G
Guest
Guest
Hello fellow gs owners, I’m fairly new here and my intro post was basically becoming a build thread so I figured I’d start one in the proper place. I’d like to preface saying I bought this bike with the intentions on making a long low bare bones bike. Yes I’m cutting off stock parts, yes it’s not getting restored but the beauty of motorcycles is there is plenty of room within this culture everyone can have their own opinion on what’s “right” or “looks good”, that being said let’s get into it!
So last year I picked up a ‘79 gs850 from someone local for 300 bucks. Bike had been sitting for years and was the guys late grandpa’s bike. I’ve never owned a gs but what gravitated me towards the bike was the mag wheels, the square shaped tank and just how long the bike was. I’m a big guy and feel way to cramped on most old Japanese bikes. I’ve owned and modified several bikes over the years mainly Kawasaki 750 twins and a few Harley’s. My current daily is a ‘81 gl1100 so there is no discrimination here, I dig lots of different styles. This is how the bike looked when I bought it, more or less. I had already mocked up the clip ons and had swapped the shocks in this picture. The seat was toast and the wiring was a mess. The paint and bodywork has the perfect patina for a 40+ year old machine and to my delight the gas tank on the inside is absolutely mint. No surface rust or anything. So it seemed like a good base for a budget build.

So last year I picked up a ‘79 gs850 from someone local for 300 bucks. Bike had been sitting for years and was the guys late grandpa’s bike. I’ve never owned a gs but what gravitated me towards the bike was the mag wheels, the square shaped tank and just how long the bike was. I’m a big guy and feel way to cramped on most old Japanese bikes. I’ve owned and modified several bikes over the years mainly Kawasaki 750 twins and a few Harley’s. My current daily is a ‘81 gl1100 so there is no discrimination here, I dig lots of different styles. This is how the bike looked when I bought it, more or less. I had already mocked up the clip ons and had swapped the shocks in this picture. The seat was toast and the wiring was a mess. The paint and bodywork has the perfect patina for a 40+ year old machine and to my delight the gas tank on the inside is absolutely mint. No surface rust or anything. So it seemed like a good base for a budget build.

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