Tune up and...

[garrick]

okay I purchased a 91 katana last year, it's been sitting all winter and i don't think it's ever had a tune up. I was just wondering what all should be done for a a good tune up? a list would be nice. and reccomendations...

Also last year 2nd gear kind of went out on me and every time i put it in second it would jump into neutral. A friend told me this could be because of the oil level?? could this be the culprit? if not what should i do about it? every other gear is fine.

[GytRDunKat]

Sorry bud, there is no easy way to put this. 2nd gear means new motor/trans. Unless you know how to split cases.

[garrick]

k, that probably means skipping 2nd gear for quite a while...

[Wild-Bill]

As for the 2nd gear thing, it probably means a bent shift fork. Try changing the oil and making sure you fill it up properly but it's probably bad news. How mechanical are you? If you can do the work yourself then get to it but if you'd have to pay a shop to do it for you then you may be better off selling this bike to someone who'll fix it themselves and putting that money towards another bike.

For the rest:
1. Make sure you want to spend the time/money on this bike before you tear into it anyway to fix 2nd gear. If you're going to do that soon then you may as well wait on everything else until after the tranny is right.
2. Change oil and filter
3. Set valves
4. Clean and inspect carbs - you know how the bike ran last fall but if nothing's been done to the bike for a long time you're probably looking at replacing all the o-rings, the fuel lines and the vacuum line to the petcock as a minimum. If there were major things like the bike not wanting to rev or pulling really weakly then you're looking at some major stuff. The o-rings, etc aren't too expensive so I'd suggest having them on hand before you start but for the rest I'd just have some money set aside in case and replace them as needed.
5. Lube, inspect and adjust the throttle, clutch and choke cables - CyberPoet can hook you up with new ones if needed.
6. Sync the carbs and set the idle
7. Inspect and replace (if needed) all brake pads and lines - Talk to Tmod if you need new lines. See this: http://katriders.com/vb/showthread.php?t=92494
8. Flush and bleed brake lines with new fluid
9. Check fork seals. If they're leaking and you've got to tear into them anyway, think about progressive springs.
10. Check tires for anything you didn't notice last fall or that cropped up over the winter - tread, sidewall cracks, nail stuck in-between the tread, etc. Good tires are your friend!
11. While I've got stuff apart and I'm sticking my hands everywhere anyway I try to clean everything I can get at. Makes it much easier to spot leaks and dropped fasteners as well as much nicer to work on.

[garrick]

awesome, but buying a new bike isn't an option, lol, to say the least i'm broke. I only paid 1000 for the bike so i'm thinking just fluids and filters and inspecting the brakes. I have a friend down in fl that is going to school to be a bike mechanic, maybe i'll pay him a visit this summer... lol he would probably help me with the second gear thing.

If it was a bent fork wouldn't all the gears slip?

also it seemed that when i put it in 2nd, and then i put my foot under the shifter and held up on it, it would stay in second as long as i took it easy.

[arsenic]

no, not every gear. 2nd gear failure happens all the time. It's a bent shift fork indeed.

[garrick]

easy to fix? what parts needed? any write ups on how to do it? opinions...

[arsenic]

hell no it's not easy to fix You need to split the crank cases to fix it. Dealers charge 25 hours at $75 an hour + parts to fix that. It's FAR easier and cheaper to find a good used engine.

[Wild-Bill]

25 hours?! It shouldn't take that long to rebuild the engine for goodness sake! I haven't had to work on a Suzuki to that level yet and I'm not at home where I can get to my manual but it just seems excessive.

[arsenic]

that basically IS rebuilding an engine. You've gotta split the whole bottom end. Are you honestly telling me that's not right?

[GregS]

He did say "Dealers charge" that many hours Wild Bill.
In any event you'd pay more than the bike is worth to have a dealer "fix" it. So used motor replacement is probably the most cost effective if you can't do the work yourself.

[Wild-Bill]

OK Arsenic, educate me. The last time I had to go after a shift fork was on an 84 Interceptor and we were able to get at it with the engine in the frame. (Can't remember too many details since that was in 1993.) I do remember that we had it done in a weekend and there was plenty of time for beer so it couldn't have taken too long.

Is there no way to get at the Kat's tranny without splitting the case?

And yes, Greg, I did notice that Arsenic said that's what dealers charge and I'm well aware of the difference between book rate and actual hours needed. I'd in no way suggest that anybody other than a dedicated and experienced gearhead start digging in the engine internals. That's best left to someone with at least some general education and experience. (Or nothing to lose by ruining an engine.) On the other hand, someone who's capable of rebuilding an engine should be able to save quite a bit of money by changing a shift fork themselves. As far as I can tell, Arsenic knows the ins and outs of the Kat about as well as anyone on this forum so I'd think he'd be able to give pretty good advice as to any work-arounds that'd do well even though that's not what the factory service manual says is the proper way.

[arsenic]

I've HEARD of someone swapping a shift fork from the oil pan, but as far as I'm concerned, and trust me, I've done this a few times. You CAN NOT get to the trans without splitting the cases.

[suzukiray]

WildBill, it takes a LOT longer to get the motor out of the bike than it does for me to split the cases & put them back together. If you brought me the motor, I would have the cases apart, parts replaced, & cases back together in 4 hours or less. I do it all the time & it is NOT rocket science. PM me or email me at [email protected] & I will help you out. Ray.

[HexKrak]

The 2nd gear problem is a common one, and unfortunately these guys do know what they're talking about.
People who have the skill will tackle the problem themselves, if they don't they sell the kat for what it's worth or live with the issue.