New to the board, saying hello and THANKS!

[Nemesis X]

Hello GSers - I've been lurking on here since picking up this '90 a couple years ago.  I finally joined because I really just wanted to give a big "THANK YOU" to all the knowledgeable folks who have contributed to this board.  Pretty much every problem I ever ran into while working on this bike has been discussed on here.  I was also able to make some simple, inexpensive and much needed upgrades (none of which are mentioned anywhere in the Clymer manual - LOL!) because the GREAT people on here took the time to help each other out and post info.
  I originally got this as a beat to death parts bike with 34,400 miles on it (complete with a bent right intake valve, no brakes, rashed plastics/cases, pretzeled swingarm, dented rusty tank, etc. etc.) and a clean title.  From the looks of it, it had gotten t-boned in the rear end (hence the bent swingarm) and flipped all the way over at least once.  I spent the better part of the winter and spring of 2008-2009 rebuilding/restoring or replacing virtually everything on it and I do mean EVERYTHING!  There is not a single part, wire or system on the entire bike that I did not lay my hands on and I did absolutely all the work myself, including the body/paint.  It would certainly have been a WHOLE lot easier to buy one in better condition, but I am a cheap, stubborn bastard, I like working on "projects" (also known as bringing old junk that nobody wants back from the dead) and I learned few things along the way.
  With LOTS of patient scrounging in boneyards and on Craig's/eBay, I'm right at $1300 total into it, which includes way too many bits and pieces to list besides a newer engine (only 6K miles).  As I had mentioned earlier, the engine had a bent right intake valve when I took possession.  When the valve bent a chunk of the the valve guide casting broke off and the right cylinder got dinged/scored.  Upon pulling the original engine apart, I discovered that the cam chain tensioner had apparently seized (no "springiness" or movement of any sort; how on earth does that happen? ).  So, at some point, the cam chain jumped time and the piston crown got in a violent disagreement with the intake valve.  I decided that the money spent on machine work, a new head and all the miscellaneous parts necessary would be better spent on a lower mileage mill in good running condition.
  All the body pieces are original to the bike as I got it (nothing replaced except the little plastic "connector" over the tail light, which was missing) and the paint/bodywork took by far the most time to complete, given the amount of damage there was.  The plastics and tank are in Krylon Fusion "Red Pepper" (yep, you can do some decent work with a rattle can, provided you are willing to put in the effort to color sand and what the paint sits on top of is straight) with three coats of Western Automotive clear shot over the top.  The frame and swingarm are in Krylon Chrome Aluminum and all the black parts are in Krylon Hardhat Gloss Black.  So far all the paint is holding up well; shooting a true automotive grade clear coat over the top makes a big difference in the durability.
  I know I spent way too much time and effort on a bike that was in this bad of shape to start out with, but it has been a fun, reliable, and economical commuter this past summer and fall.  All the work really seems to pay off when it gets a compliment now and then.    Again, thank you to everyone who has contributed!

[Caffeine]

 Talk about DEDICATION!  Nice work! 

[tt_four]

The bike looks great! Nothing wrong with picking up a cheap bike as a project. There's a wrecked 92 gsxr750 on craigslist right now for $750. I'm thinking of making a similar long term cheap project out of it.

[tucsondude]

great job, wish i had that kind of patience and time. I have to keep in on the road while i go to school, ha. looks super clean, I should follow and stop rigging stuff.

[The Buddha]

Well I'd say he learned something ... these are the things he's learned ...

Its cheaper to buy complete and running.
Its a lot of freaking work and bloody expensive.
Its still an old bike.
All the knowledge aint worth crap cos he's gonna upgrade next year.

I dunno, I am stuck in the same crapola situation with a GR and an XS.

Cool.
Buddha.

[Nemesis X]

Well I'd say he learned something ... these are the things he's learned ...

Its cheaper to buy complete and running.
Its a lot of freaking work and bloody expensive.
Its still an old bike.
All the knowledge aint worth crap cos he's gonna upgrade next year.

I dunno, I am stuck in the same crapola situation with a GR and an XS.

Cool.
Buddha.

Buddha - I am honored that you responded to my initial post!  I agree heartily with your first three points, but not the last.  I already have an '04 FZ1, so I am not in "need of" an upgrade next year and ANYTHING you learn is valuable!   I've worked in the field of healthcare for the past 17 years and see dying and death on, literally, a daily basis.  There is very little I can do for most of my patients and it is humbling, frustrating and depressing.   Hunting down parts for and restoring old things is both therapeutic AND educational for me. 
  Here are a couple of other old bikes I have restored over the last few years.  The old Honda is a 1965 C200.  I still own it and occasionally ride it to work.  I get lots more comments about it than any other bike I've ever owned, and that's more than a few.  I don't think I could possibly get more attention if I rode a pink elephant down the street!  Even Harley guys ask me about it and give me the "thumbs up" at lights.  It's a dinky bike with a whole 5 hp and a top speed of 45 mph.  Those leading link front boingers and tiny drum brakes make for some "interesting" riding. 
  The other bike is a 1985 VFR 500R that was too good a deal to pass up and I turned it for a quick profit.  The "after" pic shows the bike on the day I was going to reupholster the seat. 

[The Buddha]

Honored .. that's the last thing you should be ... I post for everything ...

Usually if there is an opportunity to make fun of something I never pass it up ...

You're now like me ... knowledge for knowledge sake ... and you dont even do motorcycles professionally. Hey there is another doctor in my local circle of friends who has a powdercoating business on the side and about a dozen bikes and he'd tell you about metals and alloys and what not till you're blue in the face. I also know another doctor who's into old ass KZ1000/900 Z-1 whatever they are ... and both of them are gynacologists. So something about that drives them coo koo ...

Cool.
Buddha.