Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Steves Katana An Original Makeover
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| Steves Katana An Original Makeover |
I guess you are holding your breath. I did after taking a look at the photos. Yes, this is a Katana, but no this is not a 2010 model from the Suzuki stable. And neither are these reworked 90s photos. What is reworked here is the bike. Does the bike look like it has been inside a warehouse since the owner bought it and probably his son found it and you know, decided to have a spin. Actually it is not at all like that, this bike belongs to one Mr. Steve Adams of U.K and what we have here is a passionate biker who loves his bike to unmeasurable depth. Why I say so is because of the originality the bike has, maybe not the originality part, but more so, how original the bike looks. this bike has to be one of the best customized bike in its original form.
There is a belief among motorcyclists (and I am a member of that group) that one of the hardest thing to do on a motorcycle when it comes to customizing is giving the bike an original factory look. Part of it is because when you customize a bike, you always have the option of choosing an accessory which just might add on to the overall look or help the bike performance. One by one this builds up and the final bike comes out different than the factory product. Part of it is also that majority of the bikes that are being customized by individual bikers (not firms) are 80s or earlier bikes whose parts are a little difficult to source sometimes and you usually end up with modern market products. So to give a bike exactly the look it came out from the factory decades ago is a challenging thing. And there is one Mr. Steve Adams who took this challenge head on. I recieved a mail from him where he mentioned about his love for Japanese bikes while he was now looking for a HD donor for a street tracker project. He had read the Katana post on this blog and since he too had a Katana, he sent an attached photo (the one you see at the top). When I saw the full image, it really dropped my jaw, it is so beautiful. I begged him to send some more snaps and what went to the build up? He was very prompt and then I was gifted with this beautiful images.
And there is one Mr. Steve Adams who took this challenge head on. I recieved a mail from him where he mentioned about his love for Japanese bikes while he was now looking for a HD donor for a street tracker project. He had read the Katana post on this blog and since he too had a Katana, he sent an attached photo (the one you see at the top). When I saw the full image, it really dropped my jaw, it is so beautiful. I begged him to send some more snaps and what went to the build up? He was very prompt and then I was gifted with this beautiful images. In his work, he has used a lot of titanium products which I believe must have shoot up his expenses, but at th expense of making it look stunning. And stunning, it does look. Below is his mail and all I would like to say is that Steve, you have done one helluva job. Time to open shop. You Rock!
Steve wrote, "Really glad you approve of my Katana, I think its fair to say that a lot of me went into it. The whole build took approximately 18 months however this could have been cut down a fair bit if I had had a thicker cheque book. This started out as just a quick rework of a basket case Katana 750 and quickly got out of hand. As for what has been done I think it would be easier to list the parts that havent been reworked, however heres a spec sheet. Theres numerous other bits and pieces that I have not listed and are forgotten due to the sleep depravation this build inflicted. The pictures below were from a photo shoot for a UK magazine. The on the road shot is the journalist taking it for a spin and thats me in the black jacket in the last picture."P.S - Steve, I used all the photos you had sent me, I hope I do not run into a copyright issue with the U.K Magazine :-) Steve informed that the magazine was Performance Bikes of UK which has been in publication since the 1980s. The interview was carried by Mr. Gary Inman and the beautiful photography was the effect of Mr. Paul Bryants talent. So what went inside the stunner? Here goes the list. And, yes, you guys can E Mail Mr. Steve Adams
Chassis*Braced frame inc headstock and all weak areas, rear shock mounts moved, left hand side frame reworked to accommodate 6" rear wheel.
*Magnesium Dymag wheels 6" rear 3.5" front
*Bandit 1200 Swinging arm
*Bandit 1200 rear caliper and disc
*GP Tech thumb brake
*Titanium rear brake torque arm
*Ohlins rear shocks with hydraulic preload adjusters
*All electrics relocated into custom fabricated tray under seat
*Recovered seat
*Custom fabricated rear sets with titanium shift linkage
*CBR954 Yokes (triple clamps)
*Tl1000 Clip ons
*GSXR750 k4 forks and mudguard
*Yamaha R1 calipers
*TL1000 discs
*Brembo radial master cylinder
*SPA Tacho/speedo
*Titanium bolts throughout
Engine
*1170 Wiseco piston kit
*Gasflowed head
*Dyna coils relocated to inside the fairing
*Dyna s ignition
*Electrex generator
*Electrex rec/reg
*EFE 1100 cams
*Adjustable cam sprockets
*H/Duty cam guides
*Manual cam chain adjuster
*Keihin 37mm CRs with stacks and Q/A throttle
*Custom fabricated titanium exhaust
*Custom fabricated catch tank
*Earls oil cooler with Yoshimura take off
*Earls hose throughout
*Titanium Bolts throughout
