The finished "Road Clam" bike pics

[crag antler]

Originally Posted by crag antler
Very nice.
Even with the silver motor:wink: :razz: ,just kidding.
You did a hell of a sweet job

I was gonna say that. It's not often that a silver motor looks 1/2 as good on the 1100E's. This one however looks about 3/4 as good as the black motors!!!

Alright, another "Black motor man " to the rescue\\/

 

[Mike_H]

Well, I looked at the pics again, and I do believe I am going to steal your color!!! Actually, I have been looking at a dark red for a while. I work for an automotive supplier, and we have a paint line. I have every OEM color at my, um, disposal. I keep coming back to Ford's Red Fire (Which is very close to the color of your bike). I wasn't able to tell what it would look like on a bike until I saw yours though. BTW, now that the bike is outside, how about some more pictures, with the sunlight on it?

 

[Road_Clam]

Well, I looked at the pics again, and I do believe I am going to steal your color!!! Actually, I have been looking at a dark red for a while. I work for an automotive supplier, and we have a paint line. I have every OEM color at my, um, disposal. I keep coming back to Ford's Red Fire (Which is very close to the color of your bike). I wasn't able to tell what it would look like on a bike until I saw yours though. BTW, now that the bike is outside, how about some more pictures, with the sunlight on it?

Mike, if I could offer you a few tips, based upon my frustrating experiences, DO NOT TRY TO PURCHASE THE FACTORY SUZUKI DECALS! Suzuki has a vague, horse $hit decal p/n system that you have absolutely no idea what decal you are going to get. I thought I was ordering decals for my '82 GS1100EZ, and I got an "ORANGE" SUZUKI tank decal, and black outlined side panel decals that said "GS 1100ES" !!!! WTF !!!!???? I called a Suzuki parts analist, to try to get the proper p/n's , and the person was absolutely of NO help. I ended up contacting this decal company based out of Canada:

http://www.reproductiondecals.com/default_frameset.html?content.html~main


Got a complete set of decals for $40 shipped, and they were an EXACT match to my originals. I plan on taking some hi res sunlight pics ASAP. Right now my bike is in the shop for some final tweaking (Just another set of eyes, to possibly spot an issue I missed). I am going to submit a nice outdoor pic for consideration of "BOM". Good luck,
Rich

 

[ricardo]

WOW!!!!!!! Very nicely done

 

[crag antler]

I ended up contacting this decal company based out of Canada:

http://www.reproductiondecals.com/default_frameset.html?content.html~main


Got a complete set of decals for $40 shipped, and they were an EXACT match to my originals. I plan on taking some hi res sunlight pics ASAP. Right now my bike is in the shop for some final tweaking (Just another set of eyes, to possibly spot an issue I missed). I am going to submit a nice outdoor pic for consideration of "BOM". Good luck,
Rich

The best place to buy decals.
All honesty, your bike does look very nice

 

[KennyJ]

Very pretty!

I see from the pictures you still have the anti-dives hooked up. Your first upgrade should be to disable/ditch those horrid things and you braking should tighten up quite a bit.

Kenny

 

[Jethro]

Very pretty!

I see from the pictures you still have the anti-dives hooked up. Your first upgrade should be to disable/ditch those horrid things and you braking should tighten up quite a bit.

Kenny

Garbage! I love my anti-dive units. Don't believe the hype!

 

[Road_Clam]

I think the first thing I will try is simply a new front m/c piston. My front brakes feel so spongey, I bled those lines for HOURS, and they still suck. I am definately thinking braided lines......

 

[Rake78GS]

That is one SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeettttttttt looking bike!
You should definatly put that in some shows!

 

[JayH]

Mike, if I could offer you a few tips, based upon my frustrating experiences, DO NOT TRY TO PURCHASE THE FACTORY SUZUKI DECALS! Suzuki has a vague, horse $hit decal p/n system that you have absolutely no idea what decal you are going to get. I thought I was ordering decals for my '82 GS1100EZ, and I got an "ORANGE" SUZUKI tank decal, and black outlined side panel decals that said "GS 1100ES" !!!! WTF !!!!???? I called a Suzuki parts analist, to try to get the proper p/n's , and the person was absolutely of NO help.

SNIP

Good luck,
Rich

Do you have the stock Suzuki part #'s that you used for the order? More than likely the person either got the part off of another bike or the # you ordered was superceded.

 

[JayH]

SNIP

As for the wheels, I completely blasted the black paint off, then polished the rim perimeter, and then emery "brushed" the tops of the casted "webs" . Then clear coated the wheels. I personally think they look awesome. I prefer a "brushed" machined look to my bikes components, as opposed to highly polished (and it's FAR less time consuming)

What did you use for clear coat and how many coats did you use? Let us know how the wheels hold up after you put some miles on em. I just got some wheels from GSR member Pat that were painted a nasty red/orange and am getting ready to strip em down. Any info you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Road_Clam]

I used Dupli Color high temp clearcoat from my local Napa auto store. I was very impressed with the stuff, and where it's a high temp version, Napa assured me there won't be any yellowing. Time will tell. I layed down about 3 coats per the exact instructions. I really wasn't going for the "deep" clear coat look, but simply pretection for my polished and bare metal parts. A lot of my bikes parts that were formerly black, are now bare steel, and aluminum, slightly polished, and clear coated.
Rich

 

[ThunderbirdJunkie]

My 550 had the same fairing on it when I bought it, and now seeing your bike...

I sure am glad I took it off!

Ha, looks great

 

[katanarama]

Well, it's 99.9% finished. I just need to tweak the fit of the vintage fairing just a bit to get the windscreen to look even. The Ford Cobra metallic burgandy paint looks spectacular in the sun. The pics in my basement do absolutely no justice to the vividness of the paint. I think my "old school/new school superbike" theme came out just the way I wanted. What do you guys think?

I like the black end caps. I have decided on a black cam cover & end caps on a silver motor as part of a project bike I hope should be running in the next 2 weeks.

 

[semerm]

1981 gs850gl

1981 gs850gl

Mine is my avitar. After the picture, I put lowers on it as well. Finished after this winter of working on it. It was fun to work on it and now ridden daily. Oh- the paint? rattle can walmart spray paint (no kidding). I put 10 coats of clear and then 5 coats of wax dribbled a little gas and wiped it and it is fine. I painted it in February so it has cured.

 

[Jethro]

Hey Clam, you got any pics of that bike outside in the sun? I'd like to get a look at that paint!

 

[crag antler]

Hey Clam, you got any pics of that bike outside in the sun? I'd like to get a look at that paint!

Sun???
Where the hell is that in New England????

Would like to see some pics though\\/

 

[Road_Clam]

I do have severall nice pics of the bike out in the sun. I sent them to Mark N. for BOM consideration, but he asked for pics "not in FULL sun". I guess the pics dull the bike a bit. I have to take some better "partial sun" pics. I will post up the pics I do have tonight. Still nonetheless, you guys HAVE to see the paint up close in the sun to appreciate it. I've already had tons of people compliment me on the paint scheme.