New member. Bill

Bill higgins

Bill higgins

G'day fellow Katana owners, I had a 1984 katana 1100 back in the 90s, sorry I sold it 25 years ago. Just bought a 1981 katana 1100 and now working on it for rego, it's been out of rego since 2002. Been chasing heaps of parts and some info on this bike. Any tips on where to find details on chassis no GS110X -100601? this bike also has wire wheels and believe has been a race bike at one point. Got most parts I have been chasing accept a wire front wheel.
Cheers. Bill. NSW.
 
Welcome Bill, you've come to the right place. Pretty sure that frame number makes it an Aussie SXZ factory wire wheeler, which in Oz the only difference to a SZ is the wheels and frame number. I'm Glen will be along before to long to confirm.
What parts are you chasing? the go to place in Oz for kat parts is Mick Hone Motorcycles in Melbourne great guy with great knowledge and very helpful.

Cheers
Max
 
G'day Bill and welcome along for the ride. As Max said, Shin-Ken (Glen) on here is very knowledgeable about origins of the Katana and I'm sure he'll be able to help. Everyone else on this site is also very helpful with experience and knowledge about restorations and modifications. You won't go past Mick Hone for new genuine parts and you get a 5% discount for being a member here.
 
Hey guys.
Thanks for the welcome and the fantastic info, very much appreciated. Managed to pick up a few hard to get parts like an original rear brake master cylnder and a new chain guard. Replacing the rim on the front wheel is next on my list. A bit of electrician work and a tune will get me close to roadd worthy condition. Cheers.
Cheers.
Bill.
 
Hi Bill, welcome to the Forum. Yeah, quite a few Kat owners who have sold their Kats at some stage decide they need to have one again, and more than one if they are lucky! One of our members owned 16, not a typo, sixteen Kats lined up in his shed at the same time! Your VIN GS110X 100601 is an Australian model GSX1100SXZ Kat that as you may be aware would have had a set of Takasago ally rims and steel spokes on 36 hole hubs, 1.85" x 19" front and 2.50" x 18" rear. Is the VIN plate still attached? It would be interesting to know the date stamp for 100601.

There were a few hundred SXZ 1100 W.W. Kats delivered to OZ however, only a very small number of these were raced in the Production Series in Australia, as fate would have it a 750 Kat was the first Kat to win a race in Australia. So while a few were thrashed on the track the rest were raced on local streets and highways. Starting in 1983 the capacity for Production Racing bikes was reduced to 1000 cc so the 1983 SD Kat came in three flavors -750, 1000 and 1100.

As mentioned by Max and Muddy, Mick Hone still has many Kat parts available and their service is the best. A good condition genuine front rim may take time to find however, they do turn up, just don't hesitate because they sell fast. Does your Kat have a front wheel on it now? If not, Suzuki snowflake wheels are still plentiful and were fitted to other Suzuki models and are usually cheaper to buy than one labelled as a Katana wheel. The Snowflake is plug and play fit so you could always fit a snowflake to get the Kat running and swap the tyre from the snowflake over later once you sort out the front W.W. Speedo drive, front rotor off-set and calipers are the same for SZ W.W. and snowflake so no drama there.

Looking forward to hearing how you go with the Kat and seeing some pics. We have a Kat ride each year (State Of Origin - SOO) to Nambucca Heads to Kat-ch up with mates over a feed, some beers and some local roads and you are very welcome to join in if you like. Details are in 'Events". Most riders make it a 3 day weekend by riding to Nambucca on Friday.

Cheers,
Glen.
 
Last edited:
Hi Glen, Muddy, Max, Nick and Pete. Thanks again for all the awesome info on my kat, do not know how I would have found that anywhere else. Also appreciate the welcome and ride notice. Crazy one member had 16 kats, wow.
The plate is still attached to the frame and has a date 9/81. The front wheel is still on the bike with the tire inflated, I can actually ride it. I have also ordered a few parts from Mick Hone and as you said, great service. The bike is looking better every week and I have just found a wheel guy that is building me a new 19 inch polished alloy rim drilled for a 1981 kat with stainless spokes. Will get a few picks up soon.
Still a few things to do, fit the new rear guard, fit the new chain guard, new plastic face in the instrument cluster, auto electrician to fix the blinkers, new tyres after I sort the rim, fit a kit to the rear master cylinder I just picked up, good tune up and it will be very close for rego. Have found a few parts over the last month that were very hard to track down, feel lucky to get what I have so far. Only chasing an airbox cover that sits under the seat and the aluminium instrument cluster surround, both discontinued stock.cheers. Bill
 
Hi Guys.
A few other things about this bike, I've been told by a fellow chasing a front rim that the tyre on it is a racing tyre, also before I bought it in beenleigh queensland the motor has been replaced with an 1135cm3 motor and the rear calliper is at the bottom of the disc with a large brace bar to the frame not at the top like most kats. This bike has been out of rego since 2002. God knows its history. Cheers. Bill.
 
Hi Bill, thanks for the follow up with the VIN plate date 9/81, much appreciated. Having the 1135 kit is a winner and once you are riding the Kat you'll be smiling everytime you go for a blat! It is always great to hear when a Kat has been rescued from a long sleep and will soon be on the road, well done.

Cheers,
Glen.
 
G'day all.
Can anyone give me any information on two modification plates that have been pop riveted to the frame of my Kat, they are from Qld roads, is this a common thing for Qld?
I have contacted Qld roads but due to the privacy act they will not elaborate on any details other than advise me it was last registered in 2019. One of the mod plates is dated 2002.

The plates have a serial number, a mod code, the chassis number, date, ref number and officer number.

Cheers.
Bill.
 
Hi Bill,
Rob here from Phillip Island.
Your Kat frame number is very close to one of mine, which is GS110X-100494. Build date for mine is noted on the compliance plate as 8/81.
Enjoy your rebuild and of course the very first ride. Are there any photos of the build so far?
Cheers
 
As Darkside (John) has mentioned one of the Mod Plates is most likely to certify the Kat as solo seat approved. It will be interesting to know what the 2nd Mod Plate is for.

Cheers.
 
Hey guys.
Thanks for all the help, the code link was awesome, gave me all the info needed, mod plates are lk7 solo seat as you suspected, the other is lk7 duel, Strange. We do not have this in NSW, not sure if I should leave them or remove them, I'm planning on heritage rego once roadworthy.
Hey Rob, how many kats do you have? our bike chassis numbers are close, only 106 bikes part, they may have come over on the same ship. I will definitely get a few picks up soon. Thanks again guys for all the support.
Cheers.
Bill.
 
Bill,

In QLD the modification tag is a legal thing, enter the bureaucrats.
I suspect you have 1 tag to make single seat and another to make back to duel seat. Not sure but I think its an offense in QLD to remove them.

I would find out if NSW roads even cares, chances are they dont, maybe ask the roadworthy guy.

Cheers John
 
I recently had another bike (SV Suzuki) converted from dual seat to single seat rego in QLD. This is now a self-auditing regulation and no Engineering inspection or mod plate wass needed. I just did the mods, filled out the paper work, ticking the appropriate boxes and all was done at the Transport Dept. I interpret that the modification plates for single seat conversion are no longer required.
 
No doubt the new system is more sensible, heard stories of having to cut the pillion peg mounts off and butchered seats..

Rules changed about the same time as lane filtering.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom