My 88 Kat 'fighter

[reeseleblanc]

I already have this stuff in the pics section but I figured I'd get more input on it here where it belongs.

I bought my bike a few weeks ago and it started out like this:


Then to this:


And as of last night, THIS:


Reese

[rexazz2]

got to do something with the tail ,looks like a skunk with its tail in the air

[Londob5]

Did you change out the dogbones or add a bigger shock or something?

Someone else had a tail section like that on KR somewhere...he called it "The Sodomizer."

[reeseleblanc]

Cut and raised the stock subframe.

[rome_rome]

i have to ask, what is a "fighter" i tried looking it up and i just dont know lol

[Londob5]

i have to ask, what is a "fighter" i tried looking it up and i just dont know lol

A streetfighter. Almost no fairings, if any at all. With a cross between a cafe racer and something more aggressive, with sort of a DIY look.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streetfighter

[Slofuze]

I think you're on the right track. There's no way you're going 2-up on it.....so why not do a chop on the rear?....save what you can........mould the rest? How does it ride right now?

[reeseleblanc]

And here it is with the seat reupholstered. Be gentle, it's my first time trying it, plus my friend's stapler had staples that were a little too long. Oh, I went ahead and painted the belly and front fender to match the rear plastics. I also painted the rearsets and brake lever bronze to see how it would look.



Slo, I actually WILL be riding 2-up some. the additional padding I added in the rear seat keeps the passenger from falling forward into me even with the lift. Custom foot pegs are being designed to bolt into bosses on the upper portion of the subframe.

[scottynoface]

I don't see the rear subframe rails...I hope they're still there if you're planning on 2up, if not...CRACK!

[reeseleblanc]

Scotty, check the vertical support beam just behind the rearset. That's the reinforcement for the subframe after cutting and raising it. Granted, extensive testing has not been performed but my buddy and I both put our weight on it together before we put everything back together. It does seem to be up to the task of a second person back there.

[Kreylyn]

Scotty, check the vertical support beam just behind the rearset. That's the reinforcement for the subframe after cutting and raising it. Granted, extensive testing has not been performed but my buddy and I both put our weight on it together before we put everything back together. It does seem to be up to the task of a second person back there.

If your serious about having a pillion seat, at at least one more support under the side fairings to support that last section. It may seem fine.... until the point of failure.

Another support... either a stretched out triangle of steel sheeting even on either side welded in, or another tube would be enough. All of it could remain hidden behind the plastic so would not change the look to give you the security you need there.

I mention this due to watching another rider's bike collapes... he's fortunate he was parked at the time... but it was quick, and sudden... and dropped to the tire/him off the bike. It had been that way for months before it went.

Metal fatigue is a curiuos thing...

Krey

[reeseleblanc]

Krey, I'll look into that, definitely! Speaking of structure, there is a spuare tube brace on each side of the motor just above the clutch cover on left side and the same on right side. Would it be possible to remove that and add a flat piece of metal in the curve just above them where the two large beams of the frame meet?

If that's not at all clear I'll try to modify a picture to point out where I'm referring to. I ask because the larger parts of the fram flow pretty well but that square tube just sits there and breaks up an otherwise good looking framework.

Reese