[The Phantom Bike] SUZUKI B-KING (GSX1300BK) Inspection & Maintenance | Reviving Performance with Wheel Bearing Replacement on This Heavy-Duty Machine

Recently, I’ve “stopped standardizing titles”
Over the past few months, Google’s crawler behavior has changed dramatically (according to Gemini).
Like in a bookstore, “getting displayed in easy-to-see locations” is extremely important.

Maybe fewer people are searching? Maybe blogs are becoming less necessary? That’s possible too ( ；∀；)
Well, I’m not quitting anyway…
Anyway, let me get back to working on the GSX1300B-KING.

Wipe the tires with a damp cloth.

Check for punctures and embedded objects.
There’s nothing sadder than a flat tire on the road.
While picking something up during a ride is unavoidable, if something’s already embedded, you want to catch it and deal with it beforehand.

Oh, there’s already a repair mark… hehe (*´ω｀*)

OEM Brake Disc vs Sunstar Brake Disc

Sunstar currently only offers the ER021 for the rear. MSRP is ¥25,300.

Suzuki OEM 69211-15H00 ¥17,710 (tax included)
That’s a difference of ¥7,590. Pretty significant, right?
Rather than just wanting to save money, “cut costs where it matters, and spend on what counts” This is important.
Instead of adding unnecessary parts,
investing in tires, chains, and brakes will definitely be more fun.

Or just taking photos and grinning about it (*´ω｀*)

Using a tap and spraying a bit of parts cleaner makes it come off quickly.

Replace the mounting bolts too.
Remove the old threadlocker and replace it with liquid.
Secure fastening and anti-loosening gives you peace of mind.

Now replacing the wheel bearings… but the axle is 28mm

Hmm? The bearing puller won’t fit…
Plus I realized I’d lost my bearing puller and went on a search mission (never found it?)
*From when I removed the MK2 bottom case metal the other day

So, how do I remove this…
Back in the day, I’d create some play and tap it out.
But I want to do this more cleanly, so I’ll think this through…

This is the Park Tool stem bearing remover.
You need to create a bit of play on the bearing side, but this handles it easily.

For bikes with thick axles, this is the way… I thought at the end of January ( ﾟДﾟ)

It’s not a universal tool, but it’ll help you out a lot. Definitely check it out

The wheel bearing grease was on the light side

The OEM bearing has a single-side seal, so as the bike warms up during riding, the grease softens and leaks out easily.
With a double-sided seal, the grease stays put better, so retention is higher.

Please definitely go with double-sided seals when replacing.

This kit is the best for removing and installing bearings

A kit for tapping bushings and seals.
I used to machine everything on a lathe, but with this, I don’t need to anymore.
You can even create stepped surfaces, so it’s honestly a genius tool.

If you work in a box or similar clean space,
you might not be embarrassed to show it off.

They come in 1mm increments, so they handle even obscure spots.
With the spirit of “No way! Absolutely! Brute force!” please proceed.

That’s how the wheel bearing replacement is complete.
Motorcycle wheel bearings aren’t just about hammering them in and calling it done.
Some manufacturers have specific orientation requirements, so be careful when replacing them.
*Some manufacturers note this, others don’t, which is annoying.

Brake discs and pads are like a married couple.

Since there’s no sintered metal option for the rear, I went with SBS.
833LS
There used to be so many brake pad options to choose from…
Actually, I think they make too many varieties…

Clean the rear caliper and check its operation.

For example, “won’t return by hand, returns stiffly, pistons won’t rotate”
At that point, stop cleaning and do a full overhaul immediately.
Old seals won’t return to their original good condition no matter how much you clean and massage them.
I used to work hard at massaging them, but… looking back, that was wasted time and effort.

Chain puller bolt goes in smoothly, Chiba

And so it continues (*´ω｀*)