1980 Wes Cooley in the garage....finally!

[Big T]

Congrats Trevor

I've watched Rob field strip a GS 1000 in an hour or so

If you want to keep those S&W shocks, try this

1. Strip and clean
2. Drill a 4 mm hole on the side, just above the bottom
3. Pump the old oil out
4. Inject some Seafoam Transmission treatment into the hole, leave the shock body upside down for a day or so.
5. Tap the hole for a button head Allen bolt
6. Remove the Seafoam, rinse with some fork oil. Inject a few ounces of fork oil, plug the hole and reassemble/paint/etc

Worked on my GPz

But, knowing you, there will be some Ohlins on there soon

[Kiwi Canuck]

Trevor, Looking good, they sure do come apart fast, good to see that you have good help too.

I'm pretty sure the speedo was changed but probably done at the dealer before it rolled out of the shop. (the SN speedo would drop right in)

We have seen only one or two 1980 ST US bikes with the 140MPH speedo's so a few were done for sure.

My Boise Beauty has the 85MPH Speedo and the Canadian Cooley is built for Canadian market so has the 240KM/hr speedo.

While you have it part check the swing arm bushes, both mine were bad on the left side and needed replacement. (bike on side stand and moisture/water runs left)

Look forward to following your refurbish/rebuild, always nice to see another Cooley getting the love.

David.

[trevor]

Carbs have some issues....lol



I think I can wash that filter and it will be good to go...



Squirrel!!!



Rob is very talented...did all this with just two tools...



Done for the evening....thanks so much to my buddy Rob...I have a lot of parts already here but now I need rear shocks, wheel bearings, 530 chain and sprocket conversion, float bowl gaskets, brake and clutch levers, grips and I am going to sent the mirrors to a "guy" to restore them. I have Sonic fork springs ready to go as well...
This bike has great bones..no rust what's so ever....very well looked after...

[trevor]

The mandate for the 85 mph speedometers was 9/79. I think it was fairly common to swap the 85's for the 140's.

We took the fairing off and Rob, Mark and I all think there is no way the gauges have been swapped out. Nothing looks like it has ever been disturbed from the factory...I will post pics we took. As for the signals...yes they should be the round chrome ones...Europe though had the rectangular ones in 80...the seat has been shaved indeed but done well...my thought on this is that the first owner likely made these changes early after purchase like so many did...Kerker, Derale cooler...etc

Gave it a quick wash before we started taking it apart...cleaned up real well...





Once we had it ready to start...it fired up in ten seconds!



Gas tank has rust in it so we put 20 litres on apple cider vinegar it for a few days...should take care of it...



All the electrics work...including the clock...



Gauges look original...



Cold compression looks good....

....

Other than the speedo it looks like the seat was shaved down in the front and the turn signals were changed. No worry unless you want to try to put it back to stock.

I thought the '80 version had the rectangular turn signals as opposed to the round one on the '79?

[BigD_83]

The mandate for the 85 mph speedometers was 9/79. I think it was fairly common to swap the 85's for the 140's.

I love the history of these bikes. Didn't know the exact date of the mandate. Thanks.

[Vmass]

Good point D it's manufacture date is 12/79

The mandate for the 85 mph speedometers was 9/79. I think it was fairly common to swap the 85's for the 140's.

[trevor]

It could be just a US thing, but it wouldn't be unusual for a few bin parts leftover from the 1979 production run to be used up in the early releases of the next model year, though...I've seen that on a few of the smaller displacement models.

Good point D it's manufacture date is 12/79

[BigD_83]

Sure, the 1979 model had the 140 mph speedo and the 1980 had the 80 mph.

Post up what you need for parts, I may have a few cooley bits laying around.

It could be just a US thing, but it wouldn't be unusual for a few bin parts leftover from the 1979 production run to be used up in the early releases of the next model year, though...I've seen that on a few of the smaller displacement models.

[GSXR7ED]

That's a sexy bike!


Ed

[bsharpish]

Congrats - strange greenish tint to everything though

Wait a minute - something affecting my vision !!!

[Frank Z.]

Nice, Trevor... and congrats man. Subscribed!

[Buffalo Bill]

Looks very good. Hope all is well inside too.

[trevor]

The guy said he remembered me saying two years ago when I joined the BMW forum and was showing pics of my gs bikes...he told me he had a cooley...I said..apparently..."if you ever wanna sell let me know...."....And he also said he wanted me to have it because he felt I would "fix it up, ride the sh*t out of it and not flip it" I promised him I won't do that. Not that I'm very good at selling bikes anyway...lol

So why did it take so long?
The po had never put the title in his name in all those years, it just sat in his barn waiting for him to get the inspiration to fix it up.
So he sent away for the title and 6 weeks later it came back denied as it was not in his deceased brother in law's name but someone else's...he wanted me to take my money back while he figured it out...of course I said no, I'm good.thanks. So he tried contacting the family to find out who this person was...and tried again..came back denied a second time 6 weeks later...then he had to take it to the Sherriff...twice to have the vin inspected...then sent away again and low and behold 5 months later the title was in his name...lol

So had it shipped to this place to hold it for a week until I could get there to get it....cool name eh? lol
My good buddy Rob came with me on the 7am ferry and we got there around 10:30...this place is one minute across the border...I had a brokerage company do all the paper work the week before so it was pretty quick to clear customs....



After 5 months of waiting, this was my first look at the bike...



And I remembered to wear the appropriate shirt for the occasion....




Holy crap...I have a Cooley in my truck!!! Lol



At the border...



At the ferry....



It's going to need a good cleaning...I'm getting at that this morning then Rob is coming over and we are going to see if we can get her started....





And it's in my garage.....

[Vmass]

Thanks everyone!
Vmass..can you tell me why again why it's not the original speedo? Thanks buddy...

Sure, the 1979 model had the 140 mph speedo and the 1980 had the 80 mph.

Post up what you need for parts, I may have a few cooley bits laying around.