Hmm, the fuel hose barely comes out… that’s a problem… angles, 13φ plus different diameters and such… I think I found the promising parts? Probably.
It’s already rock hard. It’s cracked all over—scary.
Getting myself to go on patrol. I normally spend 1–2 hours searching, so honestly this kind of patrol work doesn’t pay well. But I really do feel how convenient the internet is.
If you search, you’ll find it.
Moving on to self-point maintenance. I washed the rear the other day, so front left and right.
Clean, and the piston action is smooth.
I understand the impulse—”caliper piston action is stiff, so spend time oiling and working it”—but it’s very inefficient. Stiff action usually comes from seal degradation or corrosion on the body side, where the seal gets pushed inward by groove corrosion. When it’s stiff, we recommend a caliper overhaul without wasting any time.
Brake caliper overhauls and such are quick and clean if you have the right equipment.
Honestly, I think an overhaul is faster and functionally superior.
Pad springs and backing plates. Polishing the small parts too makes them clean and satisfying.
Brake pads are surprisingly dirty. But honestly, I’d rather not soak them in water. You wonder if the water that soaked in actually came out.
*Dirty, but not on the ground. They’re on a swim towel.
I go ahead and use a reliable Kärcher high-temperature steam cleaner. They come clean in a flash and dry right away.
For front and rear fluid, I use Golden Cruiser.
I understand the appeal of racing fluid with good action, high response, and high temperature tolerance, but do you really need that for street riding?
Surprisingly, careless people don’t change their fluid and it turns to gel, or it all becomes rust juice… The long shelf life, high lubricity, high rust protection, and high performance make sense. From experience, I think it’s a reliable fluid.
The clutch release fluid is leaking, so I’ll swap the cup. (On order.)
A slider you can remove from the outside—the best. That’s how it should be! 1987… amazing!
Coolant should be done at least once every two years. It goes up near 100 degrees and comes back down, over and over. If you don’t change it, weird sediment comes out.
It looks a bit tired, so let’s change it.
I use a reliable NTK radiator cap.
Remove the dust seal, clean it, and oil it. Definitely don’t pry it off with a flathead screwdriver. You’ll scratch the bottom case.
It’s smarter to tap it off with something wide and thin. (A non-cutting scraper works too.)
Apply it to your hand and work it in; you can feel rust and step wear with your fingertips.
Stroke it and wipe away the sediment. SKF starts smooth, but over time it becomes “normal stiff.”
Spray rust-preventive oil on the top of the stem and work it in.
AZ Super Lube Long-Term Rust-Prevention Spray is pretty sharp.
It’s inexpensive, but the impression is that the rust-preventive oil dries and leaves a film. My Zephyr’s raw tank is coated with this and hasn’t rusted.
I use it for caliper rust prevention too. It’s worth trying.
