JohnnyL's 1980 GS550L Cafe Build

[Rich82GS750TZ]

It’s all good. We actually do keep a very accurate accounting of how much we spend on what. And understand each other’s hobbies. My wife and I also have the same retirement goals, and we live within our means. Probably why I may never buy a new bike, or build one to the degree than Johnny and some others have. I’m ok with that. There’s no envy here. Everyone’s gotta figure out what work for them.

 

[Steve]

I am another one that isn't too worried about cost. Not that I am rich and famous, or anything like that, it's just that 'this is what I want, let's make it happen'. Nothing extravagant, like gold-plated accessories, but simple, functional things, like a headlight. While there are many here that have gotten their 'new' motorcycle for $150 or less, I happily paid that much for a headlight. LED turn signals? Sure. $90 for the front pair and another $25 or so for clear lenses. Too many other things to list, but I like the way it has turned out, I am not too worried about the bottom line.

.

 

[JohnnyL]

Btw, I was not trying to call you out, or say you're wrong or "nosey" for asking. I was simply stating my opinion, and just trying to make sure he didn't feel pressured to share if he didn't want to.

:encouragement:

But, I'd be lying if I said I didn't wonder what was spend on this project. I do wonder what was spent on JonnyL's project, but I'm a numbers kind of guy. I see dollar signs on literally everything, and it drives my wife nuts. I am quite the penny pincher. We live on a tight budget and apply grease when it squeaks, only if the grease is on sale... LOL.

Due to our tight budget, my wife knows about every cent I spend. So I have to be careful when it comes to my hobbies! But I know what she spends as well. We keep each other accountable. Many of my coworkers/friends cringe when they hear that we keep track of what the other person spends, but honestly if you have an agreed upon budget, it doesn't matter. My wife knows what I have available to spend each month, so it's no surprise. Same with her. Easy peasy.

We live like this because I am determined to retire someday WITHOUT debt, and hopefully a nice nest egg to enjoy pending no socialist takeover in America...

It sounds like you listen to Dave Ramsey. I graduated from his Financial Peace University. It helped me out tremendously. I tried to get my wife to watch the classes with me but as soon as I put it up in the TV...she was out like a light fast asleep. I find his strategies a little extreme as far as forgetting having a credit score or not utilizing any credit whatsoever but everything else is great advice. I budget every month but the bike wasn?t in the budget. I took a substantial side cash paying job and just basically took a large chunk of the profit for my bike.

Amen to the socialist comment. And hopefully the Corona Virus doesn?t kill my retirement fund. It certainly seems to be infecting the stock market.

?Live like no one else so that you can live like no one else.?
-Dave Ramsey

 

[Cipher]

4-5 grand excluding value of personal labour

 

[JohnnyL]

4-5 grand excluding value of personal labour

I wish. I have $1200 just in the paint job. Over $400 in the M-Unit, $450 in the gauge, over $500 in the handlebar assembly and we haven't even started on the powder coating, tires, seat, rearsets, exhaust, brake discs, air pods, braided stainless brake lines, polished stainless bolt kits, electronic ignition, lithium battery, reg/rec and all the engine parts. OEM top end gaskets only were $200. All this stuff adds up quickly. Could it be done for less than I spent? Of course but I spared no expense on quality components that should make this a good looking and reliable bike for years to come.

 

[Guest]

If you end up with a bike that you love looking at and rides how you want it to....who cares how much it costs. I have no idea how much my beasty cost to transform from stock to how she is now. All I know is your bike looks fantastic and if i ever get around to doing another GS your build will be an inspiration, however it turns out.

 

[93Bandit]

It sounds like you listen to Dave Ramsey. I graduated from his Financial Peace University. It helped me out tremendously. I tried to get my wife to watch the classes with me but as soon as I put it up in the TV...she was out like a light fast asleep. I find his strategies a little extreme as far as forgetting having a credit score or not utilizing any credit whatsoever but everything else is great advice. I budget every month but the bike wasn’t in the budget. I took a substantial side cash paying job and just basically took a large chunk of the profit for my bike.

Amen to the socialist comment. And hopefully the Corona Virus doesn’t kill my retirement fund. It certainly seems to be infecting the stock market.

“Live like no one else so that you can live like no one else.”
-Dave Ramsey

So I was actually raised with the "dave Ramsey" mindset without actually knowing about him, which he often calls common sense. So I've always been budget minded and have worked hard to pay off any debt I've accrued (new car, student loans). It wasn't until I graduated college that one of my professors gave me Dave's money makeover book. I read it in a few days and used a lot of his advice. The new car I bought was technically a bad decision per Dave's book, however I had just relocated to MI from KS after graduating, and had an incredibly unreliable old truck that was a money pit to keep running. I didn't know anyone here and had no help if I broke down, so I decided I needed a new reliable car, so I bought a new Cruze and paid it off quickly. I paid it off in 26 months, rather than the 60 month loan term. And that was after paying my wife's Cruze off early, and paying cash for a wedding, and a honey moon, and having a child... Ugh, I've spent a lot of money in the last two years lol.

But now we're working on my student debt, which fortunately isn't very high. We should have it paid off by the end of July this year.

We're living within our means, and get a lot of weird looks and rude comments from people, including family, when we turn down certain things. It's discouraging sometimes, but we keep focusing on the fact that we will own our house, cars, everything, and have retirement money while all those people who looked down on us are still working and don't own a thing. I'm not keeping score with these people, I just don't want to live like that.

And concerning my bikes and other hobbies, I always pay cash. Which makes project progression very slow... But I'm determined to complete the 3 bikes I have now. One doesn't need much, one needs a lot, and the last will be a cafe racer type build so it'll require the most work. That one will likely be last. I should be able to complete the other two in a few years, so I can enjoy them while I build the cafe racer.

 

[Grimly]

I tend to view transportation expenditure as like a hole in my backyard that I have to keep topped up with coins.
Sometimes the level gets low and I have to toss more in.
Once they're in, the earth claims them and I never get them back.

 

[JohnnyL]

If I go with Sonic front springs .90kg/mm, what weight fork oil should I use? I'm 5'-9" and 165 lbs.

 

[chris]

I would like to congratulate you on a successful build. It seems like all you have to do now is ride the bike and set up the suspension. As far as the talk about cost, I think you have done a good job. I never did a accurate tally on my build but I would say it's at least 8 grand in parts alone but the end result is a bike that performs much better than the day it left the factory. I can't wait till spring when I get to ride my beast to work on the 70k long mountain pass. I just need to wire up my lazer detector. The road is infested with police. It makes me very happy that guys like us are restoring this old bikes, it's a tribute to the engineers that designed them. When done properly, they can be just as reliable if not more than a new bike. Enjoy

 

[salty_monk]

If I go with Sonic front springs .90kg/mm, what weight fork oil should I use? I'm 5'-9" and 165 lbs.

10w would be fine for you.

Are you putting Cartridge emulators in as well?

 

[JohnnyL]

10w would be fine for you.

Are you putting Cartridge emulators in as well?

Cartridge emulators? I don?t even know what that is. Please tell me more about them. It sounds like something else I need to spend money on. Lol.

Hearing 8 grand in parts for your bike just made me feel a LOT better. I?m just under $10k right now. There...I said it. Truth be told...I love this bike and I would spend $10k again because I love this bike and had a blast building it.

 

[steve murdoch]

Cartridge emulators? I don’t even know what that is. Please tell me more about them. It sounds like something else I need to spend money on. Lol.

Hearing 8 grand in parts for your bike just made me feel a LOT better. I’m just under $10k right now. There...I said it. Truth be told...I love this bike and I would spend $10k again because I love this bike and had a blast building it.

And that is the ONLY thing that matters.

I know i have had a blast following along.

 

[Steve]

If I go with Sonic front springs .90kg/mm, what weight fork oil should I use? I'm 5'-9" and 165 lbs.

10w would be fine for you.

I agree with the 10w oil. :encouragement:

Are you putting Cartridge emulators in as well?

Cartridge emulators? I don?t even know what that is. Please tell me more about them. It sounds like something else I need to spend money on. Lol.

I don't know if it's because I'm an insensitive lout or what, but when I installed emulators on my bike, I could not really tell much of a difference.

I keep hearing how much better the suspension is with them, and I can appreciate the fact that they are adjustable, but I did not notice much.

To keep things fair, I believe that most who install them are going from a clapped-out system that is not working well to one that does, and that is impressive, indeed. However, I rebuilt my forks with Sonic springs and fresh 10w oil, then did a 1000-mile weekend at the Brown County rally. One of the roads made me think that it was a test track for a suspension company. Potholes, patches and repaired potholes aplenty. You could not go 100 yards in a straight line without hitting something. The ride quality was worthy of a Cadillac.

A month or three later, I installed the emulators. I made no adjustments to them before installation, heeding the advice on some other forums. There was no "night and day" difference. In fact, I thought it was not quite as good, so I took them out, verified that they were adjusted properly (they weren't) and put them back in. After the adjustment they seemed to improve back to what they were before installation.

Another factor is cost. The emulators themselves are not exactly pocket change, but are not that expensive, either. In my case, they also required some adapters for larger-diameter forks. I don't know how readily available they are, but a member here offered some prototypes for testing (thanks, Dan :encouragement. I am sure that if something like that was commercially available, they could cost almost as much as the emulators.

Bottom line (for me): if you are really sensitive to your suspension's operation, possibly you are one who can tell the difference between 10w and 8w oil, they might make a difference. On a race track, they might make a difference. But, for me and the way I ride,

.

I just need to wire up my lazer detector. The road is infested with police.

I have used radar and laser detectors in virtually all of my vehicles since about 1975. I have not always had the top of the line, but have stuck with the better ones. Radar detectors have changed over the years, and so has radar itself. Radar does not necessarily give a reading on the closest or the fastest vehicle, it gives a reading on the best reflector in its beam. Early radar units (x-band) had a six-lane spread at 100 yards. It was up to the operator to determine which vehicle was the offender. Later k-band units were tighter, only covering two or three lanes at 100 yards, but there is still uncertainty. Depending on the terrain, a radar beam can easily go for over a mile, meaning that the spread actually covers both sides of the highway. If there is a motorcycle 1/2 mile away and a semi a full mile away, which is the better reflector? If the truck is the one speeding, who gets the ticket? Most likely, it will be the one that the officer sees first.

Laser units have aiming sights on them. They are accurate enough that the officer can aim at a motorcycle between two semi-trucks and get an accurate reading. If you get an alert on your radar detector, you only know that you were in the beam, but because the beam is so wide, there is no guarantee that YOU were the target. The police laser unit is so focused, it can be aimed at a vehicle in the lane next to you and your detector will not alert you. If your laser detector alerts you, you should know that is merely an alert that you have been caught, so go ahead and pull over, if you have been speeding.

A couple other things to consider:
1. At one time (many years ago), radar detectors were not allowed in Canadia. Not sure if laser detectors were included and I don't know if that might have changed. If they are not allowed, be aware that there are not many places to hide one on a motorcycle.

2. How are you going to receive the alert? Even on my Goldwing, the alert was not enough to attract my attention. You will need to route the audio into your helmet or have a very bright light.

I have since adopted the philosophy that my bikes are not race bikes. Yes, there are times I hustle along a bit above the posted limit, but not at speeds that would likely attract attention. I have removed the detectors from my bikes, but still keep one in my car.

Lastly, keep in mind, "it's not how fast you drive, it's how you drive fast".

.

 

[GSXR7ED]

Lastly, keep in mind, "it's not how fast you drive, it's how you drive fast".

.

Wise words, Mr Steve...

Ed

****

 

[chris]

Hi, I will be putting stiffer springs and probably emulators in my bike this spring in a effort to eliminate the weave I get exiting high speed sweepers. I am going to test the bike with springs only then install the emulators. I will post my findings in the suspension section when I am done. This is a interesting subject. I also installed a fork brace this winter I have yet to test it, will post those results in suspension section when I do.
As far as lazer detectors are concerned, I have used the uniden r7 in golf for the past four months with great results. Lazer detectors are legal in British Columbia, I just need to wire a speaker to my helmet.

 

[Spyder]

I see how it is, now. Finish up the bike, and disappear. I feel so used... LOL

 

[JohnnyL]

I see how it is, now. Finish up the bike, and disappear. I feel so used... LOL

LOL...To be honest, I rode the bike a lot a few weekends ago and then put a cover on it. It hasn't been ridden since because I have been dealing with my father. My father is in TN with my mom. My father has Parkinsons and severe dementia. He ended up in the hospital last week for eight days. I went down there last weekend to be with him and my mom. They moved my father to a rehab facility(nursing home) on Tuesday this week where he will be for at least the next 70 days. I was going to go back down this weekend to see him but the rehab facility, as of 2:00 today, has closed their doors to all visitors including family. This is about the worst scenario for my little world. My father is already confused as to where he is and now my mom can't even see him or any other familiar face for that matter. This stupid coronavirus is wreaking havoc in ways that people haven't even thought about yet.

Meanwhile, I have taken apart my son's 1969 CL350 so that I could paint the motor and re-wire it with an M-Unit. The wiring was jenky to begin with so it is overdue. I'm also having my painter paint his tins. I will post a pic of the bike once it's completed.

 

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Johnny, sorry for your troubles. And here I was bitching about having my son home from college for an extra week of Spring Break (so far). Feel free to start a build thread about your boy’s Honda in the “other” projects forum. From the work you did on your GS, you’ve definitely built a fan base. I’d probably follow a thread about you building a sandwich.

 

[JohnnyL]

Johnny, sorry for your troubles. And here I was bitching about having my son home from college for an extra week of Spring Break (so far). Feel free to start a build thread about your boy’s Honda in the “other” projects forum. From the work you did on your GS, you’ve definitely built a fan base. I’d probably follow a thread about you building a sandwich.

Haha! Building a sandwich sounds pretty boring. If you're really interested in reading about one of my biggest projects ever, go on Facebook and search for JERICO Properties. There I blogged about a 21,000 SF mansion built in 1904 that I restored. I'm no longer on Facebook and my wife is the administrator of the JERICO page so I won't see if you comment. I don't know if she even pays attention to that page anymore. I sold the home in 2017 for 2.5 million. Ask me if I made money. I didn't but I sure learned a hell of a lot.

Cherish those moments with your son. Life is too short and our time with our kids is even shorter.