Ok  today I finally started on my bike project....I've been surfing the web and gathering up parts.  I have finally stock piled everything I need to start. 

Today (my only day off in 2 in the last 2 weeks)  I hauled the bike over to a buddies garage where we started to dismantle it. It only took us 3 ½ hours to do...Don't know if that's long or not but I was expecting it to take a little longer. 

Throughout the next couple weeks its going to be sanded and painted.  Along with the following
1.   New rear shock 96 katana 600
2.   97 katana front forks
3.   scorpion exhaust
4.   jetting the carbs (dyno jet..i know I'm going to catch hell for that one)
5.   k&n lunchbox filter
6.   new headlight assembly
7.   bar end mirrors
8.   99 katana 600 rear wheel
9.   redoing the seat cover
10.   dropping a tooth up front.

I will be posting the progress up here with some pics as the project moves along.
I will be getting rid of parts I don't need once the bike is done..so if  anybody needs anything specific hit me up.

The left side of the bike.  Little rusty and beat up


front of bike...Turn signals on the front are going to be taken off and i will be adding some ones with smother lines.


right side of bike..had to actually reweld the exhaust back on because it broke.  hopefully the new one will look great.


rear turn signals will be stream lined also.. and i will hopefully pick up a different tail light.








didnt have much trouble with to many of the bolts..will have to buy 6 new cradle bolts because the old ones were worn out.
the pieces are now sitting in my basement waiting to be sanded. its kind of a sad sight seeing the gs in this shape..but hey its for the best   

wish me luck

Gd luck , i never took my engine out lol thats about it , errm i got a r1 taillight with built in indicators , that smooth out the rear line , and the undertray is like a fenderectomy 

the undertray im going to have to refiberglass..some fat guy must have had it b4 me bucause the tire burned through the plastic tray.  im going to have to customize it.  When i do that i am giong to try to add storage under there if i can.

if u can fibre glass u  can just make ur own one 

yea but then its alot of guess work with the clearance and movement of the rear tire.   If i use the old one as a template it will be a lot easier

That sounds like it's going to be sweet.  With the exception of the Kat front end and Scorpion exhaust, it sounds like my project bike.  (I was going to do a different front end, but I got a GS fork/triple for a good price, so I went for the simplicity.)  Are the Kat fork springs any good?  You might want to add some Racetech/Sonic/Progressive springs to your list, but I don't know what comes with them.

IM buying progressives for my Kat front end , i will inform the masses 

they seem alot stiffer then the gs..im happy with them..they are currently off of the bike so i dont know how they will do on.   But one thing is for sure anything is better then the stock gs forks.  i now have two sets of them in my basement.. one on the triple and another just hanging out.

illl tell ya what i think , this bike is about handling , and u want it smoother and purer than anything

You noted that you have a 97 Kat f/e. From what I have seen the 97 have a pressed in stem, does yours?

im not sure dgyver  thats why i wanted to contact you via phone about the spacers and questions on the how to for swapping the front end.  Unfortuneately im a bartender not a mechanic.   I can tell you all about liquor and the history of each along with what to mix with what... but i dont know that much about bikes unless ive picked it up first hand.

You call that a project?It's a complete bike.I'm starting with a frame.No nothing.No swing arm,no bolts,nothing.

Quote from: nastynate6695 on July 03, 2007, 08:49:06 PM
im not sure dgyver  thats why i wanted to contact you via phone about the spacers and questions on the how to for swapping the front end.  Unfortuneately im a bartender not a mechanic.   I can tell you all about liquor and the history of each along with what to mix with what... but i dont know that much about bikes unless ive picked it up first hand.

All you have to do is look at the bottom of the stem where it goes into the lower clamp. If it is welded, you will see a weld. No weld, then it is pressed in.
I am rarely available, so calling me is a waste of time.

You mentioned an integrated taillight. I don't think it's a good idea to exclude rear turn signals. While I was following a sv650 in traffic, he signaled a right and I didn't catch it until it startled me. He had no external signals. This, while riding my bike in super-uber-paranoid-riding-my-bike mode, which is only slightly more paranoid than driving the wife's cage.

Give it a thought. Those stalks may be ugly in stock form, but you can always update them to clear + BRIGHT yellow bulbs.

I really like your bar end mirrors. I ordered a set of them about two weeks ago, but haven't enjoyed them yet thanks to snail mail.

Good luck on the project !

i got a friend that have a gsx 1300 hayabusa and he is using the integrated turn signals inside the tailligth (led) an under suun ligth you almost can not see when he use the signals .. for mr that looks greate.. but my safty in the road is first its my life on 2 wheels. I found a led clear tailligth for the gs500 on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=002&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&viewitem=&item=120126295304&rd=1,1

also led turn signals

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=002&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&viewitem=&item=120126295304&rd=1,1


whe they arrives to and I mount on the bike i will post photo so you can see them !!

yea the stem is pressed in...does that make a huge difference.    

i dont think im going to integrate the tailight. i think im just going to mount a dfferent style turn signal on the bike something that doesnt stick out and flap in the wind as i ride.

Swap the Kat stem with a pressed in GS stem.

Looked at your pics again.

Hope you're putting a new chain and cogs on it.

The triples look scary rusty.

I think it's been down once or twice on the left side. See the peg's bent back a little. Make sure those allen bolts are lose that hold the set on.

Good call on the integrated only. Don't let me scare you away from it entirely. Just think about keeping SOME kind signal out there in the wind.

And be careful ! Those black and silver bikes are sexy and fast !

Good project, looks like fun !

who do i take it to to get it pressed.?

Quote from: nastynate6695 on July 04, 2007, 08:28:04 PM
who do i take it to to get it pressed.?

any machine shop or fabracation shop,a buddy with an auto shop,motorcycle shop.Most places will do it for around $10 to $20.some will do a simple job like that for free, to try to drum up some biz