
After riding about 400 miles (1.5 days of riding around):
It had poor tires and some other problems, we all have excuses, long story short, I had a little crash in the gravel. Bent forks, bent triple tree, bent handlebar, messed up fairings, bent the exhaust, destroyed some turn signals and a mirror. I had some very slight scrapes.
We get the bike home and my best friend evar pulled some spare Katana 750 parts out of his closet: forks, triple tree, handlebar, fairings, turn signals, and mirrors. We had the bike mostly back together, although the fairings didn't match and the turn signal wiring was a mess.
All things considered, the only really serious damage was the bent fork tube. Everything else was either a cheap part off eBay or something that could be dealt with creatively.
I got it home, jacked it up, got the wheels off, ordered some tires, and had them installed. I spent the next 2 weeks repainting the fairings and messing with the signal wiring. Of course, I need to have the bike reinspected because the previous inspection sticker is on the old fork tubes. Big deal, but still a hassle.
I get the bike all the way back together and go for a test ride. MASSIVE head wobble, just on the verge of uncontrollable. GREAT. I order new steering head bearings and they arrive just in time for me to go on a 1.5 week vacation.
I come back from vacation and my best friend evar helps with the steering head bearings, we redo the fork oil, change all the brake pads (hell, why not?) and get the fairings and wiring back on the bike.
SWEET. After 6 weeks of owning the bike, I can get it inspected and ride it EVERY DAY plus WHEN I'M SLEEPING. FINALLY.
It passes inspection with flying colors. The dude says, "Where do you want the sticker?" I say, "Just on the forks." (WHERE EVERY @#$@ INSPECTION STICKER SHOULD GO.) I didn't realize that this mechanic was a CREATIVE guy with CREATIVE SOLUTIONS.
AAAaahh.
He puts the inspection sticker on the INNER fork tube just above the wiper. I didn't think to look and didn't notice. After riding 15 miles, my helmet is covered in fork oil; the inner fairings, fender, brake caliper, rotor, and tire is covered in fork oil; the inspection sticker is mostly scraped off; I'm REALLY !@#$ MAD.
After some tense conversation, the inspection mechanic agreed that they screwed up and would pay to have it fixed. I ride it to my bike mechanic's (in 427 F heat) and they say, "Dang I've never seen fork seals blow like that!" There's probably no oil left inside it at all. It looks like a bottle of baby oil exploded behind my headlight. It's literally dripping off of everything on the front side of the bike between the top of the steering head and the pavement. I get a written estimate ($200). They MIGHT be able to do the job next week. I ride back to the inspection station (this time it's 428 F - not a joke) and he signs and dates the estimate for me.
And I go home. Screw this. I'm not going back to work. (It's now 431 F - honest to God) I'm drinking beer and looking forward to late August.
By the end of August, I will have owned this bike for 8 weeks and will have seriously ridden it for only 3 or 4 days.
AAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh.. AhahHAAAHAhhaAHAAAAHhh.
Just flipping out a little bit. Thanks for reading my rant.
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