Today we chatted leisurely and before we knew it, it was already 3 PM (ﾟДﾟ) We’re going to do a tire change and replace the front and rear brake discs and pads!
Maintenance Log for This Article
Vehicle: SUZUKI GSX1100S KATANA (SR)
Work Performed: Complete refresh of undercarriage consumables.
Tires: Switched to the classic touring bias tire BRIDGESTONE BATTLAX BT46.
Brakes: Replaced both front and rear brake disc rotors and brake pads with new ones.
Purpose: By replacing worn tires and discs simultaneously, we restore the crisp handling and reliable braking power of a new bike.
My other blog, Decoboco. 「RURAL GARAGE」
A hidden space beyond motorcycles. I share everyday convenience items, relocation stories, delicious food, and life philosophyand more. ←click
Since the owner prefers Bridgestone, we’re switching to the BT46V, same as last time.
Since we couldn’t find standard replacement brake discs, we scored some decent-looking used brake discs on Yahoo Auctions. Choosing ones with clearer images might be a good idea.
Note that brake disc thickness varies between the inner and outer sides.
Squeeze tight! Short and solid braking! Sintered Metal
Vesrah quietly carries sintered metal pads even for niche calipers. Lead times can be long, but Vesrah is one of the pad makers we trust.
Even standard single-piston calipers can handle it
Nowadays there aren’t usually any major burrs, but we’ll give them a light file anyway. We’re hoping for the smoothest possible sliding action.
The effect isn’t dramatic, but it seems to help a bit.
When brake discs and pads are new, braking feels soft until they bed in. Rather than dragging slowly, do hard braking, accelerate, then hard brake again—heating and cooling repeatedly within safe limits helps them bed in faster. We usually do most of this during the test ride anyway.
This year’s BEST BUY J-TRIP frame stand is excellent
It’s also very comfortable when removing the rear wheel. Racing stands have handles that get in the way, so lately I’ve been using frame stands. *Make sure to lock the front with chocks or similar, or it will tip over.
When working on the front, keep the rear on the stand too. Having plenty of floor space during work really improves efficiency.
Get yourself a super convenient frame stand right away.
We’re also replacing the air valve and hub damper at the same time
Let’s aggressively replace rubber parts like hub dampers when the timing is right. Suzuki hub dampers are exceptionally well-made, so durability is excellent.
We’ll replace the air valve with the usual Dunlop JS430.
When replacing brake discs, clean the thread locker on the wheel-side bolts with a tap. We applied thread locker to the bolts before assembly. Since they were already wet-blasted, we gave them another light coat.
We thought about gun coating but skipped it because masking was a hassle!
Since we have other work scheduled, I’m glad we got this done today. Now it’s just a test ride and we’re finished~
Title: Undercarriage Refresh for SUZUKI GSX1100S KATANA. Work Performed: Comprehensive replacement of consumables to restore handling and safety.
Tires: Installed Bridgestone BATTLAX BT46, the standard choice for vintage bikes.
Brakes: Replaced front and rear Brake Discs and Brake Pads. Result: Renewing the tires and brakes together has significantly improved ride quality and stopping power.
ポチップ
