Sundowner's '05 Kat 600 Refit

[Sundowner]

Just like the Other two threads, I am prepping my 05 600 to go into dry dock for an overhaul. Five years under my command, the 600 has had some ups and downs in her life, I've dropped her Twice, Slew the Deal's Gap Dragon, Did some toy runs, North Runs, Joined Clearwater Biker as a Fully Vested member. Etc etc. But I know in the back of my mind, she needs work. As soon as the 1200 DS gets her act together and stays running, this bike goes in for a term i've been kicking around: KLEP.
KLEP is acronym for Katana Life Extension Program, I swiped this term from the Navy when they send their vessels in for SLEP (Ship Life Extension Program).
While Under refit, the 05 will receive the Following upgrades:

New headlight (existing headlight is going to the 750)
New fairings and Fuel tank (old fairings are going to the 750) only the front Fender is staying on the Bike (My Dragonslayers decals are there)
Bearings replaced
Fork rebuild
Full exhaust (I have not planned which brand yet)
New cables all around
New Brake lines
Swing arm resurfacing (it is silver- will be Black)
Sprocket carrier resurfacing (same Silver to Black)
New Chain and Sprockets
Fumoto install finally (its been sitting on my desk for close to a year)
New Grips
New Fender (I've learned something about Shovel chops that i wasn't too happy with)
New Rear Signals to go with the Turn signals intergrated with the Tail light.
I have finally settled on a Name for the bike: Mistress Quickly- long story from my Battletech days.
New Decals -Stock decals (funny how you miss those after a while)
This will be an interesting project. I have my reasons for doing the work. One is i am not ready to sell the Kat as I have planned to. I want all three of the Kats assembled, side by side by side for a picture. This Kat is what brought me to the dance, brought me here, I have to do her justice, in this disposable society we live it, when something needs attention- we normally throw it away, I can bring myself to do that. If i do sell here eventually, I will not be selling another 1200 DS to someone else.
And the thread Begins...

[1990gsx 600]

sounds like alot of work man but have fun. it will look good when its done how about some before pics?

[md86]

No questions here ? Moving on , then .....

[Sundowner]

Here's some pics....

My 05 Almost brand new. (this was before i Joined KR)



After its first Drop



I don't have one after its last mishap; when the chrome D&D Slip on decided to slip off at 35mph but it looks just like above- just now with a flat black tail and the Stock can.

Exterior wise the goal is to get the Kat back to the way it looked in the first picture. Decals included.

[sporty_drew]

Another good project for me to watch

[airforceranger49]

subscribed!

[Sundowner]

I did some minor mods in the 5 years of ownership- some I wasn't too happy with. I did some experimenting with painting and it just looked like hell - like the clip on's (took them from stock to black- and as of today, i stripped all the paint and whatever suzuki coated them with and took some Mother's to them and shined them up real nice) I cant remember if i have a before pic and i will need to take an after one.

Also i have reconsidered the full exhaust route, I been having problems with the slip on (crappy performace, and de-cel pops) So i am sticking with the stock can.

Back to the bars- if the polishing goes as well as i think it has- im planning to do the same to the actual bars itself. I found some chrome Pod housing on Dennis Kirk (which i have a set for the 1200DS) if i do any minor changes- its taking the black from the bars and going a polished metal route (i may do the Upper Triple to make it all match but i am up in the air right now on that.) I would still have to get the Bar ends stripped as well to seal the deal.

Its not a big dent in the bike - but its something....

[jday240]

Nice looking Katana...can't wait to see it completed. Subscribed as well.

[Sundowner]

I been also thinking on one minor mod that i will have to test after the Body replacement is done. In that first pic we see the red lower fairing I was thinking of using the 06 Black lowers in its place; since red is a PITA to keep clean.

Oh yeah Oil Change today, She's Running on Mobil 1 Full synthetic now

[Sundowner]

Well The Kat came home after the CP memorial ride a tired, beat up kid. It broke my heart that i had to sideline her until i can fix her. Between then and now, I have gotten a new Girlfriend, and i explained to her what is wrong with the Bike and how i cannot put a passenger on the back in good faith, with a bike that i know is not up to running spec.
So she sits for now until money pops in to start to fix the first major issue : The forks

[Sundowner]

Winter charging

Started her up for the first time in a month- she smells something funky (exhaust smell) I am assuming that the ethanol in the fuel is the culprit. The Gas in the tank is old (i need to check the tank itslef for signs of rust) Threw her on the charger to keep the battery at least charged for the winter (i do not need a repeat of last year's blow up of three batteries).
On a side note, i still need more tools to work on her properly First i need a proper carb syncher (CP swore by the morgan tune- or what ever it was called) so i got to buy one of those. need to buy cable lube (another thing i have neglected) for the new cables.

Funny the things we learn from experience...

[Sundowner]

After a couple months of firing the garage queen, I started looking around to local dealerships to have the work done right. The dealership I bought the bike at (which is a Suzuki Dealership) does not want anything to do really with the bike (I think they don't want to work on it because its a Katana) So I took a trip down to another local Dealership (triumph and Kawasaki) and explained what the bike is doing mechanical wise.
I got quoted 300 bucks and change to clean out the carbs and do a look over of the entire bike from nose to tail. Sad, the Place that sold me the bike doesn't want to work on it- so I will spend the money at a place that will work on it. carbs are really beyond me- especially MC carbs- while i am not calling it a defeat, its calling doing the bike justice. have someone who knows what they are doing do it right or me screw it up more. quite frankly, i am kinda done working on bikes right now. So I'm gonna let a professional deal with it.

So in the next few weeks- she's to be put back together, and trucked down to my new dealership to have work done on it.

I'm not complaining- its progress.

[jettajake00]

Off topic question: Out of curiosity, is your username a reference to Beechcraft?
We have a 1980 Sundowner 180, love it.

[Sundowner]

Nope the user name is from VF-111 Sundowners (a semi retired F-14 tomcat Squardron) that was assigned to my ship when i was in the Navy.
they exist today as a reserve squadron

here's a wiki link for the Squadron http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VF-111

here's a link for the reserve Squadron http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VFC-111

[Sundowner]

came across a little weird issue with the 600- let me see if i can get this square here:

Bike has not ran since mid February, Charged the Battery, The Headlights and third light do not come on and now the bike will not crank. I took a screw driver and bypassed the starter solenoid and the bike semi cranks. So i took the brand new Solenoid off the 750 and wired it in- and still nothing- anyone got any ideas on what is going on (Tail lights and rear turn lights work)