Hi guys

[Gas mask]

Hey everyone, I'm Russell.
I picked up an 1988 Kat 750 last fall and am currently trying to make it roadworthy after the previous owner "Streetfigtered" it. Here's a pic of what it used to look like:

It still looks like that, the only difference is that now all the plastics look like someone gave em' a workover with a big hammer.

The good news is that apparently someone swapped a 600cc 2006 GSXR engine into it. This could be a lie, but I'm pretty new to bikes and I honestly don't know what I'm looking at.

But, I'm almost finished fixing it up. The bike came with a koso gauge cluster and that's the last thing to go on. However, the bike has a wicked metallic rattle that shows up whenever it feels like it, cold starts sometimes, other times it only shows up when it heats up. Could this be an exhaust leak or did I buy something with an engine life measurable in minutes?

Either way, I can't wait to learn more about these bikes.

[maniac1886]

Def doesnt look like a Kat motor to me. I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure gsxrs moved away from carbs and into fuel injection by 2006. Theres clearly a carburetor on that bad boy. I also want to say (again not a professional) that gsxr's are liquid cooled. that looks like an oil cooler (air cooled) to me. The heat ribs (I dont think thats the right word) are horizontal on the katana. these appear to be diagonal.

My first thoughts on a metallic rattle is the cam chain tensioner. when it goes, or if its out of spec it will produce a sound thats alot like marbles in a metal can. When they are failing, they can rattle, then quit, then rattle. Its common problem with Honda's. Ive never had to touch mine. Try looking up youtube videos on bad cam chain tensioners and see if it sounds the same.

Also, until we know what kind of motor is in that puppy, troubleshooting may be a little skewed. I see that there are high flow air filter pods on that. In the katana world, thats a no-no. Once you figure out what kind of motor that is, it may be beneficial to know whether or not will happily take a high flow air box replacement.

[Kreylyn]

That's no Katana.


The frame is an older gsxR... gixxer. With the oil cooled engine in it, it's going to be somewhere in the 86-92 year range. Probably the 88 model you mentioned. The specific frame year make will be in the vin, so... you can research that to verify.


The engine is definitely not a new gsxr engine. It's an oil cooled engine, so it's either the original GSXR or similar. Katana did share a similar engine. If they put an 06 engine in it, you have a detuned katana engine mounted in a GSXR frame.


Not the other way around.


Krey

[JIB]

Welcome to KR

[maniac1886]

Good call Krey, I was so busy lookin at the motor i didnt even notice the frame! lol

Does the title call it a katana? If so, you just lucked out on cheaper insurance costs btw.

[TommyGSX600F]

Welcome!!!!

[Gas mask]

Thanks guys, yeah the vin on the ownership says it's a katana. I'm gonna have to look into this further.