[AllRevedUp (ARU)]

Hello and happy new year to everyone.
I’m going to start the new year with a project this willbemy first one.
I’m buying a 1997 GSXR600 SRAD so I’ll be hoping for help and advice with this once I start.
it runs but sold as seen these are the known issues.

THE FRONT TYRE NEEDS CHANGING, THE REAR IS OK
THE REAR BREAK IS OK, THE FRONT IS STICKY,
THE PANEL WORK HAS BEEN PREPPED FOR PAINTING
ALL SEEMS TO BE THERE,
BEEN OFF THE ROAD FOR A WHILE
WILL NEED A FUEL FLUSH ETC,
LEFT HAND FORK SEAL IS LEAKING,
THE HUGGER IS HELD ON CABLE TIES
NOSE CONE FAIRING PANEL HAS SNAPPED BUT ALL THERE

Thanks for looking and any advice is welcome.

 

[rv6john]

Welcome to the forum, nice project.

 

[Gearbox Paul]

That sounds similar to my bike. I have a 96 GSXR 750 SRAD that I bought last summer. The bike had been sitting (with old fuel) for 9 years. Known issues for me were: fuel flush and carb clean, one of the forks seals was leaking, rear brake sticking, several stripped nutserts and missing fasteners, battery replacement. Of course, I found other issues once I got into the bike: starter needed to be replaced, muffler was badly scuffed and needed to be cleaned up (end up replacing the can), missing decals, valve clearance adjustment, windshield replacement, wiring was a mess, chain slack badly out. All small stuff, slowing fixing it all up.

Have fun, all worth it.

 

[AllRevedUp (ARU)]

Thanks for the welcome jv6john., and hello gearbox Paul.
Luckily the bike is a runner., I just needed an excuse for some shed time after Christmas madness. I’ll service it first then go from there as I’m sure there will be other things to sort out.

 

[FredWard]

Welcome!
I’m in the middle of rebuilding a 97 600 track bike that I bought in November and I’ve learned a lot. It wouldn’t run without choke, brakes were seized and all various other bits.
It has been a doddle to work on. You can download the workshop manual as a pdf if you have a quick google.

Buy some proper JIS screwdrivers before you start.
Laser also do a set of screwdriver bits with three JIS bits and a JIS t-wrench with two each of #1, #2 and #3 JIS. It’s about £9 so well worth it.

Carbs aren’t as difficult as people think, I did all mine following the manual and the pilot jets were blocked, the wrong spec main jets were fitted and all sorts. Buy a carb balancer though and follow what it says in the workshop manual. Again, it was loads easier than I thought and made a massive difference to how it runs.

Brake calipers are pretty simple to strip and reseal etc.
I got all my brake and for rebuild kits from hunters motorcycles on eBay. the brand was All Balls racing.

Check all your wheel bearings. I’ve not needed to change mine, but they look pretty easy.

Shims are pretty easy to change if your tapper clearances are out, but you do need to take the camshafts off. It’s easy enough if you follow the book but:
Main tip is when you’ve put it all back together, don’t get all excited and turn it over before you refit the cam chain tensioner! It’s a pain in the arse to have to take the camshaft off again to retime the bastard when it skips a tooth! Ask me how I found this out.

There are some areas where it’s hard to get access with a torque wrench and socket for putting back together so I’d recommend a universal torque adapter from MD racing. saves buying a load of separate ones and will also do the 6mm hex you need for the valve cover.

Parts have been easy to get for me (the UK) with the exception of radiators! you can’t get a pattern one and all the used ones I’ve found are worse than mine.

Suzuki aren’t very helpful when it comes to fork oil (”#10” is all it says), but it appears to be equivalent to a Showa SS08 so Motul 10W medium and Silkolene RSF 7.5 have the same viscosit. There are tables on Google that can help you find what you need. Fork oils are not all the same even if labelled as 10w 7.5w etc..

enjoy the project and have fun!

send pics as you go!

 

[FredWard]

Ps.. I really like your frame in black. I’ll do that when I repaint mine next year.

 

[AllRevedUp (ARU)]

Hello Fred..
thanks for all that advice it’s a big help.. this is my first project I know my way around an engine but there more to it than that.

 

[Newyork]

Welcome to the fold sir. Gotta love picking up a new project. Best of luck with your rebuild brother.

 

[AllRevedUp (ARU)]

Thanks NewYork,
I’ve done a few final checks just on the major parts like suspension and start up all seam good so once it’s delivered I’ll be straight in the shed quality alone time… (CTM) chuckle To Myself.

 

[Tinsnips]

Welcome, great project! How many miles on it? As above, JIS screwdrivers when you do the carbs is a good tip. Checking valve clearances and cam chain tensioner would also be on my personal list. If you don't have a manual you may find one at carlsalter.com.

 

[FredWard]

The top tip I figured out when rebuilding the forks on Saturday is to watch out for the way they word 6-18 and 6-19 for reassembling the fork cap/spring adjuster onto the damper rod.
You need to be logical not literal!

It starts off saying to make sure the damper rod lock nut is all the way on.
Then install the fork cap/spring adjuster, onto the damper rod.
Then tighten the lock nut to the specified torque.

So I read this as “since the locknut is all the way onto the damper rod, tighten it (continue screwing clockwise) to the damper rod.“. Of course this isn’t actually possible as the damper rod spins, which unscrews the fork cap/spring adjuster from the damper rod.

What it actually means is “screw the lock nut all the way on so there is room to install the fork cap/spring adjuster. Then tighten the lock nut back against the fork cap to the specified torque. Which means unscrewing the lock nut from the damper rod a couple of turns anti-clockwise.

All dead easy and makes perfectly logical sense. Once you’ve spent an hour taking the damn fork apart for the second time.

Bearing in mind this was the first time I’d been anywhere near a fork, the first one took most of the morning. Including learning the above lesson the hard way. The second fork took about an hour!

Hopefully others starting a first project can benefit from my daftness…

 

[AllRevedUp (ARU)]

Welcome, great project! How many miles on it? As above, JIS screwdrivers when you do the carbs is a good tip. Checking valve clearances and cam chain tensioner would also be on my personal list. If you don't have a manual you may find one at carlsalter.com.

Thanks for the tips.

 

[MadisonMotorsportUK]

Hello and happy new year to everyone.
I’m going to start the new year with a project this willbemy first one.
I’m buying a 1997 GSXR600 SRAD so I’ll be hoping for help and advice with this once I start.
it runs but sold as seen these are the known issues.

THE FRONT TYRE NEEDS CHANGING, THE REAR IS OK
THE REAR BREAK IS OK, THE FRONT IS STICKY,
THE PANEL WORK HAS BEEN PREPPED FOR PAINTING
ALL SEEMS TO BE THERE,
BEEN OFF THE ROAD FOR A WHILE
WILL NEED A FUEL FLUSH ETC,
LEFT HAND FORK SEAL IS LEAKING,
THE HUGGER IS HELD ON CABLE TIES
NOSE CONE FAIRING PANEL HAS SNAPPED BUT ALL THERE View attachment 299909

Thanks for looking and any advice is welcome.

Trade Bikes Direct in Coventry? I looked at that bike myself not so long ago but, as I have three on-going works in progress, decided to buy something ready to go. If memory serves they were asking around the £600 mark? Not a bad price really considering that the majority of SRADs in the UK have probably been blown up by now

 

[ramonz34n]

I love it, starting the new-year with a nice srad. I started mine about 1 year ago and slowly getting it to where I can start to worry about the paint job. Last things I did where get new throttle cables in and change the gallery hose that was leaking.