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My GS650G story....

  • Thread starter Thread starter mhobryan
  • Start date Start date
M

mhobryan

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Story just thought I'd share....

Last year I bought a 81 GS650G for $850 just to have something to tinker with (just sold a 68 Ford F250...gotta have something to futz with:D). It ran decent but def. needed work..still had the original rear tire after 30 years and 15k miles! Can you say dry rot? Put new shoes on her,completely flushed the brakes, new pads, changed fluids, rebuilt carbs, etc.

My wife, who at the time would ONLY ride bikes that had the look and feel of a sport bike (had JUST bought her a 09 650R with 3k miles) absolutely fell in love with it! I road it for one of our Sunday rides and had to agree with her that it was very solid, enjoyable ride. In her words "the bike rides itself." Told me at the end of the riding season that if we added some farkels, painted, etc we could sell the Ninja.

Turns out that farkels for this bike were hard to find and/or expensive. So set out looking for a parts bike that had farkels. Ended up finding this.
http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcb/mcy/3669428121.html

Mileage was almost identical to the 81 we have. Not crazy about the blacked out engine, and with the header on it, it has a harmonic exhaust buzz right at 45 mph (2mph above or below though, it's ok), but the engine is nice and tight, and the headers along with the rejetted carbs give that little extra ummph my wife was looking for (kept comparing the '81 to her FI Ninja). It also has a gas gauge. :) Most importantly, the narrowed seat and tank meant that she could stand nearly flat footed, whereas with the 81 G she was tiptoeing b/c the seat was so wide.

Decision was made to keep the new one, and flip the 81 I bought last summer. She didn't like the pull back bars, so swapped those, as well as the speedo from the '81 (trip odo switch was broke off, and it was scuffed pretty bad - bike had been dropped at one point). Expect to have it rideable in one or two weekends.

I look forward to several weekend bike trips with my best friend/soulmate this summer!:dancing: We did one last year out to the west coast of Michigan, and we had a blast!
 
Hey, finally someone who probably doesn't live very far from me. I'm in the Ypsi/Ann Arbor area.

I have a 1980 GS850GL that I bought in December and am trying to get it back on the road. Based on what I've seen so far, it seems to have been sitting for at least a decade and then on and off before then. I don't think I'll keep it forever, but it's been fun to wrench on so far.

Hopefully we're almost out of the woods as far as this cold-arse weather goes.
 
Hey Charles - my wife and I are located over in SCS (Saint Clair Shores) and don't typically need much of an excuse to go out riding :). PM me if you are interested.

WOW! Just got done reading your revival post.... I'm impressed! BTW - today was the first day of spring (all though it sure didn't feel like it here in SE Michigan) chop!chop! :)
 
@ redman - West Michigan has some of THE best riding! You, should be so lucky. I did the tunnel of trees last summer with some friends - that was AWESOME! If you haven't stopped and ate at the Legs Inn - you are missing out.

Cheers,
Mike
 
mhobryan said:
@ redman - West Michigan has some of THE best riding! You, should be so lucky. I did the tunnel of trees last summer with some friends - that was AWESOME! If you haven't stopped and ate at the Legs Inn - you are missing out.

Cheers,
Mike
Click to expand...

tunnel of trees ... north of Petosky, Harbor Springs, almost Mackinac ... ? way up north ...?

I am west of Grand Rapids, between Holland and Muskegon.
 
Redman said:
tunnel of trees ... north of Petosky, Harbor Springs, almost Mackinac ... ? way up north ...?

I am west of Grand Rapids, between Holland and Muskegon.
Click to expand...

that would be it...if you can find the time, well worth it....from my perspective you are half way there. :)
 
mhobryan said:
......................
Click to expand...

Mike,

From here to you is 190 miles east-southeast, mostly east.
From here to Petosky is 225 miles north-northeast.

From you to Petosky is 260 miles northwest.

<< .. I am holding up my right hand, and pointing with finger of left hand ... >>

So I am about 40 miles closer to Petosky than you are.

You and I might be about same distance to Mackinac, you may be even a little closer.


Perhpas you know west Michigan about as well as I know metro Detroit area. And here is what I know about Detroit area:

Starting from here .... go east, see corn fields and cows and maybe some hogs and turkeys, next urban area is Grand Rapids. Go past Grand Rapids.
Continue east from that side of Grand Rapids, see more corn fields and cows, next urban area is Lansing. Go past Lansing.
Continue east from that side of Lansing, see more corn fields and cows, next urban area is Detroit area.

har har har
mostly joking.
I do know some of Detroit area.

Do update us on your 650.

Dave

.
 
Last edited:
Before I moved to this region, I considered "Detroit" to be roughly everything south of Auburn Hills and east of Ann Arbor.

Later found out that this offends a lot of people. :)
 
@ Dave ... totally buy in to your description of the route...if and only if... "<< .. I am holding up my right hand, and pointing with finger of left hand ... >>" :) still worth the trip...well worth a weekend if you can spare it. And will keep folks updated on the '82 GS650 - love wrenching on it ....and shhh gotta keep this a secret since I ride a Harley and all ... it's a blast to ride!. Shannon, my wife, has already bought a T-bag to fit on the sissy bar...she is totally looking forward to the riding season...which has got me stoked.

@ Charles - naa.. the only folks you would offend are folks from the Detroit area that consider themselves east siders or west siders ... I think the 'great divide' used to be Woodward, but now has shifted to Dequinder road which is the dividing line between Macomb county and Oakland county. You gotta get the bad boy running so we can go riding...maybe pick up Dave on our way to the tunnel of trees! :) Good thing for you we've had a long winter.
 
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