The GSX1400-based KATANA with the largest oil-cooled 1400cc powerhouse.
The GSX1400 was produced from 2001 to 2008, a surprisingly long-running model. It’s a bit of a shame this engine wasn’t used in other applications—it might have had an even longer life in different contexts.
The owner requested inspection, Deco-mainte, and caliper OH plus aluminum piston.
Today we’ll start with the brakes.
Let’s remove them first.
The caliper condition was good. There wasn’t much debris in the grooves. However, as the owner mentioned, “the piston is really stiff.”
Exactly right. It was super stiff, so extracting the piston was quite a job. Since dust and oil seals are just rubber, they’ll degrade over time, so I recommend a caliper OH at regular intervals.
Time passes… We cleaned it up nicely with wet blasting.
It’s beautifully clean, and the surface has been refreshed. Once it’s in this shot-peened state, it resists corrosion much better, so it should stay in good condition for a long time.
Wow, it’s so smooth and feels great.
When it’s in this condition, assembly becomes a pleasure, and the motivation really kicks in.
Air blowing alone isn’t quite enough, so we’ll dry it thoroughly in an oven and let it cool before assembly.
Always inspect every piston and seal.
I can’t stress this enough—we’ve actually found wrong parts mixed in before. Even with genuine OEM parts, human error is never zero. Check first, check second.
Verification gives you peace of mind, and that’s worth the effort.
For those who prefer grease, I’d like you to try MR20 Metal Rubber.
It really does slide in smooth! It’s so good you’d think Tokico had switched to Brembo.
Spending time and money on what you can’t see—that’s the “Italian underwear” philosophy here.
The feel is solid, and the lever action is now smooth and responsive.
It was already clean, but we polished it again anyway. Bare metal is the best!
We checked the axle shaft.
While the wheel is off, let’s clean the areas the owner can’t reach.
The disc thickness is still no problem.
We lightly honed both front and rear discs. That fresh, brand-new squeaky feeling is back.
The wheel runout is fine. We adjusted the bearings too.
To be continued.
