A Kawasaki GTR1400 came through the workshop recently; its owner felt that perhaps he wasn’t getting the care and attention from his local dealer when it came to servicing, but was being charged for it anyway.
The interim service it needed represented three hours’ solid workshop time. The oil and filter needed changing, the brake calipers were stripped out and cleaned plus all the hydraulic fluid replaced with fresh. The owner was having an issue with the clutch and it appeared that at no time previously had anyone removed the levers and greased them; as you released the lever it juddered with the extra friction and made it awkward to accurately control. A simple thing like greasing the pivot made all the difference. A thorough nut and bolt check, lights, levels plus tyre pressure check and a test ride rounded the job off.
The owner was pleased because he’d got the service (in both senses of the word) he was paying a reasonable rate for, compared to what his main dealer wanted. The next service is a big one and a day’s work– all the panels have to come off to check valve clearances and replace the spark plugs but is time, and money, well spent.
A simple thing like removing and greasing the clutch lever can transform a bike; this GTR was no exception...
