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

[Guest]

if you're not that partial on a 4-2 setup there's nice new 4-1 systems available

what i see in those pics is simply too much rust to sucessfully re-chrome i think

if you want original pipes try www.ebay.de - postage shouldn't cost that much and reasonably good pipes come up every so often

 

[londonboards]

psyguy - that's a good tip to try the German ebay. I tend only to look on UK and USA.

Yes they are pretty knackered but I will find a way or even get some pattern silencers made to bolt onto the pipes.

Someone even sent me the procedure for making my own!

Greetings

 

[Guest]

It's cheaper to buy a new bike than rebuild one like you started with.


But whats the point in that......

Exactly! The build is as much fun as the blasting. You get to know every piece and there's nothing hiding, unless its yourself hiding it.

All the resto's, restifications, prettying up, whatever will eat you alive if you don't stuck firmly to a budget. If you are keeping receipts for all your parts, I strongly suggest you never, ever add them up. The old rule of thumb was that it costs three times the price differential to improve a bike than buying the next class up. Depends on where you get your most thrills - building or blasting.

And I do know about waiting for the proper part to show up in good condition. I waited nearly 14 months for a good '82/'83 750SC side cover to show up. Got it and withing the next few months three more showed up. Patience is a virtue - if you got it, use it. Or you'll always be disappointed on jumping on the first thing you see.

 

[londonboards]

Here's a 4 into 2 I've not seen before from Ebay in Germany:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/MARVING-MAST...pt=Motorrad_Kraftradteile&hash=item5892fea25b

Greetings

 

[Guest]

Now you're into how much to remain a restoration or how much for a restification. Decisions, decisions. New does have that going for it. But don't sacrifice the stock look if that's what you really want. Check a few places to ship that ebay set in Colorado.

 

[hampshirehog]

Here's a 4 into 2 I've not seen before from Ebay in Germany:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/MARVING-MAST...pt=Motorrad_Kraftradteile&hash=item5892fea25b


Greetings

Try:

http://www.exactrep.com/acatalog/index.html

They are sole importers for Marving and are usually a lot cheaper than Ebay.de. If they don't stock it they'll order it for you. Marvings are decent pipes as well. They have the Marvi listed for your bike at ?253.44

Good luck with ebay.de by the way. You're looking for an auspuff. Don't mention it in polite society over here...

Make sure that the buyer in Germany takes paypal if you buy from ebay.de. The money transfer costs are horrible otherwise.

 

[londonboards]

hampshirehog - thanks for those tips. I had a quick look at the German eBay site and was pleasantly surprised to see some stuff we don't see in the UK or USA very often, at least not for a GS1100.

For instance Progressive Forks Springs, nice bolt sets and very comprehensive gasket sets.

I also like the way they label their parts with the correct designation for my bike: GU71. This leaves you in no doubt that it's for the 8 valve and not the 16. And the prices look pretty good too.

Greetings

 

[londonboards]

Day 198 Front Air Forks Dismantle

Day 198 Front Air Forks Dismantle

I looked in manuals and parts fiche on line but I couldn't find anything to show me how these came apart. I have the balancing tube affair between the forks to balance the pressurized air.

See: My GS1100G Blog - Front Air Suspension

Here it is:

But the forks won't drop out of the Ts without the removal of these banjos:

But the good folks here came to the rescue. These banjos are held in place with O rings (more O rings! How many are there on one of these bikes?) which you can break lose with some encouragement. This reveals the air hole.

Has everyone still got one of these?

Also stocked up on some more goodies. JIS screwdriver set from the US (but made in Japan), hardened drill bits (I am doing a lot of drilling it seems), some carb cleaner, wipes and a can of petrol resistant laquer. I will try it on a spare carb bowl.

Greetings

 

[Agemax]

you will need an air pressure gauge a lot more accurate for the air forks than that one. you will probably lose half the air pressure in the forks when installing or removing it from the valve. you can buy very accurate gauges especially for forks which are far better.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Progressi...20?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item2ec1e83ccc

 

[londonboards]

It's the one that came with the bike. But I guess you are right. I seem to remember doing it years ago and the process of testing the pressure always resulted in losing all the air in the forks. So you just had to pump them up and guess really.

I suppose the air gauge was included in the toolkit for the tyres.

Greetings

 

[Charlie G]

I have the very same gauge which came with my 650g and it is worthless. Your's may be fine but I would try it and compare it with something reliable. I use a bicycle suspension pump that has a bleeder valve on it to adjust the exact pressure I want. The trick is finding one which will read 12 PSI, (0-30psi) which is what I run. I had to change the gauge on the pump. I'd post a picture but photobucket isn't working for me right now.

cg

 

[nuitdevotremort]

Love the thread, can't wait to see more!

 

[londonboards]

You are so kind. I am working on it but the winter is still upon us here and the garage is freezing. I am also having to budget time and funds. It has cost me nearly $2,000 so far and I have yet to paint or chrome anything.

Greetings

 

[nuitdevotremort]

I know how you feel! I've been working out of my second floor apartment... Between full time work and school any wrenching time is hard to come by.

 

[londonboards]

Day 214 Carburetors Vapour Blasted

Day 214 Carburetors Vapour Blasted

Got my babes back from vapour blasting today. I like it. They look like they are painted in silver paint but they aren't. Feast you eyes:

See: My GS1100G Blog - Cleaned Carbs for extra pics.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

They still need cleaning inside as the sediment is still in the bowls. So next step is ultrasonic. Just hope I am doing this the right way round. Hoping there is not too much material from the blasting trapped in any little holes. There was a kinda grinding noise as I screwed in the new stainless screws.

Greetings

 

[eil]

Holy cow. This is vapor blasting, you say? I need to read up on this. Will you paint them?

 

[nuitdevotremort]

Those look great man! I really wanted to have some vapor blasting done but couldn't find someone in my area offering the service. Hoping I can get half that quality with my soda/media blasting.

 

[londonboards]

eil - I don't think so. I have another (insurance) set of carbs which I am going to experiment on. I will try a gasoline resistant laquer on one of the carbs to see how it looks but will strip it off again if it is too shiny.

What I am looking to do is to stop them going "off" again. I still haven't given up on the idea of some sort of anodizing or metal treatment.

But they do look good as they are. I have no experience to know how long they will stay looking like that.

The other option is to buy my own vapour blasting machine so I can redo them whenever I want. I am told that there is no loss of material by this method of cleaning. It seems hard to believe when you see the corroded state of my carbs previously that something has not been flushed away but that is what they say.

I might also paint. Did you see renobruce's painted carb portfolio? They look pretty swanky. Trouble is; what colour?

Greetings

 

[Agemax]

Richard, vapor blasting should include a rust inhibitor in the process, (well mine did anyway) after over 5 years it still looks like it was done yesterday!

 

[londonboards]

Richard, vapor blasting should include a rust inhibitor in the process, (well mine did anyway) after over 5 years it still looks like it was done yesterday!

That's encouraging and amazing. I will try my fork bottoms next as I do not want to go for the shiny polished look. I prefer the sateen finish like the original.

Greetings