Topic: Don's 81 GS1100e happy Suzuki.

[Kelly E]

Replace the side plates and the swingarm pivot bolt with the correct ones that aren't butchered. A KZ bolt is shorter, no passenger foot peg plates. I can get you some measurements from the GS if you like.

[Don R]

 Of course, I meant I had a leftover gs1100e pivot bolt from a kz to gs swingarm swap. The kz retained it's original bolt and got a gs swingarm. I gave the buyer the gs bolt along with the KZ original swingarm. I could have easily kept it. 
 The aluminum plates are already ordered off of ebay, I'll get a proper bolt also and service the swingarm bearings. The bolt on ebay was discounted to $50 plus $10 shipping but it looks like crap.
 My tires should have been mounted today. 

[grcamna2]

Of course, I meant I had a leftover gs1100e pivot bolt from a kz to gs swingarm swap. The kz retained it's original bolt and got a gs swingarm. I gave the buyer the gs bolt along with the KZ original swingarm. I could have easily kept it. 
 The aluminum plates are already ordered off of ebay, I'll get a proper bolt also and service the swingarm bearings. The bolt on ebay was discounted to $50 plus $10 shipping but it looks like crap.
 My tires should have been mounted today.

I looked on Partzilla and both the bolt and aluminum plate are discontinued from new;used is the only way to go..
I noticed a couple aluminum brackets on Ebay and they were like $59

[Don R]

 There are other bolts the same diameter but nothing as long due to the aluminum plates. So far anyway. If there was a complete longer swingarm that bolted on I might be interested but nothing found so far.

[Don R]

 I was wondering why mine had a chrome steel caliper strut, today I realized it is offset to the outside for tire clearance. I wonder how big the tire was to need one of these?
 I'm seeing clues to previous modifications.

[Mark1976]

I was wondering why mine had a chrome steel caliper strut, today I realized it is offset to the outside for tire clearance. I wonder how big the tire was to need one of these?
 I'm seeing clues to previous modifications.

Oh the things previous owners do.....

[Don R]

 I was re-greasing the wheel bearings and the last one is gritty feeling, a dose of oil didn't help it so I ordered all new ones, just another thing that should be done anyway and the bike reminds you. Only one had a steel shield the rest had plastic that snapped open.

[grcamna2]

I was re-greasing the wheel bearings and the last one is gritty feeling, a dose of oil didn't help it so I ordered all new ones, just another thing that should be done anyway and the bike reminds you. Only one had a steel shield the rest had plastic that snapped open.

Good bearings are So important.

I bought some NOS NTN (Japan)rubber shielded bearings;they must have been from the 70's..
I always do my best to get OEM or at least Made in Japan products for my Honda.
I pulled the rubbers seals off and noticed the orig. lithium? type grease looked all dried out.
I soaked them in gasoline for 24hrs,then dried/blew them out and repacked them with good fresh Valvoline red chassis grease;what a difference in rolling resistance.

[Don R]

 I just paid nearly $80 for a dang swingarm bolt that looks like crud. The swingarm with bolt that I saw listed was up to $175 and that was a bid. 
 It reminds me what a deal I got on a gs1100e swingarm with bolts and axle for $85 a couple years ago.

[grcamna2]

I just paid nearly $80 for a dang swingarm bolt that looks like crud. The swingarm with bolt that I saw listed was up to $175 and that was a bid. 
 It reminds me what a deal I got on a gs1100e swingarm with bolts and axle for $85 a couple years ago.

Don,did you get a decent 'center spacer' #61282-49000 along with the pivot bolt? ;it's the outer hardened steel tube which the needle bearings ride on. That's NLA from Suzuki;I hope your original is still good.

[Don R]

 No, I only got the bolt. Mine is either incorrect or has been shortened due to damage. I'm having more seller's remorse for leaving the nice gs1100 swingarm on my KZ1000 when I sold it. This one feels tight, since it has been apart before (and put back together wrong) I'm hoping it was also serviced at that time.
 I fully expected to spend a grand getting this bike safe to ride and up to snuff, it's well on the way.
 Tires, tubes, battery, Evaporust, gaskets, spark plugs, fuel lines, petcock, peg mounts, helicoil kit, drain plug, JB weld, swingarm bolt, wheel bearings. I'm up around $900 and still ignoring the chain and sprockets.
 That reminded me I have some crusty 750 exhaust flanges soaking in Evaporust. I hope they haven't melted.
  New K&N pods ding ding ding! I hit the 1K mark.

[Kelly E]

Don't worry, the EvapoRust won't melt the exhaust flanges unless they were pure rust.

[Don R]

 I'm causing an early spring here, if the GS was ready to ride it would be below zero and snowing. It is 60*F right now, I'm getting the Rat Race out of winterization, the GL1000 has already been a daily rider this month.

[Don R]

I just paid nearly $80 for a dang swingarm bolt that looks like crud. The swingarm with bolt that I saw listed was up to $175 and that was a bid. 
 It reminds me what a deal I got on a gs1100e swingarm with bolts and axle for $85 a couple years ago.

Don,did you get a decent 'center spacer' #61282-49000 along with the pivot bolt? ;it's the outer hardened steel tube which the needle bearings ride on. That's NLA from Suzuki;I hope your original is still good.

The center spacer is just that, it's like the tube between the wheel bearings on a Honda, The two spacers that ride on the bearings and might wear are 61251-49000, I may still buy them and bearings just so I will have them after they go obsolete. The ones in it are really well lubed and snug. I'm going to clean and re-grease anyway. I'm surprised there isn't a way to grease them without taking them apart. 
  I cleaned the swingarm and the sprocket holder as well as the swingarm. I'm not going crazy on it until it's been a rider for a while and I get the miss/ exhaust pop fixed.

[grcamna2]

I just paid nearly $80 for a dang swingarm bolt that looks like crud. The swingarm with bolt that I saw listed was up to $175 and that was a bid. 
 It reminds me what a deal I got on a gs1100e swingarm with bolts and axle for $85 a couple years ago.

Don,did you get a decent 'center spacer' #61282-49000 along with the pivot bolt? ;it's the outer hardened steel tube which the needle bearings ride on. That's NLA from Suzuki;I hope your original is still good.

The center spacer is just that, it's like the tube between the wheel bearings on a Honda, The two spacers that ride on the bearings and might wear are 61251-49000, I may still buy them and bearings just so I will have them after they go obsolete. The ones in it are really well lubed and snug. I'm going to clean and re-grease anyway. I'm surprised there isn't a way to grease them without taking them apart. 
  I cleaned the swingarm and the sprocket holder as well as the swingarm. I'm not going crazy on it until it's been a rider for a while and I get the miss/ exhaust pop fixed.

Good that they're all snug;I did a GS450 back in 2019'(the one you saw pulling that trailer)and used some Sta-Lube brand blue trailer wheel bearing grease in the needle bearings;that grease will help stick to the bearings even if I had to ride through the rain.

I see that pair of #61251-49000 inner machined "spacers" and I agree.
I also think a pair of #61262-49201 outer "dust seals"  more of a 'grease cover seal',imo and good to have fresh ones so water,etc. won't migrate into the bearings.

[Don R]

 I didn't see any felts, I thought maybe I'd try a thin o ring under the cover washer. It did fit pretty snug, I might need to loosen engine bolts to get it back in. The pivot bolt doesn't appear to be shortened just incorrect. Maybe it had a longer swingarm once, who knows. A cb750F2 swingarm bolt is actually longer but is a mm smaller in diameter. It also goes through aluminum brackets.
 My replacement peg brackets got here so I sanded the corrosion and anodizing off of them and then ran over them with a scotchbrite/80 grit flapper wheel. Some new red scotchbrite might finish the job. I also considered painting the background area black.
 I sanded them with an Eastwood metal finishing drum sander, and a paint stripping drum, my goodness that thing is noisy, it sounds like it has dry gears inside of it.

[grcamna2]

I didn't see any felts, I thought maybe I'd try a thin o ring under the cover washer. It did fit pretty snug, I might need to loosen engine bolts to get it back in. The pivot bolt doesn't appear to be shortened just incorrect. Maybe it had a longer swingarm once, who knows. A cb750F2 swingarm bolt is actually longer but is a mm smaller in diameter. It also goes through aluminum brackets.
 My replacement peg brackets got here so I sanded the corrosion and anodizing off of them and then ran over them with a scotchbrite/80 grit flapper wheel. Some new red scotchbrite might finish the job. I also considered painting the background area black.
 I sanded them with an Eastwood metal finishing drum sander, and a paint stripping drum, my goodness that thing is noisy, it sounds like it has dry gears inside of it.

The GS Suzukis "dust seals" (#61262-49201)are actually a steel cup/cap with thick,ribbed rubber molded to the inside of them;they're strong and seal very well plus last quite a while if lubed.

[Don R]

 I see that now, thanks. I just got the swingarm back on with those and liberal amounts of grease. There was a thin machine washer in there also. I went back with the wrong pivot bolt for now, the seller just shipped the replacement bolt so I'll put this one in from the wrong side and push it out with the correct one later.
 The shocks have stacks of washers on the top mounts. I'm unsure what that's all about but have visions of it with struts and a wheelie bar at one point. L0L!

[grcamna2]

I see that now, thanks. I just got the swingarm back on with those and liberal amounts of grease. There was a thin machine washer in there also. I went back with the wrong pivot bolt for now, the seller just shipped the replacement bolt so I'll put this one in from the wrong side and push it out with the correct one later.
 The shocks have stacks of washers on the top mounts. I'm unsure what that's all about but have visions of it with struts and a wheelie bar at one point. L0L!

How are those seals/cups,still good to go?

I think that's standard for GS's to see lots of washers on the shocks top mounts;I think it's for alignment of the top w/ the bottom of the shocks. I have never checked the alignment of the rear shocks myself.. I should.

[Kelly E]

Both of our GS 1100E's have multiple washers on the top shock mounts with stock shocks.

[Don R]

 I looked at the parts fische and it even shows multiple washers. That seems to be a good thing, makes those washers possibly original and allows tuning of the shock alignment. Also, one less thing I want to put back to original.
 The 630 chain does have a tight spot as I thought. It's not a sprocket issue because it always happens at the same place on the chain when it gets to the drive sprocket and not dependent on either sprocket's location. I have a nice lightly used 630 hanging on the spare stuff rack but it's too short for a gs swingarm, that's how it got there in the first place.

 Edit, I bought a DID 630-150L professional O ring chain for around $50 shipped with my Summit Racing discount. (a few bucks) It's around $100 less than shorter lengths of the same product. No idea why except maybe they are sitting in stock for too long. The sprockets cleaned up and look pretty good so for the price and what I've spent recently on it I'll cheap out and run the 630 for a while.

[grcamna2]

I looked at the parts fische and it even shows multiple washers. That seems to be a good thing, makes those washers possibly original and allows tuning of the shock alignment. Also, one less thing I want to put back to original.
 The 630 chain does have a tight spot as I thought. It's not a sprocket issue because it always happens at the same place on the chain when it gets to the drive sprocket and not dependent on either sprocket's location. I have a nice lightly used 630 hanging on the spare stuff rack but it's too short for a gs swingarm, that's how it got there in the first place.

 Edit, I bought a DID 630-150L professional O ring chain for around $50 shipped with my Summit Racing discount. (a few bucks) It's around $100 less than shorter lengths of the same product. No idea why except maybe they are sitting in stock for too long. The sprockets cleaned up and look pretty good so for the price and what I've spent recently on it I'll cheap out and run the 630 for a while.

Don,that tight link might be because of a damaged/dried-out O-ring;that's the thing w/ O-ring chains,the O-rings need to be kept moist with a non-fling lube as that will keep them pliable and able to keep the factory grease sealed into those sealed links.

[Don R]

 Probably right, the chain gets tight when the same spot on the chain gets to the front sprocket. Not as much when it gets to the rear one.

[Don R]

 I put about 30 miles on it today. It runs good, still has the little miss. I didn't manage to rub the nubs off of the tires in spite of a mile on gravel. The fuel gauge kept going lower and lower, I thought it had a leak or was ingesting a lot of gas, but when I got off the highway it went back up.
  The trip set odometer finally re-set but didn't add miles while riding, then I pushed it again and it began working.
  All in all, I think it's a happy bike. The PO got a good ride report, if he lived closer, I think we would be good friends. His dragster is for sale for sure.

[Don R]

Replace the side plates and the swingarm pivot bolt with the correct ones that aren't butchered. A KZ bolt is shorter, no passenger foot peg plates. I can get you some measurements from the GS if you like.

 The plates are here and buffed up a little, the bolt came, and I went ahead with the 630 chain. I left it long at 98 links. I never did an o ring chain before, it was a treat getting the master link compressed and the clip on. I'll safety wire the clip.
 The 8 year old battery appeared to be weak last night, no start until I put it on a charger which tells me low voltage. I'll swap to one of the new ones and check charging volts.