Motorcycle recommission project - Suzuki GS750

[sickpup]

Not been a breakers for a long time and moved out of Trafalgar Road to Peterboat Close.
Still owned by Russ, the tall one with the dark hair.

 

[bikeworkshop]

Some evidence the bike had some thought put in previously.

Head bearings are tapered rollers. I bought new ones to go in assuming they were plain ball bearings so will assess ( when I finally get this back on the road) if I refit these with fresh grease and carry on with them. No indication they are notchy and the races look good.
View attachment 937358

I was dreading taking the forks apart as I'd never done this previosuly - but it was in the end very easy. Just an impact gun and a 6mm allen bit to take the bottom bolt out and then its pump out the oil, slide the spring and damper rod out.
View attachment 937359
Nice shock no.2 - someone has fitted progressive fork springs instead over the OEM two piece springs these come with. The travel area of the fork is blemish free but the tops are pitted so these are going off for rechroming. Its good this web page isn't coded in HTMSmell as the black treacle that emerged from the fork tube has a truly disugusting ming to it. All of the fork parts hum quite badly!

Looks like these forks, rather than having replaceable bushes, depend on an accurate fit between the lower legs and stanchions
Making the fork a disposable part!

How tf do you measure accurately down inside the lower leg where the wear will be worst?
I imagine you fit the stanchion super dry and clean, slide it down and see how much waggle there is.
But then how do you determine how much waggle is ok?
Hopefully I'm wrong.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Telescoping gauges with a long handle. Then measure with a micrometer. Or as you suggested Tom. Ideally stanchion clamped in vee blocks on a surface plate with the clock on a mag base, you can clock the deflection of the outer. Either way a faff.
Edit if you can find gauges with a long enough handle to get down the bore of the stanchion.

 

[bikeworkshop]

Telescoping gauges with a long handle. Then measure with a micrometer. Or as you suggested Tom. Ideally stanchion clamped in vee blocks on a surface plate with the clock on a mag base, you can clock the deflection of the outer. Either way a faff.
Edit if you can find gauges with a long enough handle to get down the bore of the stanchion.

You could compare side to side waggle with fore-aft waggle to judge wear...

But once you've got the data, where do you check what the numbers mean?

Original workshop manual available online i would assume, owners forum? i mean the were thousands of those bikes out there once.

Presumably the chromed sliders are a lot harder than the aluminium lower legs, so I suspect the factory option would be that you fit new lowers if there's any wear at all.

... and the riders option:
you rebuild it all new parts where possible and see if it works ok and has little enough play to pass an mot?

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

You could compare side to side waggle with fore-aft waggle to judge wear...

But once you've got the data, where do you check what the numbers mean?

Original workshop manual available online i would assume, owners forum? i mean the were thousands of those bikes out there once.

Presumably the chromed sliders are a lot harder than the aluminium lower legs, so I suspect the factory option would be that you fit new lowers if there's any wear at all.

... and the riders option:
you rebuild it all new parts where possible and see if it works ok and has little enough play to pass an mot?

Probably the riders option ^ or new legs. You could probably feel if the wear was going to make a clunky fork or not. There has to be some running clearance. But if you're shaking hands with it....

 

[novocaine]

Telescoping gauges with a long handle. Then measure with a micrometer. Or as you suggested Tom. Ideally stanchion clamped in vee blocks on a surface plate with the clock on a mag base, you can clock the deflection of the outer. Either way a faff.
Edit if you can find gauges with a long enough handle to get down the bore of the stanchion.

who would have such a daft tool.....

bore gages and calipers by David Rees, on Flickr

internal mic by David Rees, on Flickr



granted neither of these would be use to you here, but the tools are out there (I have a long handle telescopic somewhere, it doesn't fit in the big box of measurement's though so it's hidden in a draw somewhere)

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

who would have such a daft tool.....

bore gages and calipers by David Rees, on Flickr

internal mic by David Rees, on Flickr



granted neither of these would be use to you here, but the tools are out there (I have a long handle telescopic somewhere, it doesn't fit in the big box of measurement's though so it's hidden in a draw somewhere)

Me.

 

[novocaine]

Me.

me too. but I'm a loser.

just checked, a set of long reach tele's can be had from Cronos for 35 quid. wow they are cheap these days, I think I paid more than that for 1 of mine.

 

[bikeworkshop]

me too. but I'm a loser.

just checked, a set of long reach tele's can be had from Cronos for 35 quid. wow they are cheap these days, I think I paid more than that for 1 of mine.

But you still need the technical data to make use of the figures!
Here's everybody waving their tools about
()
but where are the numbers?
It's what you can do with it that counts

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

But you still need the technical data to make use of the figures!
Here's everybody waving their tools about
()
but where are the numbers?
It's what you can do with it that counts

Suzuki will have wear limits in the proper workshop manual. It will give an indication of just how worn. When new there is going to be just enough clearance to slide.