My Suzuki GSX-R 750 H, a complete history: 2015-2018 - Major life issues, GSX-R parked again, and rising above
I continued to ride into work, and hit the twisties into 2015. I reconnected with an old flame and also picked up two vintage pickup trucks to work on. Those along with the new relationship took up most of my time. I hardly rode from April 2015 to July 2017, when I was diagnosed with colon and rectal cancer. Luckily for me, it had not metastasized so there was hope, but it would be a long road to recovery. There were serious doubts as to if I would ever ride again due to the massive amount surgery and treatment involved.
Finally repairing that pesky, sporadic spark plug wire in June 2017 with an official Accel spark plug wire tool. My treatment started in late August of 2017 and ran through June 2018. Radiation, surgery (including sewing up my back side) and six-months of wicked chemo really had me reeling. Chemo was so intense that I lost all of the feeling in my hands and feet for a time due to nerve damage. As of October 2020, it still has not fully returned.
A crispy connector. During my chemo treatments I was wanting to do something as to not go crazy. I had pulled the side "slab" panel off the bike to give a friend some info on the Vance and Hines Powerpak. When I looked at the alternator connection, I realized that I was riding on borrowed time if I left it in that condition. Running the 100-watt Lockhart Phillips endurance roadracing headlights on the bright setting all those years overheated the connector with the massive current draw.
Removing the starter and alternator for cleaning and repair April, 2018. I went ahead and ordered a new connector cable for the alternator from Suzuki. The starter and alternator had not been removed since 2002 when I installed the '85 motor.
Looks like it's way overdue for a cleaning. 
New connector wire installed. With the new connector installed, here is some advice: 1. Had to use a hand impact driver to remove the smaller screw. It wanted to strip out almost immediately, just like the Mikuni carb bowl screws. 2. Needed an 80-watt chisel tip iron to desolder the wire. 30-watt iron didn't cut it. Had to take it slow in stages as to not generate too much heat and possibly damage other components. 3. The solder tab is crimped at the top. Needed to use desoldering braid to remove all of the solder first. Then, use rounded jewelers needle nose pliers to gently pry the tab open so the new wire would fit correctly. Finally, recrimp and resolder. Much cheaper than buying a new one.
New connector wires. After repairing the alternator, I chopped a good harness connector out of a spare loom, and soldered/heatshrinked it in place. Now I had good, solid connections on both sides. I also installed my original 87 750 starter. The one in the bike since '02 was always dragging and sometimes the Bendix drive would lock up resulting in me push-starting the bike. With the new starter in, what a difference. Just like new.
My reward for such a great job. Once the job was complete, everything worked fine. I still could not ride as I was healing from the surgery, going through chemo and on blood thinners due to a distal DVT in my leg. But, at least I did SOMETHING to the old girl. I still had three more months of chemo to go. My treatment finally ended in June 2018. With my new changed body and all of my issues, it was very doubtful I would ride again. |