Katana Owners Club U.K.

Do you know that feeling, looking at pictures you haven't seen for years, bringing back old memories?

Well, I found some while I was looking for a matching pic for Fossie's Katana anniversary plans. Maybe you have experienced similar? Share it with us. And give us the whole story.

I'll start right off with some photos which were made in 1990. In those days we were a bunch of 6 mates, all with Katanas. Four of us still chummy with each other, still riding Kats; two lost out of sight, no longer motorbiking.
Here's a pic with five of us:
You eagle eyes: Pedda is the chap on the left.

Every now and then we had some photo shootings, particularly when we needed new tyres anyway...
Next pic is 1992-ish and gives evidence of how my green Katana you already know was looking like when I bought it.
Really minging... but fast because of that weired fairing. When I tested high speed for the first time on the Autobahn the bike suddenly sounded like a WWII aeroplane, doing 245 km/h. When I slowed down I noticed that it haddropped a bomb in form of the baffle.
I went back the opposite direction to collect it (yes, I know, that was a bit naive...) and found out that it had hit two cars behind me.
That was an expensive experience...


This is how the same bike looked like one winter later:
(also as expensive...)

I have also pics of some riding through turns, which I loved best. Usually the pics were taken by a bud who's hobby was drag racing photography. He was used to real good visual motifs but he didn't mind taking photos of us numpties nevertheless...

And here's one of my farourites:

There's one more photo I'd like to share with you lot. It shows my wife Tanja sitting on the Katana packed and ready to leave for our honeymoon the day after our wedding day. If I could only talk her into joining in this forum here - she'd have the perfect user name- Katanja.
For honeymoon we had planned three weeks of motorbiking heading down to Sardinia. First leg was down south to a Katana mate who gave us directions to a nice and biker friendly inn in Austria. We went there and stayed 10 days!! because we found everything we needed. Did motorbiking in the Alps, mountainbiking, motorbiking in the Alps, rafting, motorbiking in the Alps, walking tours, motorbiking in the Alps, rafting again and........nooo00000oooo you don't want to here details of what we did twice as much, haha. Honeymoon.

When it started raining on the 11th day we packed and headed for Italy. As it seemed a bit late for Sardina, we went to Elba instead. This island made us a couple coupl'a years before when we were there, Tanja as a pillion. But that's another story.

Some really great pics there Pedda......You said your bike sounded like a WWII aeroplane!

Was that a Spitfire or a Messerschmitt?

bobster wrote:Some really great pics there Pedda......You said your bike sounded like a WWII aeroplane!

Was that a Spitfire or a Messerschmitt?

Junkers in this case, I believe - because it had that bomb, haha.

Nice pics Pedda, looks like ya mrs was going for the world wheelie attempt with all that ballast fitted.

Cool pics Pedda...There's something just right about a full frontal shot of a Kat with it's front wheel in the air

Im with you there....a rare site indeed!

Only time I got my front wheel up was on the way back from the eurokat and fully loaded up on the back!

I think i'd need a crane to get a wheelie out of mine in normal circumstances!

Or lose about 5 stone in weight...........................