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

[Agemax]

tyres aren't about which ones look nice.....you need to choose a tyre for your specific needs.
do you want long wearing tyres with reasonable grippiness or super sticky tyres that only last for 3 trips round the block?
obviously price is a considering factor as well.....

 

[londonboards]

You're right. You read a lot on the freds here about people who don't like the look of the "skinney" tyres that we have to fit to these heavy beast because of the rim and swingarm limitations, especially on the shafties.

My son's 50cc Aprilia has as wide profile tyres as I can get on my 1100.

 

[londonboards]

Top T Race Removal (with apologies to the engineers out there)

Top T Race Removal (with apologies to the engineers out there)

I am really sorry about this. I do repent of my engineering sins. Please forgive me for I know not what I do. The trouble is I did it anyway.

I had to get the top T bearing race off the stem and I had read of this way of doing it somewhere.

My GS1100G Blog - Top T Race Removal

Cut it with a dremel:

Don't go too far:

Then give it a good whack to split it open:

And off she comes:

Not too many problems left behind. Sorry about the small picture of the damage below. Camera went on the Fritz. Damage is very light. Really. Bit of filler and some 400 grit and you'd never notice. Well anyway, who's going to see it?

Look, I am sorry and I am going to give up drills and Dremels for ever. Now that the beast has been totally stripped (well apart from the engine) I shouldn't need any such butchery in the future. I am a reformed character.

Greetings

 

[Johno]

I am really sorry about this. I do repent of my engineering sins. Please forgive me for I know not what I do. The trouble is I did it anyway.

I had to get the top T bearing race off the stem and I had read of this way of doing it somewhere.

My GS1100G Blog - Top T Race Removal

Cut it with a dremel:

Don't go too far:

Then give it a good whack to split it open:

And off she comes:

Not too many problems left behind. Sorry about the small picture of the damage below. Camera went on the Fritz. Damage is very light. Really. Bit of filler and some 400 grit and you'd never notice. Well anyway, who's going to see it?

Look, I am sorry and I am going to give up drills and Dremels for ever. Now that the beast has been totally stripped (well apart from the engine) I shouldn't need any such butchery in the future. I am a reformed character.

Greetings

I had to do the same treatment on my GS1000G.

A friend of mine has an engineering business and all the heavy equipment available.

He started out using a blow torch to heat up the bearing. Progressed to a very heavy cold chisel and hammer and eventually cut off as you did with an angle grinder.

He was very careful not to damage the stem.

 

[SVSooke]

Did the same to my 78 1000 to get that bearing off.See you are not alone.
Edit looking at it again the bearing splitter I bought for the KDX might have worked.

 

[JvZ]

You are definitely not alone.

You are definitely not alone.

I had to grind mine away in 2 places.

 

[Paul]

That is a nice bike!!

 

[Paul]

tyres aren't about which ones look nice.....you need to choose a tyre for your specific needs.
do you want long wearing tyres with reasonable grippiness or super sticky tyres that only last for 3 trips round the block?
obviously price is a considering factor as well.....

I agree but that was kind of my point there are so many different ones to chose from I guess I'll just go to a distributor near me as he also sells to the public and take his advice, I just feel I'm walking in with sucker on my forehead

 

[Agemax]

I agree but that was kind of my point there are so many different ones to chose from I guess I'll just go to a distributor near me as he also sells to the public and take his advice, I just feel I'm walking in with sucker on my forehead

tell him what you want from a tyre and see what he offers you. if you are not entirely happy with his options, try another dealer and get their opinions.

it also works as a great way to save money. get some prices from the first dealer and see if the next one will beat their price, and so on and so on. you can end up getting a great deal

 

[nuitdevotremort]

At work we always use a grinder the way you do. Stop before you get through though then use a chisel. Obviously we use a pneumatic chisel, and that makes it pretty easy.

 

[londonboards]

Stop before you get through though

Aye there's the rub!

Greetings

 

[nuitdevotremort]

You're trying to make a notch and weaken the spot, not cut through. Shouldn't have to get THAT close.

 

[londonboards]

Day 253 Wheel Restoration Start

Day 253 Wheel Restoration Start

Started the restoration of the wheels today. I tried various techniques to discover exactly the best one for my wheels. The paint is in good condition and I may paint it with some satin black enamel paint in due course. But to start with I am trying to remove the oxidization and get some bling into the old wheels.

See: My GS1100G Restoration Blog - Wheel Restoration Start

This is what the wheels looked like to start with:

They are in a pretty bad way. I started off using 400 grit and got them to this state:

They are still pretty mottled and needed a lot more polishing. I tried all types of polish and ended up using Brasso on the back of a Scotchbrite pad. I ended up with this:

I also spent some time on the spokes with a Dremel and a wire brush attachment and went from this:

To this:

One side of one wheel takes about 3 hours. So 9 more hours on the wheels!

Greetings

 

[Paul]

Thats a radical improvement..... keep going!!

 

[Agemax]

you need a pot of this mate............

http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=9&products_id=23

 

[londonboards]

The problem is I will never get one of these though:

http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=7

Greetings

 

[Guest]

If you really want to get a shine on those wheels, don't mess about with 400 grit - start with 80 grit, take off all the rough surfaces, then work down through the stages to say 800/1000, then use your favourite polish.

You could use a palm sander on the flat surfaces to save some arm-ache.

Also, the painted areas were originally a dark grey, rather than black, but that of course is your choice.

 

[eil]

Looking good, keep it up. You're putting a lot of time and effort into this bike, can't wait to see the end result.

 

[londonboards]

steve - thanks for that. Yes I had heard that the colour was dark grey and even though they are 30 years old now, they still look dark grey. I will get some dark grey enamel paint and hand paint over it. Then when it's all polished up I will try a satin clear coat over the whole lot.

Greetings

 

[londonboards]

eil - thanks for the kind words. It is slow going as there is always so much else to do and to pay for! But we are getting there.

Greetings