[Zepp]

I run a small motorcycle shop and get a lot of referrals from the local Honda/Suz/Kawi dealership. They won't touch older bikes or bikes with high mileage. The Yamaha dealer will not work on bikes older than 2000!

When I worked for the local Honda dealership they wanted fast turnaround on bikes. At my dealership 2 hours was the max a tech could spend on a job. They don't want bikes sitting on the shop floor waiting for parts. At least 50% of customers are turned away as the repairs are too time consuming, expensive or parts aren't availble. New bike sales and accessories drives dealerships.

Customers freak out when you tear a bike apart and find out the parts needed for the repair are no longer available, and then give them a whopping bill for labour cost! Dealers won't take the time or effort to find parts. Calling salvage yards or fleabay is out of the question. They want to work on newer models and sell chrome goodies.

Find an independent shop in your area. He'll probably charge less and do a better job!!

Great advice.

[Alley_Kat]

When it does come time for a new bike call that dealer....and tell him why you bought a bike from someone else.
Congrats of the miles. I am always shocked at some of the used bikes you can get with no miles on them.
Do you have a goal before you retire it? 200k maybe?

[BIGKAT1100]

That is a lot of miles. Congrats on that, it encouraging to know that they will hold up to the miles.

Gotta agree with some of the other post when they say find a good local shop.

[2000kat600]

Originally Posted by gaillarry
I run a small motorcycle shop and get a lot of referrals from the local Honda/Suz/Kawi dealership. They won't touch older bikes or bikes with high mileage. The Yamaha dealer will not work on bikes older than 2000!

When I worked for the local Honda dealership they wanted fast turnaround on bikes. At my dealership 2 hours was the max a tech could spend on a job. They don't want bikes sitting on the shop floor waiting for parts. At least 50% of customers are turned away as the repairs are too time consuming, expensive or parts aren't availble. New bike sales and accessories drives dealerships.

Customers freak out when you tear a bike apart and find out the parts needed for the repair are no longer available, and then give them a whopping bill for labour cost! Dealers won't take the time or effort to find parts. Calling salvage yards or fleabay is out of the question. They want to work on newer models and sell chrome goodies.

Find an independent shop in your area. He'll probably charge less and do a better job!!

I agree 100%. I'm done with that particular stealership although I still need to buy basic parts and get minimal service such as new tires, chain, basic non-mechanical oriented jobs, I hate to continue supporting them but due to my location and the lack of choices I'd have to inconvenience myself far greater by not going there so I have to take the lesser of both evils. Nonetheless, I'm not buying nor servicing there again (Other than what said earlier).

As for a personal goal. I intend to keep the bike forever, even if I have to turn it into a non working static display looking pretty in the garage, like a museum piece, after all, I've got a lot of memories on my messed up bike and it means something to me, even more since the Katana model has been discontinued and in years to come it'll be more of a rarety.

Well, tomorrow I'm gonna get the spark plugs if I find them and then I may venture into valve adjusntent/carb synch'ing,,, pray for me fellow riders,,, I'm gonna need it...

[97-Katana600]

nice mileage

Congrats on getting that many miles out of it already.
I would advise that most parts seem to be available online. That kind of service is inexcusable. If you can do something as involved as the valve clearance stuff i would think the more ordinary stuff would be do able also.
Good luck with your service.

[hardlydangerous]

I agree also
Find an independent shop in your area and have them rebuild the head on your katana maybe even new rings and main/rod bearings. Chances are things are worn to the service limits and need replacing.
The hard starting is likely caused from low compression

[md86]

But it'd be MUCH cheaper to have a leakdown test done first to be SURE compression is low before shelling out for all that crap that may not need done ....