[Hoevding]

Hi all, I wrote in the introductions not to long ago about a possible purchase and after going ahead I thought I'd start a little thread of my own.
Here's Suzy just before I bought her:









She's in quite good condition for her 18 years, totally original but has been sadly neglected by the last owner. The chain and sprockets are worn out - new ones obtained, the choke cable had been cut at the handlebars a new one came in the post yesterday, she doesn't seem to have as much power as expected and smells like she's running rich - the carbs are now on the bench for investigation but I haven't got round to inspecting the plugs yet, she goes around corners and traffic islands like a shopping cart - suggestions please gentlemen the screen drags on one side - now removed and awaiting attention, the clock didn't work - the previous owner had stuck a cheap digital clock over the top of it - now removed, the clocks dismantled and the two batteries replaced so all ok now including the illumination.
After lifting her skirts I found that she was very grubby underneath, the battery is too small and someone has broken off the two fixing lugs at the top of the oil cooler and resorted to lock wiring it in place
Because of this I've decided to totally strip her and undertake a total rebuild excluding the engine (hopefully )

I'll post up pictures as I go so please wish me luck and feel free to offer advice/suggestions (both clean or not - it don't matter )

Thanks for reading, Engelskmannen.

You DO impress me much!!!

You DO impress me much!!!

..she`s running rich. So is mine. I have changed the mainjets, floatneedles, and needles. Got a lot better, but still a bit smelly and blurry on low rpm. I wait for your carb-investigation-report, maybe you figure out what`s the issue. You know, "she" may have the PMS thing going on??

[Hoevding]

It`s f'''''' OSSOM!! Again...great job!!

[LeoNine]

Nice. She looks just like mine, minus the commuter grime! I found my factory exhaust had rotted on both sides just after the collector box, which is obviously a weak point under the belly pan that receives all that mama nature can throw at it.
My screen runs smoothly but it does vibrate at low revs in the fully-retracted position, think the track wheels may be loose somewhere. I'll get to it...
Keep up the good work.

[Mojoe]

Thanks for the input Gents, looks like I need to ask the missus for some more parts for Christmas The luggage did indeed follow with the bike so I reckon I got lucky there - the carrier also has the Suzuki label on it so possibly factory fitted, it's certainly well made.

I doubt it's factory fitted, and it is not original equipment for the 88-93 1100 Katanas. Neither is the Krauser luggage. a lot of people refer to the Krauser luggage as the original luggage for the 1100 kats, but they are what I like to refer to as wrong.

Here is the gist of it.....if you purchased a brand spanking new 1100 Katana between the years 88 and 92, in North America, and requested the complete touring package, including luggage, the default luggage was Givi. I know this as fact because when I purchased my 1st 92 1100 katana back in 93 (or was it 94?), it came with the Givi mono-key luggage. Mono-key meaning one key for all 3 cases. Mine was messed up and require two keys for some reason...one for the two sides, and one for the top. I was not happy with that, so I went to the dealership to order a new set of locks to make it true "mono-key". While at the dealership, I was looking at the Krauser, as well as another luggage company. Back in the early 90's, Givi was cool looking, unlike the bland look of Krauser, which was mainly just a tin box. Suzuki sold Krauser as well, but it was not the big seller that Givi was, unless someone was on a budget as Krauser was quite a bit cheaper. It wasn't until the end of the 1100 katana production that Krauser started making it's luggage a bit more "sportier".

So, for those who have Krauser luggage....well, it's not original factory equipment for the 1100 kats. The Krauser cases were just too ugly at the time to fit on a sporty bike like the 1100 kat. And I can tell you right now, the Krauser luggage like Nut-Nut has on his bike DID NOT exist in 93. They just weren't that nice looking. Those cases definitely came a bit later when Krauser got it shit together and started making them nicer looking. I am guessing his bags are post 1995 at least. They were definitely purchased as an aftermarket add-on several years after the bike was purchased new.

And I can remember as clear as day, standing in front of the wall with all the luggage on it. I can remember how frickin' fugly I thought the Krauser's were. the 3rd brand was ok, but it was a top case only. It did not make a frame for side cases for the 1100 kat.

btw...Givi was an expensive option. it added $1500 and change to the price of an 1100 Kat. If you purchased later as an add-on, it was closer to $1800. It was going to cost me a bit over $200 for the lock and keys, which was a lot of money back then, so I said fuck it. the cases were about the same price as a high end case today....$400 and change. The rack with integrated signals was over $400 as well. cases like mine are about $250 each today, and the rack is $250-300. say around a $1000 for all of it. my whole kit is 20 years old, but still like new aside from very few minor scuffs on my cases. I would not part with it for less than $500. I will keep it before letting it go for less than that.

[zuma]

Ditto. Howdy, friend.

[BareKat]

Great job on this refurbish project... a gentlemen's express!

[Engelskmannen]

Many thanks for that it's a work in progress, I'm just about to fit some BST36SS carbs on it once i,ve figured a way to mate them to the original airbox...

Engelskmannen.

[KevinGambrell]

Hi Engelskmannen.
Very nice rebuild, I would love to have the time to do the same to my 1100.
Can I ask, did you replace any of the graphics on the bike and if you did may I ask where did you find them? most of mine are faded or scratched to buggery. I would like to put mine back to stock if I can.
Also do you know if theres a decent colour match for the silver/grey paint?

Many thanks.

[Engelskmannen]

Hi Kevin, great work with your project too, I've been following your thread

I haven't done anything to my paintwork or graphics yet, I'm still concentrating on the mechanicals (some big(ish) changes to come). If you go to http://www.robinsonsfoundry.co.uk/ and look at their online microfishe/parts finder you might find what you're looking for as new,old stock but they'll be hellish expensive... I haven't found any aftermarket supplier for our bikes as they're quite old now and weren't the most popular models when new. Maybe you could take your bodywork to a graphics manufacturer for them to measure up and re-make, no chance of finding anyone over here that can do this grumble, grumble... I too would like a respray with original graphics. Sorry, I can't help you with the paint match either, visit a paint supplier with a sample and they should be able to sort you out.

Good luck, Colin.

[KevinGambrell]

Thank you Colin,
I had a look on the Robinsons site looks like the stickers are a thing of the past. Its odd you can still get bits from stock that I would have thought wouldnt be available but other bits were discontinued long ago.
I was told by the old boy in the local Suzuki dealers that the paint was called lead grey, and our painter at work said much the same. The problem is its a metalic flake and getting that to match is the problem. Our sign writer says he can match the solid graphics no problem from a photo, but what he cant do is get the vinyl effect. Brush painted lines will stand a little proud and always look painted. That I must say dont bother me but it wont look like it did.
I may nip down to the car graphics shop here in town and see what they can do. My thinking is its going to be an arm and a leg to have the artwork laid up.
I must say with the GSX im torn between keeping it absolutly stock and making a few changes to make it more rideable. The rear shocks on order from Hagan along with new fork springs. I have a billet of Stainless steel that was bought in for another job and thats ear marked for new disk rotors at some point, given that Suzuki want £300 each for disks, or double what I paid for the bike.
i bought a second hand rear suspension arm set up and thats being re bearinged with luck to be ready when the new shock turns up. Two new axles have been made in stainless steel with castelated nuts and split pins. along with all new bolts for the rear suspension machined from 316. My other half cant work out why im in the machine shop working(!) more now I have the bike than I did before it turned up...
By the end of this I could have gone out and bought a new Suzuki 1250 and still had change in my pocket LOL.

[Engelskmannen]

Hi Kevin, have a look on Ebay for your brake disks, I got a new rear one for mine for a good price. Unless of course you have the equipment to grind the discs you plan to turn of course I'm doing much the same as you with machining new bolts, axles etc but I'm using titanium - every time there's a bit of bar left over from a job it becomes mine
I hope to transplant beefier and better front forks on mine along with some 17" wheels once I get the parts together, this should improve the handling but will make obtaining new tyres much easier with more choice.
Good luck with the graphics guys, maybe it'll be more cost/price effective if there's a few of us buying complete graphics kits at once - possibly worth thinking about if more people on here are interested

Best of luck, Colin.

[blackie]

wow. much, much more than I expected.


freakin amazing.

[Engelskmannen]

Thanks Blackie, mine is a long term project - lots of things are planned now she's up and running reasonably well

Best wishes, Colin.

[KevinGambrell]

Hello Colin
Im torn between making the disks stock size or machining them a bit over size so I can mount 1200 bandit calipers with out having to use mounting plates. Grinding the machined disks is no problem, cant do it at work but a company we use can do it. It was pointred out to me a few weeks back that one of our suppliers can water jet me a set of disk blanks for almost no money just leaving me to finish them. Its funny the shapes you can generate using SolidWorks.. Im still inclined to machine them.
You machine Titanium and your in Norway! your not in the oil industry are you by chance? I had two years machining Titanium centerfuge buckets for a medical company nice material to work with. In some ways I prefer it to the arse ache stainless steels.
When time permits I will have a good go at getting some graphics done for the 1100. Soon as i know il post on here.

[Engelskmannen]

Hi Kevin, isn't it great to know people with "toys" ? I should go for getting bigger discs cut for the Bandit calipers if I were you, I'm hoping for an instant upgrade when I graft on a new front end. We don't have Solidworks on the shopfloor as most of our customers send us drawings and 3d files in whatever format they use and we just upload them into GibbsCam and work from there. It's not really a drawing program but we get by
Yes, I produce components for offshore, how did you guess ? we use all sorts of materials like titanium, inconel,duplex/superduplex,165m plus good old-fashioned 316 stainless to name a few... I use PB1 bronze quite alot too which as you know is lovely to machine

If the graphics people are interested and the price isn't too shocking I'd be interested in a set of decals too

Best wishes and good luck, Colin.