It's Bucking Fuckled!

Wheel Balancing on the Cheap!

With new tyres fitted, I'm left somewhat skeptical as to whether the bike shop actually balanced them! I purposely removed the old weights and cleaned the rims before taking the bike down there because they often balance them with the old weights still attached. But now I have a bike with no weights on either wheel. Sometimes you can be lucky enough to get a wheel balance perfectly without weights, but two on the same bike? Hmm.

Enough is enough, it was time to make a static wheel balancer out of the scrap steel and wood hanging around the garage. The only cost to me was the bearings (608Z) which were $9.00 delivered for ten of them! Sorted. 

Now I'll be able to fit my own tyres and balance them for a lot less cost.

Make your own wheel balancer.

NOS - New Old Stock (Not Nitrous)

Trawling eBay for "NOS"
Don't you just love it, mooching through the pages of NOS stuff on eBay and you find the exact part number you need?

Thirty years on and someone had old 61211-31310 sat amongst their old spares. Unused and on the other side of the world just waiting for the GSX to be brought back into contention.

So, bought and sent from the UK, I now have something to hold the swing arm in the bike. Job jobbed.

And on another note...
Managed to find a company in the UK selling aftermarket brake caliper slide pin rubbers for the GSX. Mine had expanded far beyond useful and I needed new ones to keep the grease in, and the crap out.

Motorcycle Products Ltd. have a massive selection of bike parts and I got 5 rubber boots for fifteen quid. Not bad, it was nearly ten bucks per boot from Suzuki and, as I only needed four, was left with a spare just in case.

So the front calipers are now finished. Another tick in another box. Slide pins move nicely, new pistons, seals and brake pads. Check out these before and after pics.

Bleeding Brakes! And worse...

You've replaced everything, but still no brakes!
Don't worry, it's probably an easy fix. Whenever you mess with the hydraulic side of the braking or clutch system, you risk letting in air. What happens? Lots of lever travel, but no braking effort.

So why does it occur, and how do I solve it?

Suzuki GSX750 ESD - Front Brake Caliper Rebuild.

Brake Servicing
Before you consider the need to upgrade your existing braking system, is it actually working as the manufacturer intended?

Calipers are often overlooked if they're not leaking, but dirt build-up and corrosion will stop the piston sliding freely. When the piston can't move back and forth easily, not only is it harder to apply braking force, but it will also prevent the brakes from releasing too. They'll run hotter which could mean warped discs and/or brake fluid boiling. 

If the caliper looks dirty, corroded or the pistons are hard to push back, it's time for a clean up and maybe new seals. The calipers on the GSX are way past a simple clean. It's time for major surgery so, once painted, it's time for the new seals and piston...

Caliper Pistons and Seals

If There's Any Doubt, There Is No Doubt. "Ronin"

Great film, and that line makes perfect sense.

It's a restoration. The idea is to use as many of the original parts as possible. You clean, repair and do what you need to make them good again. That's what it's all about.

But this is Brakes!

If you're at all worried about the condition of your brake lines, fit new. Don't hope for the best. I'm going to clean the GSX hoses up and see how they look. They're old and, once fitted to the bike, will be checked under pressure. Any bulges or leaks and they're heading for the bin, but for now we work with what we've got.

GSX750 ES Rear Caliper and Master Cylinder Rebuild.

New Parts Have Arrived!

The caliper is still waiting patiently for its new rubbers and pistons. It's ages since I painted it so even I'd forgotten how well they'd come up.

Suzuki GSX Rear Caliper Rebuild Kit.

First step was to make sure there was nothing stuck in any of the holes - slight discolouration of the drillings isn't the end of the world, and with a quick wipe it was time to fit the seals. Always check that the seals you fit don't have a taper - sometimes they need to be fitted a certain way.

Wemoto.com - Just Brilliant!

Less than a week of ordering
And I have a well-wrapped parcel of '83 GSX750 bits. A week might not be quick to someone living in the UK or US, but living out here in Oz that's pretty damn good. And they're based in Britain!

World's End Motorcycles supply parts for all bikes including the ones fast turning into "classics". Holding the hard to get stuff that keeps you mobile, such as brake caliper and master cylinder repair kits, fork stanchions through to gasket sets, camchains, sprockets and... it goes on. Their easy to use website lets you choose between pattern and genuine parts too.

So when your local bike shop isn't interested in something over ten years old, and you need parts quickly, but you don't want to pay the earth for them, try www.wemoto.com  

(Quick post, but needed mentioning.)