Katana Owners Club U.K.

From today's fiddling and looking around the bike I have a few queries for you knowledgeable chaps:

1. - Side stand appears to 'auto-retract', but I only noticed this following washing the bike this morning? Is it possible to prevent this behaviour? or is there a problem?
   
   - After the MoT I mentioned filling the front tyre with air, due to low pressure. I noticed that despite the cast rims both tyres are fitted with inner tubes and looking closely at the rims neither appears to have 'tubeless' cast into them? I remember my 1981 650 Kat (UND 244X if it's still around.....though I doubt it) having tubeless tyres fitted with no tubes? I'd rather not have tubes fitted if possible.
   
   - Any advice on decent Pattern Indicators. The rear has massive long stalked items fitted but the originals appear to have been short stalked?
   
   - Also any advice on getting later footpegs (front definitely and possibly pillion) from an SD model, cos they are more aesthetically pleasing!. Is it a case of keeping an eye on eBay for 1100 Katana ones or are there other bikes with the same parts fitted?
   
   - without starting the dreaded 'oil thread' is there a recommended oil viscosity for the bike? One site I found listed 10w30, 10w40, 10w50, 15w50 and 20w50 grades in their oils! I'd like to change the oil before the registration no. comes back from the DVLA

Still looking for a steer on Workshop Manuals - Haynes any good (if so which one?) or am I better looking for a pdf of the Suzuki workshop manual?

V55/5 form and associated stuff in the post at lunchtime today. Hopefully I got it all right ?!

TIA Jez

The stand is auto retractable because that is the German law. Changing the spring to a UK will alter it as will removing 1of the 2 .......long stalks indicators .......German law......as is the rear lens that doesn't have a reflector built in like the UK .

Changing the footpegs will also require the little plates , springs and ball bearings on the rear ones with a hole drilled to accommodate the spring and ball bearing into god locking position.

Tyres are probably inner tubes because the log book says it must have these fitted......In Germany you must only fit the tyres fitted listed.
. As said tubeless BT 45 are the best option but will need valves as well.

The Swiss Katana I got last year had a retractable side stand but it was made that way (possibly as Switzerland was like Germany and required it, as the bike was originally Italian.) This was achieved by someone drilling and tapping the side stand bolt and then inserting a M6 bolt in that hole that stuck out about 2 or 3cm. When the side stand was put down the spring sort of wrapped around the bolt that stuck out and that was enough to spring it back when the bike was held upright from being on the side stand. I just replaced the side stand both and springs and back to normal!

As Blix says other owners have noticed oil weeping out when using the 10w40 semi-synthetic and changing to a 10w40 mineral oil (Rock Oil seems to be the only motorcycle one) had cured it for them.

I've got to get the manuals on here - I have them more of less ready to go, just need to find some time. Yeah, Blix, Damien did say it was OK to use them - he was going to send me the missing ones (650, 550, 750, etc) but I haven't got them yet, if you happen to have them? I have the 1100, 400 and 250.

Thanks

UB

Blix wrote:Hi UB,

I have ran off a copy for Jez and will get it in the post tomorrow.

I have the 1100, 750 and 400 discs if any needed.

Any chance I could have a copy of the 1100 disc please, pretty please?

Blix wrote:I thought I already did you one?

I can run another disk off no problem.

Edit, yeah I did, I sent another because the first one was broken, WTF are doing with them

Oops, so you did
Not to worry I’m sorted then

footpeg mounting onto frame is slightly different. not a problem for rider pegs if you get them with the mounting bracket onto the frame, but putting sz pegs onto an sd frame will result in the pillion pegs drooping down unusable, so im guessing that the reverse will be true too.

as for oil, use a decent mineral oil of 10/40 and change it when the manual states and you wont have any bother, these engines were made with wide tollerances that like a good old fashioned mineral.