[Lachie]

The engine room

So as I said cheap ass aint always correct so just thought I would throw this in for a filler.

Trying to figure out the best way to run the head cooler lines.

With the oil fittings I made they stick out too far to run between the Carbs.

Maybe if I run them out to the right the braided lines will be accentuated, ah no the throttle linkage is in the way.

Mind the cheap ass throttle extension for the return cable.



Hmm if I run it around ?? nah to close to engine for me



Ok take it the other way NO the petcock s in the way

Ah finally found a way around



The bottom fitting



Just though I would throw this one in being the Oil return line from the bottom of the catch tank out to the oil filler port.



Which leads me on to just mention a story about the alternator………….

With hearing stories and people not fitting the alternator in properly and the gear doesn’t mesh properly and subsequently serious damage.

Having this in mind carefully fitted the alternator, after it had been running I noticed a little but persistent oil leak coming from under the alternator. Yep the O ring, it is tricky to get in and while concentrating on getting the gear to mesh, (which really isn’t all that hard as long as you don’t just bang it in) it is very easy to pinch and snap the O ring. I found this even if using lots of red rubber grease.

Got these from Simply Bearings in the UK cost for a pack of 5 (yep and I busted two more) @ 5 British pound sensational value and landed at my door in 4 days. Better than $60 OEM cost and time for the entire kit and they work perfect.



My solution for this was to slip a zip tie under the alternator and put some pressure on the bottom part of the o ring and then it bunches up at the top and you can push it back in slip the zip tie out before pushing it fully home.

Carbs fitted with 30mm velocity stacks and the oil breather located



And finally with foam filters



I have actually run with this in an absolute downpour and didn’t even look like missing a beat.

I have a small crankcase breather filter on a small length of tube, which sits just above the foam filters, and so far no oil anywhere.

Might as well get some high performance coloured leads (it’s the colour that matters LOL) to go with the ignition



Having the engine a little higher the coils were quite close to the head so have mounted them on some Al angle and lifted them up a bit.



Hmm not much to go now, but it just turns out to be about the hardest bit of the lot

……………….the exhaust!!!

When “THE FABRICATOR” had the bike he was supposed to do two things well more but he didn’t stuff everything up.

I have planned a unique exhaust. So what’s new with that your probably saying!

Had carefully research the size tubes length style and the way it should go and (tried) to communicate the to the guy.

Mind you, he has great workmanship, he has done many performance bikes, and we had a bit of a discussion (argument) about this. He finally agreed to do it my way and I gave him a bit of latitude in styling.

First thing is he can’t get the size I wanted (a problem here due to low production) some other discussions about things and I’m thinking I should check in on this.

Yeah nah!



No, no, no, no, absolutely no, not happening at all, give me the bike, back definitely not happening.

And the headers looked strange too not being the size I wanted originally.

Would look ok on a 1930’s Vincent but not on my bike.

Pull the pin on that and I’m just going too have to do this myself…………………………………

[katanarider]

I don't understand the purpose of the oil catch can. I just put a small filter on the end of a rubber hose

[Lachie]

I don't understand the purpose of the oil catch can. I just put a small filter on the end of a rubber hose

Yep and probably a lot of other people do to and if that works for you that's fine.

So where does the oil breather pipe normally connect? it goes to the air box were oil mist can either condense out and drain via the drain line or hopefully mostly be drawn through the carbs to get burnt in the combustion process.

if either of those two things can not be achieved then the oil mist would probably and more than likely condense at the filter once exposed to the cold air.
Where does it go then? probably drip out the end or somewhere around there will be covered in an oil mist, block up the filter and do not much over time.

Normal practice would be to run the line to the tail of the bike and place the filter there

The principle of the catch tank is oil will condense out in the tank once exposed to reduced pressure and the baffles help provide surface area to cool the gas any condensed oil will then have a chance to drain back to the motor.

For most motors probably not a lot of oil comes out here and it's more a preventative thing, but have you ever taken a oil filler cover of a head while the motors running not a great idea.

This mod is mandatory on race bikes cause if you blow a valve stem seal or something like that, better than getting covered in oil.

The tank also serves a secondary effect being acting like a PCV valve (positive Crankcase Ventilator) relieving built up pressure in the cases.

Damn it, in hindsight, I should have had the webs in the crank relieved or windowed to reduce back pressure on the pistons.

[Lunatic]

Hey Lachie.

That's some great work that you're doing to your Katana. I can't believe the shavings that came out of the catch can. Yikes!

On another note.
I just watched the show "Mighty Trains" on Saturday. They showed Kiwi Rail and the entire run of track line. The views in New Zealand are spectacular. You're a lucky guy to be able to ride along side all that beautiful countryside. I wish I could bring my machine and ride with you.

Shayne

[Lachie]

Hey Lachie.

The views in New Zealand are spectacular. You're a lucky guy to be able to ride along side all that beautiful countryside.

Funny you just made me think about that originally being from Australia (I've only lived here @ 20 yrs) and travelling extensively up and down the east coast of Aus. Yes NZ combines more scenery with roads.

Recently did a trip to Aus and did the Great Ocean road in Victoria. I've done it a couple of times usually when going to the Phillip isl MOTOGP. It is probably the most iconic and quintessential scenic motorcycling road in Aus. Literally 100 miles of twisties along the south coast. My Mrs turns to me and says "we might as well be going up the coast from home" nice.

The other weekend we put 350 easy miles on the bikes going up the mountains for lunch.

The bike did 50 mpg to, which surprised me as we weren't exactly cruising at times.

NZ doesn't have anything that wants to eat you either lol maybe the odd cow or sheep and tourists on the wrong side of the road

[Lachie]

Work time - exhaust

Plan calls for 38mm (1 ½), Header pipes
48mm (1 7/8) link pipes
57mm (2 ¼ ) tail pipe

By calculations, using swept volume and assumed velocity; this should provide a constant velocity through the system, which allows for a 36% and 65% increase in area at each junction (according to the books).

Goal also to get as close to this spec as possible



Time to get this together and order some bends all in 304 Stainless

The header tubes



The link pipes



Some other bends for the tail pipe, a 45°, a 30° and a bit of straight.

In a cunning plan to make some collets to fit the exhaust port, I found these goodies they are Hygiene pipe fittings in 304 stainless.



Had a bit of a problem trying to find a slip-on, which I like, with some looking too big or too stumpy.

Finally found this, not readily available outside the states. This is a GSXR1000 model, I will still need to mod the inlet slightly to take the tail pipe and at the angle I need, best of all fits the style best.



The blurb says 97dba on a GSXR1000 yeah right! Maybe it was still running the cat and in a drive by tests, not a straight through pipe in a standing SAE test, but more of that latter. Our limit for road use is 100dba (interestingly only 95dba allowed on the race track).

Bought a little TIG (unfortunately not an “AC” TIG so I still can’t do Al, bugger) got a couple of Argon cylinders one for the TIG torch and one for purging to stop “Salting” on the inside, made up a welding bench and off we go practicing (yep could go a lot better).
Mixed results there and I need to be patient (hard for me) and most important when but welding pipe “SUPER TIGHT FITS” cause most of the welding will be “autogenous” (fusion type welding) meaning no filler and any hint of a hole it blows through. OK, so some I went back over and added filler if I cut too much out in the weld.

Rattling on here, so on with the process.

For the collets, I had my machinist engineer mate recess the back for the pipe to sit in. The part which is going to mate to the exhaust gasket is a little on the thin side so have welded another layer around and ground it down to the right depth.
The other thing here is, I had some RF900 flanges machined out to slide over the pipe.



Ok this was the first try and I couldn’t believe the result have never welded that good before (and not again either BTW) but they all came out pretty good.



First part of the headers done, time to work out the rest.



So, this is my inspiration it’s a Schulle exhaust and they have some interesting test research on their web. Pairing 1-4 and 2-3 evens out the exhaust pulses to 180° for each pair, improves mid-range with only slight reduction in upper HP, which is where I’m looking at. It’s also the most popular (other than 4-1) for the car guys also sort of tri-Y



Guess you can see why “THE FABRICATOR” and I had a disagreement very mixed arguments about this sort of thing but interesting all the top aftermarket guys (Yoshi, Akro etc) also make variants on this style. If I was going for flat out, track orientated, it would have been 4-1.

A little time-lapse sequence












I decided to cheat a little and use part of the made up exhaust, as the joins looked good. When I cut them open, bad, the inside was full of ridges and pipe overlaps I should have taken a picture but this is after almost a day of dremelling it smooth.
Both of them had to get the business



I have the first collector together and start working from the other end



Final solution and link pipes just about right the second collector is the old RF900 one and being stainless worked well.



Attaching the pipes to a spare head to weld the link pipes together.



Trick to collectors here is to weld the inside first, between the pipes where they touch, this seals the inside and the final weld outside is easier to do with less chance of leaks.

Final pipe ready to go back on and later found just one little pin hole in a weld near the RF900 collector



I don’t know if you can see it here but I’ve also welded a cross brace just after the first collector the link pipes are different lengths but as short as possible with restricted room behind the engine, I’m going to have to live with this.

Woo whoo! Bit of fun putting it back on, heat warps steel even just a little bit somewhere can have major issues at the other end but hey, bit of jiggling and they fit.

I did muck up the angle of # 4 into the collector and didn't notice till it was mostly welded just another oh well live with it moment



You might have got the idea I thought this was a bit loud when I tested it.

Through some contacts, I managed to get a hold of a very decent (expensive) sound tester. With the words “do not break it” ringing in the ears, off we go.

SAE test is 500mm off and at 45° to the exhaust exit at @ 4500 rpm, it measured at 108dba hmm!. I put the db killer in and only came down to around 103dba.
This is not enough I need to get this less than 100.

The DB killer smoothed out the pulses and I think actually increased the pitch but still excessively loud, I do not need to be pulled over for this and be forced to get an “objective noise test” by the man.

If it is loud but legal, is another thing entirely.

I research a number of baffles, most are restrictive, and I do not want to restrict it as much as possible as I’ve just spent all this time making it as unrestrictive as possible. With no chance of building a muffler, under the sump, time to come up with an idea for a baffle.

The ideas and the testing starts.

Now at this time you have obviously considered I am a little unconventional.

Your right! and it does not stop here.

My take on an unrestrictive, as possible, baffle design goes like this.



The small end ended up having a plate welded over it so no exhaust actually flows right through as the first design wasn’t good enough.

Cut a couple of well-measured circles.



Fashion them into a helix curve around the inner, added another two helix and this is where it’s going to fit into the system.



The exhaust is forced to the outer route and hopefully dissipates sufficient energy; the outer is also calculated to be about 1.5 times the header pipe inner dimension, which is bigger than the DB killer diameter



Looking down the end of the pipe, you can see the baffle here is a mid-point trial the holes are eventually covered over gradually getting more restrictive



Trialed different versions and included adding the BD killer, at times, to see over all result.

In the end, I cut the small end off the Db killer, baffle in, and had it tested.

Got my seal of approval from the necessary authority, finally, at a mean average of 96.83 dba.

As Sheldon says, “I’m not crazy; I have the paperwork to prove it”.

And a sticker



Funny when I took it round to the tester I rode it around to park it up and the guy says "that doesn't really sound too loud" when I went back he said " yep your right when you open er up she's plenty loud alright"

In all, apart from the slip-on, the pipe cost me @ $800 (including the cost of the TIG)

Fairings are all painted, i’s dotted and t’s crossed, oil leaks sorted, chains tensioned, fixings tightened and battery charged.

It is not long now and it is all together………………………………………………………….

[Lachie]

On the road again!

Well it only took 18+ months this time round and it's not real show quality but it's my little unique machine a GSX "816" F.

The old SOP dyno says it's a fun bike to ride (seat of the pants) still have some minor jetting to be done (just a bit rich on the low side). The motor is great has a real smooth and wide torque curve and pulls hard up till @10500 and just tails off a bit at 11500 no need to go any further.

Probably early next year after I have fine tuned the carbs I'll put it on the dyno just to finish it off. But interested to see what it will pull I have a comparison to my mates race bike so that will be a good guide. I'm liking the finesse of the flatslides although you can't bang them open like the CV's throttle control is pin point accurate. It feels like a direct connection to the motor where the CV's although good have a bit of a mushy feeling in comparison.



Anyway here's some finished pic's

Last photo looks weird like the forks have been raked out but they are actually 0.2° steeper than standard just the angle.

[y2ktj]

Looking awesome!

[katanarider]

Bravo !
Although, I wish you had more details with pictures of the engine / carb assembly and tuning.

[ygolohcysp]

That bike looks amazing. You've definitely got skills there! Awesome project from start to finish.

[Lachie]

Thanks it definitely took long time trying to get the look I was after.
Get some good comments on the street with most asking how old it is as most don't know what it is.

[Ratana93]

That is really a beautiful build!