What else for GS1100......

[wayback]

Here's the bike I found --- 1983 GS1100G with 17K miles. Been in dry storage since 1988. A little dusty but cosmetically good. Only preparation for storage was to drain gas tank and carbs. I have two questions about buying this bike.
One -- other than the usual -- clean tank and carbs, replace all fluids, free up brakes, replace tires, new battery, etc., are there any particular things I should plan on doing (or look for) to get this thing road ready again after 21 years in a shed?
Two -- what's a fair price to offer the owner for it ? I'm looking at a bunch of replacements and lots of work, so I don't want to pay what it's worth in road ready condition.
Bike is in New England and condition is about very good I would say. Clean, wheels and cases dusty but no corrosion problems, seat Ok, paint has a couple very small and minor scratches, everything worked when put in storage.

 

[rustybronco]

Repack and adjust the steering stem head bearings.
check and lube the rear wheel splines.
renew the air filter foam and the air box side seals.
check the charging system voltage.

I suggest starting at the front tire and ending at the rear tyre. checking all items in between.

the price will depend on condition and the area it is located in.
do you have any pictures of it?

 

[Steve]

... what's a fair price to offer the owner for it ? I'm looking at a bunch of replacements and lots of work, so I don't want to pay what it's worth in road ready condition.
...everything worked when put in storage.

Fair price in running condition runs around one dollar per cc. A bike in non-running condition can go for about half that, depending on condition. There are factors that can raise or lower the price, like collectibility of certain years or models, but I don't feel that this bike falls into those categories.

By the way, that "everything worked..." line is a classic. Too many times a newbie buyer will hear that and expect to put gas in it and ride. It appears that you do realize that you will have to put several hundred dollars and many hours into getting it road-ready, and have not fallen for that line.

.

 

[Nessism]

The $1/cc rule that is common around here applies for bikes with average mileage and cosmetic condition. A relatively low mileage bike that is in very good cosmetic condition can easily double that amount…and would be worth every penny if you value a clean bike.

As for putting the bike back on the road, there are a lot of things that “should” be tended to including:

- Full carburetor teardown, soak in carb dip, and replacing all the O-rings with a kit from cycleorings.com
- Replace the intake boot O-rings
- Replace air filter and repair airbox foam
- Full brake system teardown, replace brake lines and any other parts that are corroded
- New tires
- Valve adjustment
- Check charging system and run dedicated ground from R/R to battery
- Clean all electrical connectors using Deoxit contact cleaner
- Lubricate swingarm and steering head bearings
- Lubricate shaft drive splines
- Replace oil in engine, secondary gear set, and rear end
- Replace all cables
- Replace spark plugs

These are just a few things off the top of my head. Many people just do the bare minimum and then they find themselves doing repairs. My suggestion is to do all the maintenance work up front right after purchase so you can enjoy your bike without dealing with problems.

 

[twr1776]

Today, 09:12 AM Nessism
- Full carburetor teardown, soak in carb dip, and replacing all the O-rings with a kit from cycleorings.com
- Replace the intake boot O-rings
- Replace air filter and repair airbox foam
- Full brake system teardown, replace brake lines and any other parts that are corroded
- New tires
- Valve adjustment
- Check charging system and run dedicated ground from R/R to battery
- Clean all electrical connectors using Deoxit contact cleaner
- Lubricate swingarm and steering head bearings
- Lubricate shaft drive splines
- Replace oil in engine, secondary gear set, and rear end
- Replace all cables
- Replace spark plugs

+1 on Ed's list. I would also suggest you clean all the electrical connections and run the additional ground wire before even testing the charging system to avoid any false results or burning something up if you do have some bad connections in the harness. New sidecover rubber grommets are also a good idea, beats scouring e-bay for replacements.