• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

1994 GSXR1100W rear shock rebuild in USA

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
Thor's rebuild has worked out nice. Rides like a new bike again. No signs of any leaks.

As a side note, the glass inside of one of the mirrors had broke loose and I had filled it with expanding foam to stabilize it. Over the years the foam attacked the chrome plating and it was in pretty poor condition. Rather than hunt down a good used mirror, I bought a set of these replicas and was surprised how well they copied the original design. I could have left the one good mirror on the bike and it would not seem out of place other than one being clean. Quality seem decent.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/174143940126
 
Rob S. said:
How about a picture of the bike?
Click to expand...

Sure, shown with dirt and all. It's just a stock bike. I bought it brand new and it's my daily driver. After almost 30 years of owning it, there are a few things to note. The bike always started hard and would not run at cold temps. 40F was about it. A while back it started having an intermittent miss. I thought ignition but everything checked out. Then I thought fuel but couldn't find anything wrong. The problem got worse where cylinders would drop out and it eventually hard failed. I then found a coil had failed. I hunted down a couple of used coils and ran them on the bench before installing. Once I replaced it, the bike seemed to run better than it ever had. Anymore the bike will run in temps well below 40F and the rider is the limiting factor. Also, this bike ate plugs. I would almost bet on a new set once a season. They would always foul. After changing the the coil, it's never had a plug foul. I think that one coil was defective from the factory.

The water pump started to leak around 15,000 miles or so. Installed new parts and it's been fine. Recently I had to rebuild the starter motor ( brushed, springs, cleaning and lube) but no other electrical problems. Well, I did have a spider build a nest inside the starter switch that I needed to clean out....

Biggest problem early on was tire selection. Original tires would only last a couple thousand miles. After several sets, I went up on the hardness. Tires lasted much longer and I was never a good enough rider to need that softer compound. After we started using Shinko tires, I wondered how their street products worked. These are on the bike shown and are about due. They stick better than I can ride. I ordered a set of stock tires (harder) again because I could not get the Shinko's with COVID and supply chain issue.

I replaced the original chain and sprockets. I put stock sprockets on but switched to an EK X chain. I have used EK for several years and wanted to try one of their street products. It has 10,000 or so miles on it now and is holding up fine.

Also shown, Thor's rebuild and one of the new clone mirrors.

****
Sorry, site only allows 1 photo.
94_GSXR1100W_0.jpg
 
Thanks.

I had posted how I had taken about 5 hours to replace the glass on the headlight of this bike after a car had kicked up a rock that shattered it. Lots of work with a propane torch to reheat the glue but it is certainly possible. The lower fairing has been replaced a few time and then repainted. This is why the 1100 decals are missing. I've gone sliding with is a few times over the years. The black exposed plastic near the headlamp is a direct result of when I start thinking I am a better rider than I am! 94_GSXR1100W_3.jpg
 
I lusted after it when it first came out (1988?). Cycle World said they had to lower the front suspension just to get a 1/4 mile time on it. There was no way they could keep the front wheel on the ground otherwise. That was back before liquid cooling, something they called SACS (Suzuki Advanced Cooling System), oil and air cooled. I seem to recall the tach didn't even go below 3k.

I never did ride one, but I like to think I came close. A GSX-1100 (called GS-1100E in the U.S.) sits in my living room. And it doesn't have a centerstand, so I can fantasize. :pirate:
 
This bike was around 150HP new. At 560 wet, it's a heavy. I think my ESD was 108HP and around the same weight. I've never had the GSXR to the track to see how well it would perform with a fat rider like me on it. It has a hydraulic clutch which would be the first thing to go. Then it never ends... I haven't been to a track in many years and understand few, if any, are 1/4 due to insurance costs, down times....

Looks like this article claimed 111. I think the manual was 108 though.
https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/suzu/suzuki_gsx1100es 83.htm
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top