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New GS1100 G Restoration Project. Rebuilding my Dad's bike

Lol, I see... ;)

My missus is actually very aproving of my hobby, so, i meant it more like "the most important person to fool on the actual money spent is ME! "

I like the final product that I came up with but DONT like the idea of what it cost me :rolleyes:


Anyhow, great work you're doing! :clap:
 
psyguy - you are absolutely right. "No expense spared" is the mantra of the perfectionist. I have constantly surprised myself with this project. In my life I'm a sort of "that will do" kinda guy. Working on this rebuild I find that I'm a "no way will that do" sort of guy. I just don't know where that came from but it sure is costing me some money and time to behave in this way.

It WILL be worth it in the end. Won't it?

Greetings
 
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This is a bit like an AA or GA meeting:

My names Charlie. I am a GS Aholic. I spent $300 this week on my addiction..:p I know the feeling................
 
Those fork tube look awesome! I'm going to have to do the same thing to mine, i'm not very patient and it would be so much easier to just buy new ones, but this bike has some sentimental value so i'm just going to take my time and do it right
 
Those fork tube look awesome! I'm going to have to do the same thing to mine, i'm not very patient and it would be so much easier to just buy new ones, but this bike has some sentimental value so i'm just going to take my time and do it right

What I did took only about an hour and a half. Get some decent paint stripper, some 600 grit and a green Scotchbrite, put the radio on and enjoy.

Greetings
 
Got to work on the fork tubes and I was really surprised at how quickly they came good. I think the problem is that they look worse than they actually are. The clear coat on them traps a little moisture and it turns nasty

See: My GS1100 Blog - Fork Tube Polish (HD pics)

These were my fork tubes:

P1070134.jpg


P1070138.jpg


I firstly stripped all the coating off using VHT Aircraft Strip. Then using a brass wire brush on a Dremel, some 600 grit (wet and dry) and then the green Scotchbrite, I got it looking like this:

P1070119-001a.jpg


You have to only brush it in one direction - horizontal.

P1070129-001.jpg


I was so pleased with this result (and some of you are now going to think I'm weird and some of you will know where I am coming from!) that I could not allow this piece to leave my sight and I took it to bed with me just so I could lay eyes on it first thing in the morning!

Oh Lord, I am completely lost.

Greetings

Impressive work!
 
jwhelan65 - thanks for that. My brother lives in Keller, TX (I am in the UK) and I have been buying stuff for my rebuild and shipping it to him, as some sellers won't ship internationally. He is wondering why his garage has a set of exhaust pipes (mufflers) sitting on the floor. Now I have to get them to the UK.

Greetings
 
Parts for Plating

Parts for Plating

At some point you have to get all the parts together that you want to have plated. And there are lots of them. I have already taken the bike apart and cataloged and boxed most of them. Now I have to get them all out again. Well I didn't get vary far.

I want to start putting the carbs back together so I started with all the parts for those and a couple of other bits.

Here's my box:

P1070192.jpg


See if you can find the 4 things that don't belong to the carbs.

The box includes stuff like this:

P1070151-001.jpg


P1070157-001.jpg


P1070167-001.jpg


P1070172-001.jpg


P1070190-001.jpg


More pics at: My GS1100 Blog - Parts for Plating

Greetings
 
all those screws,bolts and nuts i would replace with stainless rather than get them plated, but thats just me..........
 
Day 275 - Rear Brake Caliper Disassembly

Day 275 - Rear Brake Caliper Disassembly

Rear brake caliper coming apart today.

See: My GS1100G Blog - Rear Brake Caliper Disassembly

The bolts and the bleed nipple were stuck fast. More concoction: 50% thinners with 50% brake fluid. That did it.

P1070250.jpg


P1070251.jpg


P1070253.jpg


Not very clean in here:

P1070256.jpg


P1070257.jpg


Got the pistons out with the air pump method.

P1070260.jpg


Looks worse than it is really. They will clean up good.

P1070264.jpg


P1070265.jpg


Transfer passages were full of grease for some reason.

P1070270.jpg


P1070274.jpg


Greetings
 
thats not grease Richard, that is congealed brake fluid.
all of that will clean up lovely, apart from a coat of paint needed.....
 
Agemax - I bought some brake cleaner so it should all come good. I was surprised that the pistons in the rear caliper were not all rusted like the ones in the fronts:

P1050440.jpg


I've had another go with the VHT painting. And this time I cooked it longer and it turned out a little more satin which is what I want. It's still got some not so nice bits in it but there was no bubbling this time. I think from now on I will try it with none of the white primer undercoat. I can take the frame and all the other powder coating bits down to the powder coaters and show them this brake bit and tell them to match the frame to it. Then the bike will all be co-ordinated to the same finish. Bingo.

P1070283-001.jpg


Greetings
 
Engine Cover Satin/Brush Finish

Engine Cover Satin/Brush Finish

A bit more of the bike has been done. Brushed satin finish on the side cover. It looks different from different angles as the light catches it.

Here is the obligatory BEFORE:

P1040037a.jpg


P1070238.jpg


and AFTER

P1070289.JPG


P1070298.JPG


P1070300.JPG


P1070303.JPG


Greetings
 
ron - thanks for that. I have been on this rebuild since August 2012 and do not expect a fully road worthy bike until summer 2014. I don't have a lot of time and I have to have everything perfect. So it will take me some time. Thanks for your encouragement. It is lonely out there in the garage doing some of these laborious tasks and I am forever grateful to those who appreciate the end result.

Greetings
 
well sir, I certainly do.Its craftsmanship,what you are doing.In the hustle and bustle world we live in its easier to just throw it away and buy an new one.Easier but not cheap.I would ratherhave an old GS than a bike with 3 computers, 6 cylinders,and headlightsthat bend around a curve.I cant imagine working on one of these newage bikes.The GS is like the 283 chevy with stick shift.Simple,reliable,and forever cool.
 
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