Unglamorous work. This powder is some of what came out from the brake disc holes.
Quite a bit of brake pad dust buildup, you know.
The chain gets a thorough wipe-down for cleaning. You also need to check by feel that nothing is amiss as it rotates.
I think cleaning is the first step of maintenance. And when it’s clean, I think your attachment to the bike deepens too.
We use the shop rags right down to the limit. The oily chain area is the final job for the rag. Thanks for your hard work.
Back in the ZRX1100 days, I remember the damper being pretty loose. These days it looks good on the surface. And it’s actually quite solid, which is reassuring.
The distance collar starts to move around → you tap the axle shaft to seat it → the bearing shifts. That’s the pattern I think happens.
The axle shaft should basically slide in smoothly by hand, so don’t go hammering it in with brute force.
When I peeled back the oil seal, I got a bit of a surprise. I thought “Whoa!” wondering if it was some kind of larva, but it was grease. Let’s remove the excess.
The rear axle looks fine too.
The caliper condition is good and reassuring. Operation was smooth as well.
* The GSX-R series floating calipers are already discontinued. You can use the ZRX series ones as a substitute. The torque rod mounting has the bushings in place too.
* Swage-Line hose caution points.
When removing or cleaning the caliper, you have to twist it somewhat to get the work done.
This type uses a taper to stop leaks and is fixed by the thread pitch. If you turn it in the loosening direction, it can go “click!” and come loose. When removing or installing, please do one more check. It’s dangerous. 
Looking at the original, the torque rod is mounted straight relative to the caliper boss.
This is a good time to clean and oil the speedometer cable inner too.
The front wheel bearings are fine.
The axle shaft was also in good shape.
They’ve swapped out the Tokico 6P for a Nissin 4P. Looks like a great call.
It’s subjective, but Tokico calipers have an image of pretty effective seals. With Nissin and 4P, you get more pad options and aluminum pistons for better operation.
Apply fork oil and remove debris from inside and stuck to the dust seal. Dust seals get pretty cruddy, you know.
Between the top and lower tubes, apply rust preventative oil, work it in, and wipe it off later. It’s better all around if the inner tubes don’t rust.
Steering action is smooth. Lift the front and the fork is at atmospheric pressure.
Every so often, dig out the brake disc holes. Quite a bit of brake pad dust builds up. I don’t think you’ll see a dramatic effect from doing it. But if there’s even a 1% improvement in touch and feel, I think it’s worth doing.
It gets pretty dusty, so it’s better to wear a mask.
Fluid change and we’re done.
