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Issues with older bikes?

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Guest

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Is there anything specific to look for regarding possible issues on older bikes? I know there are the usual cohort of possibilities like leaking gaskets, electrical issues, fork seal leaks, etc. I found a good looking 1977 GS750, but am somewhat wary of buying a bike that old, mostly because I've never owned one before. I'm rebuilding the top end of my drz400 and don't want to have 2 project bikes. I understand that wrenching is part of buying an old bike and I'm fine with that. I just want to be smart about buying one, any thoughts appreciated!

Link to bike:
https://sacramento.craigslist.org/mcy/d/sacramento-1977-vintage-gs750-suzuki/7340673405.html
 
No way in hell I'd pay $3500 for some hack-chop bike like that. For that much money I'd expect an unmolested bike that you can tweak to your liking.

And with regards to 40+ year old bikes, either accept that they need work on a regular basis, or buy something newer.
 
If you want an older bike, I'd pass on that one.
Hacked the tail, smaller seat and pods and now it's worth double?
Even in the crappy pictures you can tell it's running horribly lean. The pipes should be Chrome, not gold and blue
Mediocre work done by some clueless hack
 
That color on the exh. pipes indicates the engine has been running hot ! I wonder if the valves are still in ok condition..
 
We regularly wide the wee out of these old nails for hundreds or thousands of miles. They're exceptionally reliable once you un-do the ravages of time and the dreaded "PO" (Previous Owner). Valve checks are a little more frequent than modern bikes, but that's fairly straightforward.

I haven't seen the insides of the carbs on my GS850 for at least 15 years...


Anyhoo, notice what I said about the dreaded PO. That bike's frame has been hacksawed, the jetting isn't right for the pods and pipe, and Cthulhu alone knows what else that guy has screwed up.

He's monkeyed with the electrics, and WTF is that death trap cable running along the right side of the tank?

Paint looks nice on screen, anyway.

Bikes like that are best avoided unless you need some raw materials and they're really really cheap.


Cafe conversions are just fine with us if they're done right and in the original performance spirit. We're not purists around here. The trouble is, there have been maybe three or four of these in living memory.

The vast majority of "cafe" bikes are abominations like this that pretty much began and ended with hacksawing the rear end off. This seller is trying to abandon a project gone wrong, and asking stupid money.


The bike is old? No problem. We have the knowledge. We can help you make it better, stronger, faster...

The bike has been screwed up by some reality show fan? Problem. Lots of problems.
 
Last edited:
I concur with everyone else. I would avoid being bitten by that abomination. Nothing but trouble.
 
I'm sure CA prices are above what I'm accustomed to around here, but not just NO but HECK NO. For $3500 get something really decent.
 
Nessism said:
No way in hell I'd pay $3500 for some hack-chop bike like that. For that much money I'd expect an unmolested bike that you can tweak to your liking.

And with regards to 40+ year old bikes, either accept that they need work on a regular basis, or buy something newer.
Click to expand...

I figured as much. Bike prices where I live in CA are pretty high right now, just have to keep looking for a clean one.

That makes sense, thanks for the input.
 
Big T said:
If you want an older bike, I'd pass on that one.
Hacked the tail, smaller seat and pods and now it's worth double?
Even in the crappy pictures you can tell it's running horribly lean. The pipes should be Chrome, not gold and blue
Mediocre work done by some clueless hack
Click to expand...

After looking at it, it's pretty obvious that the build is crap. Looks good from a distance, not up close.
Didn't think about the pipe color until you mentioned it, but dead giveaway that something isn't right.
I'm going to keep searching for something cleaner, thanks.
 
bwringer said:
We regularly wide the wee out of these old nails for hundreds or thousands of miles. They're exceptionally reliable once you un-do the ravages of time and the dreaded "PO" (Previous Owner). Valve checks are a little more frequent than modern bikes, but that's fairly straightforward.

I haven't seen the insides of the carbs on my GS850 for at least 15 years...


Anyhoo, notice what I said about the dreaded PO. That bike's frame has been hacksawed, the jetting isn't right for the pods and pipe, and Cthulhu alone knows what else that guy has screwed up.

He's monkeyed with the electrics, and WTF is that death trap cable running along the right side of the tank?

Paint looks nice on screen, anyway.

Bikes like that are best avoided unless you need some raw materials and they're really really cheap.


Cafe conversions are just fine with us if they're done right and in the original performance spirit. We're not purists around here. The trouble is, there have been maybe three or four of these in living memory.

The vast majority of "cafe" bikes are abominations like this that pretty much began and ended with hacksawing the rear end off. This seller is trying to abandon a project gone wrong, and asking stupid money.


The bike is old? No problem. We have the knowledge. We can help you make it better, stronger, faster...

The bike has been screwed up by some reality show fan? Problem. Lots of problems.
Click to expand...

Super informative response, thanks! After looking at it, it's obvious that the conversion wasn't done right. Lots of little issues.
I like the cafe look, but am more concerned with finding a quality bike now and not buying a hacked version.
If you start with a good base, easy to make it into something nicer. I was getting impatient and want something to ride.
Going to keep looking and hopefully something will come along soon. Thanks for the input.
 
rphillips said:
I'm sure CA prices are above what I'm accustomed to around here, but not just NO but HECK NO. For $3500 get something really decent.
Click to expand...

It seemed high to me, especially so after looking at it. CA prices are pretty high, but I've seen way cleaner bikes for $2000. It just takes a minute to find them.
 
grcamna2 said:
That color on the exh. pipes indicates the engine has been running hot ! I wonder if the valves are still in ok condition..
Click to expand...

Something is definitely going on. Taking a closer look helped, definitely not something I want to get into.
 
earlfor said:
I concur with everyone else. I would avoid being bitten by that abomination. Nothing but trouble.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I arrived at the same conclusion after looking at it. I'd end up rebuilding most of it, might as well buy something clean and get it running well before worrying about any conversions. Thanks.
 
If I were you, I'd post in the "Bike Wanted" subforum. You might flush one out from a GSR member near you.

https://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/forumdisplay.php?110-Wanted-Road-ready-bikes

Make it clear whether you're wanting something more or less ready to go, or a solid basis for a project, which models appeal to you, and approximately where you are and how far you're willing to travel.

Posting a bike on CrackList is a giant pain in the ass, so there are often folks sort of on the fence about selling that might get in touch for a low-effort, low-drama sale.
 
bwringer said:
If I were you, I'd post in the "Bike Wanted" subforum. You might flush one out from a GSR member near you.

https://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/forumdisplay.php?110-Wanted-Road-ready-bikes

Make it clear whether you're wanting something more or less ready to go, or a solid basis for a project, which models appeal to you, and approximately where you are and how far you're willing to travel.

Posting a bike on CrackList is a giant pain in the ass, so there are often folks sort of on the fence about selling that might get in touch for a low-effort, low-drama sale.
Click to expand...

Thanks, didn't know there was a forum for that.

I haven't had much luck with CL, FB marketplace has been better. People are more responsive and there are more bikes.
 
They are priced pretty high right now in California but I did spot this complete ?79 GS750 in Pittsburg, Ca. It doesn?t look like much now but it might clean up reasonably (I wouldn?t expect any miracles on the forks or mufflers but you could factor that into a potential offer). it?s implied that it runs which is nice. I checked and it?s out of the DMV system so no back fees to worry about. Could be a good project.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/287409053136197/
 
Last edited:
Why people won’t even wave a running garden hose over a bike before posting it for sale, I will never understand.
 
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