garry55

got a call today to say the rear footrest mount modifications were complete, so off I trots to Malton to collect the frame. The rear footrest and silencer mount have been removed, saving at least 10kgs of weight, and the front footrest mount triangulated so............ much neater - much lighter. Back home in the garage, I fitted the front and rear ends then test-fitted a spare motor to see if all the newly attached engine mounts lined up................ they did - perfectly Just the upper rear mounts to make now I can get the exact measurements for them. Left-side footrest mount......... sits just right and well away from the rear shock line - result and the exhaust ports............. clear of the frame tubes - just as Suzuki designed them to be.

this is the final welding of the GT750 engine cradle tubes to the original Katana frame…………. I have now decided that I don't like the look of the rear footrest brackets / silencer mounts so they are coming off next - more welding required now...............

why thank you Sir !

Had to wait until I had sourced a r/h front engine mounting plate before we could fit the other downtube. After much heating / bending / tweaking, here's the r/h frame tube tacked in place............ Using the GT750 cradle enabled us to use the standard engine mounts too - and another bonus is that the radiator mounts are already in place. the rolling chassis with motor.......... final welding and dressing of welds next............

we then pondered the best way to get the downtubes to clear the header pipes, without it looking too Heath-Robinson. This is what we came up with.......... an early GT750 "J" frame off Eblag for £30, which we introduced to the trusty grinder.................. then out with the old, and in with the new........... some heating and tweaking......... and that fits nicely....... the down tube required the same attention........ and got it.......... spot on (ish).................. tacked in place, awaiting final welding........

I'm thinking the really hard work is complete now. Fitting the GT750 motor into the 750 Katana frame has been a bit more difficult and involved than I had anticipated. Jigging the frame and motor to get the sprocket and swingarm centres aligned and the chain run spot on was straightforward enough.............................. getting the chain alignment right...... but this off-set the motor so that the r/h exhaust port was fouled by the frame downtube. We sparked-up the grinder to make room for the header pipe..... should fit now.........

Yamaha TZR250 3MA - £20 in Japan - £60 by the time it got to me.

saw that at Warley Cross a couple of weeks ago...................... very nice

where this fits on the forum.........................? a 2 stroke Katana that's not a 50cc scooter...............