GSX1100S Katana rim sizes...

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Something to remember with the Race Kats is the last year of 1100cc Production Bike racing in Australia was 1983. For the Australian market after 1983 only the 1000cc Kats came with the race tricky bits and wider spoke rim option to allow for a greater range of tyre choice.

[sharpy]

Rare spoke wheel 750......



Not really, just what we found lying around in the workshop back then.

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Hi sharpy, very tidy looking machine, is it one of yours?

[sharpy]

Hi sharpy, very tidy looking machine, is it one of yours?

Wasnt mine but i rode it way back when. more pics here....

[pmcburney]

You in OZ and if so where abouts. My mate runs Ash spokewheelzs

Heh, I'm in Brisbane also and that quote is from Ash's Spokewheelz...

I get all my spokies done by them. They're good guys and really know their stuff.

I'm not particularly surprised at the cost. Rims are expensive, spokes are expensive, it's just the nature of the beast.

But, if there's a complete set out there for less, well I'd be foolish to spend the extra...


Cheers
Paul

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Hi Paul, Iam going to have the Kat spokes replaced after I polish and clear coat the hubs and rims, still have to make up my mind about going for stainless or genuine spokes at this stage and of course who to do the job. What sort of price have you been paying for respoke work with Ash's and are you happy with the work? Cheers.

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Wasnt mine but i rode it way back when. more pics here....

Hey sharpy, great pics mate! Single pivot helmet visors with no locks, non armoured leathers, number boards that can take ya leg off, razor blade tyres, potholed tracks made of concrete and tar and riders made of iron! Aaaahhhh those were the days. And the support crew was usually a couple of mates, a ute and the Girlfriend, well for a while anyway.

[sharpy]

Hi Paul, Iam going to have the Kat spokes replaced after I polish and clear coat the hubs and rims, still have to make up my mind about going for stainless or genuine spokes at this stage and of course who to do the job. What sort of price have you been paying for respoke work with Ash's and are you happy with the work? Cheers.

Ash is THE bloke in australia to do your wheels. He took over fron Keith Novak who used to run Tyres for Bikes. Ash worked for titman racing doing all there wheels and when keith "retired" everyone was worried who would do there wheels but ash is making people happy. You be kicking ureself if u dont do the stainless option and there way shiner than the cad plated spokes. I even polished my spokes before i put them in. Only down side is there a tad more brittle and one snapes now and then(6mths)

[pmcburney]

Hi Paul, Iam going to have the Kat spokes replaced after I polish and clear coat the hubs and rims, still have to make up my mind about going for stainless or genuine spokes at this stage and of course who to do the job. What sort of price have you been paying for respoke work with Ash's and are you happy with the work? Cheers.

Hi Shin-Ken,


I can only echo Sharpy's comments about Ash, he does really excellent work and is a bloody nice guy to boot.

He did a set of Kat wheels for me for an 1100 I restored about five years ago, and he's done my GT750 wheels (two sets), all my dirtbike wheels, and if I decide to build another set of Kat wheels, I'll get him to do them as well.

He can sort everything you need - polishing, bead-blasting, drum-arcing etc.
Just give him the bits and wait for the great result!

Pricing is as I posted previously. You can do the lacing yourself if you like, but it will still cost $100 or so a wheel to get Ash to true them (standard labour rates apply).

I'd go with stainless spokes. Ash can supply stainless that look OEM, but of course they won't rust. As Sharpy said, they can be a bit brittle, but I'd be happy to replace the odd spoke rather than an entire set when the plating goes off...

There is another wheel-builder in SEQ - Mike Warner on the Sunny Coast. I've had wheels built by him as well, and he does work of the same quality for a similar price.
Ash is a bit closer to me, so it's a no-brainer as to who I go to.

Slightly off-topic for a bit...
I want to preserve my original exhaust system, i.e. fill it with something and stash it away and fit my bike with a good four-into-one.

Can you (or anyone else for that matter...) advise about the best preservation method?


Cheers
Paul

[ozman]

Sharpy is on the money there with the rim size. 19 x 1.85 and 18 x 2.50 were the standard road size rims fitted ex factory. Australian, South Africian and New Zealand (not sure about Canadian model) Katana rims were made by Takasago in Japan and are made of alloy, not steel as fitted to the earlier GS models.

P.S. No, the pic Joe has posted here is not my Katana, I wish it was!!! I hope my restoration turns out as good as the photo, I'd be happy with the result.

The GS1000HC usa model came with single front disc and spoked wheels with alloy rims 19 inch front 18 inch rear standard
Oz

[sharpy]

Heard a rumour the Warner wheels fella passed away.

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Hi Shin-Ken,


I can only echo Sharpy's comments about Ash, he does really excellent work and is a bloody nice guy to boot.

He did a set of Kat wheels for me for an 1100 I restored about five years ago, and he's done my GT750 wheels (two sets), all my dirtbike wheels, and if I decide to build another set of Kat wheels, I'll get him to do them as well.

He can sort everything you need - polishing, bead-blasting, drum-arcing etc.
Just give him the bits and wait for the great result!

Pricing is as I posted previously. You can do the lacing yourself if you like, but it will still cost $100 or so a wheel to get Ash to true them (standard labour rates apply).

I'd go with stainless spokes. Ash can supply stainless that look OEM, but of course they won't rust. As Sharpy said, they can be a bit brittle, but I'd be happy to replace the odd spoke rather than an entire set when the plating goes off...

There is another wheel-builder in SEQ - Mike Warner on the Sunny Coast. I've had wheels built by him as well, and he does work of the same quality for a similar price.
Ash is a bit closer to me, so it's a no-brainer as to who I go to.

Slightly off-topic for a bit...
I want to preserve my original exhaust system, i.e. fill it with something and stash it away and fit my bike with a good four-into-one.

Can you (or anyone else for that matter...) advise about the best preservation method?


Cheers
Paul

Hi Paul, thanks for the run down on Ash and his work. As for storage of exhaust I have used fish-oil for headers, removed headers and rolled them by hand until the inner walls are coated then seal the ends with duct tape. Haven't tried to store an original muffler (never had one) so depending on the baffle material may well decide how you treat the cans. Cheers.

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Ash is THE bloke in australia to do your wheels. He took over fron Keith Novak who used to run Tyres for Bikes. Ash worked for titman racing doing all there wheels and when keith "retired" everyone was worried who would do there wheels but ash is making people happy. You be kicking ureself if u dont do the stainless option and there way shiner than the cad plated spokes. I even polished my spokes before i put them in. Only down side is there a tad more brittle and one snapes now and then(6mths)

Hi Sharpy, if Ash can be mentioned in the same sentance as Keith then thats good enough for me. I meet Keith when he was still working out of the Shop before his first retirement. Spoke with him a few times when he was doing wheels from his home around the late 1990's, good bloke and a wheel genius! Thanks for the tip about Ash I'll chase him up in the New Year for some ideas on the Kat wire wheels, cheers and Merry Christmas.

[pmcburney]

Heard a rumour the Warner wheels fella passed away.

Hmmm... maybe?

It doesn't mention anything on his website - www.mww.com.au


Cheers
Paul

[sharpy]

Hi Sharpy, if Ash can be mentioned in the same sentance as Keith then thats good enough for me. I meet Keith when he was still working out of the Shop before his first retirement. Spoke with him a few times when he was doing wheels from his home around the late 1990's, good bloke and a wheel genius! Thanks for the tip about Ash I'll chase him up in the New Year for some ideas on the Kat wire wheels, cheers and Merry Christmas.

When i was workn at Tyres for Bikes keith brought my bike new and built it mostly the way it is today. thats why i got hold of it 12 odd yrs ago as i knew what was in and on it.