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My first GS

  • Thread starter Thread starter Scratcher09
  • Start date Start date
S

Scratcher09

Guest
I've been riding and wrenching on 'em since the late '80's but this is my first GS. Today I picked up an '83 GS1100 for $500. It is rough around the edges and needs work but it runs and has a title and new tires so seems like a good deal. I currently am working on a few projects ('82 XS1100, '81 SR250, and '72 CB350) so the GS will not get done in record time but I will fit it into my schedule.
 
Welcome to the forum, the mega welcomer should be along soon. Maybe you could post a pic of your GS since we all like pictures and the "Hooked on Phonics" book is still circulating through the members and we tend to be visual people. :D

I just finished a 350. It was a fun, and frustrating, build but came out pretty nice.

100_1290_zps031e55f5.jpg


Is the Yamaha a Midnight Special?
 
hey scratcher sounds like a good deal :) Welcome to the forum, you probably already know quite a lot from the sounds of things but incase there's anything you don't, this forum is an incredible resource, I worked on an XS triple before I bought my bike, that was not a fun bike to work on >.< hopefully you're not having any of the transmission issues that one was having :P anyway have fun, hope you enjoy you're GS when it's done and we look forward to pictures of the bike in the process if you get the time.
 
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I will post "before" pic soon.

Wedoo2, your 350 looks great. A lot of attention to detail. Just starting mine and it is in bad shape but mostly complete. I will probably go with a cafe style but that's not written in stone.
 
I thought about a cafe style but figured it would be worth more stock, even though I did not use the original colors. I saw a Harley with the yellow paint and loved it. The carbs were sure easier than the 1100 will be and the stators are no better. Are you going to cafe the GS? A lot of guys here will puke a bit in their mouths if you do even though you will get a lot of "it's your bike and do with it what you want". I don't think anyone actually believes that. :-)
 
Greetings and Salutations!!

Greetings and Salutations!!

Hi Mr. Scratcher09,

Let me lay this on you. A lot of your GS questions should be answered in the links below. It's your "mega-welcome". :dancing:

If you are here you probably have a 30 year old motorcycle that needs about 20 years worth of maintenance. In the links below you'll find maintenance lists, documentation, wiring diagrams, "how to" guides, vendor links, tips, tricks, and a whole lot of GS goodness. This is your "mega-welcome". Let's get started. :)

Let me dump a TON of information on you and share some GS lovin'. :D

I just stopped by to welcome you to the forum in my own, special way.
big_hi.gif


If there's anything you'd like to know about the Suzuki GS model bikes, and most others actually, you've come to the right place. There's a lot of knowledge and experience here in the community. Come on in and let me say "HOoooowwwDY!"....
hat1.gif


Here is your very own magical, mystical, mythical, mind-expanding "mega-welcome". Please take notice of the "Top 10 Common Issues", "Top 15 Tips For GS Happiness", the Carb Cleanup Series, and the Stator Papers. All of these tasks must be addressed in order to have a safe, reliable machine. This is what NOT to do: Top 10 Newbie Mistakes. Now let me roll out the welcome mat for you...

carpet.jpg


Please Click Here For Your Mega-Welcome, chock full of tips, suggestions, links to vendors, and other information. Then feel free to visit my little BikeCliff website where I've been collecting the wisdom of this generous community. Don't forget, we like pictures! Not you, your bike! :D

More links to helpful threads in the forum:
Help! Your Bike Won't Start
DON'T DO THESE THINGS
Help! Your Bike Won't Run Well
Oh God! Pods!


Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
Here's a couple of "before" pics. Not sure what direction I will go with this. I am into the cafe style. But this bike is bigger than what I would normally consider a good candidate for a cafe racer so it's still up in the air. I don't have a budget big enough for properly restoring it so I may go with a cafe or streetfighter look. First I have to get it running smoother. I'll rebuild the carbs, clean and line the tank, adjust valves, replace plugs and wires and then worry about the cosmetics.
 
Looks okay to me. Obviously you are missing some stuff but there is no reason you could not do a resto mod on it without going bankrupt. Maybe no different from a good cafe build if you consider fabbing a new seat, handlebars, rear sets, thin battery etc....

Downtubes look a bit scruffy, but the megaphone looks pretty good. Paint or wraps maybe?? Should be able to find some side covers here from a good forum member. Looks like it needs paint either way to bring it back to life. Wanna guess how I vote?
 
'83 1100G model for $500.00? I would be all over it! Welcome to the world of GS motorcycles. I probably have all of those missing cam covers and hardware if you need it.
 
I ordered a set of o rings and will go through the carbs soon. I have an ultrasonic cleaner which does a really thorough job on them. Don't mean to go against the grain, but I think I'm gonna do some hackin' n weldin' on this one. I like the shape of the tank and it just wants to be on a cafe racer.

Wedoo2--yes, the XS is a Midnight Special. There was suppose to be only 500 made. The XS1100 and GS1100 seem to me to have a lot of similarities.
 
I was told by PO this is an '83 GS1100E. I've discovered on the title it is an '82 and it is shaft driven so it is not an E. Can anyone tell me what model this is?
 
Your Bike

Your Bike

Scratcher09 said:
Here's a couple of "before" pics. Not sure what direction I will go with this. I am into the cafe style. But this bike is bigger than what I would normally consider a good candidate for a cafe racer so it's still up in the air. I don't have a budget big enough for properly restoring it so I may go with a cafe or streetfighter look. First I have to get it running smoother. I'll rebuild the carbs, clean and line the tank, adjust valves, replace plugs and wires and then worry about the cosmetics.
Click to expand...

Scratcher09 said:
Anxious to start on this project.
Click to expand...

Welcome!

You bike has the same colored tank as mine...that's about it. Before actually reading what you had, it almost looked like mine but I've got a chain driven 750.

Good luck with the build. I like that you're taking your time and with a budget. I've got the same guidelines.


NOTE: Be sure to look at your Mega Welcome from BassCliff...lots of info to browse!



Ed
 
After rebuilding the carbs and cleaning the tank, I figured out the Uni pod filters that came with the bike were going to require a jet kit. It was bogging after 5k rpms. I covered about 80% of the filter surface area to restrict the flow and bike now pulls hard all the way through. I ordered a used air box on ebay which should solve that problem. So now that I got it running the way it should, I began the tear down. This bike was neglected for years and has a lot of crusty bits. I ordered rebuild kits for all brake components. I will refurbish all the controls (some switches are frozen). Today, I started dismantling. I am going to get it down to the frame and paint frame and then the motor.
 
Be very careful when you dismantle the switches and controls.

There is a few tiny little springs and plates that will be forever gone if they fall onto the driveway or shop floor, ask my how I know!
 
Made some progress on my GS. Painted the motor today. Prepping a motor this size is a lot of work. Tomorrow I will powder coat the lower end covers (stator, clutch, ignition, etc.) black. Then I'll paint the frame with a single stage 2K black. Progress is slow because I am working on a few projects simultaneously.
 
D98582BC-E3C6-4DBB-8D65-578B5CD0E244.jpg


Powder coated the covers (stator, clutch, ignition, etc.) and waiting on new gaskets.
 
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Also hacked the tail end of the frame and welded on a hoop. Guess I am now committed to finishing this cafe style. I will be painting the frame next.
 
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