My Katana Build. 1991 GSX750F Katana

[Nefi]

The subject: This is my first build. A kid was leaving town and he bought it off a middle aged gent. It was too good of a deal to pass up and only needed minor repairs.

The background: I had given up race bikes for my wife and though my current bike (big obnoxious cruiser Honda VTX) was nice and comfortable and my wife loves it, I found myself missing what I called "real bikes".

This is sport touring bike (GSXR engine geared down) with a more upright position for longer rides (albeit slightly heavier steering) and more robust. So it was a compromise to have something that reminded me of a race bike without breaking my promise to the wifey.

I began with the repairs:

New fork seals
Valve adjustment
New Chain
Carb clean
Fix bad wiring and replace relays

Then came the fun stuff: finding out what happens it you rip it to pieces and slap it about.

• Ripped off the fairings
• Re-matte blacked frame and engine
• Took of front and rear lights
• removed indicators
• removed front and rear frame and brackets
• removed instrument panel
• New lights and indicators all round
• Fabbed brackets for new front light and instrument panel
• Redid wiring for front and rear lights and indicators
• fabbed brackets for rear lights and license plate
• Matte black paint job and pin striping on body and wheels
• Cut seat and seat pan
• Custom rear fairing and pillion seat cover
• 160 rear tire (just fits with enough clearance on stock rim)
• De-restricted and painted exhaust from headers to cans
• Cut out baffles (loud as f*ck now...perhaps too much)

The best part:

Price of bike: $1300
(Purchase price: $650)
(Repair Costs: $450)
(Parts: $200)

Sale of Fairings (barring belly pan and front fender) : $300
Sale of Front light and frame $85
Sale of some old wire wheels I had laying around I got for free: $200

Actual cost to me of the bike: $1300-585 = $715 ($915)

PS - if anyone is RESTORING a Katana 750, I have a rear light, rear indicator lights, rear frame and all bolts for the brackets for sale. Make me an offer.

[Nefi]

I had some other pics from all the things I tried first, like the mess I made of the new headlight at first, the partial painting of the rear fairings and leaving the rear "as is"

I then had a partial tank paint to cover up the side lip and put a white pin stripe on, tried numerous brackets for the rear once the complete tail was removed leaving only the seat.

Finally I decided to just do it already and began chopping and what not. Turned out ok for an old bike. The wife actually likes it, rode it around the gym parking lot (my heart dropped a bit as its a heavy bike and she is petite, didn't want her to get hurt) but I think the only thing I would do to it now is:

Cut and re-weld the subframe to raise the tail
Put the MT03 headlight on the thing and lose the round cone light
MAYBE swap the clip-ons and put risers and moto-bars on it (but those look better on a bandit or gsxr than an already upright katana) don't you think?

AM ALWAYS OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT TO TRY!!!!! Please let me know. I am a noooob!