Extra Parts

[Bikeazoid]

Hi all, I'm not sure if this statement is going to get me kicked off this site, so I had to ponder it for a few days, but I feel I should just do it.

Ok so I have loved the big Kat since I was 17 (I'm 50 now) and just got one this year. I plan to put modern suspension, carbs and exhaust and don't plan on looking back. The collector I bought it from told me to hold onto the old parts, but I don't want to do that. I really don't like keeping things I know I won't need again, I'm a minimalist to the core.

So, I don't want to throw them away, forks, wheels, carbs pipes and fenders turn signals and such. I know I'm far being in the US, if any one want's it and can figure a way to ship it, i'm all for doing the leg work to get it there (UK).

It was a super stock and rotted Kat, you can see on my site. CreepyKat.com

Thanks all, and I love the site and hope this doesn't get me a one way ticket off the Kat island.

[pookie]

Don't worry about restomodding your Kat, have you seen the ones produced by AC sanctuary garage in Japan? if not, take a look, they've done what you're planning, using top quality modern parts (like brembo brakes, oz wheels and ohlins suspension) I don't think anyone who has seen those bikes would be unimpressed, apart from them ditching the original clocks (sacrilege!) even the 250cc Kat (Kitten) that I own has better brakes, electronics and tyres than the original 1100!

[Bikeazoid]

Whew, thank you. I am kinda planning on ditching the clock If I can get the Euro clock that shows more than 85, or just the face plate, it's one of the things I love about it, the style of the clock.

My dream is to get it on our favorite track in CA, Willow Springs for a track day within 5 years.

Now that I'm ok with "remodeling" it, I was going to have my mechanic do some gusseting on the frame.

Question, is there a plan or pix I can download of some guide lines for that part of it?

[fossie]

Getting a set of European clocks will be hard ....even harder to get mph clocks as they were UK only.
As for just getting a new face on your ...lets be honest silly 85 mph clocks , it won't read correct as the gearing is set for larger increments.
It's your bike and if you think you wish to update running gear then do it and do it well.
BUT as you say the clocks are so important to the Kat design......some go digital etc, oooh No!

[johnr]

Quite fancy a set of 85mph clocks for sues little GS!

[Uncle Bob]

You do have a few £££ ( or $$$) in those used parts, which will buy will the parts you need. Some to post here will be quite expensive (exhausts if they are solid for example) plus possible taxes ( though marked up at a low value on the customer form will avoid those ), but if the price is right then it's doable. Clocks even 85mph ones will still fetch a good price, as as said for you getting 140mph ones will be pretty difficult (and expensive if so), so you might want to stick with them. A set of Good 240kph (European) ones sold in March for £175 on Ebay and I would have said that was fairly cheap - have seen them go for more.
Of course you also do have people in the US looking for parts (Ebay etc), possibly restoring older bikes is becoming something that is happening there, long after a lot of them ended up over here (especially the 70's trail bikes and Kawasaki triples) - the prices of those US source bikes is going up.

As for your bike, are you going to try and get the same look as that Icon bike - monoshock, upside downs etc.?

[Pedda]

Now that I'm ok with "remodeling" it, I was going to have my mechanic do some gusseting on the frame.

Question, is there a plan or pix I can download of some guide lines for that part of it?

See here.

The pic shows a lot of spots for gussets, I even saw people doing every single one to their frames. But my experience says: bracing the frame in the center (area D in the pic) is all that you want, even for track days.
Not necessarily done like in the pic, but like you would do an upper mounting bracket if you did a monoshock conversion.
Did that on three Kat frames differently, one welded, two bolt-in versions, always good results.

[Bikeazoid]

Thanks for the response. Getting the Euro clock isn’t a deal breaker, I love the look of the stock one so I really don’t care.

Ill try ebay for selling my stock items, not sure though, seems the US frowned on our beloved Kat.

No on the mono shock, I love the look of twin shocks, especially with the piggy back reservoirs.

Pedda, thanks for that, I really didn’t want to add to much to it. Are you saying, just the X in the frame, or is that the two smaller candy bar looking gussets below it?

[Pedda]

Yes, the X if you want it simple.
Took two bad snapshots of the recent brackets I'm currently using on the Kats. I bet there's some better ones in my build thread. I'm not saying you should do a monoshock conversion but consider a similar bracket. You don't have to do any welding and can always rearrange things back to stock looks by simply unbolting the bracket. Good to keep up the value of the bike in case you decide to sell it some day. Unmolested frames, you know?

[Bikeazoid]

Thanks, I got a tad confused, are you saying I can buy, or make the X brace instead of welding it?

I'm on page 3 of your build, fun reading, you are amazingly dedicated, sad you made it within 5 minutes of your endurance race.

You are a braver man than me. When I got back on the track after my big get off, I thought everyone got much faster, my pal tole me, "no you are just a big (slow) chicken now".