Any Words or Wisdom, Things to Look For : 1100 or 1000

[jeznewsome]

Hi,

I am looking to get an early 1000 or 1100 Kat. I had a 650 Kat 30 years ago and always wanted an 1100.....now I have the means I would love to own one.

Seen a couple recently and may be looking at more soon. A few questions if I may:
- Is £10k (or more!) really a reasonable price for a 'stock' looking old bike. It seems like there are a few for sale at this level ....but do they ever sell or is that just a wishful price on behalf of the dealers?
- Are there any age (nearly 40 years) or mileage related faults/failures that I should be looking for?
- Aside from the carbs and capacity are there other major differences between the 1000 and 1100?
- Any significant problems in typical spare parts availability or is everything difficult at this age?
- Anything else I should know?

Thanks in advance
Jez

[stockcar]

Depends if your planning on "collecting" or riding IMO..........

A genuine 1000 is always going to command a premium due to the 'homologation special' moniker whereas a more regular 1100 may be a better day to day ride??

Whatever you choose be aware that many larger capacity bikes are not at all what they seem and are simply 750's with GSX11 motors installed...........

[fossie]

£10 grand for a 40 year old bike! If you just want to own it , look at it , then flog it in a few years maybe...this is a consideration just like putting money in a savings account......but you'll need to find someone who thinks the same to actually part with your original investment.

Now if you want a Kat to ride and enjoy meeting people who actually live in the real world... £6-7 tops is where you should be, there are Modified machines out there if that's your bag, which in reality will come in cheaper. Because any bike over 25 years old commands more in original trim.

Cc's. Now the holy grail is the 1000cc. However if it is a US Import it is not a holy grail machine it is just an 1100 with less cubes.....in the carbs don't you know!
There are 750 frames with 1100 engines in, these are considered worth less than full 1100 ....why I don't see because essentially that is what the proper 1100 was anyway.
If you have a budget a 750 still with 750 Motor will come it at £1500- £1900 for a good one. In reality, in modern situation they are more than adequate , who'll bloody well know anyway ....everyone will assume it is an 1100.
Trust me my 750 s2 takes the missus and I with camping stuff to the same rallies as the bigger ones .......a 50 mph speed restriction is the same no matter how many cubes.

[jeznewsome]

Guys, thanks for the swift responses. As a long time Buell owner I figured a UK forum would be a good place to come for some practical 'real-world' advice; as it is for those in the Buell 'community', turning to UKBEG.

Also interesting to see that one of the bikes that I have on an eBay watch list has been on eBay, for around two years (judging from the question on your forum from May 17 : here). Suggesting that bikes priced at this level are not swift sellers, regardless of condition.

I think I'll keep looking for something nice at a more reasonable price (in the £6-7K area as this seems to be tops for 'private' sales) as I want something to ride rather than just add to a collection.

I know Buell spares are, in some cases, becoming scarce. How is spares supply for a much older, but more popular/more numbers sold, machine? I guess routine maintenance is fine but Katana specific stuff, bodywork etc. is difficult and expensive?

Thanks again. Jez

[fossie]

Body work is available new (replica but no difference) apart from tail piece at OK price. The Kat was available until 2000 in Japan so spares are not really an issue......engine parts are common mostly to GSX range so again available ...clocks are rare so don't break 'em. But they can be repaired .


The Kat is not just a rideable classic .....it is an affordable timeless one

The German one on eBay is nice for the money .....for me too much and too clean ....I'd spoil it , but it gives you a good idea.

[jeznewsome]

Having viewed the two eBay bikes in the York area on a city visit there yesterday, both have some problems.

The York Suzuki bike is a little scruffy, has poorly repaired damage to the RHS frame downtube in front of the engine (fairly pointed out by the chap there). This bike is not UK registered (originally a Spanish bike, but with an MPH speedo) at the moment. This and the price probably explains the lack of sale in the last few years.

The one outside York is in better condition but the frame and wheels have been powder coated a light grey which looks odd! Though I guess both could be fixed the frame would be a big job. It also has a fibreglass front fairing - I assume this is not original? It was imported from Poland and has a KPH speedo (which I assume could be made more useful in the UK with an MPH 'Face' which appear to be available from the US).

I didn't think either was worth the asking price. I'll keep looking for a Silver one (the later paintwork and black engined bikes don't quite meet my image of a Katana)

[stockcar]

Sure one of the more knowledgeable 'gurus' will advise but i believe the original bikes had Fibreglass fairings as std ??

[fossie]

Fibreglass fairings are standard up to point in time.
KmH clocks cannot be made to read mph by simply changing the clock face ...the gearing is different. Ask Paul D
Yep the one outside York with the powdercoated wheels is nasty and needs some help. But someone cared enough to get the work done

To be honest if what you are after is spot on original untouched by individuals over 40 years for under 10 grand it won't be found on e bay it will be in an auction house ....having been closeted for many years.

How much time and budget do you have? Getting a cheaper one and doing what you want makes more sense......

Remember a Kat is for riding ......Tamiya do a great model for everything else!

[PaulD]

As others have said some of the higher priced ones on fleabay don’t seem to sell. They are out there though you just have to be patient and wait for the right one. A 100 point perfect one with a standard exhaust system will always fetch a premium and unfortunately I don’t think it will be too long before the £10K Kat becomes a norm. Depending on the level you want the bike to be you could go down the restoration route but be warned it won’t be cheap! I was lucky (ish) with mine in that most of the cosmetic stuff had been done to a decent standard but the mechanics left a lot to be desired and I’ve been addressing the previous owners mechanical skills literally from day one!
It’s not showroom correct as you can see but it is tidy and I can’t see me parting with it anytime soon. I did a deal with my previous bike an early Suzuki GT750J and it actually cost me £6 grand but I’ve spent another grand to date.
As Fossie says you can’t convert kph to mph, mine looks like an mph speedo but it’s just an overlay and at an indicated 100mph I’m actually only doing 60.

[jeznewsome]

As Fossie says you can’t convert kph to mph, mine looks like an mph speedo but it’s just an overlay and at an indicated 100mph I’m actually only doing 60.

I did see a bike in Stoke (US import) that was also well overpriced and had a speedo that topped out at, I think 80mph. The bike outside York the top end of the speedo was in think 240kph so I figure would be able to be replace the face with a UK face the same as yours (unless it is not linear), though the odometer would still indicate in km?