Katana 400 intervention begins

**James Deuce** · 23rd September 2007, 10:45

The lip inside the steering head was indeed the issue.

Thanks to et al and his modified steel bar, half a dozen gentle taps had the bottom race out in no time.

Work has been a bitch for the last month. No, hang on, I've been work's bitch for the last month.

Yesterday I cracked. Instead of turning up to work at 9am for yet more OT I installed the steering head bearings and reassembled the front end. Then after work I installed the front wheel and brake calipers and monkeyed up a mounting point for the old horn off the Z750 (Z750 horn has been replaced with a baby Stebel - the old Z750 horn is 50% larger than the stock Suzuki item) and set the tension on the steering head bearings.

No clunks and smooth throughout its travel. The old bearings were so knackered that the whole steering assembly used to rock back and forwards under braking.

The Katana is now a rolling chassis. I inserted the key and all the dash lights came on and the new horn tootled melodiously first pop. Nothing gets caught, the forks actually seem to hold the front end up instead of diving for the stops when you sit on the seat (or bare frame rails) and the brakes work without binding. It really is nice to see the bike resting on its medieval proctoscope of a side stand.

I've really appreciated nudemetalz' help. I wouldn't have attempted the whole front end rebuild without his gentle encouragement and now bloodied thumbs (sorry). Paul in NZ has provided more inspiration than he probably realises and F5Dave has no idea how comforting the thought, "If I stuff this up F5Dave is just round the corner", really was. Thanks also to Pussy for his rechroming contacts. I'm sorry that didn't work out because it would have been great to be able to pimp those guy's work on KB.

Richard from TSS has been superb. He likes old Japanese munt too, so rather than a derogatory scowl when I ask stupid questions he's helped figure out what I really want and then sorts it out, usually within 10 days. Front caliper piston kits are on the way.

Brian D'Marge. The toad won't answer emails requesting a bank account number so I can pay for the shocks he helped me find on OKSHon. One day Brian D'Marge, one day.....

Crazefox and MSTRS have provided paint and decals respectively, and both of them are superb to deal with, full of great ideas. Comments like, "I've put 2 sizes of decals and a couple of Katana decals (kanji symbol) in the package as well", from MSTRS and "I can still feel the edge of the decals through the clear coat, so I'd like to give it a couple more coats", show just what sort of people inhabit KB.

I'll post some pictures up tonight. If I ever get home from work.

I'll be picking up crazefox's handiwork in the next week or so. He and his partner have just had a baby girl, Elley (sp), so he's a bit preoccupied. Don't forget to congratulate him people! Once the bodywork is installed I'll post some more pictures. Then it's off to get the mufflers repaired and some new headers priced up. Until then the howl of a small capacity multi will be plaguing Wellington commuters. Sounds just like a 4 cylinder 350cc MV that Ago used to ride.

**merv** · 23rd September 2007, 11:07

Going well Jim, glad to hear you finally got the bearing out.

**James Deuce** · 23rd September 2007, 19:49

Pictures as promised.

Bit funny really. You can't see where the real work has gone in. Trust me when I say the old stanchions were horribly pitted, the fork oil was indescribably disgusting and the rotten air filter was a sight to behold. Look at the size of the bell mouth on the new air filter compared to the old one, further back through the posts.

All those rusty bits you can see will be coming off to be painted by crazefox, sometime before Christmas. The pistons and seals in the brake calipers will be replaced in the next couple of weeks along with the rear shocks. Xerxesdaphat, if you're looking at this, those brakes are good example of why cable operated drums have been rightly relegated to Museums and well loved and maintained classics. I can't say I was particularly enarmoured of the cable operated front drum on my CSR250. You were never sure you would have any brakes at all.

I've cleaned up the chassis components a lot and I've gone to town with lubricants to free up bolts.

Under that steering head are some of SKF's finest work with tapered roller bearings and a lot of strange looks from the guys at Schrodoco. Also, blood, skin, 30-40,000 expletives about engineers who leave an exposed edge so you can get a bearing race out but then put a lip over it, and about 100gms of fresh grease.

The horn really is better than the old one. I've yet to look at the alternator output to see if I can put the grown-up Stebel on.

Honestly, all those rusty bits will be sorted, I promise.

**Paul in NZ** · 23rd September 2007, 21:26

Good onya Jim... It sure takes your mind OFF work and yet motivates you to go back ($$) eh?

**Pussy** · 23rd September 2007, 21:55

Buy the yoshi system, buy the yoshi system, buy the yoshi system........

**James Deuce** · 24th September 2007, 05:59

I'd buy it if they answered, I'd buy it if they answered, I'd buy it if they answered.....

**Busy** · 24th September 2007, 09:18

I stumbled upon this the other day

**Brian d marge** · 24th September 2007, 15:48

Brian D'Marge. The toad won't answer emails requesting a bank account number so I can pay for the shocks he helped me find on OKSHon. One day Brian D'Marge, one day.....

Not until they arrive and you are happy with them and I see a photo of your happy smiling face holding a freshly caught fish above you head ,

Stephen

**James Deuce** · 24th September 2007, 15:51

Gaaah! Fish!

Alright, deal

**crazefox** · 24th September 2007, 17:23

Mate im home now so come over whenever

**James Deuce** · 26th September 2007, 20:56

I went and picked up the painted bits this evening.

I feel like I ripped crazefox off! You can't look at the tank for too long before vertigo makes you slowly but surely fall into the tank.

All the other bits, from the guard to the nose cone to the little doohickeys under the tank look way better than when I bought the bike, better than new even!

My tribute to a mutual friend of Paul in NZ's and mine is nice and subtle and just a little off centre - precisely how Ken would have liked it!

K'erst was his nickname and the spelling came from a language he invented, one wot was loosely (Vicar!) based on Engurlush. He often sneered at modern bikes as foppish affectation, so I'm sure he'd appreciate his appellation (you kids get out of my orchard!) adorning the front of a partly perfect, partly decrepit, thoroughly archaic tribute to boiks of twenty foive year ago.

Sorry about the horrid photo and poor light. Should give yer an oidea of wot it is loik but.

**Pussy** · 26th September 2007, 21:05

Hey Jim, I've got a side cover of a 650 Katana lying around somewhere, not sure if it's left or right.... new but needs painting. Would it fit the four hundy?

**James Deuce** · 26th September 2007, 21:06

Nope, but thanks for the offer!

**James Deuce** · 27th September 2007, 00:24

Here we go!

Once the rust sealer on the bottom of the tanks sets, we are good to rock and roll.

At least until the headers explode and I get pink stickered for those "mufflers". Yes, "mufflers, that's what they are.

Isn't it nice to work in the gargre?

Check out MSTRS' superb work on those decals and crazefox's lustrous paint work(ignore the brown tinge - that's a testament to the 3cm deep clearcoat and some weird reflections caused by the flash)! I can't recommend both of them highly enough.

Shocks to go. Then the next paint job is all the little frames and brackets.

I only had one screw left over and I know exactly where it should go.