GPZ600R Rear Shock, HELP! :)

GeePeeZed · Derestricted Danger Joined: 27 Feb 2012 Karma :

Hello everybody.
I have recently purchased a good example of a GPZ 600R (1987!)

I am trying to adjust the rear shock plunger, to number '4' setting.
It is currently reading No. 2.
It appears to be stuck.
Any advice would be much appreciated.

I can upload photographs if it would help, though anybody with a GPZ will probably know how to do it Smile

Thanks in advance,
Regards.
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GPZ Head.

andym · World Chat Champion Joined: 16 Nov 2010 Karma :

try a good spray of WD40... then try moving it gently then some gentle taps

I just managed to get the shock off my 750 and the adjuster is fine, just that I can't seem to get any kind of compression on the shock... mind you my puny little 12 stone probably ain't enough to get any movement in it.

Good luck with it

GeePeeZed · Derestricted Danger Joined: 27 Feb 2012 Karma :

Hi, Thanks for that ive just sprayed it and will take a look tomorrow but have a question. Do you pull it out in stages as ive tried to turn the knob and it just unscrews the dial? Thanks again.
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GPZ Head.

andym · World Chat Champion Joined: 16 Nov 2010 Karma :

there should be 4 little notches, with mine it just pulls out with a slight click at each notch

GeePeeZed · Derestricted Danger Joined: 27 Feb 2012 Karma :

Thanks matey, When the wd40 works its magic ill try pulling it out as its stuck at the moment solid.
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GPZ Head.

GeePeeZed · Derestricted Danger Joined: 27 Feb 2012 Karma :

Hi again, ive soaked the plunger in wd40 and tried to pull it out past number 2 and still stuck. Is it purely siezed at the moment or should i twist it etc? It is an old girl at 1987 born lol
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GPZ Head.

andym · World Chat Champion Joined: 16 Nov 2010 Karma :

mine's '84, since I have it off the bike I'll have a look and get back to you.

andym · World Chat Champion Joined: 16 Nov 2010 Karma :

Just had a look and I don't know if you have easy access to your shock, but as I thought it is just a pin that goes through the top, if you can lift the rubber collar on top of the shock and blast a bit of WD40 at the back of the shock (see pictures) then use something to give it a few gentle taps and that might help... if not then the mechanism might be seized inside and you will have to live with it on the current setting

GeePeeZed · Derestricted Danger Joined: 27 Feb 2012 Karma :

great photo, thanks for taking the time to post it. Is the action to adjust to pull it out and it clicks ? and where am i tapping exactly? apologies im a beginner at the bike diy game lol
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GPZ Head.

GeePeeZed · Derestricted Danger Joined: 27 Feb 2012 Karma :

Bump

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GPZ Head.

andym · World Chat Champion Joined: 16 Nov 2010 Karma :

Hi, if you look at the second picture you can see the back of the lever poking out the top of the shock, if you dont see it looing like that then it should be somewhere along the lines of the 3rd picture, if so then try tapping the lever at the other end in the hopes that it is just stuck... just don't thump it's brains out.

You still haven't said if the shock is still on the bike or not. If so then it will make it more awkward for seeing the pin

GeePeeZed · Derestricted Danger Joined: 27 Feb 2012 Karma :

Hi again, I didnt register that there was 3 photos and i can see how the rear has the black pin going through. I wd40,d it and i removed the 1 to 4 knob tapped the small nut on the spindle and it went in and couldnt pull it back out. Hoewever from picture 2 i will try to tap it back to try to achieve the number 4 setting. After this I have to try and get the front forks stiffer. The psi setting is on 16 psi an the wheel at the bottom of each leg is number 3. The seals are new so maybe its naturally soft ? lol. thanks for the continued patience lol
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GPZ Head.

GeePeeZed · Derestricted Danger Joined: 27 Feb 2012 Karma :

Sorry its still in situ on the bike but ill see if I can see the pin from the other side tomorrow.Regards, M
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GPZ Head.

andym · World Chat Champion Joined: 16 Nov 2010 Karma :

Just been reading a bit more on the fork pressure, it seems the ideal pressure is 8.5 psi for the front. If it is still soft then maybe check the oil level.

Check this site for some figures for the bike.

https://www.motorbikespecs.net/index.dyn?flag=2&model_id=1914540&make=Kawasaki

Also for the adjusters at the bottom of the forks, I wouldn't take the button turning as doing anything inside the anti dive unit, with mine one seemed quite stiff the other moved freely, it turns out both of them had snapped inside so if I want to adjust them I will need to use a screwdriver to turn them.

If you get the adjuster back out for the rear suspension (after another good coat of WD40), keep spraying and moving it back and forward, if it doesn't loosen up then it could be a problem with the whole shock.

GeePeeZed · Derestricted Danger Joined: 27 Feb 2012 Karma :

Hi again, Im fairly confident of freeing up the rear now its moved in from purely a few drownings in wd40 and a tapping. The front adjusters are the same on mine as yours i think , ie, one turns freely the other stiffer and im not convinced they are doing anything at all. How would I adjust them with a screwdriver please and also how to chaeck the oil level ?? thnks again matey.
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GPZ Head.

andym · World Chat Champion Joined: 16 Nov 2010 Karma :

Mine has flat black disks with numbers on them, because I had taken the anti dive units off while stripping the bike I could see that there was no movement inside when I turned either side, so I just popped the black cap off and it is just like a large screw that has 4 settings. Only problem with this is you have no real way of knowing you have the same settings on each side without taking the anti dive units off and looking inside.

I will explain it better tomorrow, I'll get some photos.

As for the oil, unless you want to remove the forks (easier than I thought), you will have to find a way of measuring from the top of the fork down with them at maxium compression (just take the top of the forks off and they should drop).

Hopefully someone can explain better as I removed the forks and emptied out about a table spoon of oil from each side.

If you can find an easy way of taking the forks off (with my intruder I didn't have a tool to remove the front wheel so took the whole lot off when I done the oil seals), get a friend to help tip the oil out and replace with the correct amount per side then put them back on and repressurise.

Off the top of my head if you are replacing the oil then it is about 250ml per side, if you have rebuilt them then it is about 320ml (although don't quote me on them).

GeePeeZed · Derestricted Danger Joined: 27 Feb 2012 Karma :

Hi there, Superb info cheers ill wait for the photo before i take the black wheels off. The fork oil was done just before I bought it but i guess i dont know how well and by whom. Cheers again matey.
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GPZ Head.

GeePeeZed · Derestricted Danger Joined: 27 Feb 2012 Karma :

Hi matey, Is there any chance of posting the photos of the front forks and how to remove those black adjuster wheels to adjust the damping with a screwdriver. I could do with cracking on before the sun shines and the forks are way too soft at the moment, thanks again for your help, M
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GPZ Head.