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Honda guy with a Suzuki: GS550 project

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And here's where it stands today. The oil cooler mounts are done. We have to make some steering stops for the new front end and a nice muffler hanger bracket, then I'll take it all back apart for paint and detailing.



 
Wow. Big change in plans! If you're going to all that trouble to do such extensive mods, you need to weld some spine braces on to the frame directly behind the ignition coils. Even though the 1977 GS750 had frame bracing in this area, the 550 and 400 did not, and they get a little bit of wiggle at high speeds when you hit bumps in turns, or at just excessive speeds, period (as in 25 over the limit on fast highways).
Just search for a picture of a GS 750 frame, or a GS 450 or 650 frame, you will see two tubes coming back from the spine pointed slightly a rearward and meeting the upper cradle tubes on the sides. This will significantly stabilize the handling.

How does the exhaust spacing line up on the frame?
 
I actually have some pics saved of frame bracing. I know what braces you're talking about and have considered them but, man...it gets TIGHT in there around the gas tank tunnel. Will it all actually fit?

The header lines up just fine. We've yet to fit the muffler, but I don't see a problem (fingers crossed).
 
Factory 750 style bracing BEHIND the ignition coils is what I'm referring to, nothing in the way there. This should be your number one first objective in improving the chassis. Even if you don't do any of the other old school Suzuki forum style frame bracing.
 
You mean like "B" in these pics? **EDIT: B in first pic, A in second pic**


 
Picked up the GS/Kat project from the welder about a week ago. I'm really happy with the quality of his work and his solution to some of the things we faced. It helps when your welder is an engineer, too!




 
When I got it home I couldn't help but slap on some bodywork and see what it might look like!



 
Been kicking around ideas for the gauges/dash. I have these early GSX-R 750 clocks, and I found a speedo drive that fits my wheel, but they're incomplete. I'd have to come up with some idiot lights and some sort of pod/dash/flyscreen to finish them off.
I like the idea of old school analog gauges. But it might be easier to go with something modern. There's also the possibility of fitting a dash from a Bandit 1200 or similar.
This is something I still need to figure out.


 
Then I stripped it all back down again.





I spent a couple of hours this morning making my fingers sore. When I stripped the wheels a while back, I noticed some oxidation. I went through a couple of grades of sand paper, then switched to several stages of SkotchBrite pads.
At this stage, they have a nice brushed/satin finish. I'm 95% sure I'm going to stop there. I need to decide whether I want the centers black or graphite.



 
The wheels look nice. I, too have a Heeler (Australian cattle dog). He's a red one, though. Had em all my adult life. Great dogs. So smart.
 
AMAZING dogs. I had one for 17.5 years and she was the best dog/friend I ever had. None others even came close.
Zippy joined our family in May and he's almost 6 months old now. He's a hoot!
 
Also, since I originally intended to fix up the GS550 with more of a stock vibe, I had started collecting some parts before I went the GSX750 route.
I was tired of tripping over parts in the garage, so I took the spare frame I got from eBay and cleaned it up and painted it. I rebuilt the forks with new seals/oil, Sonic spring and valve emulators. Found a nice set of used Koni shocks for the rear. Cleaned and greased all bearings, etc. Cleaned, painted and polished up the stock wheels and installed slotted rotors from a later model.
Turned out pretty nice considering I used parts I had on hand and lots of elbow grease. This one will get the stock GS550 engine (after I re-seal it), carbs and exhaust, plus some custom bodywork. In the mean time, it's easier to store a rolling frame than piles and piles of parts.






 
2 bikes out of 1 project.. not bad. Looks like you do some quality work. I'm curious to see how this turns out.
 
It doesn't look like much, but this pic represents working rear brakes with a much larger swing arm.
I used a GS850 rear master (same as the 550 but with a longer push rod) and we bent the actuator arm from the 550. It's tight, but it clears. I'll use a banjo bolt style brake switch, since there's nowhere for the stock spring to fit now.


 
I ran into a snag fitting the '95 BST-36 carbs. The manifolds that come with the carbs don't match the head. There's a HUGE mis-match to the ports. The old manifolds are taller and would cause the pods to hit the frame.
Suzuki did a lot of superseding over the years, and parts were often used, discontinued, then brought back on another model, only to be superseded again. It makes researching parts VERY difficult.
I'm going on the suggestions of a friend and I ordered a set of Bandit 1200 manifolds. Let's hope they work, since the 36's have been rebuilt and I bought a jet kit for them.


 
I did pick up a Giuliari seat, though!





And I polished up the lips of the wheels to a satin finish, paint detailed the centers, and installed the rotors, which had also been detailed.
New Shinko 712's were also installed.



 
Fitted a GSXR 1100 fender to the Katana forks for more of an old school look.




 
Finally got the correct manifolds to fit the BST-36 carbs to the 750 head. These are used on GSXR1100's and Bandit 1200's.


 
The filters are a tight fit to the frame, but the motor goes where the motor goes. There's no way to tilt it forward or move it down anymore. The mashed part won't be visible once the tank is on.







And speaking of the tank, I'm going to have to raise the back slightly. The petcock would foul the filter otherwise. I'll probably trim off that small ear on the end of the lever for more clearance, too.





And come up with some sort of bracket here to lift the tank slightly.





Once I get that sorted, it'll be time to pull the engine and get it on the stand for detailing and a tune up, and to get the frame and swing arm painted up.
 
Scott S said:
Fitted a GSXR 1100 fender to the Katana forks for more of an old school look.




Click to expand...


Hey.... I really like that! I wondered what fender I could run on GS500 37mm, 89 GSXR1100K, RF900R, & Bandit 1200 42mm cartridge forks...
What year GSX-R1100 is that fender off of???? '86?

Thanks!
 
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