Page last modified: 09/03/08

Coming home

By Jim Thacker
jimthacker@hotmail.com

I am the proud owner of my fifth bike and second GS-1000E.  I got my first (a '78) in 1979 and rode it for four years and 82k miles with no crashes and no major repairs.  The experience was unforgettable. Soon after my second child was born my wife talked me out of riding, for all the usual reasons.  She didn’t want to be a widow with two kids.  Although I did as she asked, I never felt the same.   Even though I rode it every day for basic transportation, I still rode my GS for pleasure, solitude, and stress relief on the weekends and vacations.

I never got over the need to ride.  Thirteen years later I began quietly looking for another bike.  Living in a small beach community in central California there didn't seem to be anything worth buying.

Two years ago I turned down a 79 GS850G and kept looking, reading the classifieds and calling dealers.  A year ago Success!  Two, (yes two) friends called me and told me to look in the regional throwaway classifieds.  There it was a "running" GS1000E for sale only 50 miles away, at a price I could afford.

I called my wife at work at around 2:00 in the afternoon and her response was the same as it had been again and again, "over my dead body".  To my surprise by dinner she had changed her mind.  The next day I grabbed my helmet and gloves (I saved them for thirteen years!) and she drove me 50 miles to "look at" the machine.

It was a sorry sight.  I had been outside for awhile.  It did run though, sorta.  Obviously it hadn’t been well cared for by it’s current owner.

After a quick "test ride" (almost no brakes) we dickered and I made an offer, too high! (he said yes way to quick).  No problem.  He had a little cafe Yamaha in the driveway and he was afraid of the Zuk.  He couldn’t get into riding it, to heavy he said.  Heck, the pegs had never touched pavement!  I jumped on and my wife followed me home.  On the way it only took 10 miles or so before ratty or not, the bike felt like home.

Getting it back to my garage I found It was in better shape than I expected.  It was mostly all there.  A tight motor (28,000 miles), and good clutch.  A new Kerker 4-1, Mikuni Smooth Bores new K&N's and a GSX1150 ignition added up to a good buy.  However it barely ran, due to the poor quality of work done installing the accessories and a  ratty "kid" tune.  The electric’s were cobbled up and the tires were badly cracked (from age!) not wear, but it ran.

It took me six months or so to get my bike sorted out.  New forks and springs a 18" rear rim from a GS-750,   Superbike bars, new Dunlop rubber, carbs jetted, new Diehard, used rotors (front and rear) and stainless brake lines, a lot of clean up, and a little paint.  I even found more Performance parts inside (big pistons and GSXR cams). 

I couldn’t be more pleased.  I’ve been riding as much as I can, and it’s great.  I don’t go as fast, or scratch as much as I did twenty year ago but just climbing on makes me feel 20 years younger.  Carving a corner on one of our local back roads is... well you know.  This summer (‘98) I heading for both the Sierra’s and the Rockies. Care to join me?

If you'd like to ride, or talk, e-mail me I check daily.  If you're in the San Luis Obispo area stop by, the coffee’s on.