newbb questions!

[fresh96kat]

just got my 96 600 a couple weeks ago and honestly i just jumped on it without really knowing the first thing about a bike lol have some questions.

1. what octane gas do these. ive filled up 3 times so far and put premium in it but would like to know if lesser octane would be safe?
2. i started peeling off the stickers and cant get the damn glue off lol. ive searched this quite a bit but havnt come across the best way without damaging the paint. ive discovered goo gone dont do crap.
3. Shifting. ive realized the bike will shift fine without using the clutch so my question is do i have to use the clutch while up/down shifting? will it cause damage in the long run? if it is safe can i throttle through the shifts or should i back off to shift?
4. whats the best aftermarket site for 96 kats? im looking for flush mount signals, frame sliders, stuff like that.
5. how hard is it to clean the carbs? would i be able to do it safely without any experience with carbs? i consider myself somewhat handy

some help here would be awesome before i destroy my bike. sorry for my newbness lol

[f00lishroy071]

1: I usually use premium on motorcycles in general, but some people on here say use 87. Im not sure on it but i think either is fine.
2: Heat the sticker area first with a blowdryer or something (no open flames) and be careful not to hurt the paint, and use WD-40, grow fingernails and be careful.
3: Just use the clutch, its not worth risking problems
4:Im not sure, i have been to Bikebandit.com but i dont know what they have for 96 kat
5: Buy some Seafoam (8 bucks a can) and add 1/3 can to a tank of gas. Try that before you open them up and clean them, its hard for a newb and you can do more damage than good.

Im not trying to sound like I'm a know it all, i havent posted much, but i hope i sort of helped

[acraze]

1. I hear regular gas is best for katanas.

2. A heat gun works well maybe even a lighter without holding it too long. Not razers or flat head screw drivers you will risk cutting into plastic.

3. There are some good basic videos on YouTube, just search how to shift gears on motorcycle. Also I would recomend taking the msf course.
.
4. There are good threads here for accessories.


5. There is also a great thread here and downloadable manual.

[Kreylyn]

1. what octane gas do these. ive filled up 3 times so far and put premium in it but would like to know if lesser octane would be safe?

OEM specs calls for regular gas. Higher octane is not going to increase performance or make the bike run better if it's running correctly to begin with. If it's not running correctly, fix the issue.

2. i started peeling off the stickers and cant get the damn glue off lol. ive searched this quite a bit but havnt come across the best way without damaging the paint. ive discovered goo gone dont do crap.

There are several options. I've found tar remover for automotive paints works well with a terry cloth towel, and alot of elbow grease. There is a rubber disk that will chuck into a drill from 3M that appearantly works really well and quickly. The key with the goo be gone stuff, is to apply it by hand/finger to an area liberally, let it sit for a couple of minutes, then go back with the towel with a little more on it and strart rubbing.

3. Shifting. ive realized the bike will shift fine without using the clutch so my question is do i have to use the clutch while up/down shifting? will it cause damage in the long run? if it is safe can i throttle through the shifts or should i back off to shift?

To protect your gears, ALWAYS use the clutch to shift. Blip the throttle when downshifting to bring the rpms up to match your speed. Let off the throttle a little to let the rpms drop when upshifting. An upgrade (about $40) to further help prevent shifting damage and missed shifts is a shift indent spring from factory pro.

4. whats the best aftermarket site for 96 kats? im looking for flush mount signals, frame sliders, stuff like that.

There isn't a single good site for everything, but most online parts places sell aftermarket prarts that are interchangeable between many bikes. Ebay is another good source, as alot of sellers put their wares on there as well. At this time, only one soon to be relaesed source for pre kat sliders is available, from BRAUNSTEIN82. Of course, also check the vendors section of this website for alot of great products for the Kat as well.

5. how hard is it to clean the carbs? would i be able to do it safely without any experience with carbs? i consider myself somewhat handy

some help here would be awesome before i destroy my bike. sorry for my newbness lol

Check out the carbs 101 PDF. The PDF includes pics, and makes it very simple to follow. Read it several times, and make the judgement... is it something you could do?

Krey

[ferrucci86]

I think i am getting alot of good info here, i love it.

[40something]

1. what octane gas do these. ive filled up 3 times so far and put premium in it but would like to know if lesser octane would be safe?

This will depend on if your area has ethenol in the gas. Here in MO we have that nasty stuff and when I use 87 bike runs like crap. I use premium always unless on a trip and it is not available. 87 works just fine when there is no ethenol in the gas. When using 87 non-ethenol I notice no difference in performance or fuel mileage

2. i started peeling off the stickers and cant get the damn glue off lol. ive searched this quite a bit but havnt come across the best way without damaging the paint. ive discovered goo gone dont do crap.

I haven't removed these in years as I am beyond the point where I care about things like that. That being said back in day when I did I used a heat gun to warm up the glue then removed the stickers and used acitone to remove the glue. Apply directly to glue and let set for a couple of minutes then use a terry cloth towel/rag wet with solvent apply liberal amount of elbow grease.

3. Shifting. ive realized the bike will shift fine without using the clutch so my question is do i have to use the clutch while up/down shifting? will it cause damage in the long run? if it is safe can i throttle through the shifts or should i back off to shift?

Shifting without your clutch will drastically reduce the life of you tranny. This is hard on the gears that is why the clutch is there. By using the clutch you are allowing the tranny to reduce load and sync up.

4. whats the best aftermarket site for 96 kats? im looking for flush mount signals, frame sliders, stuff like that.

Find one you like and use it. As stated earlier Bike Bandit has most OEM parts.

5. how hard is it to clean the carbs? would i be able to do it safely without any experience with carbs? i consider myself somewhat handy

My experience here is that unless you have all the proper tools and meter instruments to sync them afterwards leave it to the expereinced service pros. Expereince here has been find owners in your area that ride you brand of bike and ask them the best shop to use. If you find a shop name that keeps coming up time after time then it is usually a good bet that they will do the best service at the best prices.

Just my thoughts

[surfrider26]

just got my 96 600 a couple weeks ago and honestly i just jumped on it without really knowing the first thing about a bike lol have some questions.

1. what octane gas do these. ive filled up 3 times so far and put premium in it but would like to know if lesser octane would be safe?
2. i started peeling off the stickers and cant get the damn glue off lol. ive searched this quite a bit but havnt come across the best way without damaging the paint. ive discovered goo gone dont do crap.
3. Shifting. ive realized the bike will shift fine without using the clutch so my question is do i have to use the clutch while up/down shifting? will it cause damage in the long run? if it is safe can i throttle through the shifts or should i back off to shift?
4. whats the best aftermarket site for 96 kats? im looking for flush mount signals, frame sliders, stuff like that.
5. how hard is it to clean the carbs? would i be able to do it safely without any experience with carbs? i consider myself somewhat handy

some help here would be awesome before i destroy my bike. sorry for my newbness lol

I removed my sticker by peeling them off, then used a bit of carb cleaner on a rag. Mind you my bike is a 2006 so the paint is alot newer then yours so just be careful.

Once I finished I put a fresh coat of wax on it and it was fine

[Enjay386]

There is no possible trick for those stickers. It's a miserable task and it will take your hours. Lol, but the end result is worth it. Good luck! I still have one left..

[hotrodder000]

wait, so factory specs call for 87 octane in the katana's? ive always used 93 since a bike has higher compression.

[DumbLuck]

Arsenic here on KR has an excelent reputation with carbs. if you can do without the skoot for a few days, cut a deal with him, pull the carbs and ship um off to him. You'll get them back all squeeky clean and ready to go. you'll only need to sync them once they're back on the bike. Syncing is no big deal if you have a sync tool. put out a general shout to KR members in your area, someone may have one. TheCyberPoet also has one for rent.

Get yourself a Factory, or Clymer service manual. Working on skoots is not as hard as most think, either of these manuals are easy, step by step with pictures for most any project/task. Haynes manuals are junk IMHO. a few simple tools, taking your time, studying the manual, and using the search feature here and you'll be doing your own maint in no time, even carbs.

[scottynoface]

wait, so factory specs call for 87 octane in the katana's? ive always used 93 since a bike has higher compression.

Yes. 87 is the reccomended octane and you will make the most power on regular gas as opposed to premium.

[The CyberPoet]

Suggest you start here (these questions are so common, virtually all of them have been enshrined in a permanent/sticky FAQ thread):

CyberPoet's Newbie FAQ Thread

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[jasn_2120]

[QUOTE=fresh96kat;1751475]just got my 96 600 a couple weeks ago and honestly i just jumped on it without really knowing the first thing about a bike lol have some questions.

1. what octane gas do these. ive filled up 3 times so far and put premium in it but would like to know if lesser octane would be safe?

When i first got my bike i went for the higher octane stuff.. But it runs just as good on the cheap stuff.. So that's what i've used the past 3 years.

2. i started peeling off the stickers and cant get the damn glue off lol. ive searched this quite a bit but havnt come across the best way without damaging the paint. ive discovered goo gone dont do crap.

I used a hair dryer to heat up the stickers and peel em off.. WD-40 for the glue and made sure i washed the spot off after i was done..

3. Shifting. ive realized the bike will shift fine without using the clutch so my question is do i have to use the clutch while up/down shifting? will it cause damage in the long run? if it is safe can i throttle through the shifts or should i back off to shift?

I know people that dont really use their clutches sometimes.. But i've always used mine.. I want to keep my clutches and tranny in the best shape for as long as possible..lol

4. whats the best aftermarket site for 96 kats? im looking for flush mount signals, frame sliders, stuff like that.

Not sure about that one.. I own a 2005.. There are alota pre's on here so i'm sure you'll have no trouble there..


5. how hard is it to clean the carbs? would i be able to do it safely without any experience with carbs? i consider myself somewhat handy

I need to get in there and clean my carbs really soon! But, i would buy a Haynes Manual.. I did a couple years ago.. And it helped me out alot with anything i needed or wanted to do.. I have always loved to take things apart and put em back together.. So it's always an adventure to take my bike or a friends apart and learn what i can.. Good Luck!!

[SilentTJ]

just to be clear... 87 is what's stated in the manual. 87 is what the bike was designed to run on. 87 is what you should use. just look up octane rating on wiki or something, you'll see that the higher octane is just a measure of how well the gas can resist engine knocking. kats aren't high compression engines, so they don't require the higher octane gas. end of story.

[fresh96kat]

another newb question

wheres the oil fill at? lol i dont see it in any obvious spots. do i need to remove the plastic?