[turdferguson]

Hi y'all,
I've been lurkin on here for a while, great forum. About 7 months ago I got ahold of a 1995 Katana 600 with some modifications done to it.
1. Bored out to 750....is this even possible?
2. Ported and polished
3. Jet kit...what stage I don't know.
4. Yoshi 4-1 header with carbon fiber can. -These headers make changing the oil filter horrible. Tried the suzuki filter, only Fram 6018 has clearance.
Just wanted to make my appearance, and had a quick question. How does some of these modifications affect regular maintainance such as plug temp and gap?
Another thing I noticed....front suspension adjustment is 1, 2, 3. Rear adjustment is 1, 2, 3, 4. Which settings correspond, and is there a site anywhere describing the specifics of each?

I am really trying to find out the specifics of what has been done. I am the third owner, and it was the first owner that did the work, second owner bought it just to look at I suppose. He had it for a few months in his garage then sold it to me.
I would think that with these modifications I might not be able to stick strictly to the numbers in my clymers. I know this is a lot to ask, haha, but thanks for any info. I'll have a pic of the bike up soon.

 

[J. Kidd]

I don't see why the motor couldn't be bored out to a 750. I was under the impression that the 600's were basically 750's with some type of sleeves in the cylinders to choke them down to 600...maybe he just removed those sleeves and swapped pistons. Might have ported and polished the head while it was off. Since compression doesn't seem to have changed, you could stick with the stock temp and gap for the plugs - maybe look into any difference between the recommended plugs for 750s vs. 600's and maybe get some reference material on jet kits and see what stage might require a different-than-stock plug set up. As long as its running fine, don't worry about it - when its time to swap plugs, pull the old one out and see what it is and then simply replace with something comparable.

For the suspension, the higher the number, the firmer the setting. For the front, just make sure both dials are set to the same number. There is also a rear spring pre-load adjustment at the bottom of the spring/shock. I think this one goes to 7 (again with the higher number resulting in a firmer ride). Set these based on your size: I think 2 in front and 2-3 in back with pre-load set to 4-5 is the stock setting based on a 180 lb (gross weight) rider. Adjust accordingly - try it for a week and then readjust to your own personal riding preference.

 

[veggibooter]

it can easaly be bored out to a 750 my friend just did it one his bike but there is relaly no way to tell you what u have somone would have to see it and ud have to dyno it.

 

[turdferguson]

That's some good info, thanks. Come to think of it now I remember reading somewhere that the 600 is something like just a sleeved down version of the 750. Either way, it runs great. It does have a quick lope while idling at about 1200, then pulls smooth and strong all the way up. I suppose some of these modifications slightly roughen up that idle. It's not harsh at all, I just get in the habit of comparing it to the smoothness of a car.
Honestly this was my first bike, and it's not a good choice for a beginner in my opinion. It's pretty heavy, and has gobs of power. It was somewhat of a convenient purchase, friend of a friend kind of thing, and he even spent the time with me to get used to it. I take care to respect it and build my skills so I may hit the twisties someday, not the other way around like some do.
Around here you practically can't even test drive a bike at a dealer without leaving a child in thier custody, so that leaves quite a gap between riding and not riding for the beginner. That learning curve has to start somewhere, and it's not easy to get that curve started unless you've got a friend with a bike, or better yet hop into a MSF course which I plan on taking soon. Take care-
Dennis

 

[badkitty]

i bought my 04 KAT 600 without test driving it. I love it. I went off all the good things people say about it. The fact that its a great beginner bike and does very well in all the other apsects.It just doesnt have alot of power which is fine. I dont need to go fast like some idiots i see.