Progress!!! 1978 GS1000E Restoration/Performance Rebuild

[philosopheriam]

Wow, I just browsed thru 44 pages of pics and your doing an incredible job. I really like the wiring, thats top notch and I do that stuff for a living. Cant wait to see this finished and see how its runs.

Thanks! As I mentioned in an earlier post, I looked at the original harness and realized there was no point in trying to modify it - it was simply easier to build a new one.

[80GS850GBob]

You mentioned a while ago that you had custom cables made{?}...if so, could a longer tach cable be done?

[philosopheriam]

You mentioned a while ago that you had custom cables made{?}...if so, could a longer tach cable be done?

Not sure - I will ask my buddy today while I am at his shop.

[80GS850GBob]

Not sure - I will ask my buddy today while I am at his shop.

Reason I ask is that I'm toying with the idea of moving my gauges to my Vetter Windstar fairing and mounting them where the unused speaker covers are - and to do that, if it were possible, I'd need a longer tach and speedo cable.

[philosopheriam]

Reason I ask is that I'm toying with the idea of moving my gauges to my Vetter Windstar fairing and mounting them where the unused speaker covers are - and to do that, if it were possible, I'd need a longer tach and speedo cable.

Bob,

The short answer is: my buddy can make custom-length tach cables, however, without having the bike at his shop to properly size the cable and to determine what other fiddly bits will be needed to make it work properly, it becomes difficult/time-consuming/expensive.

What might be the best option for you is to give Motion Pro a jingle and then ask them "Can you make part# XXXX 4" longer?" They already have all of the information on file for the existing standard length cable (whereas my buddy does not) and should be able to extend it for not much additional cost.

[philosopheriam]

At any time during this post, anyone reading is fully allowed to poke fun at me for being OCD.

So, I wasn't happy with the clutch cable that my buddy and I fabbed a couple weeks ago - the 90deg bend at the clutch lever had a fairly tight radius, moreover, it dropped down right where the headlight bucket bracket is supposed to go. So, I did some searching and came up with plan B.

I needed a cable with a longer, more gentle 90deg bend at the clutch lever. I saw the cable for a GS1000S on Ebay and it seemed to fit the bill - got a NOS one for $20. Compared to the overall length of my old cable, it was about 6" too short. So, we cut the upper portion of the GS1000S housing (that had the crimped 90 degree bend) to the same size as the previous upper housing. We then re-used the center adjuster and lower housing from the old cable. The inner cable wire had to be remade, as cutting the ends off the old one rendered it too short. Also, the NOS GS1000S cable came with new rubber bits, threaded end adjuster, and an end spring, so we used these items, as well. Here is the finished product:





Here's what it looks like on the bike:



Overall, it works incredibly well and the more gentle bend at the clutch lever has made the pull significantly easier.

[philosopheriam]

Here is another solution to a minor problem - I hate the look of zip ties, and I don't like the way they chafe a freshly powdercoated or painted surface. However, they have the ability to secure wiring snugly, which the OE harness straps do not. I wanted the best of both worlds, so, I came up with this idea - put a small piece of high-temp expandable poly sleeving on the zip tie. It will prevent excessive chafing, it will hide the appearance of the zip tie, and it will look like a finished product.

[SVSooke]

OCD?You? Never crossed my mind

[80GS850GBob]

OCD?You? Never crossed my mind

awh man...where are my boots?....{lol}

[80GS850GBob]

Myself, I've gone with the snug fit heat shrink tubing {un heated} over black zip ties....but your set up is nice too.

Oh, thanks for the heads up on the cable...it's all still in the possible design phase...but that's where new things start.

[philosopheriam]

OCD?You? Never crossed my mind

I know, the reputation is earned

[philosopheriam]

Myself, I've gone with the snug fit heat shrink tubing {un heated} over black zip ties....but your set up is nice too.

Oh, thanks for the heads up on the cable...it's all still in the possible design phase...but that's where new things start.

I like the expandable poly because it has a bit of lengthwise stretch to it - when you properly size it to the diameter that it will be wrapping around, it gives you about a 1/4" of play so that once the zip tie is snugged down it won't bunch up if it's a hair too long.

[mike54]

I like the expandable poly because it has a bit of lengthwise stretch to it - when you properly size it to the diameter that it will be wrapping around, it gives you about a 1/4" of play so that once the zip tie is snugged down it won't bunch up if it's a hair too long.

You can get rubber cable ties from ducati suppliers such as Bevel Heaven and European supplies such as classic motorcycle spares. There are also velcro ties from McMaster Carr. I like to use those for mock up and on my track bikes because they can be reused easily. I might try the expandable poly over the velcro strap to see how that works.

[andy10889]

Thank you for taking the time to put all this up. Its been a real pleasure to read through all 45 pages and watch this bike transform. Cant wait for the finish shot with all the body work on.

[philosopheriam]

Thank you for taking the time to put all this up. Its been a real pleasure to read through all 45 pages and watch this bike transform. Cant wait for the finish shot with all the body work on.

Thanks buddy - I'm just waiting on some parts to be finished by my powdercoater and then the final final final assembly will begin!