I need a complete gasket set. Which brands and sources should I look for?

[Guest]

And which to avoid?

1982 GS1100GL. I will need it all before I am done. I might as well reseal the whole shebang while I have the engine out of the frame and the head and cylinders off the crankcase.

 

[cowboyup3371]

Actually, you are better off getting all of them from Suzuki. Yes, some are expensive but you won't have the problems many others who don't do so have...unless you like spending money twice for the same thing

 

[Guest]

...unless you like spending money twice for the same thing

That's actually my favorite thing. What is the best way to buy Suzuki original parts? Do I have to find a dealer?

 

[Grimly]

Last set I bought was made by NE in Europe (or Poland, not sure). I used a NOS OEM base gasket and took a chance on the NE set's conents for the Cyl Head and cam cover gaskets. So far, seems ok, but time will tell. The rest of the side cover gaskets seemed fine, but I haven't used them.
I was determined to avoid Athena, given the horrorshow that resulted in Nessism's bike.

This is Cruzinimage's offering for the GS1100s - you pays your money and takes yer chances. I don't know if they're Athena or not.
The base gasket looks suspiciously Athena-like, but then again OEM gasket I used was greenish, too.
https://www.cruzinimage.net/2017/12/06/82-83-suzuki-gs1100-gsx1100-katana-engine-gasket-set/

 

[Steve]

What is the best way to buy Suzuki original parts? Do I have to find a dealer?

Yeah, the best way is through Suzuki. You may find bits and pieces from vendors on eBay, but why not get them all from one source?

One of the forum favorite vendors is Parts Outlaw. I don't see a full kit in the parts fiche, but we'll be happy to provide you with a list of what you need. Keep in mind that there are several gaskets that are good to replace that are not included in even the most "complete" kit from other manufacturers.

Bonus time: they still have their $4.99 flat-rate shipping special going on (usually $9.99).

Be aware that it will take about two weeks for your order to arrive. When you place your order, Parts Outlaw has to place an order with the warehouse(s), who then ship the parts to Parts Outlaw (along with all the other orders they have placed). P.O. then has to separate your parts, re-pack them and ship them to you, so allow about two weeks for the whole process.

 

[alke46]

What is the best way to buy Suzuki original parts? Do I have to find a dealer?

www.partsfish.com works for OEM parts.

 

[bwringer]

Suzuki OEM gaskets are the only way to fly, period, end of sentence. The aftermarket stuff is garbage.

For the "big" gaskets, head gasket and valve cover, I look up the Suzuki part number and haunt fleaBay. I don't know where they came from or where they get them, but there are a few reputable sellers offering genuine Suzuki gaskets at a steep discount over dealer prices.

For most stuff where there's not much price difference relative to the effort, I buy from the online arm of a local dealer. This is the one near me in Indy, and they ship nationwide. I enjoy picking up my goodies in person so I can slobber on the new bikes and gear a little.
https://www.onlinecycleparts.com/oemparts/c/suzuki_motorcycle/parts

If you poke around a little locally, you might find a similar setup, where a dealer has set up an online shoppe selling parts at a discount. And there are several around the country that people here have had good results from.

If you call or visit and force the parts monkey to wake up and locate parts for you, you'll end up paying a lot more.

Be aware that NO dealer stocks ANY OEM parts. They all have to order from Suzuki warehouses, which takes about three business days, sometimes more, then they receive and re-ship your goodies from their location. So allow a couple of weeks before entering Hulk mode. And be understanding that sometimes stuff gets back-ordered, stuff happens, etc. A good dealer will keep you informed.



As an example, the head gasket at my source (part number 11141-49410) is $95:
https://www.onlinecycleparts.com/oemparts/a/suz/50d404a2f8700230d8b4edfc/cylinder-head

$70 shipped on fleaBay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-NOS-Genu...671934&hash=item340f82748e:g:WFYAAOSw52NdN5LQ

Make sure you're really getting OEM and not imitation "compatible" garbage. Look for a red Suzuki sticker.

 

[Guest]

All good information. Thank you all.

 

[Guest]

Thanks to Steve, I have a list of gaskets to purchase. Thank you!

 

[Brendan W]

Like Grimly, I bought the NE set when I did the head, base and stem seals in 2015. Still dry and good.
The main motivation was that the complete set was less than half the price of the OEM head gasket alone plus this is no showbike and I didn't know what horrors might be waiting inside.
So how did it go.
I had to open out the bolt holes in the headgasket with a file for a start. Not good.
The fire rings were not centred on the cylinders.
I built up the base gasket with aluminium paint because the surface on the crank case was gouged at some previous intervention. Not the gaskets fault.
A few of the stem seals tore on assembly. That may have been my inexperience, quite likely, so I had to buy another set anyway. Got them from Athena, went on good.
After 500 miles I retorqued, shortly after I checked again and found a full half turn.
Maybe I have gotten away with it but this data set has only one point in it.
It's hard to ignore people who clearly have a lot more experience with this job.