1981 GS450E Rebuild

[Agemax]

i am sure they are 10mm threads, find a nut that fits the mirror thread then find a tap that fits the nut. voila, thats your thread size

[pete]

i am sure they are 10mm threads, find a nut that fits the mirror thread then find a tap that fits the nut. voila, thats your thread size

Yep, 10mm sounds right. Only catch is a helicoil kit costs me $50... sure I can find a set of mirrors cheaper than that off eBay or something... we'll see...

[Agemax]

thought you had some helicoils? anywhere close like mates or machine shop that can do you one?

[pete]

thought you had some helicoils? anywhere close like mates or machine shop that can do you one?

Errr yeah... first coffee, eyes only half open

Not sure if I have the right size helicoils is what I should've said, will need to check next time I'm in the garage (hopefully tonight).

[rlong74]

Looking real good Pete. Can't wait to see the finished product.

[pete]

Looking real good Pete. Can't wait to see the finished product.

Cheers! Me neither Gotta get a move on actually, I wanna be riding by the end of the year, so 5 months left max I hope...

[Flaming Chainsaws]

That exhaust looks great! They're bent perfectly and I see no welds anywhere!

I want to hear it.

[mike-s]

i have agree, looking very nice indeed. You've set the bar very high, so expecting big things from you on this build :-D

[Ricko19]

Pete, let me know if you decide to ditch the original mirrors in favour of bar ends. I'm chasing a pair of original long stalk ones for my old girl.

[pete]

That exhaust looks great! They're bent perfectly and I see no welds anywhere!

I want to hear it.

Cheers FC! Yep, definitely a quality piece of art there... there are definitely welds there, but cleverly hidden behind the heat shield and that reverse megaphone is on very neatly... very happy with the job!

Don't worry, I wanna hear it too!!! Frustrating but I'm going to have to wait until the 13th (of August!!) to kick her over again as life will be getting in my way between now and then...

Video will be taken...

i have agree, looking very nice indeed. You've set the bar very high, so expecting big things from you on this build :-D

Cheers Mike, although I have a feeling my handiwork may let the team down before this is over... I don't know if I can paint as good as Tranzac can bend and weld... but here's hoping it's at least passable up to about 5 feet away so photos don't show how bad it is... hahaha

Pete, let me know if you decide to ditch the original mirrors in favour of bar ends. I'm chasing a pair of original long stalk ones for my old girl.

I'm definitely not going bar ends Rick, but not sure if I'll stick with these particular stalk ones or not. I'm not sure if they're original or not and they don't seem to quite match either, but I'll need to look closer in daytime to be sure. If I decide to ditch them, I'll let you know for sure! The glass appears to be good and they need a real good clean...

[pete]

Well, nothing really done tonight as far as an update goes I'm afraid. I had to wheel it back over near the workbench to clear the garage space for the Festiva again, so I only got as far as getting the seat and tank off again ready to run the clutch and throttle cables.

I had a look at my helicoil kits and I only have a M6 and M8 kit, no M10, out of luck there and not sure of anyone who has one.

However, for about $25 I can get a pair of chrome stalk mirrors shipped over from Thailand or Taiwan, obviously they're not going to be the world's greatest quality, but they can't be worse than what I have now and they have the left hand thread for the brake side:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/YAMAHA-XS360-XS400-XS500-XS650-XS750-XS850-Mirrors-XS-/220769702254?pt=AU_Motorcycle_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3366e6516e#ht_4138wt_905

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/YAMAHA-XS360-XS400-XS500-XS650-XS750-XS850-Mirrors-/130296493425?pt=AU_Motorcycle_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1e5646b571#ht_2657wt_952

That would make them about half the price of buying another helicoil kit...

Other than that, I must confess to lots of standing and staring tonight... trying to work out how to mount the voltage monitor up on the gauge housing, trying to work out where I'm going to put the battery, ogling the exhaust... you know how it is

Next Tuesday I'm only working a few hours in the morning, then I'm off to get my tax done which leaves the avo pretty free. So, if budget allows, I might get to duck into Jaycar and pick up their auto meter which includes the dwell meter function, and maybe even check a couple of places to see if I can get some suitable aluminium offcuts for the fork brace and sump guard/bash plate... which reminds me I need to get some rough measurements for the latter!

[Agemax]

pop round to my house Pete, i have a 10mm helicoil kit you can borrow, and plenty of aluminium offcuts!!!!! :-)

[pete]

Awesome, be round in 10! Hahaha

[Redneck]

Looking great Pete. Love that exhaust look. Wheels looking good. Seems like things are coming together.

Paul

[pete]

Looking great Pete. Love that exhaust look. Wheels looking good. Seems like things are coming together.

Paul

Cheers Paul! Yep, definitely starting to see it now, just need some more of that time and those $$$... if I had budget and a full two weeks leave I reckon I'd have the vast majority of it done. Can't see that happening unless I win the Lotto though...