It’s been scorching hot lately, but when the outside temperature drops from 37–38 degrees to around 33–34 degrees,
I find myself thinking, “Oh? It’s cooler today—fall must be coming soon?” It’s sobering to realize how much we humans adapt to temperature.
Even when it’s so hot you don’t want to ride at all, pleasant weather will be here soon.
Work keeps piling up and we can’t seem to make progress!
There was a mysterious part installed, and at first I thought,
“They used a titanium bolt that was too long and added a spacer,” but it turned out to be a single piece.
The benefit seems to be that it’s easier to remove for tire changes and such. Let me ask about it next time.
The fork oil was quite dirty.
A common sight on old bikes: the oil seal press-fit area is all corroded.
We polished it clean. *I forgot to take a photo. It’s come out so clean you could lick it!
We replaced the stud bolts too.
The area where the stud bolts go tends to bulge up, so chamfering it is a good idea.
The clamp side was also polished so it clamps smoothly.
*I forgot to take a photo. I think the wet blaster lighting was broken and I was panicking at the time.
The inner tube runout looks fine.
We vacuum-bled and adjusted the oil level.
During disassembly, I noticed the initial spacer lengths were quite different.
The fork spring free length was slightly off, so we matched them. It was an additive system, so we made it single-piece with a spacer.
We got into the mystery of the headlight bracket and were a bit puzzled.
The headlight mounting threads were stripped, so we helicoil-repaired them. (Service)
We cleaned, lubricated, and adjusted the chain.
If you keep the chain well-lubricated, it lasts a really long time.
The wheel bearings look fine. If the hub damper is a bit loose, you can add a shim to apply tension.
Of course, replace any that are loose.
The rear caliper operation is very good. The wheel runout is also fine.
We applied gun coat to the small parts. The axle shaft runout is also fine.
Moving on to the front. We applied gun coat and checked the shaft runout.
We adjusted the wheel bearings slightly. Lubricating the speedometer cable will also help it last longer.
Some calipers have aluminum pistons and operate smoothly.
Original calipers in good condition are genuinely smooth too. If you find the right pad-and-disc combination, they’re nothing to scoff at.
*Caliper pad selection variety is actually pretty important.
The spacer on the back of the caliper accumulates dirt too—we polished it.
We announce replacement timing based on disc and pad wear.
When the disc is due for replacement but the pad still has life, we wait until the pad wears down.
*Disc and pad are a set, so they work best when balanced.
We drilled holes and did surface degreasing and cleaning.
Ideally we’d do surface honing, which would be amazing, but we’ll add that to the menu for later.
We replaced the brake fluid with CCI Golden Cruiser DOT4.
We cleaned and lubricated all the sliding parts.
The front wheel has a slight runout.
Daytona Motorcycle Turn Signal Relay LED Compatible 2-Pin (~100W) 95437
I basically use only this one.
The old bike’s turn signal response was sluggish, so we replaced it.
It’s a solid size with reliable performance. *I keep it in stock all the time.
A recent newcomer: the PRO SELECT battery. It’s an AGM GEL battery that works with open-cell batteries too.
Plus it comes with a 2-year warranty… pretty amazing. At this price point, replacing it before inspection is an option.
GL-PB14L-A2 Representative vehicles
• Kawasaki Z-series, Z1/2, Z1000MK2, Z1R, Z1000LTD, KZ1000, etc.
• Suzuki GSX1100S, GS1000S, GSX-R1100 early to N-type (750 confirmed early to L-type)
Benefits: MF means no watering or breather needed. 2-year warranty. Great value.
When I thought the electrical wasn’t quite snappy… the fluid was bone dry.
Surprisingly it held up okay? *Just barely made it.
We marked it for easy checking next time. We also put double-sided foam tape on the nuts so they don’t fall off. (Leftover from Showlife.)
Initial charging is very important. Even new ones often come with less than expected.
The fuse and charging voltage are both fine.
We finally managed to extract the stuck #3 spark plug.
The mindset of “if it’s gone, it’s gone” is super important. We’re done!
