[GoBlue]

Originally Posted by hiren.mistry

On my Kawasaki Z900 the temp gauge shows a readout of the temperature in digits, we do not have a bar as such.

Thanks for sharing.

A bar/needle with stages of coolant temperature accompanied by an 'overheat light', is a more effective visual aid to decide if the engine needs to be switched off in case of an emergency overheat situation. As opposed to a temperature readout (in degrees celsius), which necessitates the rider to have contextual knowledge in order to interpret it's significance. Both shown together side by side could be an even better approach.

In the case of this Kawasaki UI, how is an impending overheat scenario displayed?

[SnS_12]

Originally Posted by hiren.mistry

In normal riding conditions, the temperature hovers around 80 degrees Celsius. Only in traffic does that number moves upwards, I have seen the temperature readout exceeding 100 degrees on multiple occasions but then the fan kicks in. The temperature does get back into 80's once the bike starts moving.

That is the ideal engine temperature range Kawasaki has tuned the cooling system to maintain and help achieve optimal performance from the engine. In bikes with a needle/bar gauge this is where the needle/bar rests at halfway mark or will move slightly lower depending on the ambient temperature, which is visible when riding in winters when the gauge can be as low as the quarter mark.

The thermostat is designed to let the engine come up to optimal engine temperature quickly and hence during a cold start will allow very low coolant to flow through the system and will open up fully once the engine temperature crosses 100+ degrees and that is when the fan also kicks in to drop down the temperature quickly back to desired range.

If the temperature keeps climbing then that indicates that there has been a failure somewhere in the cooling system.

[no_fear]

Originally Posted by SnS_12

If the temperature keeps climbing then that indicates that there has been a failure somewhere in the cooling system.

Low coolant is often the culprit in many cases where the temperature keeps climbing.

[TRR]

Originally Posted by SnS_12

With regards to cleaning with compressed air I said it I do that when the bike has not done much running or is not that dirty (did it mostly during lockdowns) My bike has done 10.5k kms and I must have gone through 4+ air filters till date.

Regardless of the situation, all owner's manuals I read clearly state to avoid using compressed air on the air filter. Not sure if it is wise to continue this practice?

Also, wouldn't it be better to just use an aftermarket air filter if you're going to be replacing them at a 2000 km interval? From what I have read (can be mistaken though), they can be cleaned and recharged for almost upto 6-8 times at a minimum. Wouldn't this make a lot more sense given your use case, especially since you seem to anyway have the cleaning kit for the K&N filter on your Brio?

Originally Posted by SnS_12

On the K&N you can’t use compressed air as its design and function is totally different. I am using one on my Brio and clean it myself every 20k kms even though K&N themselves say 50k miles cleaning interval as its supposed filter better the dirtier its gets supposedly. But for our conditions and for my personally 20k kms is what I do even though I don’t see a drop in performance or filtration.

As the service techs told me, the BMC filter will be cleaned out every time I give the bike for service, which will be every 6 months of 4000 km for me (even though the SVC recommends a 6000 km interval). This should be fine for my use case on the bike.

Originally Posted by SnS_12

Radiator’s have fan for this very purpose as in traffic there is no air going through the radiator fins to cool down the coolant. Out on the Highway if you’re doing required speed to maintain the airflow the fan will never come on. If you see the manual its says if the temp goes high you have to stop immediately and let the bike cool down and check the coolant level to see if it’s enough or below the required level. Other issues I can think off is:

a) Thermostat not opening early or enough.
b) Fan not staying on enough to pull out enough heat.
c) Air pockets in the system hindering the flow of coolant.
d) Coolant has degraded and not able to perform heat transfer as desired.

I would be inclined to agree with you on these potential issues, but for the fact that this overheating problem is no longer repeating on my bike. I read your post in the morning, while at work, and decided to put my bike through the wringer on the way home. I purposely chose the more traffic infested route and I kept the engine running the entire time to see if the issue would repeat. As I stated in my previous post, the bike holds the temps rock solid at 50%. Even at 50% of the gauge filled the fan wasn't constantly on, it kept turning on and off as required and the gauge never crossed 50% at any time during this entire ride.

The possible issues you have stated above are chronic conditions that would manifest themselves repeatedly as overheating regardless of the ambient temperatures. The service techs most definitely didn't tear apart the cooling system to check anything, so unless it fixed itself, it's possible that what I experienced earlier was an anomaly?

Anyhoo, as far as I can see, the issue is no longer present and the bike is back to its old pleasant self. Any further discussion on this from my end is moot, unless the issue pops back up, which it hasn't in the 500 kms that I have ridden the bike since the last service, with 400 of those kms being through B2B traffic

Originally Posted by no_fear

Couple of points here.

1. BMC Air filters in India are set at very standard prices. For someone to offer you at 25% discount, its rather unusual, since that is pretty much the dealer margin. I do not think anyone will sell you an air filter at cost price or below market price. Did you visually inspect the air filter yourself and see it came from a sealed box or packet? Its standard practice in India for service techs to switch air filters from one bike to another and pass it off as new.

Firstly, the service techs are ethical enough to retain and show me the original packaging for most parts they fit on my bike. They offered to even give me the BMC box that the filter came in when I went to pick up the bike. I did look at the labeling and noted that it was a recent import, so it is highly unlikely that it was switched from one bike to another.

And secondly, yes, you are right. The actual discount that I received was closer to ~13%-ish. My mistake was in the fact that I compared the pre-GST price told to me when they called for approval on fixing this versus the post-GST prices in the market. I stand corrected on this and thank you for pointing it out.

Originally Posted by no_fear

2. When a bike overheat light turns on, hit the kill switch and stop running the engine. Even if you keep running the engine for a few minutes more, the engine headers will expand in the heat and get warped. End result is engine replacement. It is a very common occurrence here in Delhi and a lot of bikes have this engine issue.

Noted and will make sure of this, if the issue ever crops up again (fingers crossed that it doesn't)

Originally Posted by no_fear

Agree with BHPians Goblue and SNS that something is not correct with your bike's cooling system. It is rare for the engine to overheat in the way you described.

And I tend to disagree since this issue hasn't cropped up again in the aftermath of that incident. Not sure why it happened, but it did and it hasn't repeated ever since. As I said before, anything incorrect with the cooling system would have manifested as overheating over and over and that has not been the case.

Originally Posted by no_fear

As for Mr Hafiz telling you its normal for the engine to overheat - I would recommend him to go back and learn the basics of motorcycle servicing. It is downright absurd for a service tech to say such a thing rather than having a look at the issue. Please get a second opinion. I have ridden plenty of Japanese bikes in Delhi summer and sat in standstill traffic and never experienced what you have described.

With all due respect to you, Mr Hafiz is an active drag racer with multiple podium finishes in national level drag racing events. He maintains his own drag racing Hayabusa, which is frequently on display in the showroom. I have personally seen the guy painstakingly restore a badly abused Intruder M1800 between my service visits. Customers come to him from all over South India because of his reputation. I know that he has customers who are high up in automotive companies and, in spite of all their contacts, stick to him because of his service quality and attention to detail. I can't comment on what other service centres are like, but I know that he doesn't take anyone for a ride. He makes sure to take the time to explain what is being done and if something is not necessary, he will actively advise you to avoid it. Just like you might have ridden plenty of Japanese superbikes, he has experience with hundreds of Suzuki big bikes, because he deals only with the big bikes at Aerolex.

I have dealt with shitty SVCs from KTM, Bajaj and Honda (not BigWing) during my times owning my earlier vehicles and I believe I can tell the difference between service techs who don't give two hoots about the customer's vehicle and service techs who actually go the extra mile to make sure the issue is diagnosed properly. Would appreciate it if you refrain from painting everyone with the same brush

[no_fear]

I don't know Mr Hafiz and I am not painting anyone with any brush. The job of a service technician is to understand customer concerns and address the issue. If he told you it's normal for a bike to overheat because of the weather, then I am afraid he did not address your concerns.

Modern bikes, especially Suzukis do not throw up overheating signs unless there is some issue. It can be something trivial as low coolant, non functioning temperature sensor, or something more challenging as a clog in coolant system.

The objective of this forum is for people to be both analytical and critical. My words may be harsh but my intention is benign. End of the day we are all bike lovers, and we want the best from our machines and to look after them with utmost care.

[bigron]

Originally Posted by no_fear

If he told you it's normal for a bike to overheat because of the weather, then I am afraid he did not address your concerns.

Modern bikes, especially Suzukis do not throw up overheating signs unless there is some issue. It can be something trivial as low coolant, non functioning temperature sensor, or something more challenging as a clog in coolant system.

It is normal when one is riding for an extended period of time and at sustained speeds or in traffic for the bike to heat up considerably. There need not be any issue with the bike to start with. All my bikes would heat up considerably during my touring days or in Delhi traffic. It's a given with a faired bike in summer heat in India.
Infact, even the battery may give up charge for a few minutes if the bike temperature rises beyond a certain point and the bike will shut itself off. Just letting it sit for a while will start the bike back up.

[Sebring]

I got to meet Mr Hafiz via my Hayabusa, UAE connections and found him to be knowledgeable. We spent some time talking bikes. Unfortunately he is no longer with Suzuki (As of last week). Now, one has to go all the way to Aryan in Whitefield and I found Shiv, who is service head over there very arrogant and disinterested. During the Katana launch yesterday, I quizzed other owners on service standards and the opinion was not great. Dark days indeed for Suzuki in Bengaluru

Originally Posted by TRR

Mr Hafiz has experience with hundreds of Suzuki big bikes, because he deals only with the big bikes at Aerolex

[TRR]

This thread hasn't seen many updates in the last few months and to be frank, neither has the bike. I have been extremely tied up with some work and personal commitments and couldn't get around to updating the thread as often as I'd like to. The bike has been chugging along and has touched the 26,000 km mark today and with this, has completed nearly 14,000 kms in little more than a year with me.



Due to the aforementioned commitments, the GSX has been stuck only on office commute duties in the last couple of months. Has seen zero kilometers of the highways and twisties since August . But this should change if things go according to plan, fingers crossed.

The bike is due for its bi-annual service since 6000 kms have been put on the clock since its last service. Have arranged for the service this weekend. Timing has been near perfect since I have also managed to source some goodies for the bike from abroad that came in just last week



Couldn't resist the temptation. Finally gave in and acquired this.

Will make a more detailed update post on all things that transpired since the last update and beyond, once the service is done.

[TRR]

Finally got round to making a detailed update on the bike’s ownership and all that has transpired in the last few months.

Since I last posted on the thread, the bike has completed another 1000 km.



As stated in my last post, the bike had seen 0 kms of the highway in the months of September to November 2022. I was caught up with work entirely during this time and was unable to find any free weekends to take the bike out to stretch its legs. As such, the bike was stuck in the dreary office commute in these 3 months.

Prior to that however, the bike was taken outside Bangalore almost every alternate weekend. Most of my highway runs are either breakfast runs, which I put in when I am tired of the weekday office commutes and just want to relax and enjoy the bike a bit, or are runs on the infamous Anchetty-Denkanikottai loop. The Anchetty loop is a fun to do route with a good mix of open highways, excellent B-roads and a nice set of twisties sprinkled in. As always, the bike is excellent on these 2 jaunts as the roads are pristine and doesn’t really put the bike’s suspension to the test. The Diablo Rosso IIIs are perfect for these tasks and makes the entire drive extremely fun. The Anchetty loop tracks on B-roads for a significant part of the route and is so much more fun than regular cruising on the national highways. Plus, if the weather is right, you get some excellent views that make for a very scenic ride.

Some shots at a random spot on the Anchetty loop



A shot showing my riding stance on the bike. For reference, my height is 5'7 and I can just about flat foot on the bike with my riding shoes.



Made an acquaintance with a random Z900 on one of my breakfast jaunts outside the city.



A major ride, at least for me, was a quick day-trip to Yercaud with a riding buddy on his KTM 390 Adventure in the middle of the Independence Day weekend. This was one of the longer trips that I have done on this bike and was a good gauge of the bike’s touring capabilities on our national highways. We left Bangalore at roughly 6 AM, rode at a leisurely pace, and hit the Yercaud climb at around 11 AM.





Once up at Yercaud, we explored the place for a bit and stopped at a restaurant for lunch. We departed from Yercaud at around 2 pm and headed back to Bengaluru. On the return leg, Google Maps took us through an alternate route and the descent from Yercaud and the countryside roads after that were among the best roads I have ridden till date.

A shot of the bikes parked outside the restaurant we halted at for lunch.



One of the scenic spots we stopped at in the TN countryside.



We rejoined the national highways much later and then cruised back to Bengaluru, reaching the E-City expressway at around 5pm. All in all, one of the better rides I have been on in a long while. The bike performed flawlessly on this trip. Cruising at 100-ish kmph in 6th gear returns a healthy mileage of almost 23-24 kmpl, giving you a full range of almost 300 km in one tank of fuel. As stated before, the engine is a gem on the highways, with sufficient power available throughout the rev range to pull off overtakes easily. Yes, it is probably not torquey enough at the lower rev range, but all things considered, the power you can access at the lower band is still enough to quickly overtake the meandering traffic on our highways. The suspension and tires really shined on this trip, mainly because the roads were excellent throughout. The only bit that annoys me is the clutch, which is on the heavier side. It is heavy enough to be a proper nuisance, especially when you end up in heavy Bengaluru traffic after an entire day of riding.

This was the last ride outside Bangalore until the end of November. Post this ride, I noticed that the front brake pads were almost completely run through. The previous owner had them replaced with OEM brake pads when the bike’s odo was at 9,500 kms. Post the Yercaud ride, the bike’s odo was at 23,500 kms, so the bike had run with these set of pads for nearly 14,000 kms. I needed to get these brake pads changed urgently as they weren’t in great shape, so called up Aerolex Motors to arrange for a service.

Now, I had read BHPian Sebring’s post on Hafiz having left Suzuki, but still, decided to reach out to Aerolex as this was just supposed to be a routine brake pad changed and not any complex procedure. But this was when I learnt that Aerolex itself was no longer dealing with Suzuki superbikes of any kind. The answer given to me on the phone was that they were undergoing renovations, but I hear different stories on what’s going on with Aerolex. With Aerolex having refused service, I was reluctant to travel all the way to Whitefield to visit the Aryan Suzuki SVC. Haven’t heard good stories about their service quality either. So I decided to call up Hafiz directly and inquire if he would have any contacts/third-party SVCs who could do this job for me. Was pleasantly surprised to learn that Hafiz had just opened up his own shop near Lalbagh Road, very close to Keerthi Triumph’s SVC. Immediately booked an appointment with him for the brake pads change and dropped by at his shop. This was sometime in the middle of August and he had apparently just opened up his shop. Some of the mechanics at Aerolex had moved out along with Hafiz and were now working under him at this shop. Hafiz’s setup is a non-descript, small shop but it has just about adequate space for them to deal with 3-4 superbikes at a time. For my part, I was glad to have a trusted person handle the bike. Now that Hafiz is no longer with Suzuki, he does service and repair works for bikes of all brands.

The view from outside his shop. The 2 Hayabusas on the left are used only for drag racing, with one being Hafiz's and the other belonging to one of this customers. The V-Strom on the right had come in for some general work



A KTM 1190 Super Adventure that had come in for servicing.



Anyway, once I was at his shop, they got down to work. A set of EBC FA347-HHs were procured and went on the GSX. This set is shared with the Z900 and so is reasonably easy to procure. The callipers were cleaned, the old pads were removed and the new pads were fit in. Along with this, they bled out the brake lines and filled fresh brake fluid. A quick job done in an hour or so, and I was back on my way.

The old brake pads. They were almost completely worn out and I managed to get them changed at the right time. Probably should have got them changed out a little earlier, if I'm being honest.



The EBC brake pads that they were replaced with.



The new brake pads fitted in



Hafiz's boys putting in fresh brake fluid and making sure the brake lines were bled properly



After this, the bike settled down to the office commute for the next 3 months. The GSX is perfectly capable of handling the office commute. With the temperatures down significantly in Bangalore, the bike has zero complaints dealing with anything Bengaluru traffic threw at it. Had been stuck in hour-long traffic jams and the temperature gauge never moved past the halfway mark. As stated earlier, the bike is docile at lower rpms and is perfectly happy chugging along at 30-40 kmph in 4th gear. Reinforced my decision of choosing the GSX-S750, considering I knew that I would have to use the superbike I buy as a daily rider.

My work schedule freed up towards the end of November and this timed perfectly with some upgrades for the bike I was able to procure from the UK through my brother.



I was initially happy with the stock exhaust note, but as we all know with superbike ownership, the yearn for updates just keeps growing stronger. I had seen and heard fellow GSX-S750s with Arrows and Akrapovics at the Aerolex meet-up earlier in the year. Plus scrawling through Youtube videos of Yoshimura and Scorpion exhausts on the GSX finally made me give up my resolve and I decided to source an aftermarket exhaust for the GSX. Didn’t want an obnoxiously loud exhaust as I didn’t want to risk run-ins with the police here. Spoke to Hafiz on this and he recommended the SC-Project Conic slip-on exhaust, considering I didn’t want something too loud. Found a good deal on the official SC-Project website for the exhaust. Had a choice between titanium exhaust and the carbon fibre one. Decided to go with the carbon-fibre exhaust since I liked the dark look better. Had the exhaust shipped to my brother in the UK from where it was hand-carried to Bangalore inside a suitcase.

Along with this, also procured a set of Wezmoto steel-braided brake lines through my brother since I was uncomfortable with the spongy feel of the OEM rubber brake hoses. These brake lines are made in the UK and were custom extended by 30 mm to accommodate for the handlebar risers fitted on my bike. I know it’s not as reputable a brand as HEL, but I found many favourable reviews online for this brand and on reaching my brother, he confirmed that they were high-quality lines so decided to stick with them.

The bike was also due for its bi-annual service having completed a shade over 6000 kms since the last full service in May 2022. Called up Hafiz and booked time for a full-service on a Saturday. Had to get the regular full service done along with the change of brake lines and exhaust, so I decided to stay over at his shop to see the work being done on the bike. The bonus is that Hafiz always seems to have some project bikes undergoing work at his shop, so you get to see some cool bikes that are halfway through repairs/restoration. This time, there was a Ducati Diavel in for restoration and a customs-seized and released GSXR-750 that Hafiz is personally keeping as a project bike. Apparently, he intends to turn it into a full drag-bike to participate in the lower displacement classes at drag events, alongside his current drag-modified Hayabusa.



The GSX was mounted on a paddock stand and the mechanics proceeded with the service. The old oil was drained out and was much worse than I expected it to be. Considering that I use the bike for heavy traffic commutes, I probably need to schedule my oil changes at around 4000kms of usage going forward. The oil filter was removed. The stock exhaust was removed since it was going to be changed anyway and removing the exhaust allowed them more room to work with. The BMC air filter was cleaned, recharged and fixed back. The brake callipers and pads were removed, cleaned and fixed back. The rubber braided lines were removed and the new steel braided lines were routed through the bike and fixed in. The brake fluids were replaced completely. Coolant was topped up with the Engine Ice that I have.









The steel braided lines linked at the front



The SC Project Conic slip-on had a bit of a problem though. Earlier versions of the exhaust came with a removable dB killer that one could remove and fix back with ease. However, with the advent of Euro5 norms, the newer versions of the exhaust have a dB killer inside that can only be removed by undoing a screw, but to access the screw, one needs to drill a hole in the side of the carbon end-cap. Checked online and this seemed to be a common procedure that most people abroad were doing to access the dB killer removal screw. Hafiz took proper measurements with a set of callipers and drilled a hole perfectly on top of the baffle’s screw. With this, we were able to access the screw. The baffle was removed and kept aside. I decided to ride home without the baffle to see if it would be too loud. If it was indeed too loud, all I had to do was to fit the dB killer back inside and put the screw back in. Spoiler alert: it is a tad bit too loud for my liking so the baffle promptly went back in once I reached home. Now, I remove the dB killer only if I am heading outside the city on breakfast rides or longer rides.

The weight difference between the stock exhaust and the SC Project Conic Slip-on





The SC Project fitted onto the bike



Fresh engine oil was measured and filled back in. Hafiz has stock of new OEM Suzuki oil filters so that was fixed back in as well. All the parts under the fairings and the tank cover were cleaned, the bike was assembled back and the starter button was thumbed to bring the bike to life with its new vocal cords.



The radiator was caked in dirt in the middle with the spray from the tires. The radiator guard was removed and this was cleaned out with a water spray bottle and a soft brush. Will need to procure a fender extender for the front mudguard to prevent this from happening again.



I think it’s fair to say I was giggling like a school child inside my helmet the entire way back home. Yes, it’s a bit too loud, but there’s something about a proper inline-4 with an aftermarket exhaust that just feels right. The new exhaust feels like a proper orchestra of noises and sounds properly glorious at all times throughout the rev range. The stock exhaust was reasonably quiet in the lower band of the rev range, but the SC Project has a nice bassy growl even at idle. The best part is when you accelerate to around 6000 rpm and slowly let go of the throttle, there’s a full set of pops and crackles that make me laugh like a madman everytime. Now I feel like an aftermarket exhaust is mandatory for every inline-4 bike.

With the baffle on, the bike gets around 30% quieter, especially around idle. Now I commute to office with the dB killer on and so far, fingers crossed, no traffic policeman has batted an eye at the bike. It still is quieter than the REs with their aftermarket exhausts and the RXs with their sharp 2-stroke sounds. But the bike does garner a lot more attention now with the SC Project. Even if the understated looks don’t gather many eyes, the moment that engine comes to life with the slip-on fitted, people instantly turn around to look at the source of the sound. Frankly, it feels like it draws too much attention, but I am enjoying the bike’s sound wayyy too much, so I will need to just ignore the stares the bike gets now. An added bonus is the weight loss as seen in the pictures above.

Overall, I think with the change in exhaust, there is new life breathed into my ownership of the GSX. Yes, I get nervous anytime I see a cop, but so far, they don’t seem to mind the sound the bike makes. I just did a trip to Mysore and back yesterday (without the baffle fitted in), and highway runs also feel a lot more enjoyable now that you can hear the engine sound properly over the drone of the wind noise. Hopefully, my work eases off a little more to afford me more time for trips outside Bangalore and also to allow for more frequent updates of this thread.

The chain is holding up well after 7000 kms of use. Fingers crossed, this set lasts for a really long time. I clean and lube the chain every 600-800 kms, depending on if I can snare a free weekend from work and personal commitments. Have been using Maxima Chain wax so far, but shifted to Tribocor Dry Chain lube for a while. Will continue sticking to dry lubes only as I hate any chain lube spraying on the alloy.



The bike is now due for a change in tires, with the Diablo Rosso IIIs having come along for 14,500 kms so far. They've been excellent so far. These tires give great confidence in the twisties and rarely cause any drama under heavy acceleration and braking. Their rounder profile helps tip the heavy GSX better into corners and they are decent for wet weather riding, provided there is a bit of care in the throttle input. Have driven the bike home from work in the extreme rains we had here in Bangalore in September, wading through ankle deep water. Granted that I had set the TC to level 3 and barely gave more than 10% throttle at all times, but the tires rarely slipped at all during turns or on the white-topped concrete roads. There’s maybe another 1000-1500 kms of life left in the tread, but the tires have started squaring off. I have started looking out for replacements and will update once I have a set of tires to change to. Along with the exhaust and the steel brake lines, I had also procured a set of 90-degree tire stems, which will go on the bike at the time of the tire change.





That's all for this update. A parting shot of the bike on a recent coffee run on the Bangalore - Mangalore highway.

[TurboLag200]

Excellent read!. quick question what octane does it require ?

[TRR]

Originally Posted by TurboLag200

Excellent read!. quick question what octane does it require ?

Well the owner's manual recommends fuel with 95 octane or higher. I generally stick with XP95 from Indian Oil since it's widely available these days and is just marginally more expensive than regular fuel.

But I have tanked up with regular fuel in petrol pumps outside Bangalore on rare occasions and so far, haven't noticed any side effects on the bike.

[TRR]

30,000 kms odo update on the GSX-S750:

So the bike has been regularly seeing the highways in the three months since the last update. The odometer continues to rack up numbers at a steady pace and now has just over 30,000 kms on the clock, with me having ridden 18,000 kms of those.



I am currently in the midst of some changes on the professional front and with that the bike's situation has reversed from the previous update, with the GSX only seeing the chaotic Bangalore roads when I’m running errands or meeting friends. The highway miles are a major chunk of my riding now with most of my rides outside the city being for at least 250 kms per jaunt. The bike cruises comfortably in these rides and definitely feels a lot better with the highway cruises allowing for the engine to stretch itself safely. The GSX returns a decent 20-22 kmpl on these rides with my riding style being a mix of sedate cruising and heavy acceleration, giving me an effective tank range of almost 300 kms.

Some pictures of the bike on my regular riding route through Anchetty.









Also did a ride to Mysore to stay over at a relative’s home. Took the opportunity to get a shot of the bike with the Mysore Palace in the background.



A shot of the bike at the toll gates of the new Bangalore Mysore Expressway



Random pic of the bike being washed at the Bubbles Car Spa



Did a quick ride in mid-March to DD Hills with a couple of friends on an ADV390 and a CB300R. After DD Hills, we went exploring to a nearby town searching for more hilly roads but couldn’t find any. A decent 250 km round trip all said and done.

Waiting at the Parle Factory Toll for my friends to join up.



The trio of bikes stopped at a random breakfast eatery near Dobbaspet.



And a photo just below the peak of the DD Hills climb.



Found this random Z900 in the parking at the Nexus Mall in Koramangala. Was decently modded with a what looks like a full-system exhaust and an interesting front alloy wheel along with some other knick-knacks. The exhaust sounded very good but a tad bit too loud IMO.



Tire change and service update

With the Pirelli Diablo Rosso 3s having come along for nearly 17,500 kms at this stage, I decided to proactively get them changed rather than wait for the tread to run out. The Pirellis had been excellent during their time on my bike and the grip levels were pretty good even during the latter stages of their life. The wet weather grip too was adequate for my style of riding. I only suffered 2 punctures during this entire duration, but on a closer look at the tire, there were numerous surface-level cuts. These weren’t causing any tire-pressure loss, but I decided that their time was up.

I had procured a set of Vredestein Centauro NSs for the bike in January and had kept them at my place till the time for replacing the tires. I would’ve continued with the Pirellis since their prices started cooling down a bit, but I decided to give these tires a shot. Prices were significantly lesser than the Pirellis and Hafiz too said that he had been receiving good feedback on the Centauro NSs compared to the Centauro STs.



With the bike having racked up the 30,000 kms on the odo in mid-March, I scheduled a service with Hafiz for a full overhaul of all the bike’s fluids, a throttle body cleaning and replacement of the tires. The oil came out extremely dirty in the last service so I decided to get it replaced at a 4,000 km interval this time. I had some personal commitments in Mangalore so decided to drop the bike off at Hafiz’s place for 3 days and let him work on the bike at his own pace. I was constantly kept updated on the service through photos on Whatsapp.

The tires were removed at his shop and taken to Madhus for getting the Vredesteins fixed. Wheel balancing with the new tires was also done at Madhus. The Puig side stem valves were fixed on the tires at this point.









The old coolant was flushed out with distilled water and fresh Engine Ice was filled back in. The engine oil was replaced on my instruction, though it still seemed a little reddish to me and with some more life left in it. The front fork oil was also replaced since they hadn’t been changed till date as per the service records.





The brake fluids were removed and fresh brake fluid was filled in with the brake lines being bled. The brake pads were replaced at the front and back with new EBC brake pads, with the old ones having lasted for 7000-ish kms on the front and around 10000 kms at the rear. This wasn’t in my list of requirements, but Hafiz called me up when I was in Mangalore and suggested this change and replaced them with my approval.



The throttle bodies were cleaned up on my request since I couldn’t find evidence of the same having been done before in any of the service bills.

Residue on the throttle bodies before cleaning



Post cleaning



The BMC air filter was washed and recharged. Since the bike is still on its stock battery and having come for nearly 4 years now, I asked Hafiz to check on the battery health. The battery health still gave out a good voltage reading. The bike still starts on the first touch of the ignition and shows no hesitation whatsoever. So I might just eke out this battery for a little longer.



Picked up the bike from Hafiz’s place once I was back from Mangalore and took the bike on a small jaunt around the city to see if any issues were flaring up post-service. Ensured that the bike heated up properly and that there were no issues with the cooling system with the coolant having been replaced. The brakes too were giving me the appropriate feedback. Was wary of pushing the new tires too much but the initial feedback was good. With the throttle bodies having been cleaned up, the on-off throttle transition is a lot smoother. Took the bike home after this and covered it up as I would be preoccupied with other things for the next one week.

The following weekend, I decided to drive up to Madikeri alone and back on a Saturday. Would get me used to longer solo trips and also would give me a chance to see how good the new tires were. I took the route of Bangalore-Channarayapatna-Shanivarasanthe-Somwarpet-Madikeri-Hunsur-Mysore-Bangalore, pulling around 580 kms along the entire route. A cousin of mine who is also a fellow BHPian was heading to Chikkamagalur on his Triumph Tiger on the same day, so we rode together till Channarayapatna and then split up.



I rode on at a leisurely pace and reached Madikeri at 11:30 am. The roads on the Shanivarasanthe-Somwarpet-Madikeri stretch were absolutely incredible. This was a very scenic route with coffee plantations on both sides and freshly laid tarmac. A good mix of fast flowing corners and tight twisty sections let me put the Vredesteins to the test. And at least from what I have seen initially, these tires are excellent and maybe just as good as the Diablo Rosso 3s. Not once did they lose grip when I gunned the throttle out of corners, allowing me to pull very good lean angles on this route.

I paid for the full tire and I am going to use the full tire



Some other photos of the bike on this ride











Not sure if its because of the Centauro NSs or the fresh fork fluids, but the ride has become considerably more plush on minor broken roads, though its still a pain on the completely broken stretches. On the good surfaces between Shanivarasanthe and Madikeri, the ride quality was great, with the bike keeping you adequately informed on the road surface, even when leaned over. So far from what I have seen, the Centauro NSs are very capable and don’t make me miss the Diablo Rossos one bit. I can’t yet comment on their wet weather performance or if these dry grip levels will last at the 8000+ kms mark, but at this stage, I’m certainly happy with the way these tires keep the bike stuck to the ground. They are good enough for my use case, since I’m far from a professional and since my bike isn’t among the most powerful around. Will keep the thread updated on their performance as the kilometers pass.

My biggest unresolved issue with the bike now remains to be the front brakes. I have gotten used to the heavy clutch lever to the point that it’s a non-issue for me now. But the brakes still leave something lacking for me. The Wezmoto steel-braided lines have resolved the sponginess to a large extent and are working fine so far but I am still looking for more bite from the front brakes. The brake performance isn’t lacking and the bike still stops well, but the reduced feedback and the weak bite still rob me of confidence to push the bike. Need to see what else I can do to resolve this. The brake bleeding and fluid change in the last service has firmed up the feedback by quite some margin, but need to see if this reverts back to the old, limp feedback as the odometer climbs up.

That’s all there is to this update

[akshayhonda]

Thanks for specific update you have posted about the Vredestein NS tyres mate. Appreciate it and looking forward to hearing more on the wet grip part of things from you on the same.

Im running the STs without any hiccup so far and a single puncture at the rear. But the tyre is flattish and not so much fun on the corners so will be switching to NS later once done.

[justwheels]

The Suzuki 750 is a beautiful looking naked and my favorite alongside the Z900.
Love the blue shades on your bike. It's always great to see a well maintained bike that is used to its full potential on a daily basis.

I See you have the SC exhaust. Have the cops ever troubled you for the aftermarket fitment? There was a lot of hue and cry sometime back I remember.

Keep updating us on the many more rides on your Suzuki.

[TRR]

Originally Posted by justwheels

Love the blue shades on your bike. It's always great to see a well maintained bike that is used to its full potential on a daily basis.

I See you have the SC exhaust. Have the cops ever troubled you for the aftermarket fitment? There was a lot of hue and cry sometime back I remember.

Thank you for the kind words.

So far, touchwood, the cops have not stopped me for the aftermarket exhaust. I run the SC Project without the dB killer, even inside the city these days, and almost none of the cops seem to be bothered. They don't even bat an eyelid when I pass by. I don't rev bomb or take the revs high inside the city, so maybe that's why they don't take a second glance at me. I think the SC Project Conic being among the quieter of the aftermarket options (even with the dB killer removed) helps a tad bit too.

Still, that doesn't stop me from getting nervous and keeping the bike switched off at the stoplights whenever there's cop presence. Fingers crossed that the cops stay focused on other, more pressing traffic issues