This year has been quite troublesome overall. Our log house is 30 years old, so various parts are starting to show wear. Tomorrow we’re renovating the first and second-floor bathrooms, so I’m looking forward to that.
Today it’s been incredibly hot, so I’m staying in the workshop and working away without stepping outside. Removed wheels really do take up a lot of space, don’t they? Lately, I’ve been tying them against the wall with minimal effort—it’s earthquake-resistant and keeps things tidy. This is how the workshop gradually becomes more efficient day by day!
Today’s Suspension & Electrical System Maintenance Log
Vehicle: Kawasaki GPz750F (Air-cooled ZX750A)
Tire Selection: BRIDGESTONE BATTLAX SPORT TOURING T33(Latest sport touring tire)
Electrical System Menu: Starter motor disassembly, inspection, and cleaning.
The Heart of This Maintenance: Following the recent fork overhaul, we’ve equipped the chassis with Bridgestone’s latest “T33” for exceptional grip. At the same time, we’re disassembling the starter motor—a component prone to sudden failure on vintage bikes—to carefully assess the carbon brush wear and commutator condition with a professional eye.
Shop Owner’s Comment: No matter how light and responsive the ride becomes, if the engine won’t start out on the road, the bike is just a lump of metal. We’re eliminating every last bit of trouble from both performance and starting reliability to deliver a frame you can trust completely!
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We chose the BS T33 for its wide size range and balanced performance. The wheels are Gale Speed with upsized dimensions. Front 2.75-18 (110/80-18) and rear 4.50-18 (160/60-18).
I’m amazed that the rear used to be 4.00-18 as standard, and now it’s 4.50 with 160 ( ；∀；) *My own GS1000S runs 4.00, so…
I almost forgot—let me weigh these. Front 4.68 kg, rear 6.44 kg. Tires are surprisingly heavy!
Aftermarket wheels are nice because the valve always ends up at the heavy spot.
And that’s the tire replacement done! (*´ω｀*)
Checking the starter motor and starter lead
I’m using what appears to be a Honda part adapted here. I’m not sure what it’s originally for… but it fits perfectly without modification. The condition is good, so we’ll reuse it. (*´ω｀*)
This starter motor has a very unusual structure. It’s quite different from typical designs.
A new feel? It seems designed to reduce speed and boost torque compared to a standard starter motor. The GPZ and Zephyr lines really do try innovative approaches.
Opened up for the first time in 40 years—looking pretty good, fortunately it’s still black.
The commutator wore down that much?? I’m quite surprised.
Since the pinion and O-ring are common, we can upgrade to the latest version without modification. But it’s pricey… I’d be thrilled if it were around 20,000 yen.
For now, we’re holding off on how to proceed. (*´ω｀*)
Topic: Installing the latest BRIDGESTONE BATTLAX T33 tires & performing a starter motor teardown inspection. Details: Happy Wednesday from the Decoboco workshop! Following up on our recent front fork restoration for this stunning GPz750F, today we finalized its chassis and starting reliability. For the tires, we fitted the newly released BRIDGESTONE BATTLAX SPORT TOURING T33, offering supreme modern wet/dry grip in classic slim-rim sizes. Simultaneously, to address sluggish starting issues common in older classics, we extracted and completely disassembled the starter motor. We cleared out years of accumulated carbon brush dust, polished the worn commutator, and replaced all critical internal O-rings with factory fresh Kawasaki OEM parts. Verdict: The starter now cranks with intense, snappy speed, waking the air-cooled inline-four instantly. Out on the road, the synergy of the freshly rebuilt forks and latest T33 rubber delivers exceptional road feedback and planted cornering confidence. True vintage ownership demands total peace of mind in both performance and startup!
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