Official Newsletter www.classickatanaownersna.com Classic Katana Owners of North America Issue #24 April, 2010 Spring has sprung and the bikes are now out and we have just finished the International Spring Motorcyle Show here in Toronto. Membership continues to increase and we should be breaking the 200 mark shortly. I have added my bio this issue as we have many more members since my original profile in KK#1. As membership continues to grow, our group is helping to raise the interest in Katanas as well as provide a focal point for communication with our web site forum. It is becoming clear that many of us are restoring our bikes or modifying them in some fashion and are not on the road. Often it is not a priority as you have other bikes on the road and sometimes it just lack of funds and other family priorities. With the ability to purchase correct decals and having the paint codes, we can now bring our Kats up to a more correct restoration. Getting the seats correctly upholstered locally still remains a challenge especially the choice of vinyl and stitching as well as reproducing the ridges on the rear of the GS750/1000/1100 SZ and SDs. The Europeans are are getting ready for EuroKat 4 this summer in Switzerland and should make for an interesting event for the gathering of Katana owners from all over Europe. We will have photos when I get them. I am not aware of any other such gathering involving more than one club if there is, let me know. Its always good to hear from around the world. Thanks again to Fossie for providing an update on the activities of the Katana Owners Club UK. I will continue to provide updates on anything new about our Katanas and any interesting tidbits from around the world. Our lone member in Malaysia Azman Aziz #142 sent me a local motorcycle magazine in which Azman and his Katana are featured. It seems that no matter where you are a Katana is regarded as something special. Reminder to keep your membership contact up-todate and also request an updated membership list as new members may be located around the corner from you. The Forum in the web site is now being used please take advantage of it. I enjoy putting together the newsletter as long as I have content. If you have not sent in your bio please send it in. Technical articles, and anything to do with Kats are welcome. It does not have to be long but once you start writing about yourself length will not be a problem. I will edit and send you the revision before it is printed Send some nice pics of your Kat in great scenery. Can use these for our web site. TC ed 1
WES COOLEY Wes Cooley was a well know American Motorcycle Hall of Fame AMA rider who also campaigned Suzukis including the first Katanas. Google Wes Cooley and you will get all the info. Bar Hodgson #59 has a Wes Cooley Katana in his collection although I have not seen it on public display yet. ARAI - WES COOLEY...NEVER BEEN WORN! As Seen on E-Bay recently ARAI WES COOLEY FROM 1986, IT STILL HAS THE PROTECTIVE PLASTIC ON THE VISOR!!! THE PAINTWORK IS FLAWLESS AND IT STILL HAS THE WES COOLEY SIGNATURE ON THE SIDES, THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THE FOAM LINING UNDER THE INTERIOR MATERIAL HAS DETERIORATED AND CRUMBLED. BUT IT WOULD MAKE A GREAT ADDITION TO ANY AMA SUPERBIKE/COOLEY SPENCER LAWSON ERA COLLECTOR. I HAVE A TATTIER ONE FOR MY COLLECTION AND IT SEEMS TOO GOOD TO BE IN MY GARAGE WHEN IT REALLY DESERVES A GLASS CASE!! SIZE SMALL (54-56) 2
Profile Ted Cymbaly #01 - Toronto, Ontario Time flies!! so I thought I would re-introduce myself since KK#1. A few years back, I was coming out of a store when I spotted a guy sitting at the curb beside a parked mint 1983 GS1100SD, - After diligently inspecting the bike with admiration and some conversation with the lucky owner, I then I turned my mind seriously to finding me a Kat. Not so simple!! Every time one came up for sale I was too late!! Like many of you I remember the first day I saw one and it was like I was a born again biker A bike that looked like no other and I was smitten. This bike was on my LIST. The last time this happened to me was when I saw pictures and a road test of the BMW R90s. One day when I saw one in a paper (83 GS1100SD) for sale but did not call immediately. It was Christmas, and no money. A week later I decided to call - It was in the dead winter and freezing with plenty of snow on the ground. Yes he still had it when can I see it? tonight if you want? where are you located? It was 15 minutes from my place. I arrived and there it was sitting in the guy s apartment living room. It had not run for a year, gas tank dented, non-stock exhaust and a host of other imperfections. While I was there he was getting calls about the bike!! I had no choice If I wanted a Kat - it had to be this bike. $1800 as is. Well nothing prepared me for the restoration expense, including totally rebuilding the engine, new paint, tires, chain, battery, fork seals, brakes etc, etc, etc. Not quite as I imagined. I was committed to this bike now - but the final results were worth it. See pic. Above.. It has been just over 5 years since our group started out. Member #02 Brian Fortner sent in his registration papers dated November 18, 2004. By May 5, 2006 we had reached 50 and by January 25, 2008 we reached 100 and on May 12, 2009 we reached 150. We are at 196 and I expect member 200 by May of 2010. The group was initiated when I got my first Katana in 2004 and wanted to join a group or club of like-minded enthusiasts. I was in communication (Katana Central) with Fossie, President of the UK club who suggested I start one. I took his suggestion and with aid of the computer started to contact anyone that noted that they had a Katana and encouraged them to join. It was free and a newsletter would be our bond. When it came to establishing a name it became apparent that in the rest of the world Katana only included the traditional Hans Muth designs and the pop-ups. Hence I added Classic to exclude the other Katanas which are found in abundance in Canada and the USA but are not Katanas in the rest of the world. So we have all apples in the same basket. The exception is that Suzuki XN85s are 3
welcome. But they are so rare that they would not affect the club s genealogy. In any case I have one but it is a restoration project. I understand there were only 250-300 brought into the USA and 30 into Canada. If you thought Katana parts were hard to find! But I digress, After convincing some hardcore members to display their bikes at the big Supershow in Toronto, future members started coming out of the woodwork as people identified that they either owned one or knew someone who did. In the meantime I became obsessed with the bike and my collection including projects started to grow. I have lost track of the number of bikes I have but have many many Kats in various stages of restoration including 8 LTDs. Most of these are quite rough but I have one nice LTD for which I paid dearly so I could have an unmolested one as a reference for restoring the others. A big hurdle has been overcome with the completion of decal sets for these bikes. My List of rides has not been extensive over the years, but started out with a 1958 Lambretta when I was in grade 12. And later moved to a 1966 Triumph Tiger 500. Looked great but totally unreliable. Had a 1972 TS250 Suzuki dual purpose bike for a few years and when the urge really surfaced again, and I had the money, I went all out a purchased a silversmoke 1975 BMW R90s (similar to the 74 model shown) on a European delivery trip (Bob Beach Tours) and had the best vacation of my life. This is also a Hans Muth design. I understand he also did the 1977 RS100 and R65LS. A van went around with us and carried our luggage. What a way to ride through the alps no luggage, accommodation arranged!! This bike got tired over the years of rallying and is now undergoing a 4 year nuts and bolts restoration This bike has also achieved cult status like our Kats Fast forward to today and my collection is growing and soon bikes will be sold off as I upgrade. Non- Kats include a 1983 GS1100E, 1983 XN85 Turbo (awaiting restoration) and for long distance includes a mint 1985 Goldwing LTD and a 1990 BMW K1 (shown) Members may recall that I crashed one of these a couple of years ago this is the replacement. A rare bike also. Plans are really to have one nice stock Katana from each model year and one semi-custom of each model (except the 550). Currently building a 1982 GS1100SZ with non-stock front end and a monoshock on the rear. Also a 1985 pop-up in Porche red with a factory look and a Yoshimura pipe. Big problem is space I need a property with a barn!! I will continue to promote our Katanas and hopefully we will salvage many of the ones that are neglected and languishing in garages or even outside. Fortunately parts are still relatively available or reproduced. Let s get them on the road! TC #01 4
News from the UK. By Fossie President Katana Owners Club UK Goodness me! I opened the template so as to send Ted a piece from over here to over there and it finished with Merry Christmas. So either I wrote a piece in my sleep, I've slept for a year or the year has shot by, so quickly because we re having so much fun. In any case sorry. So to make amends I will detail our plans for the year ahead Our season starts in April that s when most Katanas are taxed and out and about. There are shows in February, but to be honest most events this year have suffered because we here got your winter and some of you seem to have got ours. Our first rally this year is the Leeky Mance'e Kat rally. (Traditionally this is the Mance'e Kat, as it is held in Manchester and people from there are known as Manc's). However; Manky is a slang word for scruffy, and as I organize it - seems fitting) This year we are going to a hostelery run by club members Jason and Tracey in the town of Leek which is only 20 odd miles from us. Are you with us so far? A few years ago this rally was held as a one-off in Scotland so it was called the Mc Mance'e! We will have many shows to attend this year as last, and our attendance at these is on the up, as is the standard. Some Kats in the club are as new if not better, but the standards of modifications are stunning. If you would like to follow some them visit our forum www.katanauk.plus.com, which I know some of you do. Our major rally this year will be the EuroKat 4 which this year will be held in Switzerland. As of yet, actual numbers of people attending is to be confirmed, but about 20 or so from various ports in the UK are going and the German numbers are definitely equal to that if not better. One of our members is going to a wedding the week prior, so is travelling from Oslo, Norway to Switzerland in four days and should meet up with the German contingent as he passes through Germany. This event is held every two years and as you may recall, we held the last one here in the UK. A top rally and event it proves to be, many languages, which strangely becomes easier to understand the more alcohol is consumed! Many Katanas from many European nations, some original, some heavily modified but most just updated, and all ridden there - thousands of miles sometimes. Our last rally of the year is in September. The Wussey Kat Rally in the south of England. (This is so named because it is a common joke over here that if there is any rain /snow /hotter weather or a traffic problem in the south of England i.e. London - then it is reported on the news as a major event, but up here in the north where the weather is usually so, we just get on with it!. A Wuss is a northerner s name for a softy, (if you know what I mean) We had our first Wussey Kat last September and it was a great small occasion well attended in a pub in the New Forest area. One of our members has come across a 650 GX Katana that was donated to a college in 1981 by Suzuki GB, but has never been registered or run, it came with 23 miles on the clock, all pushed. This college was closed a year or so ago and the bike forgotten about until a salvager was called in to clear the premises. He gave us a call as he knew it needed saving. Good fortune eh? I've enclosed a picture to show why I didn't buy it as it would look like mine in a year or two of dispatching to earn its keep! (Fossie rides his bike as a courier ed.) On a personal note, after 23 years and 228,000 kms, the pop-up has finally asked for some attention, in the form of the gearbox output bearing failing. I feel a warranty claim may be dismissed! Dilemma time - do I take the opportunity to carry out a repaint, powdercoat restoration, or just drop in the spare engine and carry on? In the meantime I bought a 750 S2 Japanese import, which is the 750 SD over there but with 16" front wheel and the gunmetal paintwork. So now I have the time to decide. On a personal note, my wife and I were invited to stay with members of the German owners club at their homes in various places as we went to see the group in Rammstein, Germany. I mention this because, we met through the Katana meetings and have stayed friends. We even source bikes for them and collect them. They then come over and spend the weekend here before returning with their prize which is what club membership is all about.- Fossie 5
Decal Set - Canadian 1984 GS750SE LTD 10 th Anniversary Edition Just a reminder that we now have the correct paint codes for our bikes on the web site. There should be no excuse for not getting the correct colour. Thanks to Alexandre Godard #141. Check out the Katana France web site for a host of technical information about everything Katana. We are working towards getting correct decals for our Kats for those who want to be as original as possible. I will keep everyone posted as we proceed. At this time we have most of the Canadian LTD decals complete by Brian Dallner of Bdesigns www.bdesigns.ca who specializes in decals for motorcycles and other restoration services. He has gone all out for our bikes and I am happy to report that his reproductions are meticulous. Check out his web site for various combinations of decals sets. Provide your Membership Number for a discount. A new decal set is now available for LTD owners, and I have received the first 3 sets. I can report that they are fabulous and worthy of our bikes!! There are some decals that will still need to be done once we have a good original to reproduce. For example, there is a paper cable routing decal on the side of the air box on the pop-ups and all mine are missing or destroyed because they are not weather resistant. Still looking for this!! For the LTDs, only Verified bikes will be eligible to order LTD number sets. All registered LTD owners will be on the list but to be Verified we must not only have the VIN but also some proof such as the picture of the fairing with the number or a letter from a previous owner who had that bike and could verify the number. For LTDs with no proof of number Brian will sell you 000. I have several in this category, and fortunately, the number decal is not clearcoated and can be added later when hopefully the number is determined. Other decals are also available for the 84 SE such as the PDF decal, clutch decal, control decal and two decals under the seat. Non-Canadian decals are also available and being refined. I know there is a decal on the side of the front fairing which is not on the Canadian models or the ANATAK decal on the front. Pictures on this page are from existing correct LTDs. Some fading and wear can be seen on the enlargement of the maple leaf. Tailpiece decals are especially prone to fading and discolouration. 6
A yellow decal template set (above) is also available to ensure that the positioning of the maple leaf and the number are positioned correctly on the fairing and the spacing between the number and maple are correct. This photo (template)is an extract of the instructions you receive for your painter to correctly mount your decals. Other photos show correct measurements for proper placement of all decals. You do not want to be parked next to another LTD and have your decals positioned differently from an original. Of importance is the correct width of the background cut and the colour. You will notice on the enlargement of LTD decals that the background colour is a pearl to match the paint. This is also true for the 85-86 decals which have a dark silver background to match the body colour.. The decals for 84 tailpiece and tank are not interchangeable with the 85-86 due to this background colour. Decals reproductions from other sources are often clear and let the paint show through. The cut trim of our decals are correct. This is especially important for each number since there is a unique cut pattern for each digit. This is noticeable on the lettering on the maple leaf decal which has all the surrounding text as separate pieces. Over time some of these decals fade (even with the clear coating) and wearing through this clear coat. Notice the enlargement. Spacing is also very import within the decal set notice the extra spacing between the 1 and the other numbers in #193 - which is different from a 0 on # 062. I have seen a reproduction where the entire number was one decal each digit should be separate. The 1985-86 pop-ups with their complex striping system are almost finished, and then we move onto the other Kats. The 83 SDs will follow with their fairing /tank stripes which makes these more complex than the standard GS1000SZ, GS750SZ and the GS1100SZ. We will then complete the 1983 650MD and the 1982 550MZ. All decals once set up can be done in different colour patterns and background colours for those wishing to repaint a factory type scheme but in another colour pattern, In this enlargement you can clearly see the fading of an otherwise good decal, as well as the trim of the decal and the pearl background of the decal which matches the bike. In the 85-86 this background is silver to match the bike s paint scheme. Also, there is precise way to cut the decal which Brian has duplicated. 7
These maple leaf decals illustrates a side-by-side comparison of the original (L) and the reproduction (R). Each set of lettering and the maple leaf are actually separate decals. These are correctly reproduced and are applied together for proper spacing. Notice that the cut of the decal is exactly the same as the original, with pearl background. You will notice that on the original there is a precise placement of not only the decal on the fairing but the relationship between the maple leaf and the number must be precise. The spacing between digits must also be correct especial when the first number is 1..Compare to when you have a 0 as the first digit. The decals above and below the digits must also be spaced correctly. 8
New Members With our web site and the benefit of our online registration form, we continue to expand our ranks. Reminder Request an updated membership list if your s is outdated to see if there are any new members near you. Also, check the Google link to member s locations It is usually up-to-date. Just a note - that I need a location in the registration. I do not need the full address but need to locate members on our Google map so we know where we are. 178 Greg Reddick Dubuque Iowa 179 Andy Michie Hamilton Ontario 180 Doug Corbett Kelowna British Columbia 181 Russell Stewart Narellan Australia 182 Shaun Roe Mandurah Australia 183 John Quagliarini Aurora Ontario 184 Shane Asa Toronto Ontario 185 John Reid Ottawa Ontario 186 John Regan Preston Lancashire UK 187 Guy Verhaege Gent Belgium 188 Dave Stelfox Cold Lake Alberta 189 Paul Huartt Newcastle Upon UK Tyne 190 Barry Martin Conception Bay Newfoundland South 191 Chris Burns Sydney Australia 192 John Kwast Mississauga Ontario 193 Adam Burton Dartmouth Nova Scotia 194 Michael St Woonstock Rhode Island Germain 195 Jesse Girard Toronto Ontario 196 Dom Champagne Lery Quebec Web Site $$$ www.classickatanaownersna.com The site continues to improve thanks to Mario Boisvert our webmaster. The time has come for another cash call to help defray the expense of the web site It is basically our only cost. Costs to attend and have a booth at the motorcycle shows are minimal as the booth is provided free to non-profit clubs like ours. Contributors will be acknowledged on the web site. Please do not send more than $20. Thanks again for last year s supporters. E-mail me and I will send you my address. New Katana Poster Alexandre Godard #141 Alexandre is in the final stages of designing his new poster which will feature all the Kats not found on his first poster (Centre) This poster will have the 250, 400, 550, 650 and all the pop-ups. Not sure about the final layout but the motorcycle artwork is complete. The illustration on the left was designed to flank the original. A must-have for serious Katana owners. When ready I will coordinate a bulk order payment will be made in advance once final costs are established. 9
GS750SE LTD Registry I have started a LTD Registry to identify existing bikes, LTD numbers and VIN numbers. The hunt is on to find these bike and their owners. Also we have found that certain bikes have been demolished and these will be referred to as Dead Bikes. Their LTD numbers will never be re-issued - at least not through this group. We now have, as can be seen in this issue a decal specialist who will be reproducing all the decals for all our Kats. The LTD numbers are a special case. If you have any unused OEM decals, particularly the obscure decals, let me know so we can duplicate them. The Registry will identify known or seen LTD numbers, identify VIN numbers and identify fully verified bikes that have matching VIN/LTD numbers. Over time this will be the main source of info on these bikes. I am still looking for a factory brochure that features these bikes anyone have one? Does one exist? There is a Registry for world-wide Kats on the Katana France web site and you can send your info to Alexandre Godard #141. I have not decided on whether to initiate a registry for the other Kats here but maybe someone wishes to take this on. International Spring Motorcycle Show - Toronto the second poster to complete the Katana history. Members stopping by included Ron Jury #73, Tim Goodwin #51, Drew Creswicke #85, Andy Michie #179, Michael Awad #134, David Dunn #170, and Dave Murray #145. I could use some props as I had no place to put up the main banner and could use some other eye catching feature. Maybe someone has a Samurai outfit that someone could wear at the booth!! We came with four bikes and special thanks the Paul Aguiar #137 who brought his mint low mileage 1986 pop-up with the euro conversion lights. I brought my 83 GS750SD and 83 GS1100SD, as well as my non-stock 83 GS1100SD. Just right for the size of the booth. Hopefully we can bring out a few more for the next show as well as a few modified Kats, and racing Kats. Thanks to Paul Boydell #30 who helped me man the booth for the full Saturday. Various members stopped by and a few new ones joined. A successful show and we continue to heighten the awareness of this model. The weather was great and bikes could be driven to the show. As usual, the Katana poster by Alexandre Godard #141 was an incentive for people to stop by. We will soon have 10
Michael Awad #134(L), Bar Hodgson #59 (C) and Paul Boydell #30 (R). David Dunn #170 with son (below). and Dave Murray #145 with daughter(above) 11
FROM THE ARCHIVES thanks to Alexander Godard We have an extensive collection of ads, excerpts from old magazines etc. I will continue to feature these in each issue. 12