The Chronicles of Suzy- 82 GS850GL

[ratdude]

The airbox you have installed is from an 80-81, maybe 79 too. It's not a G vs L thing.

Ok, I'll buy that , the Ebay listing had it as a 82 GS850G airbox which is how I came to my assumption . I do know a lot of these bikes were titled as newer years than when they were built so that would explain it .

Thanks for the clarification !

Rat

[ratdude]

Now this is a thread!!

Thanks !

I try to keep it real , cheap , and have fun with it .

Rat

[ratdude]

Stupid lil project #1

OK my gas cap bugs me , I am gonna be looking at it quite a bit ( hopefully )

I think a trip to the buffmaster is in order

Short and sweet

Before ( dingy )




After , I can live with that
( tripoli compound followed up with Nev R Dull )



Later

Rat

[ratdude]

Exhaust , how I hate ye Part 3

What you didn't get to see . ( no pics )

I went ahead and had two pipes made to replace that stamped steel crossover that I am sure you have already seen a hundred pictures of all rusted out .

My version uses heavy gauge 1.5 inch ID exhaust tubing . the parts store expanded the pipes to slip over the headers . I used automotive muffler clamps on the engine side ( upside down so as to max ground clearance ) .
stock band clamps to the muffler connections .

I fired it up and it was almost quiet ( Yay ! ), except for SOMEBODY forgot to order exhaust gaskets ( boo ! ) .

What you do get to see
Tearing the exhaust off , yet again , to install the little wonders .

SIGH

Probably the best shot of the bypass pipe I have
( prior to "cleaning" up the pipe )



A "cleaned" up shot ( sometime patina wins )



four little wonders with the one old one that came out intact



Why you NEED to order these things ( old one is on the left )



Later
Rat

[ratdude]

Stupid lil project #2

OK my gauges bug me now

Did you know , you can polish plastic lenses with a rag , a Q tip , and toothpaste ?

Now you do

The obligatory before pic



After ( and minty fresh ! )



Wasn't that exciting !

Rat

[oldgsfan]

Wow, you have been doing a great job on this bike. I loved the photos of the carb job but the air filter is hilarious!

[ratdude]

Wow, you have been doing a great job on this bike. I loved the photos of the carb job but the air filter is hilarious!

Thanks . Just happy a few people get a kick out of the thread .
And yes, I was in disbelief, when I pulled out the air filter.

Rat

[ratdude]

Stupid lil project #3

Ok the rusty crappy brake bleeders have to go.

I am gonna hide em of course , not like I am actually gonna do work on this yet . lol

Now ya see em'



Now ya don't.



Rat

[ratdude]

Mysteries of the crappy clutch revealed

At last , a relatively straight forward repair.

I went in search of what was making the clutch action pretty lousy .

it was easy to find , a DRY clutch cable , and corrosion at the lever pivots , easy fix, oil the cable and clean and grease the lever pivots .

DRY pivot , don't think this thing has seen lube for a while




Ok this is a brake lever , but you get the idea





the Super Duper Cable Luber ! ( Yep its a chunk of 1/4 inch ID surgical tubing , Gravity is our friend ! )



Maybe not the most clear shot , but trust me , its oily !




Rat

[Tim Tom]

I love what your doing with this bike. Its all the details that really make a bike look extra nice. You should re-name the thread the power of elbow grease...

[ratdude]

I love what your doing with this bike. Its all the details that really make a bike look extra nice. You should re-name the thread the power of elbow grease...

Thanks !

[ratdude]

The Great Tail Light Post

The problem , the tail light looks like poo ( Ya I know the droopy turn signal aint helpin , thats another post ) , and its broken .



It lights up just fine , it has a broken mounting post . Which will end up being two broken ones before its through



A previous owner tried to glue it already , nope , didn't take .
I decided to re-engineer things a little bit .
Suzuki built it with the posts molded into the tailight to give you that smooth looking outside .

I am gonna screw it from the outside , this gets a little hard to follow but I think you will get the jist of it .

Using a small drill bit I put a hole through the broken post , small is key , I don't want to tear up where the factory screw threads in .



Again hard to see but i drilled through the lens on both posts( symmetry rocks ! )



While I am at it I might as well clean this up , and fix the dent ( how in the world do you dent a reflector ? )



Reasonably clean and straightened out



OK , I used two chrome plated trim screws from a car for my little mod .
the screws are only to reinforce the posts a bit ( plus some ten minute epoxy on the broken one ) .

It still attaches to the bike the ORIGINAL way .

I also had to shorten the original attaching screws about a half inch per side so they wouldn't run into the screws I just added .

Some finished shots ( YES, the buffmaster 1000 does plastic tail lights )




The only caveat I can offer if you try this ( I assume its a common problem )

28 year old plastic is BRITTLE ! Drill bits have to be SHARP . You must go slowly and carefully or you will crack the lens !

Later
Rat

[ratdude]

The hack job side cover post

Well, the side covers on suzy were not in the best of shape , both had multiple crack and both are missing the lower mounting tabs

Now I have ( in the past ) built up a inside shell out of fiberglass and done bodywork over the busted sections , but its time to get riding and Suzy looks like crap without these dang things .

Putting them on the way they are would be suicide , the crack would keep growing and the covers would probably just blow off the bike after the air catches them enough.

Sooooo , I am taking a cue from the atv guys I know , when they crack the plastics on their quads and such , they just drill a couple holes , zip tie it back together , and keep on truckin.

So thats what these pics are I zip tied the cracks and add a hole to the bottom of the covers to loop a zip tie to the lower mount on the bike .

If you are sensitive to such things , LOOK AWAY ! HACK JOB CONTENT .

Original shot of the covers when I got Suzy



Backside , under all that hot glue was some mesh , somebody tried .



AND a plastic welder repair job under that



Cracking at the upper mount



This pretty much shows it , extra hole is for lower " mount "



Other side is a bit worse ( more plastic welding )



Zip ties all over the place



Yes I used this pic in another post, No you didn't notice



Later
Rat

[ratdude]

NO dirty garage floor pics in this post !

Cause we aint' in it !

Prior to a 70 mile shakedown run





Out on the lake ( SEE Suzy is self propelled again ! )





Nope , not done yet , but quite a bit closer

Later ( gone ridin' )
Rat

[ratdude]

The handlebars part 1

when last we left Suzy....



Yes the splendor , notice that old school single mirror ? Yup looks cool , also leaves a wicked blind spot ( yup I AM getting old ) . the stock handgrips , although a marvel of 82 technology are just too dang small for my hands ( OLD I tell ya ) . Also the handlebars and the chrome hardware have developed a lovely Patina , gonna fix that too .

Patina





Quick which one of these screws is not to japanese specs ?



Answer: the one that didn't self destruct on removal

Yup , that should do it



Enter the Buffmaster ( new wheel , woot ! )



Some rat rodder , somewhere is screaming NOOOOOOOO about now

Rat