New guy from southern Ohio

[NavyDad]

I recently rescued a 1981 GS850G from a slow death and am in the process of bringing it back to its original glory. The bike is in great shape other than sitting for too long. It is in amazing stock condition also. The exhaust is solid which is kind of rare on the older bikes. Apparently the original owner had the bike painted when he bought, but the job is professional and looks good. I will keep the paint as is. I am going to do the usual brake rebuilds, steering bearings, maybe swing arm, the intake system will need a rebuild as the rubber parts are showing age, I just got the carbs finished. This is the third rescue I have done in the last five years. The other two were Honda's and I sold them when the offers were too good to pass up, but the 850 will stay with me. Photo is the bike when I got it home.

 

[NavyDad]

This is the 78 400 Hawk I rescued. It was in bad shape, but worth bringing back to life.

 

[NavyDad]

This one was tough. 1981 CB650 Custom and while it was in original condition it was rough and hard to find some of the parts.

 

[Steve]

Nice looking bike. :encouragement:

I am just 75 miles west of you, we'll have to meet up some time.

.

 

[steve murdoch]

Welcome to the site, NavyDad.
From the looks of Hondas it doesn't look like you will need much help but checking the drive on the GS should also be on the list.
http://gsarchive.bwringer.com/bikecliff/images/reardiff.pdf
What is the name of the wolf in the background?

 

[dorkburger]

Welcome. Your past restos look great. Th GS looks like a good starting point.

 

[Hinermad]

Welcome aboard NavyDad! That 850 looks sweet. I can see why you want to keep the paint that's on it.

I used to live just north of Circleville, about 25 miles north of Chillicothe. And I grew up over in Nelsonville. You live in a nice area to own a bike!

 

[NavyDad]

:highly_amused: The "wolf" in the background is our German Shepherd Kory. She's a good pooch and like me is showing signs of age. Our arthritis meds look the same. I am planning on a thorough inspection of the shaft drive from end to end. I have owned more shafties than chain drives I think and that is one reason the 850 will be a keeper. I have never had a shaft issue on my bikes including my BMW 1150 which was prone to issues. I believe in PREVENTIVE maintenance instead of oops now I need to fix that maintenance.
Just a bit of info on us. I am 62 and thanks to a good job and a great 401K I retired at 56. My lovely wife and I have been married 40 years and never been without a bike. I was riding before we met and she got hooked as well. She is a dedicated pillion rider with no desire to pilot her own bike, been there, tried that, she didn't like it. She is a sightseer and piloting cuts into that too much. Our current two up ride is a Can Am Spyder because it was time for a third wheel. We love it. I also have a 2003 Honda 250 Reflex scooter for honey do errands. The 850 is going to be my solo trip bike because I do like to ride the Blue Ridge Parkway and nice roads and my wife doesn't always tag along. I have no idea how many miles we have ridden in 40 years, but there are very few places we haven't been. Our latest adventure was Nova Scotia. We have a daughter who is a nurse and our son is a Navy man with 17 years under his belt so far. Hence the NavyDad handle. By the way, this forum is great and I have already taken advantage of the huge amount of knowledge that is here. Thanks to everyone who puts their wisdom into words for dummies like me.

 

[Charlie G]

Welcome! Nice find.

 

[alke46]

Welcome Navydad. Yes that 850 is a very nice looking bike. Oh by the way, you are in close proximity to one of the best GS rallies in the midwest held in June every year. I attended my 1st one last June but will be making it an annual happening. Bedford Indiana is the location so just keep watching for the information concerning that event and hopefully we will all get to see that stunning 850 as well as you and perhaps the wife there.

 

[Steve]

And if you are interested in joining us at the rally, feel free to make our place for lunch on Thursday, where a few others will join us for the ride to Bedford.

.

 

[Gorminrider]

Nice Collection! Very nice! .....you will want to go to Bass-Cliff's site and dig around...some things do pop-up on GS bikes...charging system is prone to fail on all of these 80's bikes and the shaft drives sometimes fail at the secondary drive where the nut shears off (see Zook' syndrome at Bass-cliff's). Some complaints about the ringgear in the hub too so worth looking for wear and SuperMolybdenum grease on it there if it's still nice and sharp (I got some from Honda-pricey but I'm nervous so trying it...)
BikeCliff's Website

 

[ddaniels]

Welcome aboard. Yes, nice looking 850. Good luck with the refresh. Looking forward to the final picture.

 

[NavyDad]

Bedford sounds like a plan and the 850 should be finished by then. I am well aware of the charging issues on these bikes. I used to rewind electric motors for a living and although my work involved far larger equipment I still rewound a bunch of Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Honda three phase stators. My buddy worked as a mechanic at our local Honda and Suzuki dealers and for some reason there was a time when it was taking months to get a replacement stator so he started sending me the old ones to rewind. I made a deal with the owner of my company for materials and started winding Stators. I never had one come back. Factory stators were under insulated for the conditions they operated in. Strangely, I never wound a Yamaha Stator. Stators got better and I moved on to a better job, but it was fun while it lasted.

 

[NavyDad]

Big brown truck just delivered Hagon shocks, Sonic springs, and a big box of goodies from Partzilla including all new parts for the intake system. Out there somewhere is the brake line and fittings from Earl's. I have the beast stripped down to engine and frame and after a good cleaning and inspection I can start the rebuilding process. I will do a complete drive line inspection and repair if needed. Adjust the valves and check for issues with the engine, hopefully with 13,000 miles there won't be any surprises. I also plan on replacing the clutch springs just for giggles, I bought OEM springs. The carbs have been off before and the ace mechanic that did the job used about a pound and a half of silicone sealer instead of laying out the $$ for new rubber mounts, boots, or o-rings. That crap should be outlawed. I had a mess, but all clean now and will go back with new parts. It's hard enough to get these bikes to run correctly without half a$$ing the intakes and carbs.

 

[Redman]

ND,

Welcome to GSR.

Nice looking 850.
Looks all stock, but I dont think I have ever seen such a color on any G.
Maybe other folks can say if that is stock or not.

Chillocothee OH to Bedford Indiania is 225 miles.
Look for the "Brown County" rally posting.

Are other GSR members there in central Ohio.
Mr Steve has chimed in already.
Will be a handfulll of GSR members headed to Bedford, some probably going bye not too far from you.

My son-in-law is in Navy, so I guess that makes me Navy-Dad-In-Law.

Do tell us more of your adventures.

.

 

[NavyDad]

ND,

Welcome to GSR.

Nice looking 850.
Looks all stock, but I dont think I have ever seen such a color on any G.
Maybe other folks can say if that is stock or no

.

Thanks for the welcome. Bike has been painted and the story is that that first owner had it painted when he bought it. It is a quality paint job and I will leave it as is. I am going to try to match the color because there are a few small dings I would like to touch up.

 

[Guest]

Another welcome from Ohio.
That 850 will look nice assuming you do it like the cb650. I think I would have kept that one.

 

[NavyDad]

Another welcome from Ohio.
That 850 will look nice assuming you do it like the cb650. I think I would have kept that one.

I intended to keep the 650, but sentiment got in the way. My wife and I had another couple that we rode with frequently, they were very dear friends on and off the bikes. The wife became ill rather suddenly and riding was no longer an option and her husband was NOT going to ride without her. He sold their bike and bought a small camper which she really enjoyed until she passed. Jay was at the house one day when the 650 was basking in the sun and commented how he missed riding and started tossing numbers at me. Because he was a good friend and I know he will keep the bike in pristine condition (he does) I accepted an offer and sent it home with him. My 34" inseam actually made the Custom a bit uncomfortable for me and it fits him to a tee, plus that gave me the funds to start looking for a vintage "standard" bike that fit me better. The 850 fits fine.

 

[rkroby]

My brother and I are just starting a restoration of a 1980 Honda CB 650 Custom. Forum member chuck hahn are rebuilding the carbs as we speak. I have been spoiled by this forum with all its insight and information. Can't seem to find much info on the Honda and parts are very difficult to find. Don't think it will ever look as good as your 1981. Great work.