Other Kats and Big Zooks...

Here's a selection of photos sent in to me from Katana-philes (and the occasional GS1000S fan, too) from all around the world. Enjoy.

Got a Katana you'd like to share with us all? Or maybe a GS1000S, or some other Big Zook? Feel free to a JPG image, and before too long I should have it added to the bottom of the page.

Greg's Katana

Sometimes custom paint etc. just doesn't work, and sometimes it does. This is one of the latter.

* * * * *

Dave's Katana

Neat as a pin, some great mods. Fournales shocks, fork brace, Brembo discs & calipers, Lockhart oil cooler. Neat grabrail, too.

* * * * *

Ernie's GS1000S

What a great old bus these things are. Like me, Ernie regrets ever selling it.

* * * * *

Andrew's Katana

Very original, and freshly imported into Australia from Japan. Seen here just after being unloaded off the boat.

* * * * *

Peter's Katana

Now here is one tasty bit of kit: that black satin finish looks absolutely smashing. Reminds you of the Yoshimura Katana, eh?

* * * * *

Axle's Katana

A fresh restoration, with GSX-R running gear, all very neatly done. You can just see the power in this thing, can't you?

* * * * *

Max's Katanas

Q: What's better than a Katana? A: Three Katanas.
Says Max, "I love me Kats!" And Fournales shock absorbers too, by the look of it!

* * * * *

Laurence's Katana

Check out the great paintjob that Laurence has performed here. Polished alloy everywhere, very schmick indeed.

* * * * *

Martin's GS1000S

A lovely specimen, eh? And look at that seat, what a work of art.

Now there's a bit of a story behind this particular GS1000S. As you may have already read on my GS1000S page, I got it into my head to buy a GS1000S after seeing one in the late 1980s, on display in the front window of a Sydney motorcycle wrecker. The poor machine had been dredged from the floor of Sydney Harbour, and was encrusted with coral and other harbour crud. Let's allow Martin to take up the story...

Hello there,
I came across your website... and read that you were inspired to buy a GS1000S after seeing one in the window of a Sydney motorcycle wrecker. If that wrecker was Trevor Love Motorcycles, then chances are the GS1000S that I own is the very same bike. They restored it around 1993, and used it as a showpiece for the business.
Thought you might be (mildly) interested to know the bike lives, if it is the same one.

Well, I thought, I'm more than "mildly interested"! Only problem is, the bike I saw in the wrecker's window was red/white, not blue/white. Martin emailed back with this:

The plot thickens because although my GS is blue, it was originally red. I'm from Brisbane, but when I bought it I was given a rundown on the bike's Sydney origins... it even appeared in an edition of "Streetbike" magazine (the date of which, 1993, gave me the indication that that was the date of restoration, but who knows?), which was given to me with the bike. It's unmistakeable from the one in the mag largely because of its... chrome plated swingarm.
I only bought it last August, and in that time I've had to buy a new sump plate, fit a new head gasket, solve the same electrical problems you had with your GS, and I've just discovered a crack in the crankcase which I'm fixing at the moment. I'll be happy to send you a photo when it's in a suitably photogenic condition. It looks pretty good though actually... original mufflers and all.

Small world, eh?

* * * * *

Arnout's Katana

Arnout has been steadily working away at this beastie for a while: engine mods, cosmetics, chassis, the lot... a great work in progress. Visit Arnout's site here and find out what he's been doing with his other machines as well. And find out how to do the home engineering thing better yourself.

Forget Don Quixote! THIS is the ideal steed for tilting at windmills...

* * * * *

Kev's Katana & GSX

Another schmick Katana and, while we're at it, a neat old GSX as well.

* * * * *

Jake's GS1000S

Says Jake, "... when it comes to perfection, you just cant beat the older technology. If I were offered a brand new GSX1300R Hayabusa for a clean swap, I would bluntly decline." Couldn't have put it better myself.

* * * * *

Don's GS1000S

So what has Don done to get such a tasty result? In his own words:

"... paintjob [is] original execpt for the fairing as its had a little ding with the previous owner. ... The engine has 1085 Wiseco kit, ported head, 1mm o/s stainless valves (Kawasaki),stage 1 Yoshi cams, polished/ welded/ balanced crank, welded 2nd gear, under-cut gears, larger springs and rivets in clutch. ... It runs Kayaba race shocks (notice they're "upside down"), Mackintosh swing arm, 4.25x18/ 2.50x18 rims, a GSX 550 ESD front guard that bolts straight on with only little cuts to clear the brake line brakets. ... 29mm smoothbore carbies, Tingate exhaust and K&N air filter ... The cams are dialed in at 106 degrees for grunt and it makes 105 hp but has a large dip in the midrange, but you don't worry about it as it has the grunt to pull thru it."

* * * * *

Adam's GS1000S

Specs and work done as follows:

• Wiseco 1170 kit
• Katana 1100 carbs
• UniFilter
• new brakes front and rear
• new rear tyre
• new fairing and instrument cluster
• new starter motor and starter clutch
• new rear shocks

* * * * *

Craig's GS1000G

Ah yes, the mighty shaftie, the original mile-eater. Looks to be original except for the Vetter fairing, paint, seat cover & exhausts. Craig says he's got some carbie cleaning to do, as well as fixing intake and exhaust leaks.

* * * * *

Quintin's GS1000G

They don't come much more original than this beautie. Original pristine paint as well! Glorious.

* * * * *

Andreps' Katana

Andrep's Katana might be less than standard (and who am I to point the finger!), but doesn't that yellow striping set off the classic lines of the bodywork nicely? Then again, it might just be me who has a thing for black & yellow paintschemes...

* * * * *

The most bog-stock Katana of them all?

Spotted at a popular motor museum (Whiteman Park) north of Perth here in Western Australia, by my GSX1150EF-riding mate, Paul. Short of a Katana that is actually still in the original crate, they just can't come more original and schmick than this, can they?

* * * * *

Echucabike's GS1000S...

Here we have the '79 (SN, blue & white) and '80 (ST, red & white) models side by side.

* * * * *

Russell's GS1000 and GS1100...

The first bike is a '78 GS1000 which Russell imported from the States in 1988 -- "not original but I like her like that". Yep, not bad at all. The second machine is a very recent purchase; as you can see, it's come with quite a few modifications already: Kawasaki front end, monoshock rear. Less desirable is the previous owners' attempt to produce an 'Eddie Lawson' seat, and there's also a heee-yooge aircraft filler cap on the tank, the size of a small dinner plate. Russell has got another tank and seat on the way...

* * * * *

Jezza's '85 GSX750 'pop up'...

... so-called because these tasty little beasties come with an electric pop-up headlight. Now I'm happy to stand corrected, but I don't think there's another production model in the world that sports a pop-up headlight, is there? Anyway, if you want to read up a bit more about these interesting models, check out the write-up on the Katana Central website here.

Says Jezza: "Here's my '85 GSX750 pop up (Australian issue). Just about ready for painting. Forks have been rebuilt. Wheels, brakes, engine, frame, forks, bars, master cylinders all repainted. Genuine decals & pinstripes have been carefully reproduced. New clutch slave cylinder, new brakes. Carbies balanced. R1 muffler. Dash calibrated with blue LEDs fitted. Original Japanese tail lights fitted (not used in Australia). New tyres, new genuine glove compartment covers & mirrors. Engine is stock.

"These bikes are getting harder to find in an unmolested state, so I decided to hold back on the cosmetic upgrades as in my business [Youngs Motorcycle Dismantlers] I will find another to enhance. I'll send more pics when shes painted."

'Before' and 'after' photos. (Actually the second shot is more of a 'during' photo...)

* * * * *

Uffe's Katana...

Well when this photo dropped into my Inbox I was speechless. So we'll let Uffe speak:

I had restored my Kat during the winter and also a bit of the season, recently on road again, after a crash last year. It was an original -82 except the engine that I have given a boost...

• Wiseco 1168
• WebCam 168
• Machined/ported head
• 28.5mm inlet valves
• HD camchain
• APE tensonier
• Welded crank
• Barnet clutch springs
• Dyna 2000 ignition inc. coils and wires
• Mikuni RS38 carbs
• V&H CO 4-1 (rare)
• front and rear end from a -95 GSXR750
• Instrument from Koso
• 10-row oil cooler by Trendab Motorsport

* * * * *

Graeme's GSX1100 Racer...

Dunno what they've got in the water over there in 'The Land Of The Long White Cloud', but whatever it is they keep on turning out amazing motorcycles -- be it the Britten V-twin, or Burt Munro and his record-breaking Indian. Well Graeme has been lucky enough to snare this piece of motorcycling history. Maybe not as illustrious as the aforementioned legends, but displaying the usual load of Kiwi innovation and know-how that we have come to expect.

"The bike was built in the early 80's featuring a carbon fibre chassis, and was built for Dave Hiscock to do the world Formula 1 series. The previous year, a similar-styled monocoque aluminium chassis machine was built, on which he finished third in the series. He didn't do so well on the carbon bike, as he crashed early on, and then his brother was killed racing..."

Graeme has also included a picture of the builder of the bike, Steve Roberts.

* * * * *

Mark's GS1000ST...

Says Mark:

"This is my daily rider, in (as far as I know) original condition. It recently did a trip from Brisbane to Biloela (via the Burnett Hwy), Biloela to Banana (via the Dawson Hwy), and Banana back to Brisbane (via the Leichhardt Hwy) in two days -- and did not miss a beat. Definitely the best bike I have ever owned."

We hear you mate!

* * * * *

Ian's GS1000SN...

Ian has been steadily working away at this machine, a '79 SN:

"[I have now] rebuilt the clutch hub ... and, like you, I am really happy with the result. I've also replaced my Boyer-Bransden ignition (which died for some unknown reason) with a Dynatech Dyna S DS3-2 unit, and am also happy with the result. The only tip I have is that it would be cheaper to buy it from the States than get it from a local bike shop through the Aussie distributor ($150USD + shipping as opposed to $265AUD at the local bike shop).

"Finally I've managed to track down a new seat (the old one is a stepped type -- yuk, see photo -- with buggered foam) from cmsnl.com. The cost was huge... but having experienced the benefits of new seats on a resto I did of a '76 waterbottle, I'm looking forward to resting my backside on the new one."

Good work Ian, keep it happening mate!

* * * * *