ENGLISH VERSION - ISSUE 2 - JAN 2014

THE CLUB KATANA FRANCE MAGAZINE

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Foreword

Alexandre

Contents- Page 3 : Club Programme- Page 4 : Introducing Marc Deneef- Page 7 : Introducing Steve Adams- Page 10 : Technique - Matching locks to keys- Page 12 : The international Katana Clubs- Page 15 : Curiosities - The slowest Kat ever!- Page 18 : Shopping - The BIGGEST small Kat- Page 20 : The early Australian ad for the Kat range - note the wire wheels!

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best wishes2014 - an even number : that means a We need your ideas for future events - the EuroKat year! date for the K-Day is set for May the 1st,

but the Tour de France is still open.We send you our best wishes, and can't wait to travel to UK to be reunited with By the way, to start the year nicely, please you, our warm Katfans family. apply for, or renew your membership !-)

By the way, let us know if you want to join the convoy from Bordeaux to Brittany, meet us in Cherbourg, or if you prefer to travel with the Chunnel ?

**1st May 2014 : K-Day !

KatTour de France

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Each motivated KatFan travels to his closest KatNeighbour for a BBQ, aperitif, restaurant, party (all ideas are good) to whom he transfers the relay, to be given to the next KatFan, and so forth. Lack of participants in 2013 made us postpone the idea til 2014. We really need a map first!

Please send an e-mail to: with your city and postcode to build a Tour map!

katana.france@wanadoo.fr

EK6EK6DESTINATION

KOC UK will hold EuroKat VI from Friday 15 to A convoy will leave Bordeaux on Thursday Sunday 17 August 2014 in South Wales, at the morning to take the Ferry from Cherbourg - Let Tonna Rugby Football Club (7 miles from us know if you want to join us on the way up, Swansea). Postcode for Google Earth is SA11 meet us in Cherbourg, or elsewhere !3HX.

You may remember how EK3 (Lymm, 2008) was a fantastic event - trust KOC UK to organise a smashing party! A new patch will proudly be added to the EK flag!

Official Flyer

British KOC website

Facebook Event page

Pleaserememberto renewyour membershiphere !

On 1st May, every Katana will go out on the roadand create memorabilia (photos, videos, even internet meetings... etc.) which will then be published on the Clubs' Facebook page and sent to the press.

You can check the 2013 test of the formula to see what it looks like .

Every Katana owner can participate, everywhere in the world!

here

FRANCECLUB

A 30-year love story...

the sHOCk i

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Introducing

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Deneef

Hello! I'm nicknamed Big Marc,I'm Belgian, 55 and live South

of Brussels, in Overijse.

I'll tell you a true love story that KatFans will understand...

Marc Deneef

YA 30-year love story...

In 1982, I was the happy owner of a superbKawasaki Z900, which was getting long in the tooth.

On a sunny August day, I went to my local dealershipto buy some bits for my Suzuki PE250 trail bike.

The salesman talked me into a Triumph Bonneville, thena 900 Darmah... I was not interested in this kindof machines: you might remember how, at the time,they were not particularly considered as reliable !

He then invited me to enter the workshop, where hisyoung son was working as an apprentice. And then...

Introducing

KM Janvier 2014 - P05

Marc Deneef

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Y

There was a shark on the workbench! She was both agressive and futuristic... While pouring petrol in the tank, the kid asked me with a witty wink if I wanted to start the beast!

There was no more persuasion needed to make me fall for the best performing machine of the time - her only rival was Honda's CB1100R!

The Katana, sharpened like a razor, had a much higher top speed: do you realise how high 238 kphsounded back then!

Ah! Ah! Ah!

Well, since then, we have ridden 193,000km together, without ever opening the engine, except for tuning up the valve clearance.

Ot course, I drain oil every 3,000km maximum, and replace the filter every 9,000km.

I'm regularly asked whether this is a new model from Suzuki? And when I reply she's 30 years old, and has nearly 200,000km, nobody believes me! Following a bad enduro accident, I could not ride with the clip-ons anymore, so I grafted a flat handlebar by drilling the top yokes and attaching the mounts from a motocross Husqvarna.

So here I was, in 1984, with the very first Superbike-style Katana!

For comfort, I installed a pair of wonderful Fournalès air shocks (French-made ;-) that really enhanced the roadholding.

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Marc Deneef (continued)

YThe exhaust got really rusty with time, so I was forced to replace it, but what began as a pain became a huge grin - the Supertrapp Racing completely transformed the machine, and lightened her quite a bit...

I travelled a lot to France with my Kat, and now, still in her best shape, I only use her for our Sunday rides.

She still can kick some young ass on the road!

It's a super reliable bike, and I wonder how much she can be worth when I see the prices at the end of classic bike magazines today!

Y

Introducing

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This bike was a life-changer forSteve - he put his heart and soul into

the tiniest titanium bolt, so much so that hedecided to make a living out of preparing bikes to

the highest level. Here's the story of a pretty special Kat!

The build started in late ’07, While I’d been building my after I had my ZRX1200R ZRX1200 , I ’ d go t i n t o stolen. Japanese bike mags, and the

modified Katana scene is huge I picked up a 1982 Katana 750 over there.as a basket case… I think it was an S2, anyway, it wasn't That was my inspiration: the running and, to be honest, I UK scene really was only going paid too much! one way, and that was Mono

shock and extended arms, I’d been searching for an 1100 very unimaginative.but just couldn’t find one unless I wanted to pay big No-one seemed to be trying to money for a pristine one, create a proper improved project bases were hard to Katana road bike, so that was find. the direction I wanted to take.

Steve AdamsIntroducing

life-forgingkatana

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I did almost put a Bandit 1200 obsessive about stuff) but I engine in it, but now I am so think it’s the details that make glad I didn’t - that would have a bike.been a huge mistake! Anyone can throw money and The build took me about 18 parts at a bike, I’ve seen months: it was on the road for enough lash-ups to know late spring ’09. that’s not enough!

I was doing it on a budget Judging by the feedback I’ve really, so hours were spent on had, it certainly caught eBay finding the right part at peoples' attention - and even the right price. Including now, almost five years later, it buying the bike, I think it cost still pops up on forums and me around 6.5k GBP. web pages, and always for

positive reasons.I don’t think anything I have done is revolutionary or ground-breaking - people tell me I have a good eye for detail (and I admit I do get a little

Visit Steve's superb blog on:http://www.lucky7moto.com/blog/

Steve AdamsIntroducing

(continued)

Steve Adams

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Introducing

Chassis

Braced frame inc headstock and all weak areas, rearshock mounts moved, left hand side frame reworkedto accommodate 6″ rear wheel.

Magnesium Dymag wheels - 6″ rear, 3.5″ front

Bandit 1200 Swingarm, rear caliper and disc

GP Tech thumb brake

Titanium rear brake torque arm

Öhlins rear shocks with hydraulicpreload adjusters

All electrics relocated into custom fabricatedtray under seat

Recovered seat

Custom fabricated rear sets withtitanium 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

Engine

1170 Wiseco piston kit

Gas-flowed head

Dyna coils relocated inside the fairing

Dyna S ignition

Electrex generator

Electrex rec/reg

EFE 1100 cams

Adjustable cam sprockets

Heavy 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 Yoshimuratake-off

Earls hoses throughout

Titanium Bolts throughout

Steve's Kat featured onPerformance Bike in 2009and Classic Mechanic Mag in 2010.The articles are on his blog!

(continued)

Technique

Matching locks to keys

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Aren't you fed up with havingone key for every lock on your bike ?Alex gives some tips to lighten your pocket!

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I remember travelling to The lock cylinders used by Brittany a few years back, Suzuk i throughout the hoping to purchase a Suzuki eighties are pretty simple XN85 Turbo to add to my devices, and can be easily collection. (well, it's nearly a extracted and dismantled to Kat, after all!) suit your needs.

The bike had led a busy life, Here you can see a standard everything was painted in cylinder. It ensures that on metallic blue over rust, and inserting the key, the tumblers the keyring held 5 different (gold coloured here) all sit keys! flush with the body of the

barrel.I did not buy the bike, but I became quite aware of the The brass plate at the bottom pain of fumbling to find which is different: it is always "out", of the F...ing keys goes in the as its function is to maintain ignition! the cylinder inside the lock

body. Were it not there, the I've made sure that all my cylinder would come out Kats use just one key ;-) every time the key is inserted!

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Spring-loaded brass plate

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Matching locks to keys (continued)

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The tumblers exist in different shape/length locks them out of the cylinder so it can't be so that they sit perfectly flush with the turned. Each key is engraved with a 3-digit cylinder body when the key is inserted. number which corresponds to the shape of When the key is removed, a back spring the key and the tumbler sequence.

To extract the cylinder from visible (you might need to its lock, the trick is to find how spray carb cleaner first - see to push the bottom locking bottom left).plate while the key is inserted. Insert the key and turn it on to

unlock all tumblers, push the You will need a small flat locking plate in with the flat screwdriver do that. On screwdriver, and pull the some bodies, there is a hole cylinder/key assembly (or which allows the passage of push it from the bottom).the screwdriver directly to the plate. Just push it while On the helmet locks below, you pull the key, "et voilà"! there is no back cover or hole

available - you have to drill Here are some pics by Gerry one! Aim at the bottom of the Horn in Australia - a few insertion axis of the key, 1cm years ago, I did not from the edge of the barrel.understand how to dismantle my 750/1000/1100 locks so If you don't have enough he sent those! As you can tumblers to make a perfect see, he just pried off the back match, the lock will still work cover to access the locking properly if one or two are plate. After removing the missing!electric connector, and the eventual seal, the plate is

Technique

Flags : VectorTemplates.com

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International Katana Clubs

Garry Kemp kindly sent me those exciting pics of racing Kats at the Bikers Classic Race (Spa Francorchamps, July 2013) - Vroom-vroom!

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KOC UK held a great stand at the Stafford show in October (no pics, sorry).As a side note, Bonhams was holding an auction where they sold 3 Kats:

a 1100 from Italy with 42,000 km (£1,840) and two 650s from Holland - one with original exhaust and 80,000 km (£460), the other showing 55,000 km (£230).

The bikes were definitely not pristine or 100% original,so it gives an idea of the "investment potential" of correct runners!

In November, KOC Japan visited the Tokyo Motor Show, where Suzuki introduced its superb Recursion concept.

Considering the failure of the XN85 in 1983, Suzuki took a bold step towards sporty downsizing: the 588cc twin uses an intercooled turbocharger to deliver

weighing only 174Kg.

The style is spot-on, supremely fluid, much more elegant than the current Origami (folded-paper style) bikes.

We'd like to see that one on the road soon!

100hp / 100Nm while

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International Katana Clubs (continued)

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KOC Germany attended the awesome crap Metal Meeting" in August.Many VIP guests were there, and the Kats were parked at the Suzuki booth, just beside the sprint track. Hans Muth delighted the troops on Saturday, and even gave an exclusive lecture in the evening about his career and the Katana design.Guy Martin drag-raced Uli's Katana on track against Nina Prinz, but ended up second! Summary: an unparalleled MEGA EVENT! The club thanks the boys and girls at Suzuki Germany for providing space and hospitality, and Mr. Muth for his entertaining stories!

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Curiosities

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You thought the GSX250SSN was the smallest Katana made by Suzuki?

Look at this: even the Japanese public was not allowed to buy this GF125U, the smallest bike to wear the Katana logo!

It was assembled for the Asian markets in China by the Nanjing Jincheng Motorcycle company, a joint-venture with Suzuki Motor Corporation.

It's an simple machine fitted with Suzuki's ubiquitous 4-stroke single, featuring the TSCC combustion chamber, as per the bigger Kats!

The most striking feature for us is the speedometer - it is the same as the big Kats', even showing the Denso brand...

But with a maximum speed of 140 kph, this must be the slowest Kat speedo ever!

Note that there is no oil pressure warning... the dash receives a low petrol tell-tale lamp instead.

How much can such a new unit costs in Asia ?

A new speedo for our beloved 1100 at the local dealer is worth the price of this 125cc bike, new, in China !

Another interesting feature is the Katana logo - it is the usual shape but lacks the sword crossing it!

Does it make it a "half-Kat"?

Anyway, it must be a "real Kat" more than the 125/250/400s from the eighties, which on some market were advertised as Katanas - because these never wore the logo!

Photo : hsry007 - www.motorfans.com.cn

Photo : www.motorfans.com.cn

Curiosities

The slowest Kat on Earth (continued)

You can read the riding impressions from Hong Hong-based Webzine ibike.com here:http://www.ibike.com.hk/01_bike_report/local/suzuki/05_gf125/00.htm

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Engine Type: SJ157FMIBore x Stroke: 57mm x 48.8mmDisplacement: 124.5ccCompression ratio: 9.5:1Starting: Electric starterMaximum torque 9.5Nm / 7000rpmIgnition: CDIRated power: 6.9Kw / 7000rpmTransmission: five-speed

Top speed: 95 kphFront tire: 2.75-18Rear tire: 90/90-18Fuel economy: 2.0 L/100kmDry weight: 106 KgFuel tank capacity: 14LL x W x H: 2030mm x 745mm x 1140mmWheelbase: 1325mmRake angle: 26.5°

Curiosities

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The slowest Kat on Earth (continued)

Curiosities

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The bike existed in two versions. The first one was launched in 1998 and called JC125-9 in China, or GF125U on export markets such as Hong-Kong; it had a DOHC engine and classic 5-spokes star wheels, and was painted in silver or black. It cost around ¥18,000 (€2,200): expensive, as many parts were imported from Japan, including the full engine assemblies. It seems it was for sale in HK in 2005 for $16,800 (€1,600).

A cheaper version was released in China in 2000, named the JC125-9A, which was built to a lower standard with local parts, including its SOHC engine. It lost the original Kat speedo and the two-tone seat and fender; the tail was the colour of the body and the wheels lost the classic star shape. It was sold in silver, red or blue for around ¥13,000 (€1,600), and late models got Euro 2-compliant hardware.

My understanding of Chinese being entirely dependent on translationsoftware which calls a "motorcycle" a "truck" (a term perhaps more appropriate -to some extent- for our big Kats !-), I reckon the bike was sold up to 2008.

The slowest Kat on Earth (continued)

The Red Katreturns - but not asa 750cc this time!

The JC125-9A was replaced by another model, called the JC125-17HV, which still gets the Katana denomination, but with a new logo design - not the "classic minus sword".

Alas, as you can see from this advertising feature, this bike looks like a Kat as much as the horrible scooters that we get in Europe!

Funnily enough, the Jincheng company used the same translation software as I did, calling the poor thing the "Jincheng knife"!

A kitchen knife is much less "vigourous and effective" than a samourai sword, isn't it ?!

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Photo : Alexandre GodardPhoto : Alexandre Godard

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1:6 SCALE PRECISION CAST MODEL

KATANA

A remarkable rendition of the Big Kat - big indeed at : Length 375mm x Width 123mm x Height 198mm!

TheBIGGEST

Small KatShopping

Just in time for Christmas, HPIRacing released this incredible1:6th scale model of the lastG S 1 1 0 X K a t a n a , t h e 7 0 t hAnniversary GSX1100SL.

It is made of 880 parts, the chaine v e n b e i n g a s s e m b l e d w i t hindividual photo-etched links!

The body parts are made in resin,wheels in ABS, tires in rubber, and

chain links, braker o t o r s , f o r k s a r e i n m e t a l ,as are the microscopic screwsthat keep it together!

suspensions,

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Photo : Maël Kerneis

Photo : Alexandre GodardPhoto : Alexandre Godard

TheBIGGEST

Small KatShopping

Thanks to Michiaki Yamaguchi from KOC Japan, who sent me one from Japan, I can confirm that the shape of our favourite bike is superbly rendered, and it is quite a hefty model (1Kg) - which is fitting, considering the bike it represents!

Lots of detail are precisely reproduced, such as the markings on the wheels and tyres, the engraved schematic of the gearbox or the Stanley branding on the headlamp.

The materials and paints used are remarkably correct - look at the seat strap, which is a separate part made of soft material.

My only regrets with it : the center stand does not go far enough to support the bike (as did the Minichamps 1:12th model) and it is missing the yellow warning stickers on the rear shocks!

The speedometer is perhaps the single moststriking bit of the model : the needles andtell-tale lamps are totally realistic.

The footrests are articulated, as are the levers, which even have a spring action!

The bike comes in a sturdy polystyrene boxto ensure excellent protection from shocks,and a manipulating white glove is included.

Unfortunately, HPI Racing announced mid- December that it would stop all its production of assembled scale models, due to the extreme rise in assembly cost (this model was planned for a retail price of 50.000 yen, and was finally sold for 80.000 yen), which adds to the collector status of this fantastic Katana.

It is available with model specialists such as burn-model.com or on eBay. Price is around 800 euros / dollars, which is as much as a real bike. Not a pristine one, though !-)