The GSF1200 is burning bright again??
I’ve been getting confused lately.
I keep thinking it’s not that old, but it’s from 1995 onwards… 25 years??
Before I knew it, I’d become an old guy too, I think to myself…
Similar work keeps coming up.
Originally it was an oil-cooled maintenance request and a check on how it’s running.
When I took it for a test ride, I noticed jerking from low speeds and unstable idling.
The steering also felt a bit “hmm…” condition-wise.
So we decided to replace the stem bearing as well. There’s definitely some odd play in there.
It looks like they did grease it at some point.
I cut it off and pull it out with a Kawasaki puller. Every time I wonder if there’s an easier way to pull it out.
I removed the lower side with a homemade drift and pulled the upper side with the RT-1.
This Hozan Park Tool head one remover isn’t universal, but it’s a pretty useful tool, I think.
I scrubbed it with a brush.
Pressing the race in with hydraulic pressure, slowly and steadily, might be the trick to not messing it up.
Once the pressing is done, take a good visual look.
Five minutes won’t make a difference even if you rush.
It’s good to feel how well the seal is working while it’s pressed into the frame.
Suzuki is pretty much in good shape, so no worries there.
Kawasaki is the one that’s sketchy… Kawasaki…
The stem is a bit dirty… I wonder what to do…
Just as new media arrived, I decided to test it out.
I was pretty surprised! Σ(ﾟДﾟ)
I thought what I’d been using was the best, but this one is way better.
And the price is less than half…
Definitely decided to stock up on these.
I polished these parts and applied Guncoat.
I’ve never seen a fender bracket rusted this badly before.
I’ll apply NC100 grease generously and assemble it.
I used up the spare upper seal yesterday, so I’ll temporarily install this one and replace it again next week.
Cleaning things up a bit shows care, and maybe the bike won’t break down as easily?
I hope this humble work pays off down the road.
I cleaned everything up nicely.
Check the axle shaft and make sure it slides in smoothly.
I’ve adjusted the bearings. The brake disc clamping is loose, so it would be better to replace it soon.
Looking at it more carefully… the steering bearing replacement has so many other areas to check and touch.
Oil-cooled models have lots of parts in stock, so that helps. More to come.
Work summary
○ Steering bearing replacement
○ Parts Guncoat
○ Stem polishing (complimentary)
