Page 3 of 6 FirstFirst 12345 ... LastLast
Results 41 to 60 of 117

Thread: Waltari's 1982 Suzuki 1157 Katana Project

  1. #41
    quote:Originally posted by aussiecat

    looks great your build is moving along at a great rate.
    good work on the under tray and battery box.
    Going alot faster now One thing I decided I didn't want to do on this bike was paint it as I HATE painting. Spoke with my painter this past week and I'll be dropping the bodywork of with him this coming friday. 2-3 weeks and it should have some new skin!

  2. #42
    quote:Originally posted by frankenbiker

    nice one mate i lurrvee old kats when they get this treatment ..youve given me an idea ...i wonder if a zrx swing arm would fit me cb900 cos i like the tube it would suit the rest of my frame..you couldnt measure it for me [^] btw welcome the 'other 'side of life
    From memory, I believe the stock zrx1100 arm measures 9 1/4" or 235 mm at the pivot but I machined it down to the width of the stock katana arm.

  3. #43
    Tyre destroying, mad bastard menace
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Melbourne, Vic, .
    Posts
    1,017
    quote:Originally posted by g-style

    Lookin' sweeet good job so far keep postin'. might wanna post it over on customfighters.com too (american site)


    .....G.....
    Hey Fark off M8 stop trying to poach our members![}]

  4. #44
    So...when I got my katana, the windscreen was trashed. Totally scratched and cracked around all the bolt mounting holes. First attached photo shows what a stock one is supposed to look like (with lame rubber trim attached).



    Not wanting to pay Suzuki $200USD for a new one and being a glutton for punishment I decided I'd make my own. Prior to leaving the foundry, I cast a wax from the inside of my trashed windscreen and cast it in bronze to be used as a form for producing a new one for myself. (photos 2,3 are the casting shell, 4th is the bronze form)

    Cost of wax and bronze form $0








    I went to a store called TAP plastics to see if they could form a new one over my bronze form. Apparently they don't form things in plastic though they boast they are in fact a plastic fabrication shop. Anyway, picked the guys brain for a while and left with a scrap of tinted impact resistant plastic to try it on my own.

    Cost of plastic $0 (guy felt sorry for me a let me have it)

    So, knowing I couldn't form it in my gas oven (heat + acrylic = offgas + flame = explosion) the form a plastic have sat in my garage for months. The other day at work, a guy I work with appears with some freshly formed acrylic???? I ask him what's up and he's busy in the back room heat forming this stuff in our electric forming oven. WE HAVE AN ELECTRIC FORMING OVEN?

    I tell him my game plan and he says he thinks we can do it. So first off, the right way to do it would be to have a vacuum bag setup ready with my form inside, acrylic trimmed slightly oversized. Heat until leathery, inside in bag over form, start vacuum pump and remove all air...presto. One problem...we/I don't have a vacuum bag setup.
    (though I would like to get one soon for yet more bad ideas).

    Problem is, the windscreen I'm molding has compound curves and thus needs to stretch a bit. Well...after three tries, the final one using three of us pulling it around the form and a fourth guy cooling it wih air...I am the proud new owner of a tinted reproduction 82 katana windscreen. Just need to take cut airtools in this weekend and trim the excess and sand, scrape, polish the edges. (Last photo)



    Just going to do the one for now...if I do get a vacuum bag setup, I'll considering making and selling some reproductions on the net. Without the bagging setup though...any kind of mass production ideas are just insane.
    Last edited by waltari; 05-11-2013 at 01:39 PM.

  5. #45
    Tyre destroying, mad bastard menace
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    ipswich qld Australia
    Posts
    4,858
    Blog Entries
    1
    now that is some shit hot work cost $0 and looks great what more could you want

  6. #46
    Tyre destroying, mad bastard menace
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    gold coast, queensland, Australia.
    Posts
    1,448
    nice work matt, i think your onto something with selling repro's, theres bugger all you can buy at a half reasonalbe price.

    cheers.joe.

  7. #47
    ASF Premium Full Member fimpBIKES's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Hunter Reg NSW, Australia.
    Posts
    6,549
    why would want the screen on?

    everyone knows they look better and go harder with em off [:X]
    Rev the fucker!!!!!

  8. #48
    Bloke with the stick Gix11's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
    Posts
    17,574
    Blog Entries
    34
    Nice work Waltari. You definitely have a hand for quality workmanship - which is the main reason I'm looking forward to seeing the finished build. Keep the progress work shots coming in mate.

  9. #49
    The finished windscreen...still want to buff out a couple spots but not bad for homemade[]

    Last edited by waltari; 05-11-2013 at 01:40 PM.

  10. #50
    Spent part of today getting a few thing taken care of before the bodywork goes out to the painter (no desire to do that myself!)
    Had to trim the upper fairng a bit more to give a little extra fork clearance, front fender is from an 04 gsxr but I've cut it down and modded quite a bit. Went back and drilled a hole in the top and bottom of the fuel tank and welded in a steel drain tube into the gas cap recepticle...honestly forgot to put one in when welding in the gsxr style filler...oh well, a little back tracking never hurt anyone[8D]

    Here is an update photo...hopefully in the next couple days I'll be able to drop everything off with the painter and then the fun begins...startin to look like a kat again!

    Last edited by waltari; 05-11-2013 at 01:42 PM.

  11. #51
    ASF Premium Full Member fimpBIKES's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Hunter Reg NSW, Australia.
    Posts
    6,549
    it hurts me to say it,
    but thats a nice lookin screen mate!


    what colour??
    Rev the fucker!!!!!

  12. #52
    quote:Originally posted by fimpBIKES

    it hurts me to say it,
    but thats a nice lookin screen mate!


    what colour??
    Thanks M8! Definitely have an itch now to get my vacuum setup together and try an easier method of production. The screen is a smoked impact resistant material from a local supplier. As for the bike, though some people might say it's uninspired, I'm going to have it painted stock kat silver/black and then I have my own graphics that will be going over that base. Think somewher between an ealy Yoshi Kat factory racebike and the 1135R.

  13. #53
    Tyre destroying, mad bastard menace
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    gold coast, queensland, Australia.
    Posts
    1,448
    matt, looking fucking great, nice work, the blacked out frame and swinger are sweet. and i completely agree, go for the stock silver kat color (is there any other option? lol)

    cheers.joe.

  14. #54
    Aussie Streetfighter Hooligan
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    gunnedah nsw
    Posts
    8,871
    quote:Originally posted by waltari

    quote:Originally posted by frankenbiker

    nice one mate i lurrvee old kats when they get this treatment ..youve given me an idea ...i wonder if a zrx swing arm would fit me cb900 cos i like the tube it would suit the rest of my frame..you couldnt measure it for me [^] btw welcome the 'other 'side of life
    From memory, I believe the stock zrx1100 arm measures 9 1/4" or 235 mm at the pivot but I machined it down to the width of the stock katana arm.
    cheers mate ...now ive had to take the engine out i might just do a few other things i was puttin off

  15. #55
    Power Hungry, Law Disregarder
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Blacksburg, VA, USA.
    Posts
    574
    great work waltari!! Thats an awesome job on that windscreen. Im sure with a vac bag setup you could knock those things out pretty cheap and make a killing on them. The undertail and battery tray are great as well, very nice clean work. I have to say though the only thing im not liking is the front fender. im not sure why. Dont get me wrong it doesnt look bad and it fits with the bike.

    Great Job!, whats the paint going to be?

  16. #56
    quote:Originally posted by shift1313

    great work waltari!! Thats an awesome job on that windscreen. Im sure with a vac bag setup you could knock those things out pretty cheap and make a killing on them. The undertail and battery tray are great as well, very nice clean work. I have to say though the only thing im not liking is the front fender. im not sure why. Dont get me wrong it doesnt look bad and it fits with the bike.

    Great Job!, whats the paint going to be?
    Honestly, I'm not sure about the fender either. I never picked up a 2002 gsxr front fender to match the forks so I just fitted an 04 I had laying around. Looked bizarre before I trimmed it back, now it looks OK but still not sure if it's ultimatel what I want. Figured it'll do for now so I'm sending it off to the painter. I have a 93 gsxr fender which looks better stylewise but doesn;t even really com close to fitting the 02 forks...

    Paint is going to stick to the stock silver/black but think somewhere between yoshimura factory bike and the 1135r

  17. #57
    Weekend Warrior
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    london, london, United Kingdom.
    Posts
    120
    The whole project looks the nuts m8. That arm looks a perfect match to the frame. Is your trade in sheet metal?

  18. #58
    quote:Originally posted by cavey

    The whole project looks the nuts m8. That arm looks a perfect match to the frame. Is your trade in sheet metal?
    Not really...I've been doing everything from building wiring neon signs, to casting and welding 40ft tall bronze monuments for the last 10 years. Tend to pick up a little knowledge of everything along the way. Case in point...right now I'm the TIG welder for a custom lighting manufacturer. I do however get called upon to to help with the CNC Punch, press brake, mill, and lathe quite regularily. The guys have been pretty good about showing me the ropes in sheetmetal and spinning so I guess add more knowledge to the kettle. Glad you're digg'in the project...hope to be done in the near future and riding the beast!

  19. #59
    Weekend Warrior
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    , NT, Australia.
    Posts
    345
    does the bottom tripple clamp bolt hit the fairing bracket?

  20. #60
    quote:Originally posted by aussiecat

    does the bottom tripple clamp bolt hit the fairing bracket?
    Yep...I milled it a bit and countersunk a slightly shorter bolt. Funny thing is, it only hits the lower bolt of the lower triple clamp...top bolt clears.

    Latest news....I'm annoyed and pissed off and likely going to machine new motor mounts. I used the GSXR to GSX motor mount dimensions off Old Skool Suzuki when I machined my first set. They placed the motor centered in the frame side to side and front to back. The plates lined up for the most part though the rear dimensions were off and two of the holes had to be oblonged for them to fit.

    Well....thought all was fine until I went to install the exhaust and guess what...the engine is too feckin far back in the frame. Header fouls a crossbrace on the two front downtubes of the frame. Go back, double check the dimensions page on old skool and notice the bike pictured using the plates has home made fucking extensions on the exhaust ports

    Posted up a few notes questioning the dimensions and the same people that first recommended them basically changed their tune and said well...those dimensions are just starting points. NO their complete fucking wrong! Should have just done them from scratch myself from the start[B)]

    Anyway...that changed my plans, decided I couldn't use the titanium header I was planning to and I was going to have to cut and extend a stainless header I had in the shed. Then, last night, I thought to myself, the one last thing I never did was install the fuel tap. I went out to bolt it on and check before I took the parts off to the painter and guess what...the tap hits the left most oil fitting on the valve cover (and that is with using a pingle tap with an offset plate)

    So now I can turn the tap sideways and it'll just clear the oil lines or I can blank off the tap hole on the tank, machine a new one and weld in nuts for the tap to bolt in further back...

    or......I can just machine new fucking motor mount plates! I think I'm goin to do the later...that way I know it'll be RIGHT and I'll solve the tap problem and actually be able to use the titanium header I wanted to.

    Can you tell I'm a bit frustrated[}]

Page 3 of 6 FirstFirst 12345 ... LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •