1980 GS450 "Sport". The grandaddy to the GS500.....Done!

Started by Big Rich, May 18, 2013, 08:37:22 PM

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peteGS

Neglected? Nah not here Rich! Our 450's rock  :thumb:
'82 GS450E
'84 GSX1100S Katana

jacob92icu

#21
Haha very nice. My first bike was a Yamaha xs 750, i tore it down completely and built a cafe racer. It had clipons but i swapped em out for some club mans. I still had the stock rear sets which i regret, but once i get the engine put back together and start riding it, maybe i will change the pegs. Got any pictures of your 650?
I am into buying bikes that people have given up on and fixing them up!

RIP Patrick Lajko, I miss you man.

Big Rich

#22
All the pics you could want:

http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=18045.780

If you look towards the end of the thread, you can see it's getting rebuilt again. But that's what it looked like last season.
83 GR650 (riding / rolling project)

It's opener there in the wide open air...

jacob92icu

Thats a nice looking cafe. I love the clip ons! and the color is a nice choice too. :thumb:
I am into buying bikes that people have given up on and fixing them up!

RIP Patrick Lajko, I miss you man.

Big Rich

Thanks for the props fellas.

I got the clear coat sprayed and let it cure for a couple days. It still needs wet sanded and buffed, but I put everything back together so I could ride! It's 80+ degrees outside.....



Sometime this week I plan on pulling the exhaust off. The headers and crossover pipe have some rusty spots, so they will get sandblasted and painted black.
83 GR650 (riding / rolling project)

It's opener there in the wide open air...

peteGS

Excellent Rich, she looks good! Did you apologise to her after parking next to the hog trike? Makin' the hog look good...
'82 GS450E
'84 GSX1100S Katana

Big Rich

Ha! Pete, you'd love the owner of that trike if you met him. He's on the verge of retirement and has been riding 50+ years. The first new bike he ever bought himself was a Suzuki T500 2 stroke.

And yes, everybody has busted his chops for getting a trike. He actually had to push his retirement back 6 months to afford it! :)
83 GR650 (riding / rolling project)

It's opener there in the wide open air...

peteGS

Hahaha bet I would too! I gotta confess to having a "thing" for trikes quite some time ago...  :oops:
'82 GS450E
'84 GSX1100S Katana

cbrfxr67

Great job Big Rich!  Where's that damn smiley,.....?

:bowdown:  sub'd!
"Its something you take apart in 2-3 days and takes 10 years to go back together."
-buddha

Big Rich

Thanks CBR!

I pulled the exhaust last night - with any luck I'll get the chance to blast & paint them today.
83 GR650 (riding / rolling project)

It's opener there in the wide open air...

Big Rich

Like I said, sandblasted and painted:



I installed them and began the curing process, but didn't get any pics yet...
83 GR650 (riding / rolling project)

It's opener there in the wide open air...

Big Rich

83 GR650 (riding / rolling project)

It's opener there in the wide open air...

BeerIsSoAwesome

That's a sick little bike, and so obviously the direct ancestor of the GS500. Just look at that timing cover! It looks like a direct bolt-up. I just installed drag bars on my GS500 to replace the stock, which were bent and needed to be replaced anyway. Make sure to put some Stomp Grips or Tech-Spec Snakeskin on the tank cutaways-- absolutely necessary with any low bar setup, They allow you to grip the tank with your knees and take pressure off your wrists, using the bars to steer instead of supporting your body. Definitely makes for a safer and more controlled ride, as well as giving you confidence in the turns.

Is it fun to ride? It looks like a demon. Have fun!

Big Rich

Thanks man! Some tank pads are in the future, but it's part of the process. And yes, it is fun to ride - it is pretty tame compared to my other bike though. Which is a good thing in it's own way. :)
83 GR650 (riding / rolling project)

It's opener there in the wide open air...

Big Rich

Started making an air box to fit the GS500 carbs, and it will use a stock GS500 filter (actually, a K&N drop in filter):



Still needs some work, but it's getting closer.....
83 GR650 (riding / rolling project)

It's opener there in the wide open air...

Slack

It looks really good, but why not just use a lunch box filter ->  Save a bunch of work  ?
Quote from: MeeLee on June 07, 2015, 07:14:25 PM
Be aware, this is not very wise advise!

Big Rich

That's what I'm running right now actually. The biggest reason: the lunchbox filter interferes with the frame when mounted directly to the carbs. So I actually have some rubber tubing (think "house plumbing") to extend the filter back past the wishbone in the frame. Unfortunately, now the filter is between the plastic frame covers and the intake noise is Un-f'n-bearable at speed. Seriously, it's deafening even with ear plugs in after 30 minutes or so.
83 GR650 (riding / rolling project)

It's opener there in the wide open air...

Zithromax

The S model is still my favorite bike of all time. I miss those gear indicators soooo much.

Big Rich

Well Zithro, you're in luck! The 450's bottom end (with connections for the gear indicator) bolts into a GS500 frame. That is a pretty big project just to figure out what gear you're in though.....

I'm proud to say that I have the air box installed and running properly. HUGE difference as far as noise levels go, which was my biggest concern. Right now I have the stock 37.5 pilots in, 2 shims under the needle, 127.5 mains, and the mixture screw is at 2.5 or 3 turns out (can't recall exactly). I'd like to get some larger pilots and mains just to try them out, but that can wait til later.

83 GR650 (riding / rolling project)

It's opener there in the wide open air...

peteGS

Good work Rich  :thumb:

While I know you have the 500 carbs on there, I reckon you're not going to need to touch your pilot. I tried that with mine and just rich rich rich... a turn or two on the mixture screws, needles raised one notch, and 145 mains and I'm a happy chappy  :thumb:
'82 GS450E
'84 GSX1100S Katana

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