• 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.

81 GS550T in Co Sprgs

As I said earlier, the wind was cold enough I didn't want to do anything outside today after putting the chain on. Instead I decided to sand off my side covers so I can get them ready for painting. Using 120 grit paper, the first one came off fairly easy but was time consuming. When I say easy, I mean it only had the one color on it.

Well, when I started on the second one I found that it had not just the top color (black) but also it looks like about three other colors:

Multicolorsidecover.jpg


Pretty neat coloring to say the least.

But alas, it all came off and here I am after that much.

sidecoversafter120grit.jpg


I'm going to hit them again with 320 or 400 since I'm out of my 220 and almost out of the 320. Then I'll prime them and paint the same color as the tank.

Take care.
 
Nope, it's right. The round part goes towards the front of the bike.

Oooops :o, sorry, false alarm, let me rather shut up and reserve my comments to shafties.
 
You're fine Flyboy. Trust me, I did a lot of searching on here before installing it...plus the back of the chain box has a GREAT picture of the clip type.
 
cowboy, would you be so kind to give me the size of the allen bolts you have used on the carbs?
I finally got around to getting the carbs off and the screws are awefully stripped and some are even missing on the plates that connect all 4. So I plan to replace them all but wanted to get an accurate size on them. Does Home Depot carry them?
 
Your better to go to Ace than Home Depot. I believe they were both 6mm and 5mm. What bike do you have? If you look at the parts fiche you'll see the part number which will give you the bolt sizing.
 
Just take a sample along with you, just remember there are two different lengths, the bowls are longer that the tops,....or the other way around, can't remember.................I suffer from CRAFT. ;)
 
Drained about almost a quart of oil today after accidentally putting too much in yesterday and fixed a grounding location that Tom said might cause me problems. The screw holding the relay in place was too close to touching the positive battery cable while the bracket I was using to hold some other grounds was also too close to the same cable. I put the rubber cap back on the cable and put smaller screws in place.

Now I'm trying to figure out why my left front turn signal isn't working. The rear left is working great and it's not a bulb problem. I'm thinking grounding but not sure where to look since the front signal's grounds are fine. New rear lights but they are grounding fine to the frame so I'm missing something.

newelectricalgroundpositions.jpg
 
Now I'm trying to figure out why my left front turn signal isn't working. The rear left is working great and it's not a bulb problem. I'm thinking grounding but not sure where to look since the front signal's grounds are fine.
You have a test light? :-k

Take the lens off the signal, remove the bulb from the socket. Connect your test light clip to a good ground, turn on the key and the signal switch, verify that you have power at the terminal at the bottom of the socket. If you do, put the bulb back in, touch your test light to the outer part of the socket. If you have power there, you still have a grounding problem.

.
 
Ahhh, thanks Steve. I'll check that out tomorrow; only because I have to finish some schoolwork tonight. Course, I could let you answer the questions about SQL databases, right?:twistedevil:

Okay, I couldn't wait. I have power inside at the base of the socket but I'm unsure what you mean by outer part of the socket. Is that all the way outside of the housing or still with the lens cap off and inside where the bulb goes.

Sorry, I could actually use a picture of this if someone can show me. Thanks.
 
Last edited:
So the petcock is back in the tank (I'll finish sanding the tank and side covers later) and I'll start it up tonight after work. I'm ready to ride and need some seat time before Brown County.

I'll still have to paint the exhaust pipes and change out the springs and shocks.
 
Ahhh, thanks Steve. I'll check that out tomorrow; only because I have to finish some schoolwork tonight. Course, I could let you answer the questions about SQL databases, right?:twistedevil:

Okay, I couldn't wait. I have power inside at the base of the socket but I'm unsure what you mean by outer part of the socket. Is that all the way outside of the housing or still with the lens cap off and inside where the bulb goes.

Sorry, I could actually use a picture of this if someone can show me. Thanks.
I'm too lazy to take a picture, but, the outer part of the socket is the part that holds the light bulb in place. The inner part is where the base makes contact. The outer part is ground, the inner is hot when the signal is activated. If there isn't a seperate ground wire and it's depending on the frame for grounding, it may just not have a good enough ground to complete the flasher circuit.
 
Put the tank back on, started it up, and gosh darn the petcock was leaking out of the bolts. I am trying to find the washers but if not I sure hope the local parts house has some replacements.
 
Painted

Painted

Well, for my first painting job the bike hasn't turned out too bad. I still have some work to do to it but I wanted to start riding again so I'll do some more fixing later on. But I thought I'd post a picture of it right now so everyone can see what I wanted to do.

PaintedBike.jpg


I'm going to air up the tires tomorrow and try to get out this weekend for a ride before riding into work next week. I have a couple of spots I need to touch up, a stator cover and fenders to paint, and I'm still wanting to paint the pipes. I also will replace the shocks and springs when money frees up.

Take care.
 
LOL. Nope, that was an oil leak from when I drained the oil last year and just never cleaned it up. I get on the kids so much about doing half-ass jobs and then I go and screw it up.

I forgot to mention that I figured out (with help of course) why my front left turn signal is not working. It seems a ground is missing so I will fix that this weekend.
 
Yea, sorry for the shakiness...was the cell phone and not the new camera. I'll get a better picture this weekend.
 
So after grounding the front turn signals and replacing the rear master cylinder reservoir today, I tried to go for a short ride out to the base so I could do some practicing in a parking lot. Although the ride was good, I encountered an issue shifting into second gear from first (almost like I had to double-clutch it) and it bogged down on an uphill a few times. I'm already going to test a theory given to me earlier to see if I have a vacuum issue (changed the type of vacuum line used) with the petcock tomorrow if the weather will hold off a bit. Otherwise, I'll ride the bike into work on Monday and test it then.

I'm glad to be back on the road but wish everything could have worked seamlessly.
 
Back
Top