My Kat AKA "Ugly Betty"

[bizzy102]

Hello all. Ive been posting the past month with different problems that I was having with my Kat. I purchased it for 750 bucks. I sold my rebel to get this actually... So far I guess I should have waited for a little better deal than this one. Previous owner obviously wasn't a good mechanic. He was king of a shadetree mechanic.
Anyway, here are some post of what I started with and where Im at to this point. It has taken me three months to get this far. Its still pretty chilly here in philly.. Now we will have to contend with the rain pretty soon...Hopefully it will dry up soon..
Bike is a 93 Kat 600 with 18xxx miles on it. And they are some rough ones too. I really need to get some new fairings for the whole bike, but that will be next winter...

[Kfreak]

It takes time. If your bondo on the fairing doesn't hold, someone on the site used pvc cement to do his bodywork. It does a nice job from what he has shown us.

http://katriders.com/vb/showthread.php?t=92526&highlight=cement

[snypez]

you definitally have your work cut out for you.

Good luck

[rexazz2]

ya usually get what you pay for
I have over $5000 invested for the privelage of riding

[bizzy102]

You right about that rexazz, but thats all I can afford!!!Got to do what you got to do!

[rexazz2]

You right about that rexazz, but thats all I can afford!!!Got to do what you got to do!

first five cars I ever owned , never payed over $1000 for any of them
Guess thats a perk of getting older, you learn to save money

[Kfreak]

You right about that rexazz, but thats all I can afford!!!Got to do what you got to do!

I felt you pain. I remember putting together a bike that was literally in pieces in a box. I bought it for $10.00 and put it back together. I lost a shift pin from the shift drum and had to make one out of a drill bit. I didn't have any money to buy one. I made do with what I had.

[Wild-Bill]

It takes time. If your bondo on the fairing doesn't hold, someone on the site used pvc cement to do his bodywork. It does a nice job from what he has shown us.

http://katriders.com/vb/showthread.p...ghlight=cement

Not PVC cement, ABS cement. Big difference. As spelled out in the linked thread, ABS is the stuff the fairing's made of. You can get it at Lowes although I've had trouble finding any ABS pipe. Apparently it's being phased out at the big-box stores. Bondo won't last very long on a motorcycle fairing. Fairings flex too much. Save yourself some hassles and break it off now before you waste paint and any more time. Get some ABS cement (and some fiberglass mesh if you'll need the strength) and start again.

[JimG4652]

You right about that rexazz, but thats all I can afford!!!Got to do what you got to do!

I agree. I actually like working with a lower budget...means you have to get creative when building something; and that creativeness makes the bike/vehicle "yours"

first five cars I ever owned , never payed over $1000 for any of them
Guess thats a perk of getting older, you learn to save money

That, and as you get older, normally you get raises at work.

[The CyberPoet]

Get some ABS cement (and some fiberglass mesh if you'll need the strength) and start again.

Why would you use fiberglass instead of using shredded abs (literally plumbing pipe ground down with a file), or just use plastic-welding directly on the existing ABS in the first place? Just curious -- strikes me as odd, since I wouldn't imagine that ABS glue won't hold onto fiberglass properly...

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

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CyberPoet's Katana Maintence and Upgrade Parts Offerings
The Best Metal Steel Aluminum Motorcycle Tire Valves in the World, plus lots of motorcycle & Katana (GSX600F / GSX750F) specific help files.

[bizzy102]

Next season, I will pretty much get all new fairirings and a bolt kit to do it up right. I will probably have to tap all the mounting hole, especially in the lower fairing!Iy was dropped on its right side so everything on the right has to be replaced. Just glad the oil cover was saved..

[H-2 CHARLIE]

i would use fiberglass and matting from a boat shop or any place you can get it and use the correct amount of hardener or it will take a week to set up

[HemiKat]

Ive used bondo on many motorcycle fairings without a problem, juts dont gob the stuff on an inch thick. If you are that worried about it use Duraglass, its pretty much bondo with very fine fiberlass particles in it, Kitty hair are larger strands of fiberglass and fills in larger holes. Both are much stronger than traditional filler.

I had a few scrape holes in my fairings, my bike was also dropped. I used automotive body panel adhesive, to glue a filler piece of abs, (I used a peice from the hard plastic case that craftsman tool sets come in) on the back of the fairing and then filled the holes with kitty hair. Not sure where to get the adhesive, I swiped some from our dealership bodyshop and it comes in a large two part self mixing gun.

[diverdwn8]

I bought a new left side fairing for my bike for $160. It's made from ABS plastic and was a direct fit. All I had to do was drill out my fairing bolt holes.

Here is the link for the one that I got.

http://www.extremebikescustoms.com/SUZUKI-FAIRINGS.htm

I spoke to the owner one the phone as well. Shipping was fairly cheap and arrived super fast.

[Black_peter]

Why would you use fiberglass instead of using shredded abs (literally plumbing pipe ground down with a file), or just use plastic-welding directly on the existing ABS in the first place? Just curious -- strikes me as odd, since I wouldn't imagine that ABS glue won't hold onto fiberglass properly...

The ABS "glue" solves the ABS guys, remember that.. It chemically "melts" it. So be careful..

CP, the solved ABS seeps into the Fibergas. It's handy because it can reinforce a crack. I used it on the back side.. I like your shaving idea though.. Yet another use of the Microplane!