Lately, could it be that I’ve even developed autumn allergies? . . . . I absolutely don’t want to go get an allergy check, you know.
Additional carburetor overhaul work requested Leaky front fork overhaul&Creaky steering stem overhaul, if you please.
It’s work I’m used to, but the cleaning part is quite tough. I’m really wanting to introduce that amazing cleaning machine that costs about a million yen.
Clean and polish the brake disc that’s soaked in front fork oil.
It would be a good time to replace it, but when you add up the previous carburetor work and this current job the total price becomes quite a punch so this time I’d like to just replace the pads and reuse them.
I lightly finished the disc surface on both sides. I think it’ll make a squeaky sound like a new one.
I cleaned the disc mounting threads on the wheel side and polished the mounting surface too.
I’m the type who removes the OEM microcapsule thread locker. With microcapsule thread locker, the tightening gets too stiff and the tightening torque comes too quickly. In other words, it ends up being firmly tightened but won’t loosen – that kind of strange feeling?
To eliminate ambiguity, I remove it and switch to liquid thread locker for assembly.
Let’s overhaul the steering stem
Originally it’s a paper roller, but I’ll swap it for a ball bearing. To be honest, it’s a matter of preference, so either is OK. There’s no good or bad between them. Various manufacturers use them as OEM on production bikes, so you can feel confident.
I choose the ball bearing for its lightness and ease of greasing. Good maintainability is definitely a weapon.
It’s a subtle change, but I’ll swap the upper seal to a Bandit 1200 one. The GSF 1200 has the old-fashioned plastic cover. Isn’t the sealing where the oil seal lip gently touches not quite good? So every time I subtly upgrade it to a Bandit. *There’s no actual effect.
Using the legendary Park Tool RT-2 to remove the races. It’s not universal, but it’s quite useful most of the time. If you work on various bike models, it’s worth having one
The clear coat was peeling off a bit, so I finished it up. It’s not a very visible spot, but individual parts look better when they’re clean.
Brushing the inside of the frame is something I only do at times like this. I want to clean out the dirt thoroughly. I’m pressing the races in with hydraulic pressure.
The more times I press things in, the more cautious I become. Maybe that’s because I’ve made pressed parts before.
I think it’s important to be gentle and soft to avoid wearing them down.
Always visually check 360 degrees.
After pressing the race into the frame side, it’s a good idea to check the seal effectiveness on its own.
When you adjust the steering, it’s hard to figure out what’s causing the stiffness. If you mentally process each cause one by one, I think you’ll improve your accuracy.
Let’s disassemble the front fork
It was pretty dirty. One step away from smelling bad – that’s the feeling.
Fork oil changes are really tricky with the timing and price balance, aren’t they?
Looking back, it feels like I was mostly just cleaning. I don’t have many before photos, but I think it turned out pretty clean.
The inner tube had no rust on the stroke section and no runout. The bottom case oil seal press-in area was quite corroded, so I polished it.
I’ll use a Makita vacuum pump to bleed air and adjust the oil level, and we’re done.
Little by little, take care of the things that bother you
I don’t think it’ll become surprisingly smooth, but doing it makes it feel somewhat smoother. Maybe little efforts matter in everything?
The axle shaft has a slight runout, but it’s within spec, so we’ll call it OK.
The caliper is soaked in fork oil, so I want to wash it thoroughly tomorrow.
ポチップ
