There
are a lot of radical Katanas around, but not many as well executed as
this. There are a lot of proud owners about, but not many as
outspoken as this;
"This is a genuine Reader's Special, built by a
reader, not one of your Spondon this, Dream Machine that or the other
bikes, with big cheques flying all over the place. What's the
point in riding around on a special that someone else has built?
All the work (apart from the motor) has been done by me or my
mates. I made the torque arm, wheel spacers etc. and a mate did
the paint job. He's not even a pro paint sprayer, he works for a
firm making bearings. It's 100% paint, no stickers there. If
you think it's loud you should see it in daylight!"
Loud it most certainly is and, although the design
may not be to everybody's taste, it is an incredibly high quality spray
job as well, particularly considering that it was done by an amateur in
his spare time. I don't suppose that the exhaust note is the
quietest thing the local constabulary have ever heard either. They
can at least take solace in the fact that with l0lb of boost giving
somewhere around 200 dyno-proved horses it doesn't stay around for
long. According to Nigel it can spin the back wheel at will . . .
at 100mph!
The bike was bought in rather tatty condition just
over a year ago. At the time it was standard except for the
engine, which was more or less as it appears here. Nigel has
checked and rebuilt it but since it was already giving so much power
there was no point in going further until the rest of the bike had been
subject to a complete rethink.
It's fairly obvious from the extended swing arm where
Nigel likes to spend his weekends, but the rest of the chassis and
suspension mods could usefully be cribbed by any Kat owner who wanted to
bring his handling and braking up to match the engine's
performance. Not only does a move to EXUP wheels and forks look a
lot better, it also allows access to all the advances in tyre technology
that have appeared in the decade or so since the Katana was first
introduced. In this case a 120/70 VB17 Avon replaces the original skinny
front nineteen incher. The forks contain 32mm spacers, preloading
the springs to cope with the extra weight of the Suzuki. I would
have thought seriously about having the frame braced to cope with the
extra load from modern tyres and a highly tuned motor, especially around
the notoriously bendy swing arm pivot, but Nigel seems happy, doesn't
use a steering damper and his tyres show signs
of use all the way to the edge, so who am I to argue?
Nigel plans to race the bike over the quarter mile
this year, but he's not sure whether to go any further in the quest for
ultimate straight-line performance. He's gone about as far as
possible without making it unrideable on the road, which would defeat
the object of the bike. It would also start to swallow up a lot
more than the six grand that the project has cost so far, most of which
was spent on the motor by the previous owner, who then swapped it for
Nigel's 750 Slingshot. One thing he is sure about though, is that
unlike a lot of bikes featured on this page, this Kat is not for sale;
`It's taken over a year to build and I'm going to use it.'
KR
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SPECIFICATION
Engine
'82 GSX1100 stretched to 1170, running low compression
pistons with Cosworth rings to suit the competition spec Mr Turbo kit,
welded crank, billet clutch, heavy duty studs, valves and springs and a
high output V&H oil pump. Dyna coils and ignition pickups.
Chassis
Standard frame with 4in longer GMC swinger, FZR1000 front
end, Street Stroker shocks, home-made wheel spacers, chainguard and rear
brake torque arm.
Wheels, Brakes and Tyres
FZR1000 wheels and brakes front and rear, Avon front tyre,
Michelin Hi-Sport rear.
Bodywork
Standard Katana, with boost gauge and FZR filler cap
mounted in the top of the tank by the owner. Paint by Peter Ward.
Without Whom
Nigel would like to extend his most heartfelt felicitations
to Paul Hobbs (0803 864303) for Goodridge and advice, Colin and Andy at
Breakin' Bikes (091 261 9169) for all the FZR bits, MXA for the pink seat
cover, Peter Cockburn, Nobby Muse, Mully, Dough, Norman, Chris, George and
I Keith for the van.
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