Okay, so I recently got my hands on a 2006 Suzuki Katana 750. It wasn’t running, but the price was right, so I figured, why not? Let’s dive into what I did to get this thing purring again.
The Starting Point
First off, this bike was sitting for a while. Like, a long while. The gas was probably older than my nephew. So, step one was obviously getting that ancient fuel outta there.
Draining the Old Gas
I siphoned out as much of the old gas as I could. It smelled awful – kind of like varnish mixed with regret. Seriously, don’t skip this step if you’re dealing with a bike that’s been sitting.
Carb Cleaning
Next up, the carburetors. These things were gummed up like you wouldn’t believe. I took them off the bike, which was a bit of a pain, but not too bad. Then, I disassembled them completely. Every jet, every little passage, all got a good soaking in carb cleaner. I used a small wire to make sure all the gunk was out of those tiny holes. It’s tedious, but so satisfying when you see them all clean.
- Removed the carbs.
- Disassembled everything.
- Soaked in carb cleaner.
- Used wire to clean small passages.
- Reassembled carefully.
Fresh Fuel and Filters
With the carbs clean, I put them back on the bike. I also made sure to replace the fuel filter. No point in putting clean carbs back on if you’re just going to pump more junk through them. Then, I added fresh gas – the good stuff, high octane.
Battery Time
The old battery was toast. It wouldn’t even hold a charge, so I swapped in a new one. Made sure all the connections were clean and tight.
Fingers Crossed…
The first time start after carb and battery cleaning, I was a little nervous! I hit the starter, and… it cranked! It took a few tries, but it finally fired up. It ran a little rough at first, but after it warmed up, it started to smooth out. I let it idle for a good while, just to make sure everything was circulating and getting happy.
Road Test
After a bit of idling, I took it for a short ride. It felt great! A little tweaking of the idle screw, and it was running pretty darn good. Now, I keep the thing up with cleaning and rides.
So, that’s basically it. It wasn’t rocket science, but it took some time and patience. Getting that old Katana running again was a blast. Definitely worth the effort!
