Again? Oil-cooled Katana! GSX1200S Inspection Tire/Chain Sprocket/Chain Slider/Engine Oil/Fluid Replacement and More

We have three oil-cooled Katanas in the shop at once, so if you’re reading the blog you might be a bit confused, right?

Just remember that this one has the buffed bottom case and swingarm.
Alright, let’s get to work!

First, let’s replace the tires (*´ω｀*)

So S22 and S21 are being sold concurrently—I didn’t know that.
The sticker looked a bit suspicious so I had to look it over a few times…

Lately, I’ve been checking the wheel bearing model numbers when removing them.
That way I can order them in advance when a bearing replacement is requested.

Still, SKF markings on the outer race are a bit hard to read. *You can’t see them unless you clean thoroughly
And we’ve replaced both front and rear tires! Next up~

I was thinking about replacing the chain sprocket, but…

Since it was a customer drop-off, I opened it without checking the bag and… wait, what??
This is a rear sprocket for the stock setup and won’t fit the OZ.

You need to use what’s commonly called the “Marque TYPE-A” from now on.
By the way, Sunstar delivery date TBD / XAM unconfirmed / ISA unconfirmed
Since it probably won’t arrive quickly anyway, I’ll send it back as is for now.

Next up~

Removing the swingarm to service the chain slider and maintenance

困るなぁ。。 pic.twitter.com/sBzzTGVA3T

— decoboco (@shop_decoboco) October 24, 2024

The bearing press-fit on the chain side is really loose.
It comes out by hand, so it’s pretty bad…

In times like this, we rely on the power of chemicals.
This is where Loctite 638 and 648 come in.

Since it’s so loose, Loctite 638 will bond them together.
So we’re also putting in a new bearing to make sure it stays solid for life.
The power of modern chemicals is incredible.

Since I’m a bit of a worrier, I’ll let it set for a day before assembling.

Before that…
I’ll do the shim adjustment on the swingarm components first.
I’m not going to be super precise about it.
If I make it too tight, the swingarm won’t fit. It’s a tricky balance.

Unlike the old steel frame pivots, there’s no adjustment mechanism for the pivot width.
And honestly, stock setups are usually pretty sloppy, so the feel isn’t great.
Tightening the pivot shaft puts a lot of stress on the frame from the inside.
If the clearance is too large, even tightening the pivot won’t help
the swingarm components bottom out.
You can tell that’s not good for the swingarm or bearings.

I think the best feeling is when the components move smoothly with minimal stress.

Since I can’t assemble it yet, I’ll just prep it and call it a day.
See you tomorrow! (*´ω｀*)