Bringing a 78 GS 550 back to life. . .

[Nessism]

The parts fishe on both Alpha Sport and Partzilla don't show item 23. Where did you get that diagram? I don't think there is supposed to be any bb on that spring, just the contact.

 

[cowboyup3371]

Ok, now I have to quit posting when I've been up for 24 hours. The above diagram is for a GS 750. The GS 550 shows only a "spring" and a "contact" pin-like piece.
It looks like the contact piece should be long enough to take up the slack from the short spring.

Ed, he later edited his post saying his put the wrong diagram up

 

[Guest]

Thanks for keeping me honest fellas!

 

[Guest]

Received my neutral gear indicator sensor, and as expected the plastic tubing (shroud?) was cracked leaving exposed wire.
A quick trip through Amazon brought some wire harness fiber tape to my front door. A double wrap should give it plenty
of protection.

Also got my rear tube changed by my local motorcycle guru. Now I'm ready to reinstall the motor.

Really not looking forward to lifting this dead weight, but how hard could it be?

The closer you get, the heavier it looks.

But, having it on my small bench puts it at just the right height to slide it over into the frame.

Looking forward now to sealing things up and move on to the wiring. (FUN!!)

 

[Guest]

Looking good. You might want to get the airbox back in while you still have some room.

 

[Steve]

Also got my rear tube changed by my local motorcycle guru. Now I'm ready to reinstall the motor.

Can't quite tell from this shot, is that rear tire a Shinko 712 or a Kenda Challenger? :-k

Hopefully it's a Shinko, or else I would recommend another visit to your tire guru.

.

 

[Guest]

Both tires are Kenda Challenger Steve. If I had bought this project with worn out tires I would do my research and pick accordingly.
But, since these are basically new I'll see how it goes.

Being retired this bike will more than likely only be ridden around town. No long cross country trips, so if anything happens (short of a blowout and my death) I'll take it in stride.

After reading your post I checked a few reviews for Kenda brand. Like anything people love em or hate em. I guess it's a crap shoot.

 

[Guest]

Good idea! Trying to reassemble in a logical manner.

 

[Steve]

Being retired this bike will more than likely only be ridden around town. No long cross country trips, so if anything happens (short of a blowout and my death) I'll take it in stride.

After reading your post I checked a few reviews for Kenda brand. Like anything people love em or hate em. I guess it's a crap shoot.

Retired or not, "trips around town" are still plagued with dangers like wet roads. I have done some of the research, too, and found that, for the most part, those who like them, like them because of the cheap price. Those who don't like them, don't like them because of their performance (or lack thereof). They tend to have an incredibly short life and what little performance they do have degrades steadily with each accumulated mile. By the time they have a couple thousand miles, they can be downright hazardous.

Surprisingly, the Shinko 712 tires that look identical to the Challengers, cost within a couple dollars of the same amount and perform a LOT better, for mileage and grip. For a couple dollars more, the Shinko 230 Tour Master tires are even better. I have not shopped for tires for a while, but the last set of Shinko 230s came to my door for about $135 for the pair.

Good luck with your Challengers, but BE CAREFUL with them. :encouragement:

.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Steve for your insight into the Kenda brand. It's a shame that Shinko aren't the more popular choice considering safety, price and longer life.

 

[Guest]

Ah, a thing of beauty. Not perfect, but better than it was.

Surprisingly, the static timing was dead on, even the open gaps were in spec. (I know the firing mark looks off, but dead on in person).

Yep, using anti-seize to prevent galvanic corrosion with these SS socket cap screws.

 

[steve murdoch]

Thing of beauty indeed.
Personally, i prefer the look of allen bolts.

 

[Guest]

Yeah Steve I'm with you, I just really don't care for stripped out Philips head screws/bolts. Much prefer a fastener you can get a hold of. At least you won't need an impact driver to take them out again.

 

[Steve]

It's a shame that Shinko aren't the more popular choice considering safety, price and longer life.

Would you settle for two out of three? :-k

They are safe. They are cheap. Their life is probably "average".

Several years ago, Brian Wringer (bwringer on the forum) did a test of the Shinko 230s. You can read his test by clicking HERE. Pay attention to how he describes himself in the first couple of lines. Feel free to join us in Indiana in June, you can meet him and try to follow him.

On the less-hectic side of the coin, we have had 230s on our three GSes here for quite some time. I did not keep track of exact mileage, but I seem to remember getting more like 7-9000 miles from a set. All three of our bikes are set up for longer-distance touring, two of them have frame-mounted fairings, as well.

Shinko tires are a surprising value, but not for everybody. For a weekend rider that does not regularly drag hardware in the turns, they will do quite nicely.

Kenda Challengers? I hesitate to even let them roll into my shop on a customer's bike. I will do everything I can to convince the owner to let me change them before the bike leaves. I will not do a test ride on a bike with them.

Your bike is looking great, so far, looking forward to the end result. :encouragement:

.

 

[Guest]

Received 3 boxes of goodies today - O-ring chain, master cylinder innards, and spring/pin for neutral indicator switch.
It was late in the afternoon when I kept looking at the new chain. I knew I'd have to rivet the master link, something I've never done before,
so I debated whether to dive into it or not. Decided to go for it. My HF chain breaker/riveter worked like a charm.

Tomorrow I'll tackle the master cylinder and install the caliper.

 

[Guest]

I'm amazed that companies post merchandise on Amazon with ridiculous flat fee shipping charges. Here's
the cost of shipping 1 screw, albeit an OEM Suzuki screw.

 

[Guest]

Well, I've reached that point in a build that drives men (or women) to drink. W - i - r - i - n - g!
Hopefully I'll be able to read my wiring diagram and bring the existing wiring and my Sparck Moto wiring harness together in wedded bliss.

Yowza! So many wires, so many colors!!

At least it's starting to look like a motorcycle. . .

 

[Big T]

I'm amazed that companies post merchandise on Amazon with ridiculous flat fee shipping charges. Here's
the cost of shipping 1 screw, albeit an OEM Suzuki screw.

Best reason to go to your local Suzuki dealer

 

[Guest]

Trying to find a good place to mount the R/R, and like most times the bottom of the battery tray seems to
be the best location. Flat head bolts give a nice low profile.

 

[Guest]

I've got about 95% of the wiring completed. It's been a maddening process at times, but a couple of good wiring diagrams, ohm meter and patience help tremendously.

I have run into a problem with my kick starter. The electric starter works great. Turns the motor, puts out a nice fat blue spark out of the coils. But, the kick starter just won't engage the engine.
Using the kick starter spins the clutch basket, but that's about it. I guess I don't need the kick starter if the electric start works, but I always like having a backup in case the battery dies.
Not sure if this is going to be a minor thing or a big problem.