Suzuki Parts - on back order from Japan for 6 weeks!??

[Anonymous]

I've posted here several times with questions about my bike, and have found everyone's answers to be both friendly and often useful. As it turns out, this is part question, part rant, but please excuse the rant.

My bike is an 81 GS650GL (shafty-low rider). The transmission shaft/'lay shaft" inside the case is a two piece shaft. Last fall it became at least a three piece shaft. The old girl has been in the shop for 6 weeks now, waiting for a seal that has to be replaced in the re-assembly process. My mechanic was so booked up, I had to wait a month just to get my bike INTO the shop. Now he tells me that the necessary part is on back order from Suzuki, apparently straight from Japan!

He said he could rebuild it with the original seal, but (a) it would probably leak, and (b) the new part would arrive just as he finished the job, which means another tear-down and re-build (on his dime, not mine) (apparently, Murphy deals with motorcycles too :roll: )

Considering I can order sushi from the land of the rising sun and get it couriered here fresh enough to eat, what the heck takes a part six weeks?

I've been tearing my hair out in frustration all spring and summer watching everyone (but me) enjoy their bikes during the warm but brief Canadian summer (I've seen snow up here in August.) I'm going to try to get the PN from him and see if I can dig up a NOS part somewhere in Canada or the USA because at the rate this is going, I'm going to use my snow shovel before I use my bike this year.

I know that Suzuki hasn't made any money off of me yet, but if this is their turn around time for parts, the V-Strom I've been eyeballing at the local dealer just got two strikes against it.

Bikeless in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

[Anonymous]

Don't feel too bad - I've got some parts that are probably on the same boat as yours. When I get them I can make some more progress. Without them, I wait.

[focus frenzy]

take the old seal to a good independent auto parts dealer and see if they can cross reference it and get or have the seal.
I had my secondary gearbox output seal fail, (probably the same seal you are waiting on) and the dealer said he would have to order it, I took the old seal to a very good independent car parts store and the guy looked at it real good and then disappeared into the parts room and came back in a few minutes with the exact seal I needed, he didn't even have to look it up!! and the price was a fraction of what the dealer quoted me.

for bearings and seals I don't even bother with the dealer anymore.

[Hap Call]

take the old seal to a good independent auto parts dealer and see if they can cross reference it and get or have the seal.
I had my secondary gearbox output seal fail, (probably the same seal you are waiting on) and the dealer said he would have to order it, I took the old seal to a very good independent car parts store and the guy looked at it real good and then disappeared into the parts room and came back in a few minutes with the exact seal I needed, he didn't even have to look it up!! and the price was a fraction of what the dealer quoted me.

for bearings and seals I don't even bother with the dealer anymore.

I have done that with every bearing and seal that is on my bike...lots faster and lots cheaper. I once bought 7 swingarm bearings for what the Suzuki dealer wanted for two bearings. I had to buy a $50 minimum to get them but it was still cheaper than buying just two from the dealer.

Hap