Super cheap GT550 pistons on ebay any experience?

[Iron Spade Cycles]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUZUKI-GT550-ST ... es&vxp=mtr" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ok so I was just seeing what is still available and I must admit I hardly ever buy anything off Ebay having had a few bad experiences over the years. I'd much rather just dial up a shop and have them sell me the parts I need for the stated prices and be done with it, than bid and wait to see if some A-hole out bids me by a dollar at the last 3 seconds.

Have any of you guys had any experiences with this company or these pistons? $60 for a complete set seems like they might be cheap Chinese ashtray's or someone robbed a Japanese parts warehouse and is just trying to launder the goods. I fully understand that you get what you pay for and I'm not apposed to spending $350 for a set of quality pistons, but the pickings are getting slim and I'm looking at all my options including other Suzuki pistons.

Anyway thanks again for your help so far. Talk soon Travis

[oldjapanesebikes]

A number of us have used the cruzinimage pistons as well as other products. No issues so far (two GT750's and a GT500), but as with all things time will tell.

[Iron Spade Cycles]

Thank you for that. I did look at their other items and I might just have a go at it if my cylinders measure up ok. Thanks again. Later Travis

[ja-moo]

Remember, you get what you pay for..........

[oldjapanesebikes]

Remember, you get what you pay for..........

Quite true - although having had genuine parts fail also, I would say that the corollary is equally true. Sometimes you pay far too much for what you get !

[ctluba]

I have not used them but I did read a long thread somewhere, cant remember which forum. The guy was asking the same question as you and all the responses were the same, no problems reported.

[r3tro74]

So I decided to take a chance on these. I ordered from ebay 3/9/12 and they arrived today (sooner than I expected). They look like a quality part. I wont have time to install for a few weeks but initial comparison and measurements between the originals and these looks good. The rings are the same keystone style. some differences noted are the circlips are a different style, there are holes drilled in one side of the skirt, the top of the piston has an indent in it, the pin outside diameter is the same but are a thicker material, and the ring gap locators are spaced further apart. I eyeballed the ring gap placement and it apperars that the ring gaps will still miss the ports.

[oldjapanesebikes]

Suzuki did change the gudgeon pin wall thickness - the ones you buy now are the thick style. I wrote a bit about it at this link.

[Iron Spade Cycles]

Sweet, thanks for that, I can feel better now about wasting $60. The holes in the skirt are a good thing and will help keep you piston from seizing the way it did. The piston pin thickness will add a bit of mass and might have a little effect on speed of acceleration, it might feel smoother on the pipe. It might be a negligable amount. I don't suppose you have a small scale you could weigh them and compare piston weights?Oh well its really not that be a deal. I saw a set of 1mm over pistons on Ebay for $300 just the other day. I'm holding off till I can locate an extra set of cylinders, sure enough a guy in San Antonio, about 3 hrs drive from me, listed 2 GT550's on Craigslist for $500 for both. I think I might take him up on them if they are there when I get back from my trip this next week. They are a 1972 and a 1975 model. Both are projects but look mostly complete. I'd most likely build two and part out one. Who knows, we'll see. Thanks again for these shots.

Later, Travis

[r3tro74]

Good queston about the weight. Here's a picture of the scale I have- not the greatest, but for comparison purposes, it should be close. They are a bit heavier. Compairing new to new, all new do weigh the same as eachother.

Stock piston, pin, rings = 200 grams
New Piston, pin, rings = 235 grams

[Iron Spade Cycles]

I wonder if the weight difference is just from the pin?

[r3tro74]

Original piston= 160 grams
Replacement= 175 grams
Once again.. the scale reads in 10 gram increments (and I can have to wink one eye to split the lines) so accuracy may be +/-

Maybee I should drill some more holes in the skirts to lighten them up.

[r3tro74]

It would be interesting to find out what the genuine Suzuki replacement piston assemblies weigh. If the pin is thicker, there may be some other differences between the replacements from Suzuki and the originals that came in the bike.

[Iron Spade Cycles]

I really wish Pro-X would just make a set for these bikes and be done with it. I have a set of Pro-X RZ-350 pistons on one of my RD350's that was built by John at Pro-Flo about 8 years ago just before he closed up shop, the bike has been an ongoing project for a while but that motor I know is going to scream. Oh well thanks for your help...

[Kettlelovre]

I'm in the process of installing Cruizinimage pistons to my GT750L (0.5mm over) and am wondering what size to bore the cylinders to. Should I stick with the 0.0018 to 0.0022 clearance as with the OEM pistons?