Intro Thread

[scgstuff]

I did not see an intro area here, so I am assuming the general area is the best place to post an intro.   

My name is Shawn and I live in the central Texas area.  I currently have a 2004 Triumph Speed Triple SE (street bike) and a 2002 Suzuki GSX-R600 (track bike). I have been looking for a Ninja 250 or something like as a project to rebuild with my son who just turned 12.  Well, I got a great deal on a 1990 GS500E yesterday, so he is now the proud owner of his first motorcycle.  It needs a lot of work (which is what I was hoping for, not much of a project if all you need to do is add gas...) and we can't wait to tackle it together.  I will probably be lurking for a while reading about everything and then asking some stupid questions.  Please bear with me....

We got it to turn into a track bike so sometime in the future he can come out to the track with me.  I started reading some in the track section, but if anyone has any recommendations, I am all ears (or, well, I guess eyes in this case...)  We hope to start stripping it down this weekend and will document everything along the way.  I will occasionally try to post pics and status updates while we are doing it.

Here is the bike after it was loaded in the truck yesterday.....

[MXFun86]

Yep, looks like a truckload of dump.  My dad did the same thing with an '84 Mustang with me.  Best thing that ever happened to me!  And believe me, if you've got a truckload of dump, he had a shipping yard full of runny nasty dump!  Atleast the bike has tons of potential!  We had to buy a whole 'nother car to get some potential!  Lol

[dauphinc]

Welcome!
Is that a pile of puked out wires I see coming out from behind the forks? What other issues does it have that you can tell of so far?

[scgstuff]

Haven't started undressing her yet....

So far, I know he "stole" the headlight and the muffler for another bike.  I was assuming the headlight bevel was used to hold all the wires, which is why they were all just hanging around.  I will be removing all lights anyway, as it is to be a track bike, so was not worried about that.  I just need to find a way to make a fairing of some sort to cover it up and divert some wind blast on the track.  I know it is missing the clutch lever, the headers are in my garage, but the exhaust pipe has been removed, the gas cap has been removed (wanted a non-locking cap anyway) the tank is a bit dirty inside, so not sure how well that will clean up, on the right side engine cover, there is a hole.  I am not sure is this was an oil sight glass or something else was there.  I just glanced at Bike Bandit and I guess it is a "Cluth Rele", whatever that is, if I am looking at the right view.   

Should be fun.   

[centuryghost]

Haven't started undressing her yet....

on the right side engine cover, there is a hole.  I am not sure is this was an oil sight glass or something else was there.  I just glanced at Bike Bandit and I guess it is a "Cluth Rele", whatever that is, if I am looking at the right view.   

Should be fun.   

The hole usually has a suzuki badge over it to cover it. Good luck!

[scgstuff]

Haven't started undressing her yet....

on the right side engine cover, there is a hole.  I am not sure is this was an oil sight glass or something else was there.  I just glanced at Bike Bandit and I guess it is a "Cluth Rele", whatever that is, if I am looking at the right view.   

Should be fun.   

The hole usually has a suzuki badge over it to cover it. Good luck!

Ahh...if it is no big deal, I will get a bandaid to put there....   

[O.C.D.]

Who cares what it looks like, the kid is 12.  Not like he is going to be riding it anytime too soon.

Great find.  I would take that project on!!!

[MXFun86]

There are a few different fairing kits out there for the GS's but the most common/cheapest are some stock F fairings.  Blank out the light and be done with it.  Or just build ur own KTM RC8 style ones.  All you need is enough flat sheet metal to make it look like a plane wreck and ppl will think its factory KTM.  Does it still have the ignition on it?  Seems like alot of wire for a headlight.  As for the muffler, you didn't want that junk anyways.  It's heavy and crappy in every way.  And not in the "pile of junk that makes ppl smile cause it could be something someday" but more the "35lb chrome paper weight that make your bike lean funny and right side heavy while making you sound like you're riding a 500cc vibrator" kind of way.

[centuryghost]

[/quote]

Ahh...if it is no big deal, I will get a bandaid to put there....   


[/quote]

Yeah, just keep moisture and dirt out of there 

[MXFun86]

Haven't started undressing her yet....

on the right side engine cover, there is a hole.  I am not sure is this was an oil sight glass or something else was there.  I just glanced at Bike Bandit and I guess it is a "Cluth Rele", whatever that is, if I am looking at the right view.   

Should be fun.   

The hole usually has a suzuki badge over it to cover it. Good luck!

Ahh...if it is no big deal, I will get a bandaid to put there....   

Take a picture of what exactly your talking about.  I've got a spare side cover for the right side.  Its all scratched and I want a pretty one.  If I have what you need, you can have it for the cost of postage.

[BaltimoreGS]

Seems like alot of wire for a headlight.

The naked bikes have all the main harness connectors stored in the headlight bezel.

-Jessie

[dauphinc]

That bike wasn't left out in the rain for long was it? 

[MXFun86]

Hey shut up!  Thats General Motors After 2 Years Orange!  A stock color on every vehicle... very trendy!

[BaltimoreGS]

That bike wasn't left out in the rain for long was it? 

I think that GS was dredged out of the Chesapeake Bay     You should see the gas tank....

-Jessie

[dauphinc]

haha! the heel guards look good though..rather shiny.

[PachmanP]

Hey welcome!

You'll find lots of help here, and some of folks even know what they're doing!





Ok that may be an exaggeration, but you might be able to fish some useful info out of here...

[scgstuff]

Sorry for the delay,

Here is the picture of the right side case cover.  You can see the hole in the side here.  Is that the place where there was a Suzuki badge?  MXFun, is this the extra side cover you have?

[tt_four]

Yep. that hole just needs covered by the suzuki badge. For how much it really matters you could just cut up a pop can and epoxy it on there. No biggie.

My last bike was a Triumph Speed Four, it was a very funy bike. I think your GS actually looks pretty decent, and it's pretty awesome that you're fixing up the bike with your 12 year old. I got my first bike from my dad when I was 17. I was glad when I got the the part about him taking it to the track, because that would've been torture if it was only going to be a street bike and he had to stare at it for 4 years before he actually got to ride it.

The one thing you'll have to figure out is how to even mount a fairing on there. The GS500F models have a tab on the front of the frame to mount a bracket too. You'll either need to weld something onto the front of the frame and make a bracket, or else I would just find a little windscreen that just mounts onto the forks.

[scgstuff]

He is super pumped up about it.  He has been to the track with me a couple times already to just watch while I was riding, but never spent a whole day there.  Monday is the first trackday this season, and we will be there.  I am corner working and will have him out at the corner with me to watch people's lines, learn about what goes on out there and see that people sometimes fall, but they get up again (usually... ) 

I am glad he is so interested in something that I do so we can share it together.  I have also found a dirtbike school in the area that provides bikes, gear and instruction in the rate, so probably mid - late March, I will look at getting him some class time to start learning the basics while we are getting his bike ready. 

[tt_four]

Not sure if your gsxr has a passenger seat or not, but it might be a good first experience for you to take him on a 2-up track day, on your Triumph if your gsxr doesn't have the second seat, just to give him a feel for what's going on, even get used to riding around other people.

My first bike was a a yamaha xt550 dual sport(I'm only 5'8/145lbs), my dad took my up to my uncles camp where there was wide trails to ride around in the woods, he said "Let this one out while you give gas with this one....", man that was a rough day, haha.  I'll try to be more detailed when I teach my kids someday, or else just get them into a class so I don't have to do it.