Looking for front caliper o-rings for my 1990. They come as 4 separate parts for my year bike from OEM, total about $20.
Is there a source to buy them all together as a kit, or are these OEM-only parts? No K&L kit (I can find) for this year caliper.
Quote from: noiseguy on February 17, 2011, 08:13:36 AM
Looking for front caliper o-rings for my 1990. They come as 4 separate parts for my year bike from OEM, total about $20.
Is there a source to buy them all together as a kit, or are these OEM-only parts? No K&L kit (I can find) for this year caliper.
Suzuki offers a rebuild kit that includes the complete set of o-rings and pistons for about that much. It's what I use when I rebuild, and ensures that I don't end up with scratched pistons from the cleaning process.
Ah, I see it now. Piston kit, with 4 seals and 2 pistons, ~$25. Mine is a 1990, so a GS500EL.
You might also take this opportunity to throw on a SV650 calliper. Cheap on ebay, easier to find pads for, and seems a bit stiffer and more reliable than stock. I installed one after the stock calliper started dragging very badly. The right side SV calliper bolts right on to the GS. I recommend a calliper from an 04+ SV, since that's the most recent variant.
Good idea; plenty of them for ~$30 shipped on the Bay and looks like it will be an improvement over the '90 GS model. Getting one shipped now. At least if it needs rebuilt, I'll be starting from a better point.
Quote from: burning1 on February 17, 2011, 02:15:42 PM
You might also take this opportunity to throw on a SV650 calliper. Cheap on ebay, easier to find pads for, and seems a bit stiffer and more reliable than stock. I installed one after the stock calliper started dragging very badly. The right side SV calliper bolts right on to the GS. I recommend a calliper from an 04+ SV, since that's the most recent variant.
"Seems a bit siffer" Does mean the brake lever is even harder to pull? Pulling the brake on my '04 is very hard/firm compared to my friend's EX500 which is very easy to pull. Its much easier to stop his bike than it is mine. So would an SV caliper just make my problem worse?
I've been wondering if there is an easy mod I can do to make my GS500's brakes more like those on the Ninja 500.
Whoops double post.
If by GS -> EX you mean "brakes that stop the bike better" then yes, that's what I'm trying to do too. Since they're both single-sided fronts, should be possible... :icon_mrgreen:
My brakes are "spongy" now, the opposite of "stiff," which is more what I want. Right now, my front brakes and front end are both spongy. So, when I hit the brakes, the front end dives down and twists slightly while the caliper tries it's best to slow down the bike. In addition to being spongy, the braking isn't modulating well; it's getting stiffer in "clicks." I've been relying more on the rear brake to get stopped more than on past bikes.
So, I'm stiffening up the front springs and adding a fork brace. This may fix the twist issue and definately the dive issue.
I'm adding SS lines and rebuilding the master cylinder, to fix the modulation issue. I'm replacing the caliper with an SV model on recommendation that my model (pre-'96) has a crummier design.
If the above don't fix it, I'll live with the results as long as it's not a degradation.
"Hard to stop" can be gummy pistons that need a rebuild...
A stiffer caliper means that your strength is going towards pushing the pads into the disk rather than bending the calliper.
I've done a number of modifications on my GS that have improved braking:
1. Fork oil, springs, emulators up front. Helps keep the front tire planted to the ground.
2. Sticky tires.
3. Fresh pistons, seals on the calliper (makes sure the pistons don't stick)
4. SV650 calliper (stiffer than stock calliper, easier to find pads for)
5. Stainless Steel brake line (better feel, less spongy lever.)
6. Fresh, high temperature brake-fluid (Amsoil dot 4. No fluid fade, even at temperatures that cook the pads. I recommend something that boils > 500 degrees.)
7. Fresh rotors whenever the old one shows signs of wear or warping.
8. Fresh pads whenever the old pads start to glaze*
* I run EBC Extreme Pro pads. Very progressive feel, no fade, but expensive. See my review in the Racer's Corner.
The biggest issue I've found with the GS brake system is heat. The single rotor is capable of delivering impressive stopping power (I lift the rear end fairly regularly at the track,) but the single caliper system tends to reach much higher temperatures than a dual caliper system on a bigger bike. Building a system that handles higher temps goes a long way towards keeping the system working well. Fresh, high temp fluid is one of the cheapest and best upgrades for your GS.