• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

1983 GS1100es Revival

  • Thread starter Thread starter twerth
  • Start date Start date
Here's a shot of a KZ650 I did about a year ago. I probably have paint left over, so using these colors would really help my budget.

Random question... what order did you paint the colors in for this? red then black then silver? silver then red then black?
 
I got everything back together last night and got it running again. The tach works (was a little worried about that). It was dark and I wasn't able to take it for a spin, so I still haven't checked out the speedometer yet, but everything else works.

My to-do list is getting shorter. Need to get the muffler fitted, rear tire installed, repair some broken tabs on the plastics and then paint. I can see light at the end of the tunnel!
 
I was able to take it for a ride last night and can now confirm that everything on the gauge cluster works. The speedo seems to read a little fast, but I'll need to tape my GPS to the tank to confirm. I was under the impression that Suzuki and Kawasaki used the same gear ratio (2240:60), but we'll see. Maybe front tire size is playing a role.

I have to say this bike runs great!! If nothing else, the PO had it well tuned. But the exhaust is absolutely obnoxious. That'll be next on the list.
 
I made a little more progress over the long weekend. I checked the speedometer accuracy against my GPS, and it's not too bad after all. A little optimistic, but about par. At 80 mph indicated, my GPS says 76-77. I can live with that. The gauges are officially done!

I also got the muffler installed, and it sounds great! It came with three levels of baffle. I tried two of them and settled on the least restrictive. It has a nice growl, but isn't overly obnoxious (unless you ask my wife). New correct sized rear tire is also installed.

I got a fair start on repairing the mounting tabs on the plastics. The tail cowl is done, and I'm working on the side covers. It's slow going, but I'm hoping to have those done by the end of the week. Then I can tear it all apart again and start painting.

I did uncover another problem that will need to be addressed. The starter sometimes drags and moans. It's not every time, but fairly consistent. Luckily, the bike fires up easily, so this hasn't been a real problem. It just sounds bad and will be embarrassing if anyone else is around to hear it. I'll probably wait until it's down for paint to deal with that.

No new pics since not a lot has changed visually. Maybe I'll take a shot of the slip-on later this week and see what you think.
 
Since I now have a working voltmeter, I was able to determine that my R/R is bad. It's charging as high as 18V at 5000 rpm. I'm lucky I caught it quickly and didn't ruin a new battery.

During testing of the regulator I noticed that it had been replaced before with an aftermarket unit. The PO had connected the R/R ground wire directly to the black/white ground coming from the fuse box. Neither of these go directly to the frame. I'm thinking when I install the new one, I want to take both of these, as well as another ground directly from the battery (-) to a convenient spot on the frame. Is that the right approach?
 
Since I now have a working voltmeter, I was able to determine that my R/R is bad. It's charging as high as 18V at 5000 rpm. I'm lucky I caught it quickly and didn't ruin a new battery.

During testing of the regulator I noticed that it had been replaced before with an aftermarket unit. The PO had connected the R/R ground wire directly to the black/white ground coming from the fuse box. Neither of these go directly to the frame. I'm thinking when I install the new one, I want to take both of these, as well as another ground directly from the battery (-) to a convenient spot on the frame. Is that the right approach?

Go to the beginning of this thread and read about the SPG (Single Point Ground). http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?152769-GS-Charging-System-Health&p=1138531#post1138531

Actually read it all. It's the directions for a healthy charging system.
 
Last edited:
Thanks glib. I'd seen that, and it's the reason I'm thinking about going the SPG route. I guess what concerns me is that someone has connected the two grounds (RR and harness) to each other but not to the frame. Wondering if they've converted to some kind of floating ground system? I'm afraid if I go to the SPG, I'll need to undo something somewhere else. The harness has been hacked on over the years, and it's hard to tell what's been done.
 
I've got a new R/R on order. I won't be riding it until it's replaced. Just wanted to make sure I have my wiring straightened out when I put the new one in.
 
I made good progress this week. The new regulator is installed and grounds have been cleaned up and converted to single point. Voltage stays between ~13 and 14 at all revs according to the gauge on my dash. I'll double check with my DVM this evening, but I think I can call this one solved.

I've also finished tab repair on the side panels, so those are all installed and the bike is finally in one piece. I rode it to work today, and everything seems to be working like it should. I'll probably ride it a week or two and then tear it back apart for paint.
 
I made good progress this week. The new regulator is installed and grounds have been cleaned up and converted to single point. Voltage stays between ~13 and 14 at all revs according to the gauge on my dash. I'll double check with my DVM this evening, but I think I can call this one solved.

I've also finished tab repair on the side panels, so those are all installed and the bike is finally in one piece. I rode it to work today, and everything seems to be working like it should. I'll probably ride it a week or two and then tear it back apart for paint.

I love this. Like having an ES project but I don't have to do the work... Need progress pictures.
 
I love this. Like having an ES project but I don't have to do the work... Need progress pictures.

That's fair. I'll get some shots this weekend. Honestly though, not much has changed visually other than the seat, exhaust and the side panels are no longer taped on.
 
After my shakedown cruise earlier this week, I found a couple of issues. With a full tank, my petcock didn't seal causing a drip from the carb overflows. Also, one of my new side cover tabs broke, so I reattached and reinforced. I replaced the o-rings in the petcock and after another ride, and everything seems to be working like it should. I'll run a couple of tanks of gas through it and then it's time for paint. Still thinking about silver with a grey stripe and red lettering. Open to suggestions though. Here's a shot of how it stands today.
 

Attachments

  • 2017-09-17 17.03.16.jpg
    2017-09-17 17.03.16.jpg
    94.5 KB · Views: 0
Back
Top