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1981 GS450E Rebuild

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Well I seem to have hit that annoying place again at the moment where I'm struggling to figure out what to do next.

I've got a lot of niggly things to tidy up, but most of those depend on something else, like finalising the wiring that depends on having a battery.

I've got to finish up that front guard and the tail piece ready to prep them, and I need to smooth all the edges on the brace/mount too.

I really need to look at new wheel bearings but no point chasing them down until I'm ready for tyres, then I can do them at the same time. Same deal for the front disc that needs replacing...

I'm also thinking I'll redo the electrics tray with some of that 2.5mm aluminium sheet I have just sitting there as the one I did up initially really looks like crap. There's plenty to do that with and still make a bash plate.

I'm hoping my parts from Boulevard arrive this week and I can get some jets, and if that works out then just maybe I can get next Saturday on it...

Frustrating at the moment, but I think it's going to be one of those times again where nothing happens and then it all suddenly comes together at the same time.

Oh, I could always do the fork springs! They're sitting there waiting and I should have enough fork oil left to do them again too.
 
seems like you got a lot you can get on with Pete. write all of them down, fold em up and put them in a bowl. pick one out and set your mind to complete that task
 
Yeah I got a bunch of stuff written on the white board above the work bench that I should be able to knock some off.

I think my problem right now is the fact that I just can't get it running at the moment, and that's just constantly nagging in the back of my mind.

If I could get that first run done and prove it's running properly and get the charging system checks done that would take a real load off my mind...

In the meantime I just need to harden the *^% up and get some stuff done...
 
Hmmmm dunno if I really am going to get my parts this week.

According to USPS tracking info it took from the 30th August to the 3rd September just to get to the sorting facility in Miami, although it only took 2 hours to get sorted...

Usually these things seem to come via Honolulu, so we'll see... even if it arrives Friday it'll be helpful...
 
Hey Pete, I know the feeling, been there a few times this year, this too shall pass, funny you should mention forks.....:rolleyes::rolleyes:
I know how it is and the frustration and you just want to spend any time yu have sorting out the kak, and getting it behind you, but sometimes it is good to step away for a while, take a break from it for a week or so, it does wonders to bring the motivation back up to scratch again.
I have very limited time to spend in the man cave, but sometimes, I just call it quits and skip a weekend, then return with renewed enthusiasm and vigour, sounds like you in that space right now......hell boy, 9 years, what difference is another week going to make in your life.
It will all come together, I have no doubt, you have done nice work so far, so just give yourself a break.

You crying about a week shipping time, spare a thought, I got minimum 3 weeks to wait......uuuurrrgggg
 
pete said:
Cheers Mike, it's definitely starting to come together cosmetically now.

I just need to do the finishing/tidying bits like smooth off the cut edges of the front guard and get the tail piece sanded down properly and get the layer of putty on it to make sure it's all even ready for paint.

You finished that fish tank yet so you can get back to the GS?
Click to expand...
I'm gettin there, slowly. A final sand, finish the doors (I have got an idea for some cool hinges) and we are ready for staining. Then there is the hood, which is mostly electrical work, which i am much better at than carpentry.

As to waiting on parts, i hate it too, but if the only parts you can find are overseas, what can you do? not much except try and plan ahead and minimise wastig time waiting for parts to be delivered.
 
I can relate, you get going then hit a snag... cross that hurdle or divert for a while, and hit another. "Circle of life" for a bike build. Borderline A.D.D. helps ;)
 
Flyboy said:
Hey Pete, I know the feeling, been there a few times this year, this too shall pass, funny you should mention forks.....:rolleyes::rolleyes:
I know how it is and the frustration and you just want to spend any time yu have sorting out the kak, and getting it behind you, but sometimes it is good to step away for a while, take a break from it for a week or so, it does wonders to bring the motivation back up to scratch again.
I have very limited time to spend in the man cave, but sometimes, I just call it quits and skip a weekend, then return with renewed enthusiasm and vigour, sounds like you in that space right now......hell boy, 9 years, what difference is another week going to make in your life.
It will all come together, I have no doubt, you have done nice work so far, so just give yourself a break.

You crying about a week shipping time, spare a thought, I got minimum 3 weeks to wait......uuuurrrgggg
Click to expand...

Cheers Stan, everything you say there makes sense... for me taking a single night off at the moment is like taking a huge break from it as I'm trying to make sure I at least do something little and insignificant each night...

So having said that I said suck it up big boy tonight and got into the Ikons, just uploading pic's now for an update.

And yeah I even get antsy when it's overnight shipping, I want instant gratification baby! Haha

mike-s said:
I'm gettin there, slowly. A final sand, finish the doors (I have got an idea for some cool hinges) and we are ready for staining. Then there is the hood, which is mostly electrical work, which i am much better at than carpentry.

As to waiting on parts, i hate it too, but if the only parts you can find are overseas, what can you do? not much except try and plan ahead and minimise wastig time waiting for parts to be delivered.
Click to expand...

Cool, looks good. And of course sooner you're done, sooner you're back on the GS :)

And yep, definitely on the parts. I didn't expect to have the carbs off again so soon, otherwise I wouldn't be concerned about the shipping from the US this time as most of the other stuff I don't need for a while yet.

Hoosier Daddy said:
I can relate, you get going then hit a snag... cross that hurdle or divert for a while, and hit another. "Circle of life" for a bike build. Borderline A.D.D. helps ;)
Click to expand...

Indeed! At least there's still so much to be done and little things that need tidying up that I have no idea why I thought I'd run out of things to do for the moment...
 
So, as I said earlier I started on getting the progressive Ikon fork springs in tonight.

First things first, jacked up with a trolley jack and a lump of wood to protect the sump:



Axle out and wheel off:



Dropped the 'bars to make it easier to get to the cap bolts:



And right fork on the bench:



Stan, we got the same oil:



Syringe ready to rock and roll:



And about this time is where I stuck it back in the triple clamp to get the leverage to remove the cap bolt and spring I neglected to remove to make it easy:



Old spring out and on the bench:

 
Can you tell which is the new one?



And after pumping all the fork oil out, it was looking a tad feral:



When I redid the forks after painting, I didn't really clean the springs because I knew they weren't staying there, but for some reason I decided to put fresh new fork oil in which has now been polluted by the old springs.

So this time I've pumped all that old oil out and will put fresh oil in with the Ikons again.

I would've gotten more done tonight except neither the factory repro or Haynes manuals tell you the method for measuring height as opposed to volume, so I'll figure that one out so I can finish the right leg off tomorrow night (hopefully) and get onto the left one.
 
Good information on the fork springs Pete and I'm interested in how you do it as I am doing mine shortly too. I think folks have used a long metal rod to stick in there, removed it, and measured where the fluid stops on the rod. But I'm sure you already have searched through the archives here to find out.
 
cowboyup3371 said:
Good information on the fork springs Pete and I'm interested in how you do it as I am doing mine shortly too. I think folks have used a long metal rod to stick in there, removed it, and measured where the fluid stops on the rod. But I'm sure you already have searched through the archives here to find out.
Click to expand...

Cheers Scott, I think forks are a bit of a flavour of the month at the moment, there's at least 3 of us doing/done them and now you as well makes 4 :)

And thanks for the measuring clarification, I'm doing that searching this morning as I left it too late last night and had to hit the hay.

I'll be doing that archive searching shortly ;)
 
Hey Pete.
Pretty simple really, in the manual it will give you the spec for the height of the oil from the top of the fork, in my case 140mm from the top of the fork to the top of the oil.
Get a dowl stick or something similar and measure the given length from one end and mark it.
I just used the other side of my threaded rod and wrapped a piece of tape at the 140mm mark (see my thread)
With the stanchion all the way down in the lower fork, you should see the top of the oil in the stanchion, (remember, no spring inside yet)
Slide the measuring stick down the inside of the fork until the mark lines up with the top of the fork, or the stick just touches the oil (do this in good light) if you have the amount of oil is correct, both should happen at the same time.
If not, adjust as required until the stick just touches the oil as the mark lines up with the top of the fork............see no mess no fuss :D

Extend the stanchion all the way out, drop in the spring, making sure the coils are the right way around, button it up and call it done.

Hope that is what you were after.................by the way, don't you sleep, jeeeez it must be 5:30am there, like another Yank I know from Michigan.;)

PS; You have good taste in fork oil.
 
Last edited:
Flyboy said:
Hey Pete.
Pretty simple really, in the manual it will give you the spec for the height of the oil from the top of the fork, in my case 140mm from the top of the fork to the top of the oil.
Get a dowl stick or something similar and measure the given length from one end and mark it.
I just used the other side of my threaded rod and wrapped a piece of tape at the 140mm mark (see my thread)
With the stanchion all the way down in the lower fork, you should see the top of the oil in the stanchion, (remember, no spring inside yet)
Slide the measuring stick down the inside of the fork until the mark lines up with the top of the fork, or the stick just touches the oil (do this in good light) if you have the amount of oil is correct, both should happen at the same time.
If not, adjust as required until the stick just touches the oil as the mark lines up with the top of the fork............see no mess no fuss :D

Extend the stanchion all the way out, drop in the spring, making sure the coils are the right way around, button it up and call it done.

Hope that is what you were after.................by the way, don't you sleep, jeeeez it must be 5:30am there, like another Yank I know from Michigan.;)

PS; You have good taste in fork oil.
Click to expand...

Cheers Stan! Was just reading through the PDF's on BassCliff's site, so it all makes perfect sense now and I'm prepared :D If I'm lucky I'll get back in there tonight as I don't like leaving it propped on the trolley jack for too long...

And sleep? Man that's overrated... last post after 11pm, first reply this morning before 5am... typical for me :rolleyes: The only upside is that my phone didn't ring last night. Junior fella's first week on call this week so I expect a call or three to give him a hand with stuff he doesn't know yet...

As to fork oil is it great minds think alike or all fools think the same? :p
 
Well, I officially have Ikons front and back :dancing:

I still have some galvanised steel rod from making my tail piece, so measured off 197mm and taped it:



Found the Fedex box from the Dynatek was perfect for holding the fork leg straight so I could manoeuvre the desk lamp on the workbench over it and measure accurately:



There was a touch too much oil in there, but I gave it about 15 pumps as per the Ikon instructions and it brought it down to exactly the right level, so back in the triple trees:



The spring's not in there yet, just put the cap bolt on lightly to stop anything dropping in there.

So, out with the left fork spring and I'm not sad to see this pair set aside for scrapping:



Left fork leg ready to go:



Drained and pumped out the left leg's oil then and figured I'd better make sure I don't use this for some bizarre reason:



Repeated the measuring and pumping process for the left leg and this time I didn't have quite enough in there so had to pop a couple of small amounts more in until it measured exactly right as per the right fork leg.

Then I got it back in the triple trees to make a pair:

 
Then in went the new Ikon springs:



Torqued up the triple clamp bolts and cap bolts:



Front wheel back on:



'Bars back on:



And yeah I did whack the seat pan on and had a few stationary bounces and it certainly feels a hell of a lot different to how it used to just sitting still, really keen to get it out for a run now!
 
Good job Pete :) My bike needs the same treatment when I've saved some pennies.
 
Ricko19 said:
Good job Pete :) My bike needs the same treatment when I've saved some pennies.
Click to expand...

Cheers Rick! I'm glad it's finally done. I've wanted Ikons for years (well Koni's initially... haha) and I'm only now able to afford them, so definitely happy to have them on there :D

That's another big step forward on the build... now I need to take care of the niggly stuff... oh and get it running!
 
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