Hello!
This weekend I finally picked up my first bike, something local I had been eyeing since it looked to be in really decent condition, a 1980 GS550E with a little over 19K miles(30.5 KM).
A nice middle aged guy had owned it for the past 13 years, putting in WAY more love to it than one would think to it, wintered it up 4 years ago and hadn't ridden it since due to his kiddos getting older, sold it to me for a very reasonable price (at around a little more than a grand) for a bike that was very clean, and still cranked but didn't run.
After renting a U-haul sprinter van getting help from a friend, we got it loaded up in a way less sketchier way than any of us thought, and brought her home to get working on her.
After giving it a once over with my dad (who used to own sport bikes when he was my age) it looks like I got a really nice ride.
Pads, rotors, battery and tires were all fresh (for being 4 years old) since he replaced it all the last year he rode it. I do have a aftermarket front brake handle/rez, but included in the litany of extra parts that came with the bike is the original handle/tank that's seized up.
He told me over the years he had he tank properly coated since he was never able to find a decent condition one anywhere, and he repainted the bike from the factory black to Ford Highland green, and put on gold Suzuki badges to pair better with the green. He also took off the stock rear view mirrors as the aftermarket clutch handle wasn't left hand thread to it aways came loose from the wind, and put on smaller square mirrors on instead.
Other than that the bike is pretty much stock. original wheels, seat and turn signals, as well as the original gages.
I was able to get off the carbs with not much struggle, and over the weekend i slowly worked to get it all apart and cleaned up.
I had to get the bike out of the garage by Sunday night and back to my apartment, so I went with a Amazon carb rebuild kit as I needed new gaskets as well as new main jet filters and seats. the bike came with a a whole spare set of carbs (unracked) + misc. bits but didn't have all the parts i needed so I took what i could get with 2 day shipping.
After waiting all day for the amazon truck, i was able to get the new float bowls, main jet seats and gaskets in and the carb back on the bike (TIL its easier to get the carbs in when you take the airbox bolts off to let it move around, who would have thought?) and to me and my dads surprise, she started right up with a couple cranks!
Unfortunately, even after a disassembly and thorough cleaning, I am not getting fuel to cylinder 1, and inconsistent fuel to cyl 2. 3 and 4 are running fine, enough that the bike will idle and can be driven around which still made me happy.
It was unfortunately late at that point, so my dad rode the bike over to my apartment (i only have my TIPIC, and am not allowed to ride at night yet) but all in all both me and my dad already have really great thoughts about the bike. My dad described it as so comfy it was like riding a couch compared to his GSXR 1000 he rode around on back in the day, and thinks it will be a great bike for me to ride around town and to work on. '
Ill post up some pics of her when i get home, new to the forum to will have to figure out if i have to host the pics somewhere else.
This weekend I finally picked up my first bike, something local I had been eyeing since it looked to be in really decent condition, a 1980 GS550E with a little over 19K miles(30.5 KM).
A nice middle aged guy had owned it for the past 13 years, putting in WAY more love to it than one would think to it, wintered it up 4 years ago and hadn't ridden it since due to his kiddos getting older, sold it to me for a very reasonable price (at around a little more than a grand) for a bike that was very clean, and still cranked but didn't run.
After renting a U-haul sprinter van getting help from a friend, we got it loaded up in a way less sketchier way than any of us thought, and brought her home to get working on her.
After giving it a once over with my dad (who used to own sport bikes when he was my age) it looks like I got a really nice ride.
Pads, rotors, battery and tires were all fresh (for being 4 years old) since he replaced it all the last year he rode it. I do have a aftermarket front brake handle/rez, but included in the litany of extra parts that came with the bike is the original handle/tank that's seized up.
He told me over the years he had he tank properly coated since he was never able to find a decent condition one anywhere, and he repainted the bike from the factory black to Ford Highland green, and put on gold Suzuki badges to pair better with the green. He also took off the stock rear view mirrors as the aftermarket clutch handle wasn't left hand thread to it aways came loose from the wind, and put on smaller square mirrors on instead.
Other than that the bike is pretty much stock. original wheels, seat and turn signals, as well as the original gages.
I was able to get off the carbs with not much struggle, and over the weekend i slowly worked to get it all apart and cleaned up.
I had to get the bike out of the garage by Sunday night and back to my apartment, so I went with a Amazon carb rebuild kit as I needed new gaskets as well as new main jet filters and seats. the bike came with a a whole spare set of carbs (unracked) + misc. bits but didn't have all the parts i needed so I took what i could get with 2 day shipping.
After waiting all day for the amazon truck, i was able to get the new float bowls, main jet seats and gaskets in and the carb back on the bike (TIL its easier to get the carbs in when you take the airbox bolts off to let it move around, who would have thought?) and to me and my dads surprise, she started right up with a couple cranks!
Unfortunately, even after a disassembly and thorough cleaning, I am not getting fuel to cylinder 1, and inconsistent fuel to cyl 2. 3 and 4 are running fine, enough that the bike will idle and can be driven around which still made me happy.
It was unfortunately late at that point, so my dad rode the bike over to my apartment (i only have my TIPIC, and am not allowed to ride at night yet) but all in all both me and my dad already have really great thoughts about the bike. My dad described it as so comfy it was like riding a couch compared to his GSXR 1000 he rode around on back in the day, and thinks it will be a great bike for me to ride around town and to work on. '
Ill post up some pics of her when i get home, new to the forum to will have to figure out if i have to host the pics somewhere else.
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