1979 GS 850 Project

[PoppaDre]

Well a year after selling my 81GS650 I started to miss having a bike. So after seach local kijiji ads i found a bike a half hour out of town that fit my budget. A 1979 GS850. On the sunday I drove out to the guys place to take a look at the bike. Battery was dead, but the bike started with a boost from the car. It was obvious the carbs needed a cleaning and/or tuning when he was revving it up. Next day I handed over $400 CAD and we loaded the bike up into the back of my truck. Got it home and had to let it sit in the back of the truck since no one could help me get it out. Next day it was out of the truck and into the garage where i started workingo on it. First step, remove the windshield, and the saddle bags, next came the gas tank and the out came the carbs. Spent all night taking them apart and putting them in individual containers. Lost an eclilp from the choke, and broke a few o-rings, so ordered parts from z-1, cycleorings, and sudco. Unfortunaly due to the postal strike here parts aren't expected to arrive for another 2 weeks. Tomorrow I plan on picking up some foam from home depot and shaping some seats. I am still kind of stuck on the look i want for the bike. I saw a bike on an-bu website that i wanted to model my bike after seen here: http://www.bikeexif.com/yamaha-cafe-racer

here is how i picked the bike up:

 

[PoppaDre]

Is the the stock frame for the bike 79 GS850?

 

[7981GS]

Looks like my '79 1000L frames. So, yes for a '79 850GL.

Daniel

 

[tas850g]

That looks interesting.....there was no 79 850 GL. The L came out in 80. That's a 79 engine with the kick start though. I have an 80 850 GL parts bike that was manufactured in 79. The PO thought it was a 79 because of the manufactured date.

 

[Steve]

No, it's not an L. The L was not offered until '80.

Among other things, the L would have leading-axle forks.

.

 

[PoppaDre]

The the frame has got me stuck no. I hate the seats that came with it. And am not to sure what to do with the bike anymore bi built a fiberglass seat pan but still looks kind of goofy. I also need a new tank as I started banging mine in and it started to crease. I might just list on kijiji and try not to lose too much money

 

[PoppaDre]

Okay well after taking a bit of a break to clean the garage, i came back to the bike a little less discouraged. I don't think I am ready to do a full restore of the engine as i want to be on the road with it onces my carb parts arrive. So i took some grease remover to the engine and frame and got it looking descent. I noticed a few spots of rust that will need a quick shot with a rattle can. Stripped the seized intake boot bolts so needed to drill a hole and use the ez-out. As expected the o-rings were flattened out, and brittle, there was also a bit of gun built up just outside of the orings. I also took the grinder to my fiberglass seat. Fits like a glove now but not sure if i will use as i am stuck for ideas on a passanger seat/cover because of the tail light assembly. I stil have a bit of foam left so i will try and make a stock looking L seat. Also for those of you wondering the manufacture date, sticker says 12-78 and i cant really see any sloppy home weld marks on it. but here are the pictures of my update (i finally got a photobucket account going)

These are some pics of the bike as i picked it up:
<a href="http://s954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/?action=view&current=IMG_0024.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/IMG_0024.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/?action=view&current=IMG_0026.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/IMG_0026.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Home made seat:
<a href="http://s954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/?action=view&current=IMG_0023.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/IMG_0023.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/?action=view&current=IMG_0030.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/IMG_0030.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/?action=view&current=IMG_0038.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/IMG_0038.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Some carb cleaning:
<a href="http://s954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/?action=view&current=IMG_0063.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/IMG_0063.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/?action=view&current=IMG_0064.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/IMG_0064.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/?action=view&current=IMG_0065.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/IMG_0065.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/?action=view&current=IMG_0067.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/IMG_0067.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Making a new seat:
<a href="http://s954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/?action=view&current=IMG_0071.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/IMG_0071.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/?action=view&current=IMG_0074.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/IMG_0074.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/?action=view&current=IMG_0082.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/IMG_0082.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Dents in the tank, before i made it worse :
<a href="http://s954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/?action=view&current=IMG_0076.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/IMG_0076.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Intake boots:
<a href="http://s954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/?action=view&current=IMG_0080.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/IMG_0080.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/?action=view&current=IMG_0081.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/IMG_0081.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Here is the manufacturing sticker, and the frame:
<a href="http://s954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/?action=view&current=IMG_0084.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/IMG_0084.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/?action=view&current=IMG_0085.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae30/PoppaDre22/1979%20GS850GL/IMG_0085.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

The choke cable was seized pretty good so I ordered a new one today, going to have to start looking around for new tank and seat. There is an 82 gs850gl a guy in town (Winnipeg, Manitoba) is selling for 180, just the engine, tank and wheels are on the frame, might take a look and see what i can scoop up. Can i run the 82's carbs on my bike? My front tire is cracked around the rim and wont pass safety so maybe i can grab the other bikes tire for now until i can afford a new one. But thats all for now.

 

[PoppaDre]

ignore the last post, this one is the same but with actual picture links.
Okay well after taking a bit of a break to clean the garage, i came back to the bike a little less discouraged. I don't think I am ready to do a full restore of the engine as i want to be on the road with it onces my carb parts arrive. So i took some grease remover to the engine and frame and got it looking descent. I noticed a few spots of rust that will need a quick shot with a rattle can. Stripped the seized intake boot bolts so needed to drill a hole and use the ez-out. As expected the o-rings were flattened out, and brittle, there was also a bit of gun built up just outside of the orings. I also took the grinder to my fiberglass seat. Fits like a glove now but not sure if i will use as i am stuck for ideas on a passanger seat/cover because of the tail light assembly. I stil have a bit of foam left so i will try and make a stock looking L seat. Also for those of you wondering the manufacture date, sticker says 12-78 and i cant really see any sloppy home weld marks on it. but here are the pictures of my update (i finally got a photobucket account going)

These are some pics of the bike as i picked it up:

Home made seat:

Some carb cleaning:

The choke cable was seized pretty good so I ordered a new one today, going to have to start looking around for new tank and seat. There is an 82 gs850gl a guy in town (Winnipeg, Manitoba) is selling for 180, just the engine, tank and wheels are on the frame, might take a look and see what i can scoop up. Can i run the 82's carbs on my bike? My front tire is cracked around the rim and wont pass safety so maybe i can grab the other bikes tire for now until i can afford a new one. But thats all for now. r now.

I knew i should have used the preview post button

 

[PoppaDre]

Making a new seat:

Dents in the tank, before i made it worse :

Intake boots:

Here is the manufacturing sticker, and the frame:

 

[PoppaDre]

Does this frame look like it was cut and rewelded? I dont know what the stock frame should look like?

 

[7981GS]

Does this frame look like it was cut and rewelded? I dont know what the stock frame should look like?

Of course! Look where the rear has been dropped several inches.
Someone was trying to make a GL model out of it for whatever reason.

Daniel

 

[PoppaDre]

*sigh* anyone with ideas on how to get it back to stock? would i just cut it off the frame and throw in a smaller diameter pipe that it can slip on and re weld? I have never welded before/nor do i own one. I think its time i start though

 

[Go Mifune]

yep has definately been lowered or what they referred to as back in the day as "kong-ed" in this case semi- konged.
If you want to build a cafe like this one in the picture I dont think it will be that much of a problem, it may even help you get the tail closer to the tire like in the pic.

 

[PoppaDre]

i think i am going to pick up some 1" tube and rebuild the frame up to normal. I dont know how to weld though, so i am going to try jb weld first. Some parts came in the mail today (from fedex), valve cover gasket, carb top gasket, and exhaust gaskets. Canada post is ordered back to work so i should get more parts fast! still waiting on orings, float bowl gaskets and the carb eclip for the choke i lost.

 

[DanTheMan]

i think i am going to pick up some 1" tube and rebuild the frame up to normal. I dont know how to weld though, so i am going to try jb weld first. Some parts came in the mail today (from fedex), valve cover gasket, carb top gasket, and exhaust gaskets. Canada post is ordered back to work so i should get more parts fast! still waiting on orings, float bowl gaskets and the carb eclip for the choke i lost.

Get someone with a wire feed welder to help you out! JB weld is not going to work for putting a frame together. It's a recipe for disaster! Also, if you can cut the pieces to the length you want and mock it up, a good weld shop can have it done in less than an hour.

 

[PoppaDre]

can they just butt weld the frame where it was cut or would i have to get a smaller tube to place inside the two?

 

[PoppaDre]

Revive brand carb cleaner from part source is garbage

 

[PoppaDre]

I finally decided to tackle taking the engine out of the bike. I don't have the clymer manual just yet, it was only shipped out monday. But reading the 650G it says to remove the 4 bolts for the shaft, I wasn't sure which bolts to remove so i removed the ones on the engine side, when lifting the engine it still seems to get stuck, did i remove the wrong bolts. Heres a picture:

Also trying to remove the clutch cable from the engine, i couldn't slide it out of the slot so i used a flat head screw drive to pry it open a little bit and this is what happened:

Can this be fixed? or do i need a new cover? I searched online a bit and the 79 850s are hard to come by. will a differnt size fit, i know all the other 850 years dont have kick start so thats out of the question. I miss my 650E

 

[PoppaDre]

Posted 2 of the same picture, here is one of the shaft bolts:

 

[PoppaDre]

Does the wheel and final drive assembly need to be taken off the bike first?