Month: August 2019

  • Master Cylinder Disassembly

    This is my full-proof, gentle and non-destructive way to disassemble a master cylinder (in this case a GPz900R MC). Over time they become seized due to water absorption and oxidation issues. For a project bike I needed a Clutch and Front Brake master cylinder, I have collected a few over the years and they always come in handy. This one …

  • Replacing Wheel Bearings

    Introduction Bearings are subject to wear like any other part of a Motorcycle, however they are under considerably more strain and therefore should be replaced at least every 10 years from my experience. Before you can begin to remove your old worn out wheel bearings and replace them with new ones you need a few basic tools, somewhere clean to …

  • GPz900R – Wheel and Swingarm Bearings

    The GPz900R is a bearing suppliers dream! With Wheel and Swingarm bearings requiring replacement at least once in each bikes lifetime. On a GPz900R you have standard wheel bearings that Kawasaki and most bike manufacturers use and hence they are carried by virtually all quality bearing suppliers. Where the GPz90Rr differs from a lot of early bikes is the shear …

  • GPz900R No Valve Clearance left?

    When I first opened up the cylinder head cover of a GPz900R many years ago I was surprised to see something I first saw in the late 70’s on a Honda CB750… “Rocker Arms” sitting over the camshafts, but with two valve adjustments on them due the the 16 valve head. Having screw adjuster rather than shims makes valve clearance …

  • The z650B1 Charging System Explained

    Motorcycle electrical system are generally considered a black art by most riders. Although fairly robust, when they do fail the charging and ignition systems present the most headache and generally rate at the top of most forum questions (next to “what oil should I use?”). Types of Charging systems Although I will focus on the z650B1 model in this article, …