A Student Budget Bike

[Guest]

Hello all
This is a thread to cronical, or at least recap how I got my first bike, and managed to pay for it all. If nothing else it should serve as a good way for everyone to get to make fun of me. At best I should hope this might help other young riders who want to ride, but may not understand how to go about it, or might be unsure of what they are getting into. Feel free your own lessons from when you began, I'm sure you will all eventually understand the scope and gist of this thread.

I am a university student, attending McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario, Canada. My Major is Mechanical Engineering, with a minor in Business Management. My Focus is Design and Manufacturing. I have never had a particularly well paying job, and I pay for everything concerning my motorcycle on my own. I rent a room in a student house, and I owe a lot of thanks to the members of this community.

Step one, Want One REALLY Badly.
Motorcycling started, for me, with a huge thirst to have what every teenage boy dreams of. While this point seems redundant, I state it now because if you are going to try to get a bike on a budget, you had better be motivated. It is easy to put a lot of money into getting a bike and learning to ride, but it is hard to recover it.

I guess where i will start is when i first found they GS(x) I would later buy. The bike was obviously barn fresh, (12 years in a cow barn) and looked TERRIBLE. I think this would be about standard for a first bike. A fixerupper that you can save some dough on by doing the work your self. A friend drove me down to farm where it was for sale and we had a look. I really didn't have much of a clue as to what I should look for, but I had done some research on the web, and with my engineering back ground, sort of figured out how to inspect the bike. I should state that most of what I looked for was dependant on what I believed I could either fix on my own, or have repaired/replaced for cheap. The important things I looked for:
Engine - Had to run, at least some what. I had no idea how to rebuild an engine, nore the space even if I did.
Parts: All the parts needed to make the bike certifiable, and ridable had to be there. missing a brake, or part of the charging system was not an option, because finding parts CAN be a real pain. Parts such as brake pads, tires, battery, and light bulbs are exempt from this, they are easy to replace.
Frame condition: I basicly eyeballed this one, but try to make sure the bike isn't tweeked.


More will follow, when i have time to write.. exams ya know.

[Roostabunny]

Lookin' forward to the story, Bentrod. I'm no student (not for a few years anyway), but I'm definitely on a tight budget with this bike.

Good luck with finals!

[BentRod]

Part 2.. WHAT HAVE I DONE?
ok. so now I've handed over, recluctantly, a fist-full of 20$ bills, and this decrepid looking suzuki is mine now... and I'm really not so sure that this is a great idea anymore. It is about 8 pm on a late November night, and by some strange decision, probably one right up there with the decision to learn how to unicycle, I have purchaced what is essencially a broken motorcycle, that cannot be legally used. Now what?

Well, first things first, does she still start? suprise suprise... no. RATS!
I figured right off that I had some how been tricked, and started searching for the number of the guy how moments ago had been in my driveway with a grin on his face, counting a fist-full of 20s. My buddy calmed me down, and after some trying, we got the thing started... kinda.
The thing was shooting white-ish grey smoke from one side, and the exhaust was greasing up the side of my neighbour's (yes, I'm Canadian) house. Yikes.
It's getting dark, but now that the excitement has decayed into skepticism I am starting to notice things on and about the bike that i did not see before, such as the bent handle bars and the lopsided foot pegs. These faults and others piled and piled on what i had already known was wrong with the bike when I decided to fork over half a grand for it. The inside of the tank was rusted and textured like rough sand paper. The stearing head bearings were loose, and the paint was just disgusting. Looked like the PO had, well... it looked like a foggy-white splatter all over the top of the tank.
The front forks were leaking dark brown oil, and the bike only had one working brake.. the rear. That was the major stuff, in addition to the major use of twist-ties and shot tires.. Ya.. what a buy eh?

Yet, some how, for some reason.. I felt kinda proud. May be it was because this was my first vehicle, a taste of freedom, and the ultimate symbol of the young male mind set. Or may be it was because I had not told my parents, and I knew my mom was going to kill me.... either way, it was just awesome

[Ironriot]

Ha your and my story are sounding oddly familiar

[AOD]

Superbike bars...worth the investment!

[BentRod]

Step three: The Morning After, aka 'I hope I didn't do anything stupid last night'

I most cases a good nights rest will clear your mind and help you think strait. Looking back, a good nights rest was probably what I really needed, but I was 19 years old, in second year mechanical engineering and I had midterm exams to study for. So the next morning I got up and, upon seeing this suzuki, a 1981 gsx400L parked out back, I got a happy sort of grin on my face, and a feeling inside i can only describe as very much like the one you would get waking up naked next to someone whose name you don't remember, and deciding that your not too bad off, cause she could have been a lot uglier.
Before I went to class that day, I attempted to start her up, but to no avail. After trying again and again, playing with the throttle and checking the spark plug connections she still wouldn't run. Thus began my glorious night mare. Kind of like when mystery girl in your bed roles over and says "Lets do breakfast with my parents." YIKES! I was stuck with this pile, with no real idea of how to make everything work.

This also leads to how my bike got it's name, Lola. No, my bike is not a cross-dresser. There is a German movie that was playing in the Engineering lounge that day called "Run Lola, Run". Needless to say, it seemed to fit.

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I guess at this point I should really sum up for you just how much I don't know. For those of you looking to get your first bike, pay attention, there is hope. For as little as you may know now, there is lots you can learn to do very easily with the help of this forum and the wonderful members there of.
I had never: touched a wiring harness before in my life. The last time I did electrical, I had decided to take apart a 25" TV. This ended about as badly as it could have possibly been. Inside was a capacitor about the size of a small football.......
...
...
...
When I regained control of my limbs and bladder, I decided that electrical work really wasn’t my calling.
Prior to my bike, I had never worked on an engine larger that a lawn mower, and I still wouldn’t call what I do ‘Welding’ (I believe the term ‘hit and miss’ was used to describe the extent of my ability). I had never painted anything other than with a 3inch brush and a roller, and worst of all I had little to no idea of how to ride a motorcycle. I was told when I started thinking about getting into motorcycling (and I still stand by this as a pretty good description) that riding a motorcycle is like riding a bicycle and playing the drums at the same time.
----
So I started with what I knew… hmm, well I knew how to take things apart! So I took apart the steering head, to find it really only needed to be cleaned a little and then tightened.
Next I decided to fix the front brake. I was still going it alone at this point, and had not yet discovered the GSR. I got the piston out of the caliper using a C-clamp and the master cylinder. I completely destroyed the piston boot in the process (some of you may remember me asking if this part was really necessary in one of my first posts). The piston and caliper were covered in oxide, heavily pitting the piston. Being short on cash, I decided to try and salvage the piston… my solution started as all great solutions should, with a beer!
Hahaha right? No. the beer bottle cap is made of tin, or some other soft metal. The piston is machined steel. After 3 hours of picking and scraping I had all the rust off, and not a single scratch on the piston. Finally I could have a good look to see if the front caliper and piston were still usable. I decided I was feeling lucky. Sort of like deciding breakfast with her parents might be a good idea after all, because they had offered to pay.
I’m going to leave out how I fixed the rest of that front brake. I did a post some time ago about how I recurred the pads, but this seemed to disturb some people, and I should make note here that what I did was only after a lot of research, and because I am educated in material properties.

[IDGS]

[quote=BentRod;737021]I had never: touched a wiring harness before in my life. The last time I did electrical, I had decided to take apart a 25" TV. This ended about as badly as it could have possibly been. Inside was a capacitor about the size of a small football.......
...
...
...
When I regained control of my limbs and bladder, I decided that electrical work really wasn’t my calling.

I laughed out loud at work when I read that! Paints a not so pretty picture!

[BentRod]

especially when:
a) Urine is conductive
b) you are in your driveway..
c) it is 4pm on a tuesday.

[Smokinapankake]

Good times all. Looking forward to the next installment!!

[USMC_SGT]

Wow the having breakfast with her parents after you just met her struck a cord here. But i married her. Plus she likes the bike so double yippy.

[earlfor]

Hmmmm, visions of, "and there I was, doing the dance of convulsions in my driveway with 40,000 volts running through Big Johnson", is hilarious. But then, I may have an abnormal sense of humor. :-)

Earl

especially when:
a) Urine is conductive
b) you are in your driveway..
c) it is 4pm on a tuesday.

[BentRod]

step four

first off.. hahaha, glad to hear everyone is enjoying this. I got to say, sometimes that learning curve is so steep, it might as well be a wall.

Step FOUR! New Friends and The Meaning of Futility

Having now purchased this beautiful heap and getting my head around the task in front of me, I more or less started to look for 2 things after getting through my December exams: 1) People, friends, resources to help me make everything work, 2) excuses I could use to justify all the money I've spent when it doesn't.
I had been on the GSR for a little over a month, and I can honestly say that then as now, the knowledge generosity and unwavering love for this motorcycle presented by the members of this site, this community, astounds and inspires me. It is impossible for me to possibly name everyone who helped, but I hope you all know who you are. Names that I seem to remember include Tom MLC, who in addition to being one of the craftsmen and restoration artists on this site, is also a rather generous soul. I recall receiving a set of handle bars (4in draw, 4in rise) just in time for my birthday to replace those ridiculous ape hangers. (which are up for grabs, if anyone wants them. They have a 10inch rise, 7 inch draw or so. Right side is slightly bent, chrome is fantastic. Just send me the shipping costs)
Chris F, known on this site as OldSchoolOrange, has been a savior and teacher, and is easily one of the most generous people I have ever had the honour to call my friend.
As amazing as these people are, I must say they are in good company with the many other fine people here. I need to thank you to all those who took the time to tell me how to ride safer and smarter, informing me about riding gear and saving my skin. Lord knows I would be bad shape if not for their advice.
But enough nostalgia, back to the cream of the crap, aka Lola.
My priority for the bike, right from the start was to get it and me on the road. May be it would be barely able to keep up with traffic, may be it would look terrible, but I just wanted to have and ride a motorcycle, cheep. I suppose the next project was the front forks. They had to be taken apart, cleaned, and new fluid put in. At the time I really didn’t know that the seals needed to be replaced, and I thought they were fine. In fact, I even pulled my fork seals out, thought they looked ok, and PUT THEM BACK. Clever me eh? The one thing I did do well was the fork oil. Now, most of you wouldn’t think twice about this. Fork oil, you buy it in a bottle, you pour it into your folks. BUT, when ever penny counts… you make your own. Instead of going out a blowing my coin on Motul, or Lucas, or other fork oils, I looked at my viscosity charts and Specific Gravity tables, and mixed up a concoction of sorts. A some ATF, a little 10W40, and a lot of hydraulic fluid makes for a fork oil with a high content of anti-wear additives. The foaming was not as good as I would have liked, but it will do. Total cost was about 12$ for over a gallon.
The other part I spent a good amount time on was the front brake rotor. I only have one and it did not look good. There was pitting in it and a lip was forming. So I took this rotor home to my father’s shop to turn it on the lathe. Here is what I learned.

Don’t try to turn an 11inch rotor on a 10 inch lathe. Oops… 3 hours, 2 fine bastard files and some sand paper later, I finally had that problem rectified.

So, I think I’m set. My engine runs, the lights work, my suspension SHOULD be good. All I need is a new rear tire, and I can have that done when I get the bike certified… I’m good to go.. NOPE!

For one, it is January now, and my bike is in 3 feet of snow. I don’t have access to a pickup truck, I have no idea where to get the bike safetied, and I don’t have a license yet anyways.
So I go to work on getting my license. I get my learner’s, I get all the gear, and I sign up for the course in the spring..
Time passes..
…
Slowly…
…
Still passing…
…
The engine stops working…
…
I find out I need to get all the rust out of the tank…
…
Fork starts leaking oil…
…
CRUD!!!! Lucky I got tools for Christmas. So much for being ready to ride in the spring, I was stuck! The real life savers were Chris, and a cousin of mine from out west. My cousin told me how to go about derusting the tank, and Chris showed me just about everything else. After 2 months of work we finally got the tank cleaned and REPAINTED (sweet eh?), the carbs were cleaned, and I had a new tire on the back. All ready to go… and that was about then I dropped the bike on its side. Actually, it didn’t make it all the way over. The bike was almost on the ground, when my neighbour’s house stopped it. Good bye right hand mirror. It was also about this time I noticed the forks were still leaking. So it was off to the shop for new mirrors (Found some old Kat mirrors) and fork seals, and a call to Chris to figure out what the hell to do with the forks. Once I had the mirror in, and Chris was done laughing at me and had put the new fork seals in, was I ready to go? NO! battery died.
Time to buy battery charger. Funny though, the battery never died in the winter, and I in no way looked after it. But I’m not really all that lucky, so this is by no means the end of my troubles. About then the carbs clogged up again and I realized I don’t have an ail filter in the air box! Instead I found an oily gym sock! D@mn, time to call Chris again… and once he stopped laughing at me… I took his carbs!
I should explain that…
Chris and I met when I bought a couple parts from him in early spring, and not long after he found that his gs400 was having electrical problems, and so asked if he could use my bike to test each component. I guess he was hunting down parts when he found an 89 gs500 engine, and implanted it in the 400 frame. So he had a spare, almost fully dressed, gs400 engine, and I traded carbs with him. Lucky for me, his carbs came with UNI pod filters, jetted, and most importantly, WORKING! They also came with progressive fork springs, which is always nice.
So; engine works, new rear tire, battery is fully charged, tank has been cleaned and cleaned and cleaned, forks no longer leak, I have fully functional brakes, I think I’m about ready to go.. no?
Again, I spoke to soon. The front tire was cracking in the groves of the tread, and needed to be replaced.. GAAHHH!!!
For those of you who also bought barn fresh bikes, you know how I felt. I was ready to paint this POS bike poo brown and use the parts to motorize a sofa. For those of you who are just getting into this and think you have everything under control… good luck. Believe me, you WILL replace just about everything on your bike, it is only a matter of time. By now I’m ready to throw about as much money as I have at this bike to get it certed and on the road..
So new front tire… I even got a new throttle cable because the plastic was cracked on mine. New plugs, cleaned, and off to the shop for safety. We got it in the truck… We got it there..
…
…
…
…
THE BIKE PASSES SAFETY…. JUST!
Oh baby was I happy. I had just gotten my M2 license. I got the bike home, Got on the gear… ready to go! And then the tail light bulb burned out… But that is a whole other mess I will leave till next time.

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Quick edit, for the sake of the reader and not that i recommend this, but it might be interesting to some. During the ENTIRE duration of my bikes restoration, from purchace till the end of last summer, I kept a 20lbs sledge hammer near by. Usually only a few feet off. It and a 16inch wreching bar were my fix all. When ever i got mad, I would use the wrecking bar to purswade my bike into cooperating. If that didn't work, I had the hammer for intimidation.

[p_s]

Awesome. I'm waiting for the post where you use used 10W40 from an oil change shop.

[BentRod]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
just woke up my house mates laughing at that one....
ah boy. actually, for a while i was using just regular 10w40 oil, not even the cheap canadian tire motorcycle formula stuff.. (Which i have been using lately.. switching to decent stuff soon)

Actually, while working with Chris, he did ask me if I had any clutch grease, or head light fluid... no, he didn't get me..
Although getting someone to go to a parts counter and ask for a 'Long Stand', i thought was pretty ammusing.

[Flying Merkel]

My first bike was an '82 GS450. One of the few smart bike purchases I've ever made. Paid $800.00 for it in 1985. Read the owner's manual & wobbled out into traffic. Never looked back. I should have kept it longer than I did.

My current ride is a 1980 GS1000G. It's had its share of fix it troubles. I truly believe I've got it fixed. It's taken me to Vegas, Monterey, & Napa from my Socal home.

Motorcycling has cost me more $$$$, time, pain, & frustration than any other thing in my life.

But, I've been more places, experienced more of life, & met some of my closest friends because of it. The shear joy of two-wheeled motorized transport has literally been a lifesaver. My $400.00 XL250 gave me more joy than all the cars that ever filled my driveway.

Every busted knuckle & depleted paycheck has been worth it.

Nothing else has come close to it in terms of shear satisfaction