34 year dream fulfilled! I got me a Katana!!

[Spongebob]

In 1982 a spotty 17 year old wobbled in to Eastbourne Corporation road depot on his XL125S to do some bike training in an attempt to appease my mother who was distinctly unimpressed with my birthday present I had bought myself. She was even more impressed with my Dad who provided the loan and never told her!

Any how just after I turned up the instructor arrived on an 1100 Katana freshly collected from Park Motorcycles in Hampden Park. I could not be more impressed and a pillion ride later cemented a desire for a Katana in to my bucket list. Over the years I've attempted to buy numerous examples to either be outbid in the dying seconds or turning up to find scrapheaps where pristine was in the advert text.

12 months ago a close acquaintance mentioned he might be tempted to sell his Japanese import Katana 1100SY and a deal was struck in seconds. The bike was cosmetically sound but had a knackered motor thanks to some ham fisted spannering by a previous owner. The deal was for a down payment on the bike with a further settlement once the motor was rebuilt to my spec.

It's now 1170cc Wiseco with Dyna ignition, EFE Carbs with pod filters to remove all the Japanese market restrictions. It sailed through MOT last week and I got my first brief ride today. Jetting is not right as it does not pick up cleanly but i need to get some miles in to break in the motor before it gets proper dyno set up.

Only 34 years of waiting

[homer]

Classy looking KAT

[kiwi]

Nice looking Kat but i'm biased 

[Paulm]

Nice

[Captain Chaos]

[KATANAMANGLER]

Welcome to the wonderful world of Katana

[wraith]

I know the feeling, I was the same and got a long waited kat about 5years ago and I can say I most probably will never sell it. 

Nice kat and all the right bits.

[gray711]

Great stuff.... I had an airfix model of a Kat as a yoof & that's as far as I got.

Are you still based in Eastbourne? 

Scrap that, just looked at your profile 

Edited March 6, 2016 by gray711

[Spongebob]

1 hour ago, gray711 said:

Great stuff.... I had an airfix model of a Kat as a yoof & that's as far as I got.

Are you still based in Eastbourne? 

Scrap that, just looked at your profile 

Left Eastbourne in 1984 to join the RAF. Got posted to Abingdon out of trade training and been in Oxfordshire or close ever since. My parents and sister are still in Eastbourne

[Blubber]

Congratulations! 

 

Nice example 

[johnr]

well done, however, i have to warn you that if you think its stopping here, then youve another thing coming. you might think youve fulfilled a lifetimes ambition and its the end of the search, then i have to tell you that even as you read this, a tiny infection is eating away at the part of your brain that controls common sense and proportionality. this time next year you will have decided to buy a 'parts bike' for spares, a year later you will have decided that its too good to use for spares, and a further 12 months down the line you will have , completely autonimously you will think, decided that what you need is a mint stock kat, a daily rider and a fancy modified one for playing with. meanwhile you will have collected 'spares' for 'just in case'  your mortgage will go unpaid, your kids will starve, your wife will leave, but its ok, cos youve got your kat. they arent a bike, theyre an infection.....

[KATANAMANGLER]

Nah that's just you John

[Captain Chaos]

^^^ what John says, times eleventy billion. You're screwed.

[Captain Chaos]

1 minute ago, KATANAMANGLER said:

Nah that's just you John

you don't realise it yet, but you're infected with Slabbyitis.

[KATANAMANGLER]

Tell the rest John " and then you'll buy a tall metal cupboard and you'll put new and almost new Katana parts in it wrapped in tea towels. When people to visit you'll take them out and make a purring noise"

[Nigkat]

Congratulations, lovely Kat. just one thing loose the seat strap.

[minx]

She's a a beaut but how come the M plate? Is that the import year?

You could probably get a year related reg for the cost of an application.

[Nigkat]

The SY katana was the final edition model sold in Japan in 2000 or so I think.

[KATANAMANGLER]

Yup final addition had the piggy back shocks and the servo assist clutch. Wee Japanese hands couldn't handle the 1100 clutch 

[Nickydodds]

And de-tuned a bit I think...

[Captain Chaos]

and no antidive forks

 

[Spongebob]

Yes, it's a Japanese import and that is an age related plate. It is a 1994 model imported to UK in 1999. It does have an assisted clutch and a slightly smaller tank to accommodate this. It was restricted for the home market but we stripped all the restrictions out via removing airbox, stock ignition and exhaust. It does need some setting up as it is clearly not jetted correctly.

As to habit forming it's a bit late.....garage is already filled with a variety of big Z's and the shed stocked with boxes of bits I'll never use. I'm not really big on stock though. Pet hate on another forum is always the anorak that chips in with the "it''s got the wrong rivet" on every post.

[vizman]

well pete hate can go fuck himself.....standard sucks, he best keep his anorak antics away from this forum.

[vizman]

you should sell/swop that clutch mod on to @KATANAMANGLER, he's always going on about how his wee hands ache after riding more than 20 miles.....

[KATANAMANGLER]

I have an EFE clutch though with heavy duty springs. It's too late for me now though evolution has kicked in and I've grown extra fingers on my left hand. I crush calour gas cylinders like you crush your Starbucks cups wee man