I found this bike in a garage in Modesto, CA last summer, where she had been virtually neglected for many years.  She had only 13,500 miles on her, but clearly needed someone to give her a little TLC.  With the help of some great folks here on the GSR, she has been a work in progress ever since. 

The battery was dead, and the PO had hooked up a hot wire to make it easier to charge.  With the help of the Stator Papers I was able to find that the red wire from the fuse block to the battery was fried.  After the fix, all voltage readings were nominal and I knew I had a winner.  Since then, the GSR has been a priceless source for my restoration project.  Polished engine covers from Rob (KATMAN), oil pressure gauge from Bruce (RENOBRUCE) and oil cooler adapter from Terry (from Melbourne).  Plus loads of advice and support from many others.  I guess you could say this bike owes it life to the GSR.

The paint job is the only real departure from a stock GS1100E.  I went off color, but I wanted to retain a semblance of a Suzuki pinstripe pattern.  I think this pattern resembles the 1981 scheme, but I like it better than the original.  I had a local shop do the paint job over the winter.  Also over the winter the original seat was rehabilitated with a little extra padding, and a tuck and roll.

What you see is a bike that is about 80% restored.  In this picture she is "dressed" for the Western States GSR Rally, where she performed wonderfully.  If you look closely, she is proudly displaying her GSR window cling.  I am continually looking for the few parts she needs to complete the restoration.  We both owe a big "thank you" to everyone that helped us out.
 

Sincerely,

Tom Murphy