At
the ripe age of 34, David C had many reasons for turning out this
supreme example of a Katana special. With the onset of maturity,
he found more time on his hands, cash in the bank and a gaff in which he
could make good his dream.
Having an understanding better half helped,
too. For it was her who understood that a man raised on a diet of
250/350LC Yamahas needs a project to keep him sane. Or should that
be insane?
Five years on, with the bike finished (are specials
ever finished?) it was time for David to show the world his labour of
love. It started with a note...
"A few years ago I was a young and
impressionable lad - oh, alright I've been reading PB since it
was called Motorcycle Mechanics. I was still young and
impressionable when PB decided to run Reader's Special on
the back page. This was the highlight (sad) of my month and
a great ambition (even sadder) of mine. Make a young - now
not so young - lad's dream come true and re-instate the back page
special."
"Time's moved on," was our reply,
"but we'll put it in. We aim to plese."
David's Katana is endowed with large portion of
power. It kicks hard from the moment the Mikuni RS36mm flatslides
start to deliver. Then, at 6000rpm, this drive turns into a mix of
forward propulsion and front wheel loft. While this entertainment
comes easy from Blades and R1s, to have a bike of 1982 vintage do it -
heavy frame and motor, with a wheelbase to match any dragbike - is an
eye opener the first time. So you have to do it again. And
again...
With the wheel on the deck, second gear neatly
slotted, such is the rate at which it gets to an indicated 140mph, the
Kat' is capable of worrying all users of the Queen's highway.
Illegal speeds and the noisy end of the stainless Eagle pipe fail to
mask what's going on in the motor. Vibrations are expected and
given. They're not of the irritating sort where the old chap goes
numb. No, they are mechanical and add to the Kat's charm.
Yes, charm. To many people, Suzuki's big Katanas were the best
looking bikes of the Eighties. And they nearly all ended up making
big horsepower. |
Suzuki's air/oil-cooled monster
engines respond to riffler files, cams with six-inch lobes and 1134cc
big-bore kits. Not forgetting bigger inlet and exhaust valves,
heavier springs to suit and... it goes on. But that was only part
of the work involved. Perfection, in David's eyes, meant his lump
had to look and work like new. Part of the reconditioning
programme was a new oil pump, generator re-wind, vapour-blasted cylinder
block and crank cases, straight-cut primary gears, external oil line
conversion and tons more new stuff: no point in doing half a job, is
there?
Next step was to sort the running gear by a simple
process of updating the shebang. But getting Suzuki GSX-R1100L
forks, made-to-suit dogleg billet yokes and a NC30 single-sided swingarm
with wheel to fit wasn't that simple. Nor was altering the
headstock for a sharper rake figure (26º).
Enter a company called Martek with the ability to do all the work
needed.
The conversion looks the part and, in time, it'll
work just as well. At the moment the NC30 shock (since
replaced, DC) is out of its league and a bad mismatch for the
forks. The roads that Dave attacks are apparently rougher than
rough so the underdamped, softly-sprung shock is appreciated by his
kidneys. Up on out faster Fan roads the bike would hit one bump
and tie itself in knots. The problem's worse under load. As
the rear squatted, the bike would run wide and weave all over the place.
Did Dave take the hump on hearing this bad news from
me? Not a bit. The grin that appeared seemed to suggest that
he was chuffed to bits that there was more work to be done. Which
confirms my belief that the better the special, the more warped the
owner...
TF |
