my 1st post about my 88 katana

[KLINGTUT]

Hi

I recently bartered for a 88 GSX 600 F katana - I traded my 12 gage mosseberg pump shot gun and a room portable air conditioner for te katana.

the katana was scavanged abit beause others took front fender, tank, fairing, seats and my carb internals - those very expensive unitized carb diaphram and carb slide - first time I have ever seen a unitized rubberized molded diaphram and plastic slide. the repalacements cost are so expensive that I am looking for replacement carb racks.

while ths is my first katana it is not my first suzuki - i have 2 GT 750 water buffalos I am rebuilding and I also have 3 super rare suzuki OEM water buffalo & rotary fairings. Since my katana is naked now I am going to retrofit a suzuki OEM GT 750 fairng to it for a real weird look for a katana.

So if you have parts to sell you can e mail me at [email protected]

until I reach my 26th post

[phantasm]

welcome to kr. Nomally for the carb bank, I'd say pm arsenic, but being an 88 you may be s.o.l. But sure he, or someone, will chime in after a while.

[Kreylyn]

Look for a set of 90-97 600cc carbs instead of the 88 or 89 carbs.

Chris (Arsenic) specializes in rebuilding them... makes them like new. They aren't cheap, but they are right! He's on ebay as well, generally the guy who lists a half dozen of them with all the details on how they are cleaned, rebuilt with all new rubber, and ready to bolt on and sync.

Krey

[phantasm]

While you're at it look for new airbox, intake boots, and petcock for the 90-97 carbs.

[Slofuze]

Welcome to KR....... good luck with the rebuild. I hope you'll get it running soon.

[Wild-Bill]

While you're at it look for new airbox, intake boots, and petcock for the 90-97 carbs.

IOW, Just pick up a tank off a 90-97 600 or 750.

Welcome, by the way.

[ErrEs]

Welcome here.
She's a classic beauty, hope you get her running properly soon.

[phantasm]

Was looking at a 95 parts bike that has everything you need. I may just have to pick that up. If I do, I'll work a deal with you for everything.

[KatanaGSX92]

Welcome to KR!

[KLINGTUT]

reply to those who answered my 1st post Katana 88

Thanks to all who have provided a response to my 1st post about my 88 katana 600f.

I had become aware of PM Arsenic and have had some e mail discussions with him. Ironically I used to live next to his home town in illinois before my relo to Iowa.

I really get how PM has rebuilt his BST33ss mukunis - which I believe is the most prudent retrofit for my 88 BST31ss mukunis along with getting a tankwith a petcock that has vauum operation so as to supply vacuum operation fuel feed to the BST33ss mukunis and later model air box for some reason? Ultimately I would also look to use pod filters and dyno jet kit and I also need to locate a good used exhaust system since I forgot to post that the exhaust was also scavendged from my 88 (also center stand).

I really like PM's stuff and I can telll how well remanned it is because I am a bit of a carb expert myself - but in Kehein CV carbs. It will take me about 10 weeks at least to save up for his offerings which i am convinced would be well worth it.

But in the interim i still need to see if I can find cheaper possibilites - since the IRS has a real nice garnish on my pay check
what do you all think about retrofiting my early 70's Suzuki OEM water buffalo / rotay fairing to the gsx - i am sure it won't be easy but there do seem to be many atchment points on the 88's frame since it had to provide for the original 88 fairing. One concern is that the Katana really sems to have a really low ground profile and the OEM fairing as shown on a GT 750 seems to have a higher sitting proile. I guess will have to drain all fork oil on my 88 and add progressive suspension stiffer fork springs to induce a little more height. Not o mention I am a 290 pound rider - so i tend to compress suspension.

again thanks to all who have responded and this ll ake my 2 nd post if replies to posts count. again if you have parts that you have and can see what I needfrm my posts - please feel free to e mail me at [email protected] until I post up to the 25 minimum posts.

also thought I would share some of my other creations from the Honda world - I love the CX / GL 500 and 650 plants as you can see from what I ave built

regards

KLING TUT

[superbike]

I had an 82 CX 500 Custom Honda. Riding that v-twin with the valve covers sticking out between your knees was cool! Have you seen the turbo charged version they built? Good old bikes, and many are still out there being used daily. It's hard to believe those bikes are 30 years old! Thanks for sharing a blast from the past...

[KatKrak]

That red Silverwing sure looks to be in nice shape. Brings back some fine memories. Dad had the big wing and Mom had the Silverwing. Damn thing was near indestructible.

I'm not sure how those fairings are gonna look on your Kat, but it sounds like a neat idea. Have you thought about Photoshopping it first to get an idea of how its gonna look ? I'm curious to see it.

Anyway, welcome to KR!

[kmbphoto]

I've got an OEM exhaust from my 96 600 if you want it.
It's not in the best shape, but not bad, and functions perfectly.
Let me know and we can work something out.
Welcome, by the way!

[Wild-Bill]

Love the SilverWing. Friend of mine in college had one.

Reason for going to the newer airbox is two-fold. First of all, the airbox changed from 88 to 90, as the carbs changed. You might be able to get away with just replacing the boots from the airbox to the carbs but I don't know. The other reason is that pod filters don't work well with these carbs. Just ask Arsenic. He'll tell you all about it.

You're also going to have some fun with the intake boots, going to the head. They can be stretched if you take them off and boil them but the bigger carbs won't fit at all if you don't.

[KLINGTUT]

my first post about my 88 katana

Wow community all of your replies are great and thanks for contributing you knowledge back about the questions I am dealing with.

I have a PDF file of the Katana factory workshop manual I donwloaded it for $ 9. Steal of a deal. But the model proliferation discourse in the manual is a bit confusing. When I pull up carb diagrams from say Dillion Brothers and I choose my bike & bike year & bike model GSX 600 F, (add also experiement with model years 90 thru 93) there are carb schematics for my 600 F & then there carb schematics for the 600FT and there are one other set of visual carb schematics for models J,K, L M, N, P, R, S & T . This last group seems to have the carb styles I am lookin for in that they don't have the unitized diaphram molded to plastic slide - all entities are separate. But I can't distinguiish what this model identifiers are supposed to refer to (unless these are country of use codes) - the work shop manual use those codes (J,K, L M, N, P, R, S & T) to identify year of production.


if you know of anyone that might like to buy my 82 gl silverwing "super sport" which I retrofitted one of my spare Honda GL 1100 Interstate air compressor system, which i use to pump up the air forks and the mono shock, it is titled and for sale - everything works except last tour to boscobel wisconsin my water temp gage stopped reading. But I will get that figured out and fixed soon.

My avitar of my profile picture ids me riding into boscobel on a honda 1983 CX 650 Euro Sport - probaly only 1 of possibly 4 in the USA - really nice machine. never imported to USA - honda sure blew it on that decission.

I have attached a bike gallery for all of you - i have 2 83 BMW R65 LSs - willing to sell one -

KMBPhoto how much for your exhaust system - it will be part of an elite group of parts that I will need to be able to get the 600 f started- looking for center stand as well. thanks again for all resdpoding to mey posts

KLING TUT