Another Aussie GS rebuild - GS1100G

[Guest]

Well if it's any consolation I'd rather go to Melbourne for a holiday than Freo. I like the people in Melbourne, like the food better, it's cheaper, has more stuff to see and just has a great feel. You can park your bike on the footpath there. If you like coffee then Pellegrini's at the top of Bourke St has the best coffee in Australia. My folks used to go there in the 50s! Whenever I go to Melbourne I go there for a long black. I like Mario's on Brunswick St for a cheap meal. Great city. Perth/Freo is just too expensive.

I just had a look at some Bonnevilles online because that's what I would have liked but couldn't afford when I bought the GS1100G. Now I think it was a good thing - this GS rocks!

Yeah I like Melbourne, my wife comes from there so it's a bit like going home for her too. We were thinking of doing something different this time but that will have to wait for another time.

For cheap (but good) meals we usually end up on Fitzroy St in St Kilda, somewhere like Leo's is always good.

I like the Bonnevilles, but not the modern ones so much, although I do like the Scrambler. If I was ever to get one, I'd have to buy the older model Scrambler with the carbs though...

 

[JimmyR]

Today I made my rear fender mounts - yesterday I started the front ones. Today I got all of the things that need to be welded ready because my welder mate is coming around tomorrow to weld stuff. So I have my side stand ready to be welded, the new tank mount bolt in front of the seat, seat mount bracket so that the seat has something to hook into, rear fender mounting strap and the frame loop that goes under the seat rear. Then I can finish fitting everything, mainly seat and rear lights, then strip it all down and get the frame powder coated. Woohoo!

Also today my Mikuni RS36s arrived. It sounds like they shouldn't be too hard to install and tune. If it was a easy as installing the Mikuni on my Harley I would be stoked! But that needed only one carb..

I'll take some pics when the welding is done.

 

[Guest]

Awww man no pic's tonight? That's just slack

Sounds like excellent progress though, can't wait to see her all done up!

 

[JimmyR]

Pics! Welding today. Got a lot done - it was great to have a kick stand again. With my new exhaust the original kick stand wouldn't fit, so on the advice of (I think) Daniel (7981GS) I got a different model's stand and welded it on. Works perfectly!

 

[JimmyR]

We also got a seat bracket for my new seat to hook into. It fits perfectly. My welder mate Dave Armstrong has done a great job. What you can't see well is that the bracket is an inverted "U" shape. It looks flat in the pic.

The seat looks so cool now (well I reckon!) with it's own frame loop following it.

While we were in there we pit in some fender brackets/straps and a tank mounting point.

 

[JimmyR]

What looks like rust on the frame is just red dirt. This bike has been ridden in rural NSW for a long time and it's very dusty. I have cleaned a LOT of this crap off the bike.

Another shot of the seat on the bike because I really like it! Its surprisingly comfy, too.

 

[landshark]

I dont what colour you are planning on powdercoating the frame, but silver would look awesome with that seat?

 

[JimmyR]

Silver? Good call. Never would have thought of that! That could look great. I kinda have my heart set on texture black though! Boring? probably! But it's a theme on my bike. I have quite a lot of textured finishes on it, and hopefully the fenders will be textured too eventually. The handlebars are a textured anodised aluminium finish which looks amazing and I want to try get the same finish for the fenders if I can. I already have the triples and brakes finished in texture black. But doing this I hope that the mufflers and tank will stand out all the more by being glossy. I really like the tank as it is but think I might get it touched up and a new clear coat sprayed. The finish IS 30 years old!

 

[Good Times]

Great progress here JR. It's shaping up nicely.

 

[Guest]

Good stuff Jimmy! That is all working really well... how long before you get her tidied up and painted/powdercoated?

 

[JimmyR]

Not entirely sure Pete. I reckon there's not too much more to do before powdercoat though. I have to drill some mounting holes for the rear indicators and mudguard. I also have to sort out a smaller rear braked fluid reservior because I couldn't stand the plastic jar in the triangle under the seat. I can live with the massive master cylinder but the nivea jar had to go. I have room for a narrower (rectangular?) reservior under the seat beside the mudguard but the stock jar doesn't fit.

I should have taken a pic of it but forgot - you can see in the last pic that behind the rear shock there is a bit of frame hanging below the seat loop. That's where we capped off the frame support and welded a flat piece to bolt the indicators to. It's all sort of blended in but I'll take a pic soon once the indicators are mounted.

So I'm hoping to get the frame to powder coat this week. It really will make a HUGE difference to how the bike looks. And tonight I have been checking out my new RS36 carbs, making sure that they have the right jets, attaching fuel lines, etc. They are extremely compact!

Tomorrow I must finish the front fender mount too. I want to get it powdercoated the same texture black as the frame and swingarm.

 

[Charlie G]

The job on the seat is certainly well done!

cg

 

[Guest]

Good stuff Jimmy, fingers crossed you make it this week!

 

[Johnny Drummond]

frame loop

frame loop

Hi Jimmy,the loop looks great!, I like the way you added that little tab where your addition joins the standard frame,it looks like it should be there to any untutored person(you'll have great fun at classic shows listening to people arguing if all 1100G's were like that)as I found before I changed my GS1000 engine and had no badges to identify the model for the GSX engine.The best ever overheard was "bloody hell,its not often you see 2 GS750's parked together anymore".The owner of the very highly restored GS750 looked over these "experts" heads and mouthed "w****rs" at me, I had to walk away I was laughing so hard!.Anyway it looks like you are going to have a fantastic bike when you are done-how about some pictures of it in the sun as I've forgotten what it looks like.Johnny

 

[bigboresuzuki]

Hi Jimmy,just finished reading your thread and loving the build so far.Was fortunate enough to go on the GS ride with Pete and the boys back in February.South east Queensland.Hope you can hook up with some W.A boys for a GS ride.Makes this site become a reality.Did a 4WD course north of Perth for a RioTinto induction.Some nice winding roads up there if you can stay off the gravel.
Good luck and enjoy the new carbs.Crisp and responsive.Whooaa.:dancing::dancing: Cheers Mark

 

[JimmyR]

Ok crap photo and it doesn't look very pretty here - but it works really well! this is the thing that the seat hooks under to stay on the bike.

 

[JimmyR]

Well it's strip-down time! For the bike. Not me. That would be gross and I'm not posting pictures of that.

I have the engine sitting on a pile of bricks, still inside the frame and protected from harm by a jarrah plank. Tomorrow I will see if my favourite steel shop is open and buy two lengths of steel rod to run through the frame bolt holes to make lifting easier. Nothing is actually holding the engine in the frame but I can't find a way to get a grip on it to move it. These 1100 engines are bloody massive. I reckon a couple of steel rods will make lifting it much easier and be a quick job for two blokes. I have my bike jack standing by next to the frame ready for the engine.

So if all goes well the frame and a bunch of other parts will be at the powder coaters next monday.

 

[Good Times]

The steel rod method will be S.O.P. for me. Much easier, for me anyway.

 

[JimmyR]

Yeah I don't know how else people do it! I hope the steel place is open.

BTW Johnny I forgot to mention that I love your stories. I wish I could buy you a pint or two of the black stuff and talk bikes...

 

[Guest]

Hi Jimmy,just finished reading your thread and loving the build so far.Was fortunate enough to go on the GS ride with Pete and the boys back in February.South east Queensland.Hope you can hook up with some W.A boys for a GS ride.Makes this site become a reality.Did a 4WD course north of Perth for a RioTinto induction.Some nice winding roads up there if you can stay off the gravel.
Good luck and enjoy the new carbs.Crisp and responsive.Whooaa.:dancing::dancing: Cheers Mark

Yeah that was great stuff Mark, can't wait for the next one! I'm trying to squeeze in the Kat forum run next weekend but not sure on that just yet...

Well it's strip-down time! For the bike. Not me. That would be gross and I'm not posting pictures of that.

I have the engine sitting on a pile of bricks, still inside the frame and protected from harm by a jarrah plank. Tomorrow I will see if my favourite steel shop is open and buy two lengths of steel rod to run through the frame bolt holes to make lifting easier. Nothing is actually holding the engine in the frame but I can't find a way to get a grip on it to move it. These 1100 engines are bloody massive. I reckon a couple of steel rods will make lifting it much easier and be a quick job for two blokes. I have my bike jack standing by next to the frame ready for the engine.

So if all goes well the frame and a bunch of other parts will be at the powder coaters next monday.

Thanks for *not* sharing a personal strip down Jimmy, definitely something I don't need to hear... :-#

That seat loop is similar to how my stock 450 seat latches on at the front, and yes very simple and effective. How are you actually anchoring it to the frame though? I was able to keep the stock duck tail frame and reuse it with the tail piece I made so I've been able to retain the stock seat lock which was my aim.

Can't wait to see her once the frame's powdercoated, don't forget to mask all those threads!