Valve Adjustments and maintenance??

[smileyman]

I am considering purchasing a Katana 600 or 750 for a commuter/sport tourer and needed to know how easy it is to do your own maintenance?

How often do you recommend valve adjustments? I know the manual calls for every 4500 miles or so. Are the shim under bucket or screw type?

Does the cam chain tensioner need any kind of maintenance? I am pretty handy with mechanicals but really do not want to have to get into the internals on a regular basis...

I would also like to know if the stock suspension is up to the task of bumpy Arkansas highways??

[KansasKat]

The Valve Clearence checks on my '05 Kat 750 is every 7500 miles per my manual. It does not use shims, but rather the screw adjustments. I had it done at 8000 miles, along with carb-sync and re-jet for $250. The Pre 98 Kats use shims.

I commute 98 miles round-trip each day and the Kat 750 has been everything I could have hopes for. I bought it new in June and just turned 10,000 worry-free miles. I ride in Kansas and Missouri and the suspension has held up just fine here.

[Anonymous]

The Valve Clearence checks on my '05 Kat 750 is every 7500 miles per my manual. It does not use shims, but rather the screw adjustments. I had it done at 8000 miles, along with carb-sync and re-jet for $250. The Pre 98 Kats use shims.

I commute 98 miles round-trip each day and the Kat 750 has been everything I could have hopes for. I bought it new in June and just turned 10,000 worry-free miles. I ride in Kansas and Missouri and the suspension has held up just fine here.

your half right the pre98 use screw and jamm nuts on the 750 and the 600 use shims and a shim type motor holds adjustment longer thats why most new bikes come woth them 8)

[smileyman]

Well there is a plus for the 600. I did not know that 'bout the shims. Although I feel more proficient with screw type being an old Chevy V8 kinda mechanic.

Thanks for the replies...I did a search and found out some details i just wanted some first person...

[Black_peter]

your half right the pre98 use screw and jamm nuts on the 750 and the 600 use shims and a shim type motor holds adjustment longer thats why most new bikes come woth them 8)

I think one year has shims ... No??

The maintenance is very easy IMO

[trinc]

suspension - it's OK for touring - but once you start to really push the sport side of it - it'll need upgrading.

to see other 'adjustments' / mods see this:

http://www.motorcycleanchor.com/katana/trinc

tim

[smileyman]

Kewl link Thanks...Still splitting hairs, does anyone know if you can swap the linkage to allow a GP shift pattern? Not that it is an issue but I have become used to one up/five down...

[Black_peter]

Kewl link Thanks...Still splitting hairs, does anyone know if you can swap the linkage to allow a GP shift pattern? Not that it is an issue but I have become used to one up/five down...

Interesting question..
You could flip the lever at the gear changer 180 degrees.
Not sure if the link would foul the foot lever though..
Or find a foot lever that will fit the Kat that has the link
pinon on the bottom..

[Black_peter]

FZR600, ZX7, ZX9
To name a few use a bottom link shift pedal..

[The CyberPoet]

The Kat 600 bumps back and forth between Nut-adjusters and shims. From what I understand (partially based on the parts fiche diagrams), the 88 - 91 Kat 600 uses nut-adjusters, the 92-97 uses shims, and I know for a fact that the 98+ uses nut-adjusters.

The Kat 750 uses nut-adjusters in all years (89-06).

The real question in my mind is what years to target in your searches.

The pre-98's are easier to modify the engine output on and can utilize upgrades such as stage 3 kits and filter-pods with the right tuning/tweaking, putting out more power than their 98+ relatives. They are also far easier to bore-over.
On the other hand, all the OEM parts for the 98+ are still readily available "new" on demand through the dealer supply channel, and the aerodynamics are better (which helps offset any power-loss by comparison and can provide a serious benefit at higher speeds).

Based on first-hand races I've run against similarly configured pre-98's, I found the pre-98's faster to about 70 and then a zone where they ran neck-and-neck, and by 90 I was pulling away fast. I attribute the differences primarily to the aerodynamics.

Personally, I'd say let your wallet and taste in shapes dictate it. A lot of people prefer the looks of one generation over the other. Although I like the looks of the pre-98's, I feel the 98+ models offer real world advantages specific to the way I ride (all weather, long distance) by providing more foul-weather protection and double the light on the road (also makes me more visible to others, since the bike is physically larger, easier to spot by the blind cagers about).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet