1983_GS750E - Rebuild

[Guest]

Agreed. That's looks excellent! And wow, I'm amazed at how well a wire wheel can clean. Do you use one on a drill and was it fine or course grade?

I'm new to street bike rebuilding (even let my license expire a decade ago) and you guys are all an inspiration. I've now got all these ideas swirling around in my head after finding this forum and am gonna have to get a new license now. My wife is gonna freak when she learns my budget just tripled LOL!

Sci85

 

[7981GS]

Wow! I have plenty of lens' that need replacement and plenty of stuff to polish.
When are you coming over to spend a week?

Daniel

 

[GateKeeper]

Agreed. That's looks excellent! And wow, I'm amazed at how well a wire wheel can clean. Do you use one on a drill and was it fine or course grade?

I'm new to street bike rebuilding (even let my license expire a decade ago) and you guys are all an inspiration. I've now got all these ideas swirling around in my head after finding this forum and am gonna have to get a new license now. My wife is gonna freak when she learns my budget just tripled LOL!

Sci85

Yup just a wire wheel on a drill, it was one at Canadian Tire, and it had the gold color wires, not sure if it makes a difference, it's the one I have always purchased.

Be careful it can grab an edge, and twist the drill around on you, keep shirts and and kind of cloth away, it will grab it in a heart beat, and it will hurt you if it's attached to you, wear some sort of glove, I use the blue nitrile ones, it at least offer some protection on the skin, and the wire wheel doesn't grab at them, plus I use the gloves anyways when working with solvents, grease, oil, etc....

the parts you see are just a rough clean, they still need a lot more, but the wire wheel get the bulk of the crap off, quick, and it can be used to polish up parts a bit as well, no big shine, just a cleaner look.

by the way the swing arm was not done at all, just cleaned with soap and water.

here is the drill and wheel (used now)

 

[GateKeeper]

Wow! I have plenty of lens' that need replacement and plenty of stuff to polish.
When are you coming over to spend a week?

Daniel

As soon as I have all my stuff done.....

 

[GateKeeper]

I know the feeling, I have been fiddling with Jennifer....that didn't come out right for near on 18 months now and all I seem to be doing is cleaning and sanding and polishing, but we will get there one day, only last month did I start hanging parts back together, but it's all good, its therapy for me, alone time in the man cave, with some oldies on the radio, cold beers and my bike, it's a happy place.
And now that she is starting to come together, the work put in shows and is really paying off, just stick with it.
My philosophy is, it should not be a chore, if you not in the mood, give it a miss for the night, when it's a chore, your heart ain't in it and you land up doing a half baked job, that will haunt you later down the road.

Nicely put....

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

Nice job on the gauge cluster, congrats!
Also, good choice on the "gold color wires" in your wire wheel, probably bronze and much gentler on the parts than a coarse steel wheel.

And yea Flyboy, that is the truth, very well put. If it quits being fun it's time to take a break for a few. Thats not to say I haven't thrown a few cuss worlds out there or really broke a sweat struggling... but it'll always puts a smile on your face when it's over.

 

[GateKeeper]

Going to take the cluster apart again, it has some fine plastic dust caught in the rubber seal, so I have to get it apart and clean that off, shouldn't be to hard now that I know what I am doing....

Ohh well, wasn't paying attention, so that is what happens.

 

[GateKeeper]

So tonight we took the front end off, it came off rather quickly, and without too much effort, shocks are draining as we speak, going to let them drain overnight, and disassemble them tomorrow. Everything else will get cleaned, and wire wheeled then painted.

So the only thing left now is the air box and engine in the frame, that is next, and we start the long process of cleaning, sanding, polishing, painting each and every single item, before we can start the rebuild.

I hope the way the bike is now, engine sitting on the garage floor will not hurt anything, it will be soon that it will be pulled but not right away, I tried to get off the floor with some pieces of wood but that did not work out, so she has to be the way it is.

Here are a few pics of tonights work.

I do hope the pics thus far have been of interest, to one and all, and especially to those thinking of doing this type of work as well, it's been great fun, and I have really enjoyed sharing this with you all....

this is the last part to come out....

 

[Flyboy]

Nice, leaving the motor on the floor won't hurt anything, but what I would do, or rather have done with mine, if you can't get wooden planks in there, just get a big cardboard box from your pocal supermarket, you know, the big ones you find out back at the dumpster after they have unpacked the stock, undo the bottom and top and lay it flat on the floor and put your motor ontop of that. That is what I did with my frame after painting as well.
Yes I am enjoying this build, please continue.

 

[GateKeeper]

Thanks Flyboy....

I was going to put the engine on a small wooden pallet, once I get it yanked out of the frame, it needs a good scrubbing, the top needs a good polish, so that has to come off, the one exhaust bolt that broke needs to come out also, and then it needs a good painting, as well as all the other covers need polishing. Once this is done, I was going to wrap it up with the plastic wrapping they use when you ship stuff, I figure that would protect it, and keep it clean, until it's ready to go back into the frame.

The next few weeks are going to be boring, stripping, sanding, polishing and so on....well boring for posting, but I will take pics as I move along.

It's nice to have it all documented.....

Stay tuned....LOL

 

[GateKeeper]

So I was going to ask.....

Should I just rebuild it back as stock, or does anyone suggest changing anything on the bike, I have read and seen some of the other guys changing rims, springs, shocks, brakes, sprockets, handlebars, and so on....

If anything is to be done, this would be the time to do it I guess

 

[Flyboy]

Bob the heck outta the sucker..........

Seriously, its your bike, you gotta live, love and ride it, go with whatever you are going to be happy with.
Personaly, I am a stock kinda guy, I htink there is nothing nicer than a motorcycle restored to its former glory, I really don't get this whole bobber thing at all, if I wanted to look like an Orangutan hanging from a tree, I would hang from the chandilier with a broom up my ass and make revving noises.
Most older classics can do with a few modern upgrades, like brakes and wiring etc, but I think the ES and EF were pretty much there as they came stock.
Besides, they have really nice styling and look good straight out the box.
I wouldn't mess too much.
also keep in mind, as you decide to modify, your build time and budget will increase accordingly.

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

And on the other hand..... she wore a glove.
Ok, old joke. But I am a guy who can't leave anything alone. Always seems like when I take something apart I have to improve it some way when I reassemble it (hopefully). To be honest that bikes styling was so nice from the factory, I'd probably put my attention to polishing eveything aluminum and lay fresh paint on the rest. Once you get that frame sorted out it may "talk" to you and guide you on what direction to take... It'll be an extention of your personality. Who knows, maybe a street-fighter in the future if you like that sort of thing.
Your engine will be fine setting like that, some set for decades in that same position... is it's just a pain drain the oil! To make it easier to work on and to move it as needed, if you have some old casters and a small piece of 3/4 plywood laying around, you can make a little dolley to set the engine on and move it around the shop while you are working on it. I've used mine to move frames with engines like yours is now or even nearly complete bikes without wheels.

 

[Flyboy]

You do nice work HD, no problem there, I enjoy watching you creative flair, maybe I just stick with stock because I ain't got a creative bone in my body....easier that way.

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

Thanks, I really wasn't fishing for compliments I was agreeing with you on this project...maybe it didn't come across that way. So officially I say detail her out in stock form!

 

[Flyboy]

Agreed with the detailing in stock, but then I'm biased.
No compliments given unduly HD, don't worry, I give credit where it is due, I just wish I was creative sometimes, I can take a bike and can't picture much else that would work, but other people will get to it and turn out something totally new that makes me go WOW that I would not even have thought of in a million years.
Don't get too smug dude, you screw up too, not putting the black stripes on the 750, that was silly. -------------->> hat, coat, door.

 

[GateKeeper]

OK, settled then,,,,STOCK it is.....well as much as possible, paint might be a bit off, and I might not have all the decals as I can't seem to find them, but what I took off will go right back on,,,,only they will be clean, shiny, polished or painted...

Thanks guys

 

[GateKeeper]

What to do about the Seat

What to do about the Seat

So I was given the name of a local place that does upholstery for cars, bikes, etc and ventured off this morning to see them about recovering my seat. Not knowing what to expect in way of price I went in with an open mind, yes I have seen some of the skins one can get, for about 90 bucks plus shipping, and then I still have to put it on or get someone to do it for me.

So after a bit a talking with the owner and his son, about my seat, it came down to 2 prices, cause of the 2 different materials.

They had the plain so to speak vinyl or the carbon fiber style pattern

the plain was 150 cash out the door, and the carbon fiber was 175 out the door, this includes doing the strap as well

So is this a good price, too high, about right, or can I get it done for less and these guys are out to lunch, I don't want to drive around all over the place going from shop to shop, I will waste time and gas and then I will be in the same boat or even costing me more.

Other than the price, what do you guys think of the 2 types of vinyl, which one to go with, and do keep in mind, they will not do the embossing, they can't they don't have the machine to do it with, and if I wanted it sewn in, well the price just goes up and up......

So it will just be a plain seat, with the strap done, and that's it

Here is a few pics of the current seat, the imperfections (hole/tear) and a sample of the vinyls that were chosen.

I think I like this more than the plain

so let me know, if either is an option, or get something online, or would the dealer have these original skins in stock still ?

Cheers

 

[Flyboy]

Check out Pit Replica here http://stores.ebay.com/Pit-Replica
Thier covers are excellent and have the original embossing as well, only heard good things about them.
If they don't have your cover, they will do you a deal, where you send them yours and they will copy it, and you get your new one for free, kinda thier way of payment for giving them your old one to copy and add to thier inventory.
If they do have it, thier prices are a lot better, at around $80 I think.
They are in Thailand, so I know things are delayed there right now due to the flooding, so you may have a little wait.

 

[jwhelan65]

I like the carbon FX, I have it on mine.