{"id":42488,"date":"2019-10-14T18:28:24","date_gmt":"2019-10-14T09:28:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.decoboco.info\/en\/?p=42488"},"modified":"2026-09-24T13:45:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T04:45:13","slug":"gs1200ss-2-inspection-carb-maintenance-oh-polish-self-point","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.decoboco.info\/en\/20191014\/everyday-events\/gs1200ss-2-inspection-carb-maintenance-oh-polish-self-point","title":{"rendered":"GS1200SS-2 Inspection, Carburettor Maintenance OH + Polish, Self-Point Maintenance, Newtech Oil Change, ETC Antenna Relocation"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A rare GS1200SS-2. It only existed for one year, and this is a specimen with subtle minor changes that are hard to appreciate, right?
Inspection, carburettor maintenance OH + polish, self-point maintenance, Newtech oil change, and ETC antenna relocation are the requests.
We’ve finished accepting work for 2019. I’ve been thinking lately that maybe I don’t need to take on January work either. I’ve just taken on too much work, like a dam backing up… Switching gears and moving forward! <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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The carburettor comes right off. Suzuki has great serviceability, you know? (Or maybe I’m just used to it?)

When you just remove what needs to be removed without overthinking it, it comes off (sorry, that’s a bit unclear). I feel like that’s a sign of a bike that’s well-designed for maintenance. Simple construction, I’d say. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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It’s better to replace the intake manifold while you’re in there.

Even if you think you’ll do it next time, it’s worth buying and keeping on hand. When they’re discontinued, it’s really painful.
13101-03F20*2 (for #1, 2)
13103-03F20*2 (for #3, 4) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Since we don’t know when it’ll come off next, let’s prepare it carefully and install it. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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If you organize removed parts into cases instead of tossing them into boxes or plastic bags, assembly goes smoother and you’re less likely to forget parts. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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We didn’t find much debris, which is great. That means the tank interior is clean. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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We’re replacing the starter valve. You can only replace it when you disassemble all four sections.
If this goes bad, idle becomes unstable.

If you push the choke plate in the closing direction at idle and it suddenly runs better, the starter valve might not be sealing properly. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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By the way, here’s a subtle tidbit that looks useful but isn’t.

Carburettor bodies are basically universal (probably), so the component parts are basically interchangeable (probably). Use at your own risk.
Suzuki 13411-26E00 $2,000
Kawasaki 16016-1061 $1,790

That’s a $210 difference per unit. I guess that’s why I’m always running late, doing this kind of thing every day. I reflect on that even as I work. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The air vent and fuel joints are plastic, so it’s good to replace them while you’re in there. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Keihin has fewer parts, which is helpful. (The PS O-ring and float gasket were unopened.) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The customer also wanted to replace the cover while we were at it. When I quoted it, it wasn’t too bad. We got the OK, so we’re good to go. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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There was only slight corrosion, which is fortunate. Thinking about it, that Zephyr 750 from the other day was in rough shape. Sigh… <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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So we finished polishing and got them all shiny\u2014all four of them.
It takes 2-3 hours, by the way. It’s no joke. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Once we confirmed the passages, we’ll assemble them right up. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Let’s clean the float valve seat too. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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With CVR, the spring outer diameter gets bigger, which is nice. No worry about the spring collapsing. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A design that holds the needle firmly in place. And it’s quick-adjust too.

BST looks cool (I’m a vacuum nut), but honestly, I think CVK and CVR are just superior. Don’t you think? Ugh. Carbs should be Keihin… hmm. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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We check the actual fuel level for #1-4. Bikes don’t always run on level ground.
The inside of the carb is probably pretty full, so I don’t think a few millimeters makes a big difference.

But if we set a firm standard, even if subtle issues come up later, we can confidently say “it’s not the carb!”\u2014that peace of mind means no mystery troubles, which keeps the work flowing smoothly.

If it overflows, that’s one thing, but a slow, gradual fuel level rise is the most annoying.
If you can check it, I’d recommend doing so for safety. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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By the way, the actual fuel level looks like this. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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I always think… 0.5 mm is unmeasurable, right? Is this \u00b1 notation meant for people who can interpret that meaning?
They can’t write “just at the seam” in the manual. Making manuals is tough.
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It’s nice that they even list the float height. Aren’t there almost no bikes like that?
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What’s overflow anyway?

Serious flooding leaks come out of the air vent hole marked in red. That’s also where it leaks when the bike tips over. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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This is the air vent. Simply put, it keeps the float chamber at atmospheric pressure so the gasoline supplied to the engine is easy to draw and flows smoothly from the fuel tank into the carb. <\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Overflow pattern where gas doesn’t reach the air vent.
It gradually enters through the slow jet and main jet holes <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Three spots in red circles.

Ultimately, they connect to the outside:
\u2022 Pilot air
\u2022 Main air
\u2022 Needle jet
* Air jet (some designs don’t have passages, so we’ll cover that later)
Gas gradually leaks from these and goes toward the cylinder head or into the air cleaner box. This might be more common. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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We install the carb and sync it, and we’re done.

Most of the bikes we work on here aren’t clogged carbs; they’re usually running normally.

If we think of a completely clogged, non-running state as zero, there’s huge room for improvement, and you really feel like something got fixed.
Every time I work, I wonder if it’s really getting better, and I keep doing these subtle things, hoping performance improves.

It’s honestly hard to get quick, easy, noticeable results. I think it’s about doing small things consistently.
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That’s the TPS adjustment explanation… hard to read diagram…
Use the bottom as reference and check the left and right on top. (Full throttle! It’s hard alone.) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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That’s it. Japanese explanations are so wordy and annoying.
There’s time spent thinking “huh?” I feel like a picture would be faster. Honestly, English would work too, so we could match the overseas version and that’d be great.

What people want from a manual is just numbers. Where is what and how much? That’s what I think.
Few people check the manual wondering where to install something.
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So the carb is done. Ah, it’s so clean. I’m hoping it’ll keep running strong for another 10+ years. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The ETC antenna looks ugly, so the customer wants it relocated.
What if we relocate it and it still looks ugly? I get that doubt every time.

Probably we’ll adjust the outer diameter from 52-20\u03c6 to 17.5\u03c6, work the inner diameter to 8\u03c6, and do a split design. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Another installment of our shortcut kingdom series. We spot-welded a low-profile bolt to a Norma hose clamp (the band has no groove holes\u2014nice).

We’ll clamp it and turn it on with this strategy. That’s Together <\/strong> (some Loctite product). <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Titanium (Grade 2) t=2 mm, finished via punching, shearing, corner radius, and deburring.
Straight lines are straight, curves are curves\u2014feels good, right?
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That’s how it turns out. The clever part is that it’s easy to remove too.
\u2022 Loosen the clamp and you can adjust front-back angle freely
\u2022 Loosen the nut and you can adjust left-right freely
\u2022 Can be used for different mounting setups

Making it quick and minimizing failure is the priority. It’s like a recipe site approach. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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That’s how it came out. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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We cleaned all three calipers and worked out the pistons. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Brake fluid is CCI Golden Cruiser DOT4 <\/a>
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We cleaned the chain and lubricated it <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The air filter was dirty, so we replaced it. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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When you remove the air cleaner, it’s nice to clean the inside too. We’re 95% done, so the rest will be Wednesday. (It’s a parts and materials thing.)
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