Well I've had the bike a few years now and aside from riding it once a couple of years ago, the bike has simply been shuffled from one storage location to another.
I was lucky enough to have made a few friends here and get some help to initially get her running (thank you Detman, TracyBorchet, and Doug). But then I got new toys and the poor GS sat in the background and was ignored. Recently I had been contemplating buying one bike or another. A moment of clarity came to me when I realized I already had the bike I was really looking for. I wanted something powerful, stylish, and most of all reliable. Aside from the normal electrical niggles and the problems associated with finding pieces to my rare GS750T, there was very little standing in the way of my completing this project I started and then ignored 3 years ago.
So in December I pulled the bike from it's storage space and surveyed what needed to be done... You know it's going to be expensive you have to make a list. My roommate is convinced I have lost my mind and thinks I am crazy for spending this much time and money "on such an old bike," and keeps asking me "what do you think you could sell it for when you are all done?" Sheesh, everyones a critic.
So what have I purchased/installed/completed since December of 2007?
Battery (bought a new Gel Battery)
Gas tank (Have a Black/Silver NOS tank waiting to be installed)
New Petcock
Suzuki Lettering plus mounting hardware for tank (NOS)
Gas Tank Cushion (another NOS piece that is installed)
Oil/Filter
Spark Plugs
Air Filter
Electrex Regulator
Electrex Stator
Stator Cover Gasket
Engine Case Stickers (Suzuki logo and TSCC)
Head Gasket was Leaking (rectified)
Used Starter
Valve Cover Gasket
New Suzuki OEM High Density bolts (all of them to a tune of 150 dollars worth) for the cam hold downs and valve cover
Assorted Suzuki Hardware (yes also from the dealer) for the tank and frame
Inspection/Cleaning of Pistons and Cylinders
Valve Adjustment
Tachometer Cable (NOS ofcourse)
Carburetor rebuild with Jet Kit
Vance and Hines 4 into 1 classic system
New exhaust hardware and gaskets
Tachometer (to replace the one my friend broke while helping me)
Cleaning every connector I could get my hands on and coating with dielectric grease
Still some assembly and parts needed.
Tires (mine have plenty of tread with no signs of rot but they are pretty old), fuel lines needed, brakes need to be bled, fork oil needs to be changed (the seals are holding just fine),original signals needed, gear indicator needs to be fixed (won't light up), gaskets for fuel level indicator needed, painting the lid to the airbox, touching up some parts of the frame, figuring out how to make the old black engine sparkle again, lubing the chain and cables, replacing some other little decals on the switches, finding a set of original silver/black panels for the frame (or getting black color matched paint for my spare set), and probably more that I am forgetting right now.
The funny thing is that I am content with my decision to spend double the value of the bike to complete it. I think she's a beauty and it's cheaper than buying a new bike.
I was lucky enough to have made a few friends here and get some help to initially get her running (thank you Detman, TracyBorchet, and Doug). But then I got new toys and the poor GS sat in the background and was ignored. Recently I had been contemplating buying one bike or another. A moment of clarity came to me when I realized I already had the bike I was really looking for. I wanted something powerful, stylish, and most of all reliable. Aside from the normal electrical niggles and the problems associated with finding pieces to my rare GS750T, there was very little standing in the way of my completing this project I started and then ignored 3 years ago.
So in December I pulled the bike from it's storage space and surveyed what needed to be done... You know it's going to be expensive you have to make a list. My roommate is convinced I have lost my mind and thinks I am crazy for spending this much time and money "on such an old bike," and keeps asking me "what do you think you could sell it for when you are all done?" Sheesh, everyones a critic.
So what have I purchased/installed/completed since December of 2007?
Battery (bought a new Gel Battery)
Gas tank (Have a Black/Silver NOS tank waiting to be installed)
New Petcock
Suzuki Lettering plus mounting hardware for tank (NOS)
Gas Tank Cushion (another NOS piece that is installed)
Oil/Filter
Spark Plugs
Air Filter
Electrex Regulator
Electrex Stator
Stator Cover Gasket
Engine Case Stickers (Suzuki logo and TSCC)
Head Gasket was Leaking (rectified)
Used Starter
Valve Cover Gasket
New Suzuki OEM High Density bolts (all of them to a tune of 150 dollars worth) for the cam hold downs and valve cover
Assorted Suzuki Hardware (yes also from the dealer) for the tank and frame
Inspection/Cleaning of Pistons and Cylinders
Valve Adjustment
Tachometer Cable (NOS ofcourse)
Carburetor rebuild with Jet Kit
Vance and Hines 4 into 1 classic system
New exhaust hardware and gaskets
Tachometer (to replace the one my friend broke while helping me)
Cleaning every connector I could get my hands on and coating with dielectric grease
Still some assembly and parts needed.
Tires (mine have plenty of tread with no signs of rot but they are pretty old), fuel lines needed, brakes need to be bled, fork oil needs to be changed (the seals are holding just fine),original signals needed, gear indicator needs to be fixed (won't light up), gaskets for fuel level indicator needed, painting the lid to the airbox, touching up some parts of the frame, figuring out how to make the old black engine sparkle again, lubing the chain and cables, replacing some other little decals on the switches, finding a set of original silver/black panels for the frame (or getting black color matched paint for my spare set), and probably more that I am forgetting right now.
The funny thing is that I am content with my decision to spend double the value of the bike to complete it. I think she's a beauty and it's cheaper than buying a new bike.
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And I guess I will have to try heating the muffler with a propane torch to get it to slide on. The bracket they supplied looks funny as well. A hole on one side and an open hole on the other? How do I properly mount that? And once it's on, don't I need a muffler clamp to keep it together?
