The Fear of Failure (First time restoration woes)

[Suzukian]

I'm going to pull it out next Summer, it is literally buried under tars, hidden actually. It looks very much like Kaz Yoshima's.

 

[JMHJ]

Ok, my mind was going to the rich vs lean thing on setting up the pods, not filtered well vs not so much, lol.
The GS700E I rode for a little while had pods and ran quite well, so somebody did a good job. I think they were cheap ones though...
The Kawi I have now has a K&N with an excess oil drain tube coming out of the air box?? Maybe it was originally set up do to an oiled foam filter, like my old GS450L?? Which raises the point of how well did that filter? It was like a lawnmower - piece of foam oiled with 30W oil... Anyway...

You guys are making me nostalgic for the old GSs... Why did I buy a Kawasaki?? Lol. I guess I'll hafta settle for it.

 

[bwringer]

Oiled foam does an excellent job of filtering, actually. And of course in dirty environments you can clean and re-oil the foam instead of coughing up for a replacement; both are the reasons a lot of dirtbikes and lawn mowers use oiled foam.

Many GS models and other streetbikes use oiled foam as well. Since they're usually used on the street in clean air, you can go quite a long time without cleaning and re-oiling.

There are three main issues to watch for on vintage bikes with oiled foam air filters:

1) Eventually the foam will deteriorate and start to crumble, so watch for this. That said, foam filter elements can last 10 or 20 years.

2) It's extremely common for the sealing foam on the edges of the filter cages to deteriorate and get lost. Ponder your filter setup carefully to make sure air cannot bypass the filter. On GS shafties, for example, you can replace the foam on the top of the metal filter cage with self-adhesive weather stripping. Once the weather stripping is stuck firmly to the cage, you can apply a coat of grease so that it will slide into the airbox.

Speaking of GS shafties, sealing the airbox side covers with self-adhesive weather stripping foam is the first rite of induction into the High Order of the Shafted Ones. The stock rubber seals are all "perished" by now, so you have to seal this area another way. Weather stripping is cheapest and easiest.

3) Over-oiling is common and can restrict air flow and cause your bike to run rich. The foam doesn't need to be completely saturated and dripping; just apply a bit of engine oil, massage it in thoroughly, and squeeze out as much as you can using paper towels (squeeze, don't twist). Thick, sticky air filter oils sold for dirtbikes can be a problem as well; just use engine oil in a GS foam air filter.

 

[GSXR7ED]

Wow!

The year bike before mine...

Luckily, mine had the original air intake system.

You've got your hands full!

Veteran here...USAF...25 years Logistics Guy.

Definitely take pics of things you take apart.

I'm gonna have one helluva time putting mine back together...lol!

Look forward to what you got planned for your project.

 

[acr88_]

I appreciate all the feedback, gentlemen. I have been admiring the "Bike of the month" builds on the site here. I've been working on the bike for a few months now and along the way I decided against the cafe racer build (particularly because everyone seems to do that build and they aren't even a comfortable bike to ride in the end when converted and I want go camping on mine. Looking to maintain its' heritage with original aesthetics and some features and mods of my own wanting. At the moment, I'm restoring all the systems the best I can, as the previous owner neglected to service periodically (some systems look like they haven't been touch or opened since the factory). If I didn't care about the performance and health of the bike it would have been converted already, trust me, but I can't sleep at night knowing something is failing on the bike, so the systems were top list before looks. Wiring harness is about the only thing left and a carb synch. I will continue to update for those who are interested in seeing where she goes.

 

[letchworth rider]

I have the same bike in maroon. Came with pods. Could not get it to run right. Obtained the correct intake, runs really well.Guess you need to decide if you want a racer or a road worthy machine. It will take a lot to improve on the original.

 

[Suzukian]

I've been wanting to make a trike, either an 1000G or 850G. The 850G has so much torque and are priced nicely.

 

[unfocused]

Dude, I started with this Feb 2023 and I am riding it. Well kinda. Carbs need tuning... Will be correcting this issue this weekend. I'm at that point where I'm trying to remember what I've forgotten...

Thankfully the wheels haven't rolled away and the steering works LOL

And I'm building a 2nd GS750 into a GS710-ish with modern suspension - profile pic - although it's in pieces atm...




.

 

[acr88_]

Dude, I started with this Feb 2023 and I am riding it. Well kinda. Carbs need tuning... Will be correcting this issue this weekend. I'm at that point where I'm trying to remember what I've forgotten...

Thankfully the wheels haven't rolled away and the steering works LOL

And I'm building a 2nd GS750 into a GS710-ish with modern suspension - profile pic - although it's in pieces atm...

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That is majorly encouraging based on that picture haha! I've since gotten over the hill (engine up and running) but eventually I'll need to replace motor gaskets, and that's a little intimidating, but I have the Clymer manual :dancing:

 

[unfocused]

That is majorly encouraging based on that picture haha! I've since gotten over the hill (engine up and running) but eventually I'll need to replace motor gaskets, and that's a little intimidating, but I have the Clymer manual :dancing:

The motor gaskets aren't difficult. My biggest issue was with my chrome covers being pitted on the sealing surface so I needed a little help with some rtv. Fixed those issues.
Now the base gasket underneath the cylinders is probably the most difficult one to change. I just did a complete valve job and resealed from the base gasket up and it wasn't as difficult as I suspected it would be. However, I've been a mechanic all my life and still enjoy fixing stuff... yes the bike below was the frame above.

Somewhere on the interwebs, there is a factory service manual that can be downloaded. You might search for it.

 

[Suzukian]

With flat bars, you can achieve a very Cafe looking bike. Changing those shock to Koni Aluminum body shocks, or the equivalent thereof, will add so much handling prowess to the bike, it's immediately noticeable. A strong fork brace will make your front end very solid. Nice thing about Suzuki's is that if the offset on the fork triple trees match, you can graft a more modern front end to your bike, most will take it straight on swap, some require a little Lathe work to make some spacers. You have a lot of potential to make the bike you want, and make it the way that handles best.