[The CyberPoet]

Yeah , I had a hard time keeping up .

I like to attribute that in my mind to your poor bike and not to you personally... we'll ignore the fact that mine is a 600cc (engine & suspension stock at that point except for the jetkit) hauling around a hefty me and yours a 771 bore-over running at a higher compression ratio with pods and mods and who-knows-what hauling around a skinny you ( ).

What are you going to be riding this year?

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[md86]

Dunno yet . And I'm STILL not entirely sure what's actually IN mine , since my compression test revealed unuaually low numbers for a supposedly high-compression setup . I've been told though that if you use the stock gasket instead of the thinner one you're SUPPOSED to use with the 771 kit , that compression will actually be lower . Anyway , if I had my way , I'd be down there with the 1127 engine and my GSXR1100 shock in (bought it last winter , never put it in cause Ithink it needs rebuilt) .

[The CyberPoet]

if I had my way , I'd be down there with the 1127 engine and my GSXR1100 shock in (bought it last winter , never put it in cause Ithink it needs rebuilt) .

Think the engine needs to be rebuilt, or just the shock needs to be rebuilt?

Curious...
=-= The CyberPoet

[md86]

Probably BOTH . No , I was mainly talking the shock . I'll get an 1127 before rebuilding the engine . Though I might like to give THAT a shot one day , too .

[AliceInChains02]

On a '98+ Katana, the most common choices are the 150/70, 160/60, or 170/60. All brands will fit - there is very little - if any change between manufacturer and specific tire sizes. Replacing your current 160/60 with ANY other 160/60 will have little or no effect on the bike whatsoever.

As for the tire, I would have to agree with Cyberpoet. The Metzeler Z6 is a GREAT tire for all-around use. I've used them myself, and can honestly say that I'd buy them again if I were in the market for that type of tire.

i'm about to Finally get a new tire and I just want to clear something up... my katana is pre 98 (1992). do those sizes still work well? Thanks.

[The CyberPoet]

i'm about to Finally get a new tire and I just want to clear something up... my katana is pre 98 (1992). do those sizes still work well? Thanks.

On a pre-98, you do not want to exceed 120/70ZR17 in the front, nor 150/70ZR17 in the rear without swapping out to larger wheels. Thus, seek a set of 120/70ZR17 fronts and 150/70ZR17's in the rear. You can find the Z6 in these sizes.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[paradoxmd]

i'm running a 110/80 on the front. i'm due for a rear tire change and will change the front as well. will i notice a difference in going to a 120/70? any recommendations between the two sizes?

[The CyberPoet]

i'm running a 110/80 on the front. i'm due for a rear tire change and will change the front as well. will i notice a difference in going to a 120/70? any recommendations between the two sizes?

It's hard to find a good 110/80 in a radial these days, in part because front tire development in the industry focuses on 120/70 development. Swapping to a 120/70 should give you a little more feedback and precision feel in your turning and handling, at the cost of a minor amount of bump attentuation (i.e. - you'll feel smaller bumps than you would with a 110/80).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet