Tech Articles
Suzuki Model Year Codes and VIN
Have you ever wondered how you can identify the model year of a Suzuki motorcycle or ATV?
Suzuki assigns a year letter code to the end of each model name. Perhaps you’ve noticed this letter designation in your Suzuki repair manual or owners manual but weren’t sure what it meant.
Here’s how it works: If you own a 1999 Suzuki TL1000S X or a TL1000R X or a GSXR600X etc the X at the end tells us it was sold as a 1999 model year. The year of manufacture is not necessarily the model year. Usually around October the new models are released, so it’s possible to have a built date of say 10/98 and have an X (1999) model even though it was built in 1998.
You might notice that “I”, “O”, “Q”, “U” and “Z” are missing from the codes. The letters I, O & U cannot be used in a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) at all. The digit / number 0 and letters U & Z are not used in the year model code.
There is more VIN information here on a Wikipedia – Vehicle Identification Number page.
Sparkplug Cross Reference Charts
Deciphering Sparkplug numbers.
The following charts contain information about spark plugs and their selection. You can use them to cross reference different numbers by different manufacturers. The TLS uses CR8EK or CR9EK plugs as standard. My GSXR1000K3 uses CR9E as standard.
My Battery Tender CTEK XS-4003
I used to occasionally use my Projecta “Charge N’ Maintain” battery charger on the TLS when it hadn’t been used for a while. It only came will crocodile clips (AU) Alligator clips (US) and wasn’t a hassle with the TLS as it was a key lock to remove the seat.
The GSXR battery is nearly 8 years old now, so I’ve been looking after it lately (occasionally) but it’s a pain to remove the seat as it’s held on with cap head screws.
General Tyre / Tire Information
General Tyre / Tire Information
More information can be found on these wikipedia pages wiki/Motorcycle_tyres and wiki/Tire_code
Tyre / Tire size
Metric Sizing
I will only list the metric sizing as it is most applicable to sport bike wheels
190/50 17 means the tire is 190mm wide on a 17-inch rim with an aspect ratio of 50. This method is called “metric,” even though the rim size is in inches. The aspect ratio is the height of the side wall and it is a percentage of the width. i.e. 190/50 is 190mm wide and has a height of 95mm (190mm X 50%). A 190/55 tyre is 190mm wide with a height of 104.5mm (190mm X 55%).
Chain dimensions
Chain Sizing
Ever wondered what the difference is between a 530 and a 520 or 525 chain is?
The numbers used in chain sizing are all in 5/8ths on an inch. The first number is the pitch (the spacing between the pin centres) and the other two are for the width of the chain.
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