1999 Katana 600 questions

[Vrichardson]

Ok this is my first post on here and I am new to motorcyles as well. I am writing because I have a 1999 KAT 600. I got it at a good price and decided to go with it as a way to really learn to ride. Well I had the right handle assembly replaced and the flarings tighted and the bike checked out at a local motorcycle shop. The engine per the motorcyle shop is fine even though it cost a lot for them to tell me this. Anyway a few days ago after being parked in my yard it fall over and I had to pick it back up.. I turned the switch to ensure everything was ok and it seemed fine. I then tried to start it and it just barely turned over which made me realize the batter was low... All of a sudden all the power dispeared from the display and nothing and I mean nothing would come on... I kept taking the ignition key back and fwd so I figured it was a dead batter.. I then hooked it up to a batter charger/ Booster to do a trickale charge and then decided to change the switch to the booster on the machine. When it is in Booster mode you can jump something off with well I still get nothing. This booster is very strong because I can litterly take a car battery out a car and hook these terminals up to it and it will crank a car up with out a battery but hooking it directly to the battery post like this on my Kat makes nothing happen.... I checked the fuses under the seat with a they were good and realize that I might need to start tracing things out.. but I have no real clue about this bike yet.. the ignition switch is broke to the point the old key half of it is located in the swithch. I have a new one but I can't see yet how to change it because the wire seems to go under the gas tank. So if anyone knows of anything that can give me help on this I would gladly take it and run with it like a service manual or something. I have other questions but I didn't want to come off to strong at first.. I want to be able to fix my own bike without taking it to a shop everything single time.

Thanks

[Vrichardson]

I found the issue... i took the entire flaring off the bike only to find out there is a main fuse on the left side under the flarining next to the battery... this 25amp fuse had blown.

[JayBell]

wish I'd have seen this 2 days ago, I'd have pointed it out right away... sorry!!

glad ya found it tho!

[yngveny]

Hey JB, stop pimping my bike

[JayBell]

Hey JB, stop pimping my bike

only if you take the Bar-B-Q grill off the back of yours!!

[Vrichardson]

More questions

Ok then thanks for taking a look and showing me where it was... I do have a few more questions.. like on the right handle bar which shows a light switch one shows the beams looking straight and the other the beams are slanted down... is it just me or does the lights on this things all ways on... and I was thinking this is how you turn them on and off. As I said I am new to this motorcycle thing and I am learning a piece at a time

Second I have notice that my bike is hard to start at times and I have to give it gas to make it start. Like hitting the switch and turning the throttle at the same time... but if I try to really open up the throttle then it chokes or sputters.. if I mess with that little fuel thing under the tank it suddenly acts right... but I have to jiggle that fuel line for this to happen.

Third when I do get it to go full throttle if I let up off the gas there is a pop from the muffler ..sounds like backfire but it is not loud..

And last it will crank fine and run good but the second it starts to heat up and get to operating temperature it is hard to get it to stay crunk unless I keep reving the throttle.. meaning if I attempted to let it idle while up to temp it will just kind of die down until it goes off.. and when I try to crank it back up it will not crank back up unless I let it cool down or leave it alone for about a few minutes.. and yes I do smell fuel when this happen. Now when it is hot or up to temp it just doesn't want to stay running... you have to crank the engine like a good moment to get it to recatch and start back up and you have to hold the throttle a little to get it to stay running if you don't it will shut off quickly not.

If I can get these issues fixed then this bike would be the bomb because it has a crap ton of power and stuff.

[Squisher]

Ok then thanks for taking a look and showing me where it was... I do have a few more questions.. like on the right handle bar which shows a light switch one shows the beams looking straight and the other the beams are slanted down... is it just me or does the lights on this things all ways on... and I was thinking this is how you turn them on and off. As I said I am new to this motorcycle thing and I am learning a piece at a time

Second I have notice that my bike is hard to start at times and I have to give it gas to make it start. Like hitting the switch and turning the throttle at the same time... but if I try to really open up the throttle then it chokes or sputters.. if I mess with that little fuel thing under the tank it suddenly acts right... but I have to jiggle that fuel line for this to happen.

Third when I do get it to go full throttle if I let up off the gas there is a pop from the muffler ..sounds like backfire but it is not loud..

And last it will crank fine and run good but the second it starts to heat up and get to operating temperature it is hard to get it to stay crunk unless I keep reving the throttle.. meaning if I attempted to let it idle while up to temp it will just kind of die down until it goes off.. and when I try to crank it back up it will not crank back up unless I let it cool down or leave it alone for about a few minutes.. and yes I do smell fuel when this happen. Now when it is hot or up to temp it just doesn't want to stay running... you have to crank the engine like a good moment to get it to recatch and start back up and you have to hold the throttle a little to get it to stay running if you don't it will shut off quickly not.

If I can get these issues fixed then this bike would be the bomb because it has a crap ton of power and stuff.

Left side (as you are sitting on the bike) switch is the hi/lo beam selector. The headlight is on whenever the key is on (practically all motorcycles are like this).

Usually being warmed up will make mine idle faster not slower, so I wonder if your running too rich for fuel mixture...check your air filter and make sure its not gunked up. Clean or replace as needed, but if you need to replace it, OEM style is the way to go.

Also, grab the service manual:

http://katriders.com/wiki/index.php5?title=Service_Manual

It will help answer a lot of questions (like how to check the air filter).

[kat600rdr]

Clean the carbs. Carbs 102 in the Katana Wiki. Rebuild or replace the petcock, Make sure the tank doesn't have gunk build up if it does POR15 it, Check Air Filter and replace with OEM if needed. Replace Fuel Filter with OEM. 99% of the issues with Kats can be fixed with the above suggestions.

[Vrichardson]

Thank you I will go and see where I can find all these things soon as I know where to look... I am not sure if this is located at a autoparts store like Autozone, AdvanceAuto or NAPA but I am sure it is located somewhere. I download the service manual and I am starting to read it.. I got to the carb part and was like ooookkkk... it seems they need to be sycronoized or something I didn't see anything about a peacock value although I know what one is... and I was hoping you might tell me where might find that POR15..in the state of South Carolina next to Augusta Georgia as I learn I grow in this.

Thanks

[mammut89]

the bar-b-q grill is for Norwegian authenticity lol

[kat600rdr]

Thank you I will go and see where I can find all these things soon as I know where to look... I am not sure if this is located at a autoparts store like Autozone, AdvanceAuto or NAPA but I am sure it is located somewhere. I download the service manual and I am starting to read it.. I got to the carb part and was like ooookkkk... it seems they need to be sycronoized or something I didn't see anything about a peacock value although I know what one is... and I was hoping you might tell me where might find that POR15..in the state of South Carolina next to Augusta Georgia as I learn I grow in this.

Thanks

Carb Cleaning http://katriders.com/wiki/images/8/8f/Carbs102a.pdf
POR15 http://www.por15.com/
Air Filter and Fuel Filter at your local Suzuki Dealer
Petcock. www.ebay.com

There might cheaper places or other alternatives that other members might know. Hope that helps