Jeff updates us on the progress of his 2015 GSX-S1000 Staff Bike... On the Spanners: Jeff Ware, Tim Holland
After attending the world launch of the GSX-S1000 in Spain and following that up with the Aussie launch I decided I would like to live with a GSX-S1000 long term and become an owner.
I had a GSX-R1000 K5 project bike in 2005 and 10-years later I’m 40-years-old and enjoy nakedbikes. To have one with the mighty K5 engine is just perfect!
The bike has been a dream. It has clocked up just under 5000km and that included a trip to Phillip Island for the the MotoGP back in October in the hands of Nigel and Chappy, who swapped bikes all the way down and back. It was a 3000km trip and the boys got caught in road works and foul weather so a service and detail was on the cards. While at it I also fitted a set of Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa II tyres and a RadGuard.
Next up is some general weekend use over the Xmas break followed by an aftermarket shock and slip-on. There is also a bunch of bling on the way from Suzuki Australia, who provided the bike. Meanwhile, here is what we did step-by-step. Note: I’m a fully licensed motorcycle mechanic by trade so this was legal and didn’t void warranty etc. Normally a home service would not be recommended for your new bike unless you are fully qualified to do so.
Next week we show you how to fit a Rad Guard!
First job was to secure the bike on my K&L Hoist using Anderson stands and then stock the fridge with cold beer!
Next the engine was warmed up and Tim drained the oil.
The oil was 5000km old but seriously dirty. I was surprised how black it was. We checked it with a magnet to make sure there were no metal shavings in it. The filter was also then changed.
While the oil was draining the bodywork was removed so we could check the airfilter and clean under it all due to the roadwork dirt encountered on the MotoGP trip.
The oil was replaced with fresh Silkolene Pro 4 Plus from Warrian Enterprises. To set the level perfectly we even used a small spirit level to get the bike flat on the jack stands!
There is a trick to accessing the airfilter, with a sneaky bolt under the ECU.
Once the ECU is off remove the rubber bung.
You can see the hidden airbox lid bolt here.
The airfilter was tapped face down on the floor, which dislodged a hell of a lot of dirt and sand and small rocks. Then it was fully blown out with compressed air. Next service we will fit a new reusable performance filter.
We checked the water hose and fuel hose clamps and cleaned the engine with WD40 while we have the tank off also.
Coolant was then topped up using Liquid Performance Streetbike Coolant.
The chain was bone dry and filthy so we cleaned it with WD40 then lubed it using Silkolene Pro Chain before adjusting it.
All cables and pivot points were lubed and checked.
I don’t like the stock ‘bar position as it angles my wrists up, so we rolled the ‘bars back three marks and they feel much better.
Next we spent an hour or so completely wiping the entire bike over with WD40 to get it back to new and protect it.
The forks on the GSX-S1000F offer more front support and better handling than the Naked version so I set the air gap to my forks to match the F version by adding 90ml of Silkolene fork oil. This was an easy job, we jacked the front up, undid the caps then lowered the jack enough to allow space to fit the tube for adding oil.
The Dunlop D214 OEM tyres were worn out after 5000km of road riding so it was time to replace them. I decided to go with Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa II, as I want a sportier handling tyre and more front feel. The Dunlops were fantastic but for a faster pace don’t offer the feel on the edge of the tyre that the Pirelli’s do and don’t quite have the same level of grip when pushing harder, particularly on the very edge of the tyre. There will be a full test on the D214s published soon. Thanks to Central Coast Performance Cycle Center for changing the tyres (02) 43227887.
The bike came up mint again, ready for a nice few trips over the Xmas break.
THE VERDICT | Staff Bike: Jeff’s Suzuki GSX-S1000 Minor Service
Loveable
With almost 5000km on the clock it was time for the GSX-S1000 to get a service and tune
The Author
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December 20, 2015
Awesome review of the pampering given to your GSX-S1000. Looking forward to following future upgrades.
October 29, 2016
Just bought a 2016 GSX-S1000
Love the bike but the throttle after 200ks is getting very frustrating
Is there a mapping update from suzuki to solve this problem?
April 19, 2017
Nothing really from Suzuki. It does seem to smooth out a little on it’s own though. But make sure your throttle cable is tight and your chain is adjusted properly.
March 16, 2019
Hi i have a question please , do you know if its possible to adjust the stock handlebars position to make it a little more aggressive (lean forward) ?
March 17, 2019
There’s the stock adjustability in those bars at the mounting point, however you’re going to end up lifting the ‘bars which may not be what you’re after. We dropped them a little bit in contrast which worked quite well.