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GS chain into a GS shaft?

Suzuki Mad

Suzuki Mad

Forum Mentor
Past Site Supporter
HI All.

Long time since I was last here, I know. Life sometimes gets in the way of bikes and doing things. Such as sorting out GS1000's.

Way back in the day (1982) I owned a black GS1000ET with slotted disc's, square brake master cylinder, stepped seat and CV carbs. I rode that bike everywhere. It was a great ride even doing the 1983 FIM rally to a little village in Melk, Austria from my home in the UK. Sadly in 1984 an oil filter broke up spreading the contents of the paper around the block and caused a clutch rattle. This was put down as bearing failure due to lack of oil being sprayed from the crank back onto the clutch basket. So I sold the bike. She had done 20,000 miles on the clock.

Since that time and in later life I bought another GS1000ET as a memory of the old bike.

I have done some searching here in the UK and as far as I can tell the bike is still out there somewhere as the records show the number is still listed. This means its not been official scrapped or written off or broken up for parts.

Roll forward to today.

While on a facebook GS site I saw a 1981 GS1000ET in black like my old GS1000. It wasn't the one.

Not long after I was messaged by a guy asking me what was my old GS1000's number. So I gave it to him and with a few minutes he is on the phone claiming to have my old bike. Well, whats left of my old bike. Its been modded with different forks and is now has a GS850 motor, GS1000 head and running a shaft drive.

Now the technical question. To my knowledge you cant swap a GS1000 chain frame and make it into a shaft drive?

Or can you?
 
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Its a very old film photo of my 'old' GS1000E with its black stove enameled mudguard. That and the original number plate are all I have of the old bike. Its the one bike I would want to get back if I can.
 

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I dun'no, Anything is possible with enough cutting and welding, but not feasible in any way. Would you fit the driveshaft over or under the swingarm pivot bolt. Is it close enough to go look at it... Oh welcome back.
 
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rphillips said:
I dun'no, Anything is possible with enough cutting and welding, but not feasible in any way. Would you fit the driveshaft over or under the swingarm pivot bolt. Is it close enough to go look at it... Oh welcome back.
Click to expand...

I'm not altering it. The guy who called me said it had been altered and was now a shaft than a chain bike. He spoke about swapping the swinging arm and just altering a gear in the engine and it would work fine but I know that is a load of 'bull.'

I'm guessing he was trying to make a sale of rubbish of an old bike to a guy he thought knew very little.
 
I've never heard of it being attempted, but would be interesting to see what he had.
 
rphillips said:
I've never heard of it being attempted, but would be interesting to see what he had.
Click to expand...

From memory the frames are different. Its 40 odd years and the mind is ageing and I know a lot of guys now alter bikes into whatever they want from others that 'we' would never have thought possible.
 
I would guess that not only was the engine/drive train transplanted from an 850, but the whole rear of the frame. Perhaps more. Certainly it's more of an 850 than a 1000 if it's got the 850 engine and shaft.

Perhaps it's an 850 with tank, seat etc from your old bike. I got my first street bike in '75 and I've owned a couple of VERY iconic, bullet-proof motosickles. 1971 CB350 (bored out to the max of 435cc with the most extreme cam available). 1973 Z1, a genuine widow maker (it claimed my cousin). So I know about desiring the bikes of your youth.

But I would advise maybe getting the same year/model/color you once had, and not pursuing the very same VIN/serial #. Especially when you know that it's admittedly a Franken-bike, and no longer the bike you once rode.
 
The only switch that was somewhat common back in the day was the V-Max, and it was shaft to chain.

Two reasons, both to be quicker down the quarter mile: less weight, and gearing flexibility.
 
Rob S. said:
But I would advise maybe getting the same year/model/color you once had, and not pursuing the very same VIN/serial #. Especially when you know that it's admittedly a Franken-bike, and no longer the bike you once rode.
Click to expand...

I already have a 1981 GS1000ET (in candy red) that is a replacement.

Its always the way when you find your old bikes. They are never quiet what you think they once where.

Thanks for the reply though.
 
Not sure about where you are, but over here we didn't have a "81" GS1000E, ours stopped in "80". Also our "80" GS1000E was an ET, "T" designated an "80" models and an "X" designated an "81" model.... Sure wish we knew what the guy that called you actually had, probably would be interesting.
 
The only thing left of that old bike is the numbers, it's not going to be the same bike again without a whole lot of money and headaches! It would make more sense to get a complete or close enough to complete bike if all you really want to do is relive the old days.
 
I'm somewhat sure that the 1000 head will not fit the 850 cases unless the cases and/or jugs are modded... read: moving head studs

The 750/850 jug swap is possible.
 
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