The Black Bomber, My GS450.

[RustyStuff]

Today was a Big day for the bike.I've been wanting to replace the shocks from the day I started working on it.I finally bit the bullet and I put up a wanted add. A very cool GSR member sold me a set of really nice Progressive shocks!

I was so exited I tore into it first thing once they arrived! Finally, I could banish the pogo sticks to a dark box on a shelf!

I was like a kid on Christmas.

Shiny!

Old VS New. Everything about the Progressives is bigger.

And buttoned back up.

They are a Huge Improvement over stock! I had the preload as High at it would go on the stockers, and they would sag over 2.5". I set the Progressives at 3of5 and they have 1" of sag with me on it.
I braved the cold and took it out for a short ride, Better in every way. No bottoming out and they don't bounce like the old ones.

I am so happy. I can't wait for the weather to get better again so I can go for a ride longer than 15minutes to really test them out!

Next up, H4 HID conversion and a set of heated grip inserts!

 

[RustyStuff]

My new H4 headlight came today. Came with a 55w/60w bulb. Going to run it for a while and see how I like it before I order a 35w HID kit. I'll take some pictures tonight to show the beam. It's so much brighter than the old Sealed beam.

It seems to be charging well. This is at ~3500 rpm.

Also played around with some Surplus Aluminum "mermite" food cans.
I gutted the insulation out, they weight about 5lbs a piece and can hold 39L ( 1.4cuft) per side. Going to make up a rack for them. they look bigger than they are. Only a few inches wider than the bars.

Light weight, free, Water tight and lockable camping gear storage.

 

[RustyStuff]

Finally, my volt meters arrived from china, but for $6 shipped for 2 I can't really complain. It seems to be pretty accurate, supposedly waterproof too. Wired up with a 5A blade fuse holder.

Also wired in a 12V outlet, and stuck my Phone charger in it.

 

[wedoo2]

Would these hard pocket covers fit your fairing?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle-...Parts_Accessories&hash=item1e794f7880&vxp=mtr

Those cans are something. Paint to match.

 

[megatwin]

Every time I see pics of a nice looking 450L,I get the urge to track one down for myself.

 

[tkent02]

A 450 in good shape is hard to find, just like the elusive 650E.
All I find are Ls and Ts, and they are mostly trashed.

 

[RustyStuff]

Would these hard pocket covers fit your fairing?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle-...Parts_Accessories&hash=item1e794f7880&vxp=mtr

Those cans are something. Paint to match.

Nope, I think they are for the later design fairing, the rooster? The holes on the quicksilver are pretty oddly shaped.

After perusing the web a bit, I came to the conclusion that they never made hard covers for the Quicksilver and I was going to have to make some.




Just Finished one up today. Laminate flooring scraps for our house renovation,Epoxy, a lock and some Truck bedliner for waterproofing.

I'd like to try and see them steal my stuff now.

 

[wedoo2]

Well look at you.

 

[RustyStuff]

Latest project, a set of fairing lowers.

Did a bit of CAD design work.

Drug a Piece of Black plastic out of my supply stash. Heated and Bent it over a board. Some Edging from a Crash damaged fairing to match the one on the bike.

Need to get another piece of plastic to make the other side and some aluminum bar stock to make the brackets.. Should make riding to school in the morning more comfortable.

 

[RustyStuff]

Brackets are done. Now to buy some more plastic for the right side.

Time for new tires.

Going to try going tubeless. These things are a PITA to get on and off in the event of a flat.

 

[Big Rich]

Rusty, you are still planning on putting tubes in them, correct? IIRC, your wheels aren't made to be run without inner tubes.

 

[Nessism]

How did those handlebar weights work out? Did they make a difference?

 

[RustyStuff]

Rusty, you are still planning on putting tubes in them, correct? IIRC, your wheels aren't made to be run without inner tubes.

I'm going to try and run them tubeless, if it doesn't work I'll stick some tubes back in. I've read enough threads on here to make me believe it will work.

How did those handlebar weights work out? Did they make a difference?

Mostly shifted the resonance around. Not really sure about it being better in any way.

 

[RustyStuff]

Today was the day. Spooned on a set of new rubber. It's been 7 hours now, no leaks and the pressure is staying steady. I think running tubeless may work out.

Bought 2 of these,

http://www.motionpro.com/motorcycle/partno/08-0007/

Greatest-Tire-Iron in the history of the earth! It was painless and quick with these things. I'll never go back to the Old style straight irons.

 

[RustyStuff]

Tires are holding air beautifully! Not a single PSI lost in the last 24 hours.

Today I finished up my fairing lowers project.

They work great, though they get kinda hot in the afternoon's( 92* today:|).

I love this bike! Aside from the speedo reading 15mph low with larger than stock tires, everything is groovy. That also means that I am getting much better millage than I suspected, and that I have much more than 19K miles on it.

 

[Big Rich]

15mph low? The stock speedo and tire size is normally 10% slower, so a larger front tire size should put you pretty close to accurate.

 

[RustyStuff]

15mph low? The stock speedo and tire size is normally 10% slower, so a larger front tire size should put you pretty close to accurate.

Running with traffic on the highway(60mph limit), speedo is registering 45~. Bring it up to indicated 50mph and I'm passing people.

I'm going to try a GPS just to see what it's really at.

 

[RustyStuff]

My T seat arrived today. In pretty decent shape.

Old L Seat, not in bad condition, aside form a 5" tear in the cover.

Direct comparison, the T seat has thicker foam, is flatter, slightly wider and it's lower, due to the pan not being elevated 2" off the frame.

T seat on the bike.

All I need to do get some vinyl restorer to try and turn the vinyl black again.

 

[RustyStuff]

Yesterday's projects-

Windshield extensions, 4.5" and 6.5". I now have a nice quiet and non turbulent place to pilot the bike from. The stock windshield hight had the unfortuante effect of directing all of the air right at my face shield. Very Loud and turbulent.

Due to the extra surface area, the windshield flopped around a bit at speeds over 60.

Aluminum to the rescue!

Fixes the problem to a tested 95mph.:-\\\ Kinda wild to be running along that quickly, in comfort and mostly quiet.

I'm now running a set of turn signals from a early 70's Kawa enduro. My right rear one went missing.:|

They kinda bend up at a funny angle, but I'm fine with that.

and a picture that has nothing to do with anything. My ride sitting next to my sisters new bike, a 1980 Peugeot 102SP moped( fun a hell to ride around on, a 25mph bicycle!)

[

 

[RustyStuff]

We'll I decided that I'd take it in a different direction right now.Hung the fairing on the wall for the moment.

The birth of a desert sled....

The plan-
Braced motocross bars-Done
Hand guards and deflectors
High fender mod-Done
Crash bars and skid plate
Gear down( currently 15/41), 15/43
Small fly-screen type fairing.

For tires i'm looking at Bridgestone trail wings Tw39/tw40, about the only thing that will fit. I'd like to run something like Kenda big blocks, but I would have to buy a new rear rim. Not sure I want to do that yet.