Hey all,
Been lurking for some time, but now time to get into my first build. This was my first bike I bought a few years ago, a baby Katana. It's a solid runner and doesn't really have any problems so I'd think it's been taken care of previously. PO and maybe some owner before that had been neglecting maintenance a bit though. Appearance wise it's not terrible, but not great either. Chipping paint, surface rust, pitted aluminum etc. I wouldn't chop up a "real" Katana or one in great condition, but this bike would need a proper restoration and then I'd rather make it in a style that I want.
This is my first build and I have no mechanical background, but I'm getting tools and reading and learning as I go along on. No intention of doing a rush job, I want to learn this stuff. Will likely make a ton of mistakes, but that's part of learning, right? This forum is great btw, lots of good info.
What I've done so far:
- Got a tank from a a different model 550 (E?). It's got a couple of dents, but I got it cheap and it looks good internally. With a bit of modification of the front frame mounts it now fits perfectly.
- Got a seat. Pretty basic but it'll do fine.
- Ordered a bunch of stuff: clip-ons, indicators, footpegs etc
Next up
- Practice welding some more
- ...so I can mount the hoop I bought, and then get to work on an electronics box and rear tank/seat mounting bracket.
- Get the tank ready for paint.
After frame mods are done and I have the clip-ons etc on I'll do a mockup and see if I'm happy with overall look of it. After that it's time to tear it down properly and get to cleaning and painting stuff.
When I bought it
Dented 550 tank
Sanding...
Where it sits right now
Been lurking for some time, but now time to get into my first build. This was my first bike I bought a few years ago, a baby Katana. It's a solid runner and doesn't really have any problems so I'd think it's been taken care of previously. PO and maybe some owner before that had been neglecting maintenance a bit though. Appearance wise it's not terrible, but not great either. Chipping paint, surface rust, pitted aluminum etc. I wouldn't chop up a "real" Katana or one in great condition, but this bike would need a proper restoration and then I'd rather make it in a style that I want.
This is my first build and I have no mechanical background, but I'm getting tools and reading and learning as I go along on. No intention of doing a rush job, I want to learn this stuff. Will likely make a ton of mistakes, but that's part of learning, right? This forum is great btw, lots of good info.
What I've done so far:
- Got a tank from a a different model 550 (E?). It's got a couple of dents, but I got it cheap and it looks good internally. With a bit of modification of the front frame mounts it now fits perfectly.
- Got a seat. Pretty basic but it'll do fine.
- Ordered a bunch of stuff: clip-ons, indicators, footpegs etc
Next up
- Practice welding some more
- ...so I can mount the hoop I bought, and then get to work on an electronics box and rear tank/seat mounting bracket.
- Get the tank ready for paint.
After frame mods are done and I have the clip-ons etc on I'll do a mockup and see if I'm happy with overall look of it. After that it's time to tear it down properly and get to cleaning and painting stuff.
When I bought it
Dented 550 tank
Sanding...
Where it sits right now