The tank is back, so let’s get to work.
The tire air valve is deteriorated, so I’ll replace it for you.
The bearings look fine as they are.
The caliper was disassembled before, so it’s in great condition.
I polished the pad springs afterward too. It’s nice to be able to do things easily now that we couldn’t do before.
Let’s clean the disc regularly. It gets surprisingly dirty. Vehicles with debris buildup inside the holes need special attention.
I polish the chain thoroughly. If you maintain the wheel bearings, chain, and brakes, you’ll have fewer spots that get unnecessarily stiff.
The rear caliper looks fine too.
The damper and wheel bearings—let’s get to those right away.
SKF bearings do get stiff over time and distance. You can’t just leave them unmaintained. Simply cleaning the inner tube provides rust prevention and dramatically improves wear resistance. As for the fork, if it doesn’t leak, it’s definitely better that it doesn’t.
The control system had good lubrication and was in clean condition.
Since I worked on it before, I’ve crushed the bolt end so the nut won’t fall out. Who came up with this weird design? It’s really bad for serviceability. I think it would be easier if we did it differently.
The step area looks good too. When servicing aftermarket backsteps later, I notice many aren’t designed with removing and installing the step bar in mind. To reduce pedal play, the clearance is often too tight—fine when new, but some units get stiff as they age and tighten, which is a subtle pain point.
The side stand is in good condition. Lately, on GSF1200 and Bandit 1200 models, we’ve been changing the stand spring for a lighter, easier feel.
The air filter is the washable type. There’s only a little dirt.
The plugs are a bit fouled—that’s the smell of tank rust. It got pretty bad.
I changed the fluid. Ideally, once a year is better.
It’s barely out of adjustment.
It’s better not to remove tank rust yourself. Just soaking and shaking—does it really come off that easily? For mild cases it might be okay, but I really want to clean the whole interior thoroughly and apply coating.
For mild cases, I don’t really recommend coating. Once it’s applied, you should assume it can’t be removed. Only do it for severe cases.
The fuel sensor was beyond help, so I replaced it.
The exhaust pipe bolts will probably break, so let me know first.
