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So .... What's it all about.

4K views 47 replies 10 participants last post by  rxf610 
#1 ·
My TLS is ready for its MOT and I'm still yet to ride it in anger. So far I've ridden it 500m to the gas station. It was a nervous couple minutes as it was essentially a mini shake down.

Next is the ride to the MOT centre where I know it'll pass but I'm unsure of how she's going to perform from a handling stand point. I still have the rotary damper and spring on a stick set up. I've removed the aftermarket steering damper for no other reason than it was not functioning efficiently ... I've serviced the device but am considering leaving it off. Is that wise?

So a fair bit of trepidation going on ... Is this the rude bucking bronco people say it is?

Gonna take it for a gentle spin then I'm going to rag it. Eeeek ... Can't wait.
 
#2 ·
the first time I rode my lads today was surprised how smooth the engine was and not as aggressive as I thought it might be! could do with another 1000 revs though! front end geos light when accelerating hard but had to whip it to get it to wheelie but I was impressed ! deceptively fast on real roads!! engine feels lazy but speedo says different! was following on my bike for a while and would say it seems faster than his 7r pulls harder low down would be an interesting comparison considering they are from the same era!!! maybe when we take them out together the truth will be told:devious gut feeling power geos to tlr handling to the 7r not to say the handling was bad (rotary damper fitted to his) cant believe the hype over that damper seemed fine but that said we weren't at full chat cornering as roads still greasy and will find out when they become better otherwise I was impressed !always a bike I wanted to ride since I had a mille !
certainly not the bad reputation it has been given !!!!
 
#4 ·
There's a good article about TL suspension in this month's Performance Bikes (see other related threads). Explains why it doesn't work and what you can do about it.
I'm looking forward to seeing the verdict once they finish the project.
 
#7 ·
It will be fine. Not the best it can be maybe but perfectly acceptable for tooling around on nice frozen, greasy, winter roads. There's enough still going with the rotary in place to prove they aren't an automatic death sentence.

Then, when you are ready you can get new, improved and lemon-scented!


:drool
 

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#8 ·
The R is better handling than the S, its the 97 S like I crashed that was named the widow maker. I have a spare standard steering damper if needed Tony.
 
#11 ·
Cheers, Adam, you have a nice way with words,lol.
 
#15 ·
Not much wrong with the standard suspension imho, works fine for normal riding/conditions. I've changed mine to a bitubo over the winter, yet to try it but it will be interesting to feel how different it is. Will post my findings for others to see:)

A friend of mine (ex club racer) always says to me - "you'll never outride the bike, unless you're a total bellend!"

Rich
 
#17 ·
You ain't pushing the Tls hard enough if it ain't trying to buck you off your ticklein the throttle give it full throttle in the tight corners & then the arse end should be letting slip mine does and I come back for more just wish I had bought the Tls a few years ago all the fun I've missed out on with owning one it's def on the keeps list with my other toys ride it hard if you dare lol
 
#18 ·
762fmj,

I am doing a rear end upgrade as we speak. Not a full mono upgrade, but dumping the rotary damper for a proper one. Someone in the past had snapped a bolt off in the frame and I didn't even have a front damper. The point of it all is I had the "worst" and most "dangerous" setup and I thought it handled very very well. Mine is the dreaded widow maker '97 TLS but I'll be fine... because I'm not married :laugh
 
#19 ·
Thanks rxf610

Again ... Encouraging to hear. I guess I have no doubt that the bikes handle ok ... they must do or Suzuki would have had the book thrown at them long ago.

I just tried mine on a very limited run and it was fine perhaps a bit wallowy at the rear and the front needs tweaking further. Just a little. I did discover an oil leak though. Coming from the two o clock position bolt on the clutch cover. Nothing drastic there though. The brakes really do need the new braided lines as they're a tad vague with the bike rolling under power. So couple of things to do over the weekend and it'll all be good.
 
#20 ·
Don't confuse the tlr rotary with the tls.
The tlr works to a fashion.
The tls does mine makes a great door stop.
If you are lucky enough to ride the same road every day. And if that road happens to be as smooth as a race track. Then it's just about ok.
But if you ride on typical uk crap roads it's a different matter.
There's lots of mods out there that are relatively cheap. And they show how good the bike could be.
But once you improve the rear it shows how poor the front is
 
#21 ·
Clutch covers are a bit of a problem when it comes to leaks. Being plastic they tend to warp. With a bit of luck you just need to tighten the bolts up. If you aren't lucky there are some fixes to be found in the archives. Otherwise there are billet options available or new OEM from Suzook. (They just went up in price a LOT though).
 
#22 ·
Rifleman has a thread in frequent mods section about how to try and fix it
the only other option is a billet alloy one. Like mine
 
#23 ·
Hmmm yet another quirk. I seem to remember reading something from The Ring Ding .... I think it was taking a smidge off of the strengthening inserts and shimming the bolts after liberally splashing gooey gasket sealant around the o ring. I'll go do my homework again and check it out
 
#24 ·
FMJ,

Not sure how well this would work, but it's an idea!!

You could get a known very flat surface (granite counter top?). Place a small light underneath ( 9V led? Small torch? Phone w/ torch on? My S3 could blind a man...) and look for light escaping in a dark room. Mark the "leak" locations and at least have an idea of the amount of warpage / leakage. The leaking of oil does not necessarily mean that is the bad location. If each side were equally warped next to it and that spot you were leaking from were actually flat, you would leak, but it wouldn't be your problem child.

Might just be a little high spot or burr you could clean up and mount flush.

If it were me, I would rob a little old lady and get a clear cover... :inlove

Worst case scenario, you would have a good idea of WHERE the cover were mishapen and it might help with deciding where to lather up the sealant goo.
 
#26 ·
If it's an original 97 cover and it's leaking . that test will not reveal the problem. The problem is the dowels are too long stopping it from tightening down correctly. Numerous previous owners will have tried to tighten it down and probably distorted the cover
 
#27 · (Edited)
.... If it's an original 97 cover and it's leaking .....
I suspect that it is however it's in remarkably good condition. No sign of any wear and tear ... considering how bad the rest of the bike was I'm kinda surprised. Anyway, that's irrelevant ... it leaks and it needs fixing. You are absolutely correct the dowels will be the answer. Looks like another fluid drop ... or is it. Thanks for the input ... everything is well appreciated.
 
#28 ·
On side stand you can take the cover off
 
#30 ·
adding in two things.

1. place a 2x4 under the rear tire so no oil comes out at all. What exactly does one call a 2x4 in the UK??

2. if it is a 97 cover. bin it. all other year covers fit and Suzuki redesigned them because they sucked.
 
#32 ·
Fellas .... if I do the corrective action on my clutch cover I'll need to buy a new o ring. There are two listed ... one for the V and one for everything else. Are they really different? I'm surprised that they even might be.
 
#34 ·
Try a good auto parts store with the Dorman bins.

McMaster Carr will ship same day. But theirs is 100mm long, not full-threaded in fine pitch, I think the first 32mm are unthreaded. And you have to buy 5 for the same price as 1 from Motion-Pro. Part 96144A259 it might work?
 
#37 ·
I think the tang. Was move to a higher point. It probably mentioned the difference in that thread. And that'll be the difference in the gaskets
 
#38 ·
CC,

Thanks for the parts heads up! Are you sure the 32mm doesn't refer to the thread length and not the unthreaded length? I bought a similar bolt to the one listed (not from McMaster). It has.... 32mm of thread... There bolt says it ships in 2 weeks! I might just drill out the subframe and call it a day. Heck I can get a new one for $30. I have spent more chasing the bolt to not have to drill it out than if I had just drilled it and never looked back. I mean seriously, am I ever going to put the rotary damper BACK ON? This way, I could have the rear suspension done by tonight. Then I could check my chain tension finally and find out my clutch spring situation for a Sam welded clutch. :devious




FMJ,

Best... Pun... EVER!

If this whole clutch cover thing doesn't work, you have a job in quick witted comedy. I pride myself on being fast on the draw, but I feel like the guy that gets lapped then comes up on a racer thinking he has a chance. :hail
 
#44 ·
The subframe mount needs drilling anyway. Either a 10mm waggled around. Bodge
or 11mm to open it up so the thread of an m10 bolt will go through
 
#39 ·
Got me? You could certainly be correct. They also have shorter bolts threaded all the way. I don't know exactly what length is really needed to break the flywheel free, as you obviously don't need to press it off all the way. It may also be possible to do something like put in a large steel ball then use the screw. I really can't remember the real requirements. Oh well, McMaster-Carr is still a decent resource in the US for more common metric bolts.

As far as the '97 clutch covers, they all failed quickly whenever people converted to aftermarket allen socket-head cap screws from sets put together by various vendors. The stock screws have a larger flange under their heads, which pushed against the plastic and not primarily just the sleeve. So some '97 covers have worked for many years, and never broke the sleeves free. However, if you want to be able to tighten the bolts or open your clutch cover frequently, I strongly recommend NOT repairing the '97 cover and just get ANY other cover. The others all have a larger channel for the new o-ring with the larger cross-section and relocated tang, and of course the shouldered sleeves. Just throw out the '97 cover, oil leaking onto your tire is just way too dangerous to treat with half-measures! It's really unconscionable that Suzuki didn't recall all the '97 covers and replace them with the safer revised cover. We could have forced the recall years ago via the DOT/NHTSA, but by then most everyone had already replaced their '97 covers and that was an easy fix as such things to, fully compatible with the early engines.
 
#40 ·
My bolt is for the bracket for my rear damper conversion. I was looking for about half and half thread. The smooth shank for inside of the eye of the top damper mount, then threaded to grab the inner subframe threads. Drilling out the threads will allow me to use that bolt I pictured as others have done. I honestly don't care about keeping that threading because I will never go back to the rotary damper, so it's a moot point for me. I should be able to mock it in before the end of the weekend. I will pop a few new pictures on my thread.
 
#46 ·
Lol.
that's not mine.
Just one of the collection of damper pics I've got
current set up


 
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