Hello from Minnesota!

JustWarminUp

Registered
Hey all!
New member here from Minnesota, recently got handed down a GSX-1300R-K8 from a very avid bike owner.

I Usually work with 4 wheels but I have had a few 2 wheelers, but this is one project I dont want to mess up.

It has been stored for 10 years, ridden maybe a handful of times in the first 2 years.
Looks beautiful, looks untouched, rolls forward backward, breaks hold and release, upon opening the gas tank I have found some rust in the tank so we do not know how she runs as I wont even try to turn it over. Never been so happy to run across a dead battery.

So as I take over this project I figured I would invest my time into the site and hopefully there is some great insight to be had, the bike will be in my garage this weekend and I am STOKED!

IMG_9520.jpg
 
Welcome along . . . . hmmmm, rust in the tank huh?
That means the fuel system needs to fully overhauled for starters.
Get yourself a free Suzuki OEM factory Gen 1 workshop manual , plenty of peeps here
(@Berlin Germany for one) have them online, ask for a link, we are happy to help.
Change the oil and filter, NEW battery, new tyres, fuel system sorted and you have a great machine!
How many miles on the clock?
It's not a K8, the K8 is a Gen 2, your bike is definitely a Gen 1 (99-2007).
Keep posting, and more pics too!
 
@JustWarminUp welcome to the forum. Good luck with the tank most of all!

Using the K designation in numbers, a K8 would be an 06 wouldn’t it?

Suzuki skipped incrementing the "Kx" part designation for a couple years. After they changed the model in 2008 none of the prior parts were reused in the 2008 model. Since they were not reused they would not need this designation in the parts fiche. Thus the 2006 and 2007 parts that have no "K" designation, "K7" reflecting parts made in 2005 and "K8" reflecting parts made in 2008.

For those unfamiliar with this, here is an example of a part that shows how the "K4" designation visually points back in time to when it was first produced in 2004 and how it was reused in multiple years:

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Every time someone pops in with a color that I do not know by heart, I love using this reference site:


1663829534678.png
 
I would rebuild the brake calipers, master cylinders, and replace the brake lines(stainless steel lines).
That bike sat a long time, and brake fluid will eat up the rubber over time.
Even if the brakes work now, you run a high risk of them failing, and usually at the worst time.
These guys make the parts for all the big names, and is the best place for inexpensive and high quality brake parts.

www.brakecrafters.com
 
EvapoRust
for the gas tank, I used it on a couple, excellent stuff.
Pour in a gallon, shake the tank well, let it sit overnight, shake again, turn upside down, leave overnight, shake and empty and all the rust will be gone.
It's non-toxic, biodegradable, safe on skin, and can be used indoors/no ventilation needed.
 
EvapoRust
for the gas tank, I used it on a couple, excellent stuff.
Pour in a gallon, shake the tank well, let it sit overnight, shake again, turn upside down, leave overnight, shake and empty and all the rust will be gone.
It's non-toxic, biodegradable, safe on skin, and can be used indoors/no ventilation needed.
Do I need to reseal after that? Rinse, ect i assume?
 
Do I need to reseal after that? Rinse, ect i assume?

Nope
Regular use and the rust will never come back.
I did rinse the tanks out with water after, and dry with compressed air.
I'm actually about to do this again any day now too.
My friend's dad bought a 97 Intruder 800, and I'm rebuilding both carburetors.
He said it had rust above the gas line, but he cleaned it...I told him to bring me Evaporust for the tank with the rebuild kits, and he did(bike sat in storage for several years with a half tank of gas).
So this reminds me to pull the gas tank and fill it with Evaporust tomorrow night, so it'll be clean in a couple days.
 
Get yourself a free Suzuki OEM factory Gen 1 workshop manual , plenty of peeps here
(@Berlin Germany for one) have them online, ask for a link, we are happy to help.
(...)
the link 2 manual he got 2 minutes before

It's not a K8, the K8 is a Gen 2, your bike is definitely a Gen 1 (99-2007).

but a new gastank he needs, if it looks inside like the cap area. :shocked:

and yes @Kiwi Rider ur right - following the color schemes here at my homepage it should be a ´07 (K7)

and @JustWarminUp this is my epanded maintenance sheet that i strongly recommend to be followed.

the original sheet in the manual is just a joke compared to mine - the chassis (fork and steering head bearings) and its needle bearings are never really mentioned in terms of the need to clean them regularly and re-grease them, that is to say the really correct amount of work for them is never mentioned mentioned.
 
@JustWarminUp

something else about the likely strong rust in the tank
(I take the picture of the tank cap as a reference - if it already looks like THIS, it should only be worse in the tank)

you can try to fight the rust with home remedies, namely with the decalcifying agent that e.g. used for calcified coffee machines.

with it, hot water and an immersion heater to keep the water/descaling mixture hot and about 4-6 hours of patience! can ! succeed in getting the rust out of the tank.

look on the internet, e.g. youtube, to see if you can find a (video) guide in english there.

i see the greatest chance of finding such instructions with restorers of vintage motorcycles, e.g. indian chief / scout built before '52.

once had a 47 chief myself, also with (a little) rust in the tank and got rid of it with the home remedy.

and when the tank is derusted on the inside, just keep your hands off all the offers to coat the inside of the tank.

in 90% of all cases the stuff comes loose after a few years (3-5).

totally banal tip to keep the tank rust free - ALWAYS park the motorcycle with a full tank.

THAT is the best rust protection and at the same time the damn cheapest. ;)
 
:welcome:aboard, you will find all the info you need on this site, also lots of people willing to help as you can already can tell, good luck on the project :thumbsup:
 
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