1981 GSX1100 Katana Based Project

[Shin-Ken 1074]

The weather here has been total errr, rain, since last weekend and forecast is for rain everyday for the next week! No test riding and all quite here for another week at least.

[John Kat]

Coming back to the DW versus Curb weight quoted by Suzuki, I believe all Japanese manufacturers in the 80's quoted the DW without any liquid on board i.e; not only fuel but also oil and coolant if any.
This explains the difference between the two measures.
A marketing gimmick as when KTM annouces ready to ride weights with very little fuel in the tank...

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Coming back to the DW versus Curb weight quoted by Suzuki, I believe all Japanese manufacturers in the 80's quoted the DW without any liquid on board i.e; not only fuel but also oil and coolant if any.
This explains the difference between the two measures.
A marketing gimmick as when KTM annouces ready to ride weights with very little fuel in the tank...

Yeah, the factory stated weights can seem a bit rubbery at times.

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Time to choose an oil cooler from the spares pile.


Oil cooler 1 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


The lightest cooler from the pile is a transmission oil cooler so that will be the 1st cab off the rank. Temp gauge will show how effective it is.

Oil cooler 2 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


Making the lower bracket for the oil cooler from some scrap ally square section.

Oil cooler 3 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


Oil cooler 4 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr

After the lower bracket is installed and the cooler fitted I'll be able to work out the top bracket.

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Drilling and filing, filing, and more filing......................


Oil cooler 5 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


Oil cooler 7 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


Oil cooler 9 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


Oil cooler 10 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr

[Shin-Ken 1074]

The cooler needed some work with a flaring tool to sort out the hardlines, good to go now. Cooler position doesn't foul on brake lines, speedo cable or steering lock to lock. So far so good.


Oil cooler 8 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


Oil cooler 11 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


I wanted a decent sized gap between the cooler and frame to allow unrestricted air flow. The OEM cooler bracket is more of a plate than a bracket and its positioned very close to the cooler with not much of a gap to bleed away heat so the OEM bracket is out and in with the DIY aluminium bracket.
Oil cooler 13 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


Cooler sits neatly within the body panels and in the air-stream between the forks.
Oil cooler 12 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr

[Lorenzo]

Cool cooler bracket

[Shin-Ken 1074]

The plan is later today to drop the engine oil and install the hardware for the oil cooler including the all important EF oil filter cover used when running an oil cooler. Haven't weighed the cooler parts yet, adding weight is no fun!

Oil cooler 14 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


Oil cooler 15 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr

[Rob S.]

Remind us please what engine you're running. 1074 is in your name, but for some reason I thought you were working with an 1135 (which came with a cooler so naturally also the proper oil filter cover).

I'm sure I wouldn't be so confused if you weren't living in that 'other' hemisphere. Is it true your toilets flush backwards?

[Shin-Ken 1074]

The build has the 1135 EF engine installed. I removed the oil cooler to record engine oil temps while test riding and although the oil temps without the cooler are below the range Suzuki state for operation of an air-cooled GS I am fitting a cooler to check the temp difference.

[Shin-Ken 1074]

I'm sure I wouldn't be so confused if you weren't living in that 'other' hemisphere. Is it true your toilets flush backwards?

Yeah, nar, ours flush the correct way, it's the shonky Northern systems that are suss.

[Rob S.]

So didn't your engine already have the correct filter cover?

[Shin-Ken 1074]

So didn't your engine already have the correct filter cover?

Yep, it did. In the test riding phase I wanted to monitor engine oil temps without the oil cooler fitted to check the temp range so a stock GSX non cooler type oil filter cover was installed during the current test riding. Ditching the oil cooler saves weight and that is the goal of the project. The engine oil temp in riding conditions without a cooler at is time of year is below the max engine oil temp as stated by Suzuki for a GS air-cooled engine so it doesn't need the cooler right now. However, Summer riding here will be much hotter and high humidity so Iam fitting a cooler to test by how much the cooler reduces the engine oil temp.

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Installed the cooler today, adding weight is not my idea of a good thing but for testing it has to be done. The total weight of cooler and hardware came in at 864 grams so the running tally needs an adjustment. I will off-set the weight of any additional parts that are bolted on by reducing the fuel load. One litre of fuel = 767 grams. Once I find out how thirsty the DW is I can work out how much fuel I can off-load. Aiming for a ride weight of 198 kg for the Kat.


Oil cooler 16 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


Oil cooler 17 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


Running tally = 182,441 grams.

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Cool cooler bracket

Thanks Lorenzo, yeah, it turned out pretty good.