82 GS1100E Mr Turbo Rebuild

[Spyder]

That thing is going to be the coolest bike on the street.

I plan to spend my "quarantine" time out in my garage getting mine back together too.

 

[oldGSfan]

Thanks, well I will think so.

Minor progress report, not very exciting but a good night. I took the double piston rear brake apart. I used some Brakleen down the holes so my method of using a blow gun didn't splatter schmutz everywhere. I had my son use an old bath towel as catchers mitt, allowing me to use two hands to firmly press the blow gun on the bleed valve on one of them. He's inexperienced with mechanical work and got a fright when it popped, haha. I used double sided foam tape on the fluid transfer hole and put it in a vice to block that air exit, and blew them out with no trouble. The pistons and caliper bores were grungy from old fluid, but not corroded, had just a touch of the lightest rust on the pistons. A bit of work with a fine steel wool pad and they are like new. Am I weird because I find the disassembly and cleaning enjoyable? Maybe I'm OCD, so be it. I'll bead blast them at my friend's place and paint with VHT satin black, and they'll look and work like new.

 

[93Bandit]

What type of fuel system does this bike use? EFI? Can you get some close up images of the intake/fuel delivery system?

 

[wyly]

Cool project all the parts are there, kind of like those modeling kits I put together when I was kid.

 

[Big T]

Post up pictures of your missing frame bits
I have an 81 1100 frame I'll be cutting up for frame reinforcement and such

 

[oldGSfan]

It was running a Super B like this link - pretty pricey, I have the filter housing too, so I hope I can get some decent $ for it. I also have the original Keihin that came with the Mr. Turbo kit but I'm told a Mikuni HSR42 is an improvement. I found an AC Delco electric fuel pump with custom mount in the parts pile, but as purchased he had a huge hose (with a hardware store petcock) running right to the carb.

What type of fuel system does this bike use? EFI? Can you get some close up images of the intake/fuel delivery system?

 

[oldGSfan]

Post up pictures of your missing frame bits
I have an 81 1100 frame I'll be cutting up for frame reinforcement and such

Thanks - but the '81 doesn't appear to have that forward mount for the side cover, according to the Partzilla diagram.

The only things I'm missing that I need for frame are the headlight brackets.

Cut off mount on brake side:

Other side intact for reference:

 

[93Bandit]

It was running a Super B like this link - pretty pricey, I have the filter housing too, so I hope I can get some decent $ for it. I also have the original Keihin that came with the Mr. Turbo kit but I'm told a Mikuni HSR42 is an improvement. I found an AC Delco electric fuel pump with custom mount in the parts pile, but as purchased he had a huge hose (with a hardware store petcock) running right to the carb.

Gotcha, so it was a draw through setup?

 

[oldGSfan]

Yeah it's a Mr. Turbo kit, more commonly on Z1R-TC dealer specials.

https://www.odd-bike.com/2012/12/kawasaki-z1r-tc-psycho-turbo-z.html

 

[Rob S.]

Yeah it's a Mr. Turbo kit, more commonly on Z1R-TC dealer specials.

https://www.odd-bike.com/2012/12/kawasaki-z1r-tc-psycho-turbo-z.html

Great article, great time to be riding. Especially if you owned a big Z! (I did. An actual widowmaker, bought from my cousin's best friend's widow.)

 

[93Bandit]

Yeah it's a Mr. Turbo kit, more commonly on Z1R-TC dealer specials.

https://www.odd-bike.com/2012/12/kawasaki-z1r-tc-psycho-turbo-z.html

Wow, very informative read. I've been wanting to build a turbo bike someday, and this might be an option.

 

[oldGSfan]

I'm thinking about how to refinish my headers/exhaust. The header and connector pipes are discolored stainless steel, and while the chrome on the exhaust is not terrible, considering the rest of the bike will be as new I'd like to get them looking as good as possible.

CermaKrome or Cerakote (same deal I think?) seems to be the stuff, but I'm wondering if I can do the back of the exhaust in chrome, and the front in ceramic afterwards, and ceramic inside the full length. I'm pretty sure that the heat from the front part will melt my side cover if not ceramic coated. If not possible or crazy expensive I suppose the ceramic chrome look will be OK.

Any thoughts welcome. Another cheapo option is to just scrub them up as well as possible with Barkeepers friend or whatever works (I know there are thousands of opinions on this, not wanting to go into that here), then wrap the front part. The pitting on the chrome is not terrible, and worse on the inside where the salt from Bonneville got to it.

 

[chris]

Very nice project. I remember one of the US magazines did a mr turbo project on 81 gs1100 , it made 180hp on the dyno. I am jealous always wanted one those beasts. About your exhaust, myself I would go the cheapo option for now and go back to it when you got it running good. Its nice that the header is stainless steel and the rest of your exhaust looks pretty good from the photos. I guess you are going for a complete re-wire. Modern electrics would look great on that bike.

 

[Rob S.]

I'm thinking about how to refinish my headers/exhaust...wrap the front part.

Please, don't wrap!

Wrapping screams to me of college student with only $10 to spend on the exhaust. Plus, wrapping never ages well. My 2 cents.

 

[oldGSfan]

Yeah I hear ya on the wrap, it's cheesy. Maybe I can insulate inside the side cover. I think I'll take the advice from Cris. Get it running first etc.

I tried fitting the big fairing and side covers, but the bar cutouts seem to require bars so low that I'd hit the tank with them, hence the need to limit steering lock. That won't do. Plus the side covers hide the beautiful engine. So for now I'll go nekkid with that big 8" light. My last '82 GS1100E had a Wes Cooley style fairing with the 8" light, and it looked good, but is rarer than hen's teeth I bet.

Please, don't wrap!

Wrapping screams to me of college student with only $10 to spend on the exhaust. Plus, wrapping never ages well. My 2 cents.

 

[dorkburger]

I think Airtech makes reproduction GS 1000s fairings. Airtech's stuff usually requires some fab work for mounting though.

 

[limeex2]

Stainless exhaust scrubs up nice with red scotchbrite and WD-40. If your serious about a Cooley fairing, as mentioned Airtech makes nice ones( I have one) and reproduction mounts can be found in England/Europe. Maybe try/e-mail these guys. I had Triumph carbon fiber shipped here and shipping really wasn't that bad. The brackets are $145 USD + shipping. Their fairings are $108 USD if the price is current. https://www.suzukiperformancespares.co.uk/product/gs1000s-oem-style-fairing-brackets/2809/

https://www.suzukiperformancespares.co.uk/product/suzuki-gs1000-s-wes-cooley-nose-fairing/86/


https://www.suzukiperformancespares.co.uk/product/gs1000-s-type-fairing-kit/4028/

 

[steve murdoch]

Another vendor to contact is also in the UK.
The S fairing with the larger opening for the 1100E headlight doesn't show on their page but i think it would be worth contacting them as i think they make their own products.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Suzuki-G...924480?hash=item4b73d59580:g:ScEAAOSwq~tZS5wj

 

[Grimly]

Another vendor to contact is also in the UK.
The S fairing with the larger opening for the 1100E headlight doesn't show on their page but i think it would be worth contacting them as i think they make their own products.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Suzuki-G...924480?hash=item4b73d59580:g:ScEAAOSwq~tZS5wj

Their website is up, now.
http://www.pandpbodyworks.co.uk/product/suzuki-gs1000s-cockpit-fairing/

 

[oldGSfan]

Thanks Dave and Steve for info on the fairing, I sent them an Email asking about an 8" headlight version. You never know. I could always use a 'regular' size headlight but I liked the look with the train light.

Update:

I'll be off to the DMV on Thursday to re-title the bike. (still open in CA for now), so as of yet the engine remains in the frame.

I ordered a heap of parts from Partzilla - seals, rubber grommets, emblems etc. It's great that they have pretty much everything plus diagrams to help assembly (I am taking detailed photos too).

The rear brake is disassembled - I had two and one was pitted/rusted, but the other is fine. Both sets of pads are barely worn, one set is the original Tociko. I need to take the front calipers to my friend's house to remove the 14mm bolts with his impact driver, I don't want them to shear off by hand. Hopefully no issues getting them out.

I think I'll skip powder coating the frame, the only scuffs are on the front down tubes, and I can rattle-can them, they will look just fine. Same as the chain guard, it has the original sticker on it so I will just touch it up. I will powder coat many steel parts and some aluminum ones - brake parts mainly. I watched a video on Youtube on DIY Cerakote, he was very meticulous. Although I doubt I'll DIY them, I learned about the prep - he chem stripped, then cleaned with acetone before etching them in a blast cabinet with aluminum oxide. Seemed logical but tedious and messy, I hate messy work with strippers, ahem.

My 15 y/o son is big into Enduro mountain biking, and I'm his mechanic. I am trying (and trying) to teach him the finer points of maintenance and repair, with mixed results. He is quite interested in the GS and I'm teaching him to start from the bottom/outside and work up and in - brakes, suspension, frame, chain, etc. My late brother had a '65 Mustang and he did all the cosmetic stuff first (and only), and it sat in the garage until I got it running and did a brake job on it. Maybe he was just smarter than me.

My job is going to 50% 'work' from home starting Thursday. It will be hard to focus with the old GS in the garage calling me.

Sorry for the long post but it's kind of boring today at work!