Greetings. At the beginning of this story I own and love an 82 Suzuki GS1100 and the wife owns an 81 Kawasaki KZ440.
The GS1100 runs great and is my main vehicle. I love it. The wife's bike is a complete waste of metal. Every time I manage to fix something on the bike something else breaks. I won't go into that since this is not the story of the KZ440 but of the acquisition of its replacement.
I have a friend who has managed to acquire an 01 GS500 for cheap. It runs but needs some work including tires, sprockets, chain, etc. He knows the love I have for my GS1100 and thought I'd be the guy to sale this to. I call the tag/title office with the VIN and ask if a title can be acquired for the bike and what steps will need to be taken before I offer my friend $500. All that is needed is a title bond, and a form filled out by the local police department saying it isn't stolen. I pay my friend with the agreement that if it is stolen I will get my money back. (I work with him and trust him not to screw me.)
I drive the bike home. I discover after it gets hot it literally pours oil from the stator/generator cover. Over the next few weeks I buy a title bond ($100), take a vacation day at work so I can go to the police station on the 4 hour window a week that they are willing to say vehicles aren't stolen and fill out the paperwork. Everything is going well and all my paperwork is done that the tag office needs. I go ahead and take the rims off and to a mechanic for some new tires. I order the chain and sprockets as well. I'm about $900 - $1000 in at this point. I am super pleased to have my wife such a nice bike for such an affordable price.
It's Friday morning. I let work know I was going to be running a little late so that I could complete the title process at the tag/title office. I'm first inline as they open right at 8:00. The day is definitely going my way. I hand the customer service agent my paperwork. She alerts me to the error on the police form (the police officer skipped five digits in the middle of the VIN). I scribble them in and hand it back to her. She then points to the small text at the bottom of the document that says any alterations on this form at all void it and will not be accepted. Remember that my rims are at the mechanics and I have parts on the way. So I will need to wait until they come back and take yet another vacation day to get the police to feel the paperwork out a second time.
During the downtime of our transaction I listen to a neighboring customer service agent tell the customer the taxes that where due on his vehicle. They were rather high because it hadn't been paid for several years by the previous owner. Me being concerned I didn't bring enough cash, the only acceptable form of currency at the tag office, I ask once I have that paperwork done what would I owe to get the title and tag. She starts running the numbers and runs into a problem. After she has a conversation out of earshot with her manager she informs me that my bike is not eligible for a tag. Through further inquiries I found out that my bike is a parts only bike.
If I had known the bike was parts only, I would have just parted it out and made my $500 back. But based on the tag office's statement on what was required to get my VIN a title met I purchased $400 in parts and a $100 title bond. I'm now out this money. Sure I can return some of it, but not the tires which are the largest portion of those parts. After doing some research I found my only solution is to by another frame with title and move all the parts over. I called the title bond place hoping to get a partial refund and they obliged me. After discussing with the wife everything that had happened we decided to try and get a frame. That's when I became a member on this site and met Steezin_and_wheezin. Steezin just happened to have a frame and title that would work with my bike. Affordable too, except shipping. The frame, title, and few other parts and shipping cost a cool $550. But I'm going to have a blast moving the parts over. It'll be a great learning experience I tell myself to distract me from realizing I have spent enough money now that I could have bought an 01 GS500 with title by now.
I patiently wait for Steezin to finish parting out the rest of the bike to get me my frame. This was good, because I had to wait to raise the money anyway. About a month later I receive the ugliest package I've ever seen. It's the frame, it made it one piece. :) I'm super excited and can't wait to get started. My excitement is short lived because it takes me almost a month to even go to the tag office to get the title transferred. Again I call my office to let them know I'm going to be running a little late. I go to the tag office and again am first in line. They didn't open on time today though. At 8:10 they finally open the doors and let the customers in. I go happily to the agent and give her my paperwork to move the title to my name. She types away and after a few minutes lets me know there is an issue. My computer says the VIN is invalid.
"WHAT? You better try again." I exclaim.
"I've already tried three times sir." she calmly states.
"Oh. Sorry."
After a short discussion I find that there is a chance I will have to send the title and frame back to Steezin to correct. Keep in mind shipping was most of the cost our transaction. I only have to send it all back to him if the error in the VIN is in the last 7 digits. If it is ahead of those digits I can just take to my local police precinct for a VIN verification. Turns out a VIN verification is the same form as the "I'm not stolen" form.
I have to take a vacation day to do this again. Though, this time I can't drive the bike there because bare frames don't drive so well. I don't have a truck either. Turns out I have a new neighbor that happens to be a police officer. I was told that if I knew an officer they might be willing to do it at the house. I go introduce myself to the guy (he never comes outside so we haven't met yet). I offer him $20 to come verify my VIN. He tells me the money isn't needed and he will send someone the next day to do it for me. I thank him and leave. An hour later a cop shows up at my door to verify. I show him the bike and hand him the form to fill out. He finishes up, there wasn't a single problem. I'm excited I didn't get ripped off by Steezin and show the officer the door. I go to the tag office the next day to realize while I'm waiting for them to open that this officer corrected the form in not only one place but three different places all relating to addresses and phone numbers. I know there is no way they will take it and head off to work disappointed.
Not willing to harass my neighbor again I wait until Christmas holidays to take it back to the police station so my friend with a truck doesn't have to take a day off (he doesn't let others drive his truck). I told him it would only take a half an hour or so since I know it isn't stolen already. The officer at the precinct is on the ball and meets us at the curb for the verification. He proceeds to call in and find out the frame is indeed stolen. I'm now concerned I'm going to be arrested along with my friend for receiving/being in possession of stolen property. The officer says not to worry yet that they have to confirm the VIN with a different computer to double check. Apparently the computers make a lot of mistakes. It comes back as stolen from the second source as well. The officer also runs the original VIN on the title (the wrong one) and it comes back as stolen as well. By this time the officer has told me not to leave while he goes to help others. It's been about two hours now.
He comes back to me and says that the detective will want to talk to me so I should not leave. But not to worry that I won't be arrested since I clearly didn't know it wasn't stolen. He also tells me that a verification has never taken this long before and he wants to triple check some things and heads inside the precinct. Half an hour or so later he returns and lets me know that my frame isn't stolen. I can't express how relieved I am.
The officer called the reporting agency that entered the information in the computer. Turns out their system had glitched and was reporting several VINS as stolen when only one was. My frame was one digit off from the stolen bike. He fills out the paperwork and gives me the reporting agency info incase this ever comes up again.
Needing closure I immediately go to the title office and get a new title. Finally! I have a legit frame and title to start moving parts too. Steezin having heard of my troubles offers a partial refund for my troubles. I gladly accept.
And this is where the build part of this thread comes. I'm going to have a lot of questions and a lot of pictures. Be sure to subscribe so you can keep me updated. I haven't done anything beyond replace the sprockets, tires, and removed the stator cover to replace the gasket.
Removing the gasket on the stator cover was no easy feat. It took roughly 10 minutes each weekday for three weeks to get that old gasket off using a gasket remover solvent. The previous owner had used some kind of sealant that made it more difficult than normal to remove. I've tried to put it back but broke three bolts tightening them to the correct torque. (I thought the torque was 12-15ft lbs). I've gotten all of the broken bolts out and purchased 10 new bolts for the entire case stator cover.
What torque should these be tightened too?
A great story, leading to the BIG QUESTION!
What torque should it be!
Lmfao, glad you got it all sorted out, and glad steezen was a stand up guy who offered you a partial refund. Welcome to the looney bin! :thumb:
Newb question, not selling my GS500 ever.. as it has given me so many problems, once I fix them, won't be worth selling it. cause I know I won't get any money I invested into it back. there for.. my question to you xunedeinz Is the GS1100 easy to ride if lets say you go from the GS500 to the GS1100, I really LOVE the look of this bike.. and had considered buying one after a year or so of being on my GS500. So would you say it's okay to jump 600cc's? :D or is the bike to big, I want an honest answer.
Good story, I'd recommend 10ft lbs on the bolts. That's what all of the bolts in my yz426 motor are and they hold.
What a great intro to a build! (nominated!)
"He proceeds to call in and find out the frame is indeed stolen." -i almost fell out of my chair!
One thing though: "It took roughly 10 minutes each weekday for three weeks to get that old gasket off using a gasket remover solvent." If this is going to be the pace, you're going to make even cosmiccharlie's project look like a speed of light build! :icon_razz: (no offense sir)
I hope you follow through and make good progress. This is the best place for anything GS! Great story again and can't wait to see some pics! Welcome!!
I would say at this point you are committed to taking this through to the bitter end. Good luck, and I'll be watching with the rest of us.
Quote from: J_Walker on January 30, 2012, 02:32:37 PM
Newb question, not selling my GS500 ever.. as it has given me so many problems, once I fix them, won't be worth selling it. cause I know I won't get any money I invested into it back. there for.. my question to you xunedeinz Is the GS1100 easy to ride if lets say you go from the GS500 to the GS1100, I really LOVE the look of this bike.. and had considered buying one after a year or so of being on my GS500. So would you say it's okay to jump 600cc's? :D or is the bike to big, I want an honest answer.
No clue, only bike i've ever had or even ridden is my 500.
Quote from: J_Walker on January 30, 2012, 02:32:37 PM.. my question to you xunedeinz Is the GS1100 easy to ride if lets say you go from the GS500 to the GS1100, I really LOVE the look of this bike.. and had considered buying one after a year or so of being on my GS500. So would you say it's okay to jump 600cc's? :D or is the bike to big, I want an honest answer.
You should ask Verboseone.
I think it would depend on your size. Riding a GS1100 isn't going to be the same challenge riding a gsxr1000 is. Your biggest hurdle is that the GS1100 is almost 600lbs wet. The 'big bike' challenges you'll run into on the GS are weight and size, not unrealistic HP.
The GS1100 (82) is a completely different feel then the GS500 (01). Granted, I haven't driven it with good tires, chain and sprockets yet.
Does everyone agree with the 10 lbs/ft torque mentioned above?
I've taken a few snap shots for you all to get the build part of this thread started.
This is shortly after I took the bad tires, sprockets and chains off.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7028/6795353093_725cd18db5_z.jpg)
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6795353295_f39cbe693a_z.jpg)
The new frame from Steezin.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6795353607_0843183d03_z.jpg)
I had what will probably become a brother in law over at my house during the holidays. He was bored and really wanted to tinker with the bike. What the hell, we decided to start some work. By this time the stator cover was already removed and had the gasket removed. We started with the gas tank. I noticed the shut off valve was in a funny place and couldn't pull the hose off the bottom of it. So we decided to pull the tank and just stop up those two holes. The tank pulled clear of all the pipe. It was suppose to have two still on it so I could stop them up with a screw. Gas is pouring everywhere.. (Of course I had filled the tank completely up before parking it.)
We run from one container to the next trying to find something that will hold the gas. I have a 1 gallon gas jug that is empty. It fills up rather quickly. We move to a metal bucket I use for garbage. Someone has to hold the tank, it won't sit on the bucket without wanting to slip. We move to my GS1100. The gas just isn't draining fast enough. I would have had to stand there for what seemed an hour. Hoping that we had manage to drop enough gas by now we turn it on its side hoping the gas level is low enough that it would not come to the gas cap hole or the exit on the bottom of the tank. When we turn it over, I turn red. There is a second shut off valve right underneath the tank. We ran around like idiots for 30 minutes and there was an easy solution the entire time.
We move to putting the stator cover back on. I've got a PDF shop manual for the bike. It is over 450 pages long. We look through it and find 8mm crank case bolt should be torqued to 12-16 ft/lbs. We tighten them slowly all the way around. Pop, a bolt breaks. Damn it, we already had three to torque too. I back all the bolts back out. There is just enough head on the broken bolt to pull it out with vise grips. It came easily. We put everything back and start tightening the bolts like you would on a car rim. Pop, another bolt breaks.
Well crap, I wasn't even near torque specs this time. We decide the bolts have been weakened by the previous owner over tightening them to try and stop the huge oil leak we are currently fixing. I decide to move on and tighten the rest of the bolts. Pop, a third bold breaks.
This isn't going to well. I decide to leave it be and go clean up. I have ordered 10 new bolts to replace every last one of them. But have since mentioned it to a fellow tinkerer at work. He says I torque the bolts to the wrong spec. We look through the manual but it never specifically mentions stator/generator cover torque settings. He tells me the crankcase 8mm was the incorrect torque. This is where I sit now. Waiting to figure out the torque. Here's a picture of how she currently stands.
I've got the stator cover off and gas tank off, waiting to start the move until I put the cover back on. Still waiting on torque specs.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7175/6795353461_0906ca8ac8_z.jpg)
Since this gasket has been over compressed, should I buy a new one considering this is a prone area for leakage? The gasket also got a little wrinkled. I had it in between two rags on the work bench. The closet rag was used to wipe off some dust, turns out the gasket was still in it. As far as I can tell the gasket looks fine and has flattened back out rather nicely.
I have put both sprockets back. So I am making some progress.
Quote
Your biggest hurdle is that the GS1100 is almost 600lbs wet. The 'big bike' challenges you'll run into on the GS are weight and size, not unrealistic HP.
Yep, the 1100 is a heavy pig. On straight roads it was great, cornering is not it's forte. Loved the motor though, very linear power delivery and tons of torque low down. :thumb:
Old scanned pic of mine from early 90's......
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a203/jelling/img005.jpg)
Moral of the title story - QUADRUPLE check your title every time, all the time!! Those fat DMV fingers click wrong buttons daily. I just bought a SUV, and she had not only made 1, but 2 mistakes on my title!! This time I was watching and made her fix it before i stepped out of the line.
Quote from: cbrfxr67 on January 30, 2012, 02:59:35 PM"He proceeds to call in and find out the frame is indeed stolen." -i almost fell out of my chair!
You and Me both brother!!!! hahah my heart was Pounding!
Broken bolts are a pain! I'll be following this build til she's up and running for sure.
Glad the project's wheel is moving again. I'm still kicking myself for not having all my I's dotted and T's crossed..
This is great! I'm liking the 'story build' approach! One (not so) wise gentleman once told me torque values are just so you don't put too much a** on the bolt. Three bolts broke? Never had anything like that happen. Well you have new ones on the way so hopefully that works out and you can move on.
Really looking forward to reading more,........ :star: :star: :star:
Great write up, I am glad things are starting to come together.
Remember that the side covers of the engine are not a stressed part of the bike. They are there only to compress the gasket enough to create an oil seal and do not need to be cranked down. Not to raise the dander of the torque police, but I have changed this same gasket on mine while replacing the stator, and did not use a torque wrench. These are long, thin, weak bolts that will snap easily (don't ask how I know), just snug them down, give an extra quarter turn and back away.
As for bigger bikes, a couple of summers ago I got a chance to ride my cousins Triumph Rocket III. This is a 2.3 liter triple engine in a 750+ lb bike. I was scared to death looking at the size of the tank and creeping down his gravel drive. Once out on the road, my entire perception changed. The bike was, dare I say it, nimble! It felt light and responsive, but smooth and planted at the same time. By no means "flickable", but no where near cumbersome either. I think the moral of the story is that more of a bikes feel is in it's design and geometry than the size, power, or weight.
I should be working on a rental that is currently unoccupied and in needs of renovation. But to be honest, I've been working on that rental every weekend for two months. I'm bored with it. Time to actually make some progress on the bike. What I call progress any.
I decided after doing a quick cleaning in the garage that I clearly needed some music Ahh, that's better. Bon Jovi, JCM, and Bryan Adams will clearly get me moving on the bike. Now that the ambience is taken care of lets get to work.
On my agenda today. Make it look like I'm making progress so the wife will stop harassing me. This is her bike after all. I clearly need to put the side of stator cover back on. Of course I've done this before and met with disaster. Maybe today will go better. Lets do it right today. Let me soak the gasket in some oil for about an hour to soften her up a bit. (She was on it when I over torqued those bolts. I'm hoping that won't matter if I take the time to soak it the oil.).
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7017/6824539671_1a3ba7f973_z.jpg)
Well damn, garage is already straightened up. What should I do why I wait for that to setup? I can't go in for I surely wouldn't continue any work. I look over the bike trying to decide what to work on while I wait. I examine the exhaust, but decide the bike is actually being held up via the exhaust so that won't work. I examine the rear swing arm. Nah, I'd rather not work with the brake lines yet. What about this front fork? Yeah, that'll be a good item to get out of the way.
Damn that's a lot of wires and hoses coming off the front. Is that two throttle cables? I'm so confused. Why the heck do I have two? My gs1100 only has one throttle cable. Come to think of it, it only has one gas line and the gs500 has two. I'm still not sure why. Because I'm not the quickest in getting things done I decide to start labeling things I believe will confused me later on.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6824540619_23f78edd99_z.jpg)
The throttle cable on the front came off easy, the one in the back took about five minutes to finally get it to slide off. I'm not in a hurry though so I'm still at peace. Alright throttle cables and choke have been disconnected. I remove the shifter cable too. Instead of disconnecting it like a sane person, I just remove the entire plate it was connected too so I wouldn't have to readjust it. Hrmm.. This large plate/cover won't fit through all the holes. Hell, I'll disconnect it from the clutch lever. Check!! Something else removed. Now the gas tank and the front sprocket cover have been removed. Now that's progress!
Lets see here.. There sure are a lot of wires going to that headlight.. Lets take a look. This seems pretty normal. I start disconnecting everything when I find a wire that just doesn't fit in. Nor does it have a disconnect.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7006/6824541671_341002981e_z.jpg)
Is that a cord from a light fixture in the house? Where does it go?
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7027/6824542643_e43103cba4_z.jpg)
This is underneath the rear fairing. That's no help. But hey.. the bike ran. I won't worry with this for now. Let's see how they attached it, the back looks butt-connected with shrink-wrap-tube. (Though I only see one terminated, I didn't bother to undo the electrical here and see the other wire since I'm not ready to repair it.)
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6824763533_794cf3c078_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6824763533/)
jerryrig (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6824763533/), on Flickr
My God... That's not to spec. Let's mark the wires, disconnect, and move on. It's been about an hour I think.. or at least 30. Close enough. I put the gasket on, and You win! the stator cover on.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6824545031_b155a47bd7_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6824545031/)
DSCF2403 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6824545031/) on Flickr
Torqued the bolts to 7 or 8 lbs. Looks good to me. Nice shiny bolts. I wish the cover was prettier. O-well.
I've got the front fork wire/cables all disconnect. Not sure what to do now to actually remove the fork. I'll look that up.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7175/6824546459_197beee34e_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6824546459/)
DSCF2404 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6824546459/) on Flickr
I also touched up the areas I primed on the new frame. There was a few spots that had rust or been rubbed raw. I used Rustoleum rust to primer and then Rustoleum flat black paint.
NOTE: The bike in the background is not an 850, I just have 850 side covers on it so I can smote the competition with my quickness. It's really the GS1100 I've mentioned before. It only has 850 covers because the mechanic I took it to broke my 1100 covers and couldn't move the digits over because there is blue paint under the 850 and the 1100 wouldn't cover it up.
Just put it on the center stand, block the bottom of the bike, remove the front tire, undo the 2 top and 2 bottom triple bolts, and slide them on out!
It's probably going to be easier to take the engine out of the frame before you do the front forks.
Quote from: bombsquad83 on February 05, 2012, 05:59:22 PM
It's probably going to be easier to take the engine out of the frame before you do the front forks.
I believe you are right sir. I've begun to take the wiring harness bits off to ready the engine for pulling. I'm pretty sure I have it loose from everything but the actual bolts. Carbs, air box, rear fender are all removed. Exhaust has been removed. I've actually started putting a few pieces on the new frame. I wait now though, because the supports for the rear fender needed to be primed and painted. Hopefully that will happen this week and I'll move forward this weekend.
I removed the parking decal that ruined the seals on the left front fork. There is a device on the left hand side of the bike bolted to the battery box. The top screw seems stuck. I may be drilling it out. I also discovered the exhaust is missing one bolt. Looks like the engine casing is actually missing a small chunk where the bolt should screw in.
Turns out the frame I bought was a little damaged. Where the rear supports bolt on to the very back is bent. They are both bent the same so I had no idea. Though it was a simple fix with some pliers.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6832149713_cc9623d37b_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6832149713/)
DSCF2415 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6832149713/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
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DSCF2444 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6832138169/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6832137147_c025c1aef7_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6832137147/)
DSCF2443 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6832137147/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6832136591_fe67793a21_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6832136591/)
DSCF2442 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6832136591/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7008/6832135715_4284e38d87_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6832135715/)
DSCF2439 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6832135715/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6832207913_1317e01b80_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6832207913/)
DSCF2438 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6832207913/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
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DSCF2432 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6832133415/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
Half of the lamp cord is unused on the other end. The one that is used continues on to a yellow cable. So there must have been an issue with that cable at some point. I'll think about fixing this when I have the wiring harness remove. Depends on if the wires are taped inside that tubing or not.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6832131525_d82b670041_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6832131525/)
DSCF2416 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6832131525/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6832132519_f0eb53095a_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6832132519/)
DSCF2417 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6832132519/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
I want to paint my exhaust pipes black. There is a large area where oil dripped on them. Any suggestions or helpful links?
I do know that I need to use a high temp paint.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7017/6832228537_2e087aa056_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6832228537/)
DSCF2412 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6832228537/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
Or maybe I should just wrap them. The wife would want black wrap, any suggestions on brand or technique?
I know from experience that BBQ grill paint will work for about 20k miles and 3 years. Some people use stove polish, which does not require removing the exhaust for touch-up or reapplication.
nice! definitely making some progress :thumb:
i vote this to be moved into our project/builds section!!
I've got someone coming over Saturday to help me move the engine and forks to the new frame.
When moving the engine on a GS500 is there anything tricky like spacers that fall out and you have no idea where they came from?
I hope not. My engine is sitting out of my frame right now with a pile of motor mounts and spacers next to it. :embarassed:
Things are starting to go a little more smoothly. With the help of a friend we moved the engine, front forks, and rear suspension/brakes over.
I haven't set the torgue on the brake bits yet, but everything else is correctly torqued. The engine looks pretty in the black frame. I need to get a cover for the right side of the engine. I currently have some duck tape to cover a hole. Does anyone have one of these?
I've got a few parts to order bolt wise. I actually think this may be ride able by March.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7045/6876640139_fdb24b8e19.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6876640139/)
DSCF2443 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6876640139/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7065/6876641045_ae0270aec5.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6876641045/)
DSCF2452 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6876641045/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7195/6876640307_b7750953d8.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6876640307/)
DSCF2457 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6876640307/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7189/6876640745_96e58ea9b7.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6876640745/)
DSCF2459 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6876640745/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
What do you do with the grey frame afterwards?
Was going to sale it real cheap like $50. There is no title for it. It can not get a title in the State of Georgia (Parts Only Bike).
excellent progress!!
I torqued the rear brake parts today. I also looked at the wire bypass. Though the two wires it connects are the same color I'm a little confused by it. I'm going to find a schematic and see if I can tell what is going on.
I found a wiring harness diagram: (http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb442/adidasguy/Assorted/th_SCAN0004_smaller.png) (http://s1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb442/adidasguy/Assorted/?action=view¤t=SCAN0004_smaller.png)
It looks like they just bypassed the clutch switch. Is that a switch that usually goes bad? Are they any real draw backs of making this a more permanent bypass?
Drawbacks, yes. It would allow you to start the bike in gear and clutch engaged (if the sidestand is up or had a faulty switch) which may cause injury or damage.
However, mine has been bypassed for the last 19,000 miles and I rather like being able to start the bike with one hand while I hold my helmet in the other. If the shift into neutral doesn't feel quite right, I further confirm it is in neutral or hold the clutch while starting.
Quote from: verboseone on February 14, 2012, 06:35:48 PM
I found a wiring harness diagram: (http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb442/adidasguy/Assorted/th_SCAN0004_smaller.png) (http://s1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb442/adidasguy/Assorted/?action=view¤t=SCAN0004_smaller.png)
It looks like they just bypassed the clutch switch. Is that a switch that usually goes bad? Are they any real draw backs of making this a more permanent bypass?
Ah - you found my photobucket area. You're welcome! (http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb442/adidasguy/Videos/tiphat.gif)
Quote from: adidasguy on February 14, 2012, 09:55:50 PM
Quote from: verboseone on February 14, 2012, 06:35:48 PM
I found a wiring harness diagram: (http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb442/adidasguy/Assorted/th_SCAN0004_smaller.png) (http://s1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb442/adidasguy/Assorted/?action=view¤t=SCAN0004_smaller.png)
It looks like they just bypassed the clutch switch. Is that a switch that usually goes bad? Are they any real draw backs of making this a more permanent bypass?
Ah - you found my photobucket area. You're welcome! (http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb442/adidasguy/Videos/tiphat.gif)
Haha, I found it using google. I guess I'm not really surprised it was someone from this site. :) One applause for you.
Quote from: Paulcet on February 14, 2012, 07:12:15 PM
Drawbacks, yes. It would allow you to start the bike in gear and clutch engaged (if the sidestand is up or had a faulty switch) which may cause injury or damage.
However, mine has been bypassed for the last 19,000 miles and I rather like being able to start the bike with one hand while I hold my helmet in the other. If the shift into neutral doesn't feel quite right, I further confirm it is in neutral or hold the clutch while starting.
Why did you bypass it? I just checked bikebandit and it appears to be a rather cheap switch. Unless of course the problem is in the harness.
I dropped it at a stop sign. :oops: and broke the clutch lever. Then broke the switch when I replaced the lever. (It was before Adidasguy came along with his excellent tutorial about clutch levers.) However, I think I would disable the switch eventually. As I said I like it this way.
My 5 bolts and 1 nut at a $20 cost from bike bandit finally came in. I'm hoping to wrap up the wiring harness and get the headlight back in this week.
bumpdates?
This is one of the best build threads without much building, but funny as hell nun the less. Keep going, me likey
:woohoo:
It has been a while since I updated everybody. I've been real busy with a rental property that was in a rather derelict condition. As if that wasn't bad enough I have also had 4 different sets of family members visiting for entire weekends. I am finally coming to a completion with the rental project and will sit down and get this one moving again. I have progressed with a few things.
I'm pretty sure I already told everyone that the 3' electric lamp plugin cable was used to bypass the clutch switch. I have since tested the clutch switch. This thing only completes the circuit if you pull it halfway and up. No wonder they bypassed it. I still have no idea why they needed to go the length of the bike to complete this bypass. Perhaps they were much to lazy to find this wonderful site's resources.
I have repaired the connections the previous owner used to bypass the clutch switch. Sadly, I was just able to clean the bare wire, and wrap it in electrical tape. I attempted to pull the pins out of the connectors so I could slip on heat shrink tube. I stopped trying just shy of destroying the connector itself. I've pulled his cable out and added my own 5" cable that is easily disabled in the head lamp assembly.
I used a similar method to add my wires. I used a utility knife to cut away at the insulation until I had about 1/4" exposed. I then pushed the new wire through it. This made kind of a weave. I then smoothed the wires and soldiered them in place. (The previous guy just wrapped the new wire around the exposed area and hoped for the best.) And mostly just to one up the guy, I actually managed to pull the pins lose from that connector and slide on heat shrink tube instead of using electrical tape.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7114/6878033560_2c75b72ae7.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6878033560/)
2012-03-13 18.42.41 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6878033560/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
I've connected all the wires under the headlamp back, and bolted the light in.
Once I review my mass of pictures to make sure I put the rest of the wire harness back correctly, this project will get moving fast.
I found a wonderful repair manual supplement someone posted that shows the path the wire harness should take. This has saved me probably a good half hour of going through all my photos.
I begin to attach the wire harness as the directions state. Well damn, some of the wire harness needs to be routed certain ways around the air-box. I should go ahead and install that. Well jolly-green-watermelons, I can't really put the air-box in without the carbs. Let me do that first.
The carb's don't want to go in. Where's the lube?! Alright, all lubed up. The carbs slide in. I mount the air-box. I mount the wire harness. Everything looks good. I was missing what appeared to be a cable holder for the wire harness that attaches to an air-box bolt. I find a suitable replacement around the shop.
PICTURE suitable replacement (Forgot this one, I'll get it later.)
EDIT: Added picture.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7277/7062904445_f018fd0a4b.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/7062904445/)
2012-04-09 19.27.00 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/7062904445/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
Yeah, rubber edges, that will work great. Well the front of the bike is practically done. Oh-wait, the throttle and choke cables still need to be attached to the carbs. I've got to take off the air-box, and carbs to reattach the throttle cables (I remember how hard it was to remove them, without taking the carbs off the first time). I get my cables attached. Put everything back together. There, now the front is practically finished.
Maybe, I should go ahead and get the stuck part attached to the battery box on the old frame. I'll need it shortly to route the wires well. I get my drill and go to work on it. I end up having to hold a screw driver on the other side of the battery box, to keep the pressure from the drill from just bending the box instead of drilling the screw. Finally, I get through. With minimal damage to whatever part this is.
I have already purchased new bolts for this, and the mud flap on the rear swing arm. I take the part to the new frame and go to bolt it on. . . . What's this? The battery compartments are not the same. I go look at the old one, it has a broken bolt in one place, and is rusty as hell.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7100/7050907183_4047335d0a_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/7050907183/)
DSCF246_1-2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/7050907183/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
I figure I might as well make the new one work. I bend the bottom gripper tab down. (It is already down in the photo above.) And begin trying to fit my electronic gizmo to the battery. I don't want to do anything flaky like duct tape. But don't get me wrong, the thought definitely crossed my mind. There is not a good position where I can make two bolt holes. I decide for one, near the top.
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5443/6904817008_d310f00ab3_n.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6904817008/)
DSCF2464 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6904817008/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7121/6904815928_e0c061a43c_n.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6904815928/)
DSCF2465 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6904815928/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7186/6904815530_1970293441_n.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6904815530/)
DSCF2466 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6904815530/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
I clean up the hole, and spray it with some black Rustoleum spray paint to try and prevent it from looking like my old battery tray. I've got a few stainless screws and lock bolts. I'll use one of those. I also have a giant washer, to make up some of the damage I caused to the mounting hole. The washer is to big, and needed to be ground down to fit. Once everything is bolted up the feel is pretty solid. I spray, very badly, paint the bolt and washer on the frame so they don't stick out like a sore thumb. Now they are more or less a sore pinky.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7249/6904816066_d16ea07a1b.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6904816066/)
DSCF2468 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6904816066/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5036/6904816262_913921c6be.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6904816262/)
DSCF2471 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6904816262/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7210/7050906657_9e292a2fed.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/7050906657/)
DSCF2473 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/7050906657/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5341/7050906995_39231d66d6.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/7050906995/)
DSCF2472 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/7050906995/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
Yes, yes.. I know you are jealous of my pink work bench. Get over it and keep reading about this build. I proceed to connect all the hanging bits of the wire harness end. After doing this, I realize it looks like crap, and I undo it all. I go inside to look at pictures of the wire harness and see if the wires at the end were fished under the frame or above. Before I can enter the password in my computer I hear a knock at the door.
It's my friendly neighbor. He wants to chat a while about a recent neighborhood problem. The problem being resolved he goes on chatting about other things that deal with loud cars and motorcycles. I enjoy the company, but am anxious to get this bike going. Deciding it would be rude to go inside look at the pictures and then come back out I move onto other bits of the bike.
I hook the clutch cable and attach the side cover to the engine. Forgetting I haven't done anything with the chain, I actually torque this cover properly. I'll get to undo that later. For now it looks better with it in place. I still have the mud flap on the old frame. I get my neighbor to steady the frame while I drill out the bolt. Everything goes as planned. Now let's move onto the second bolt.
WEEEE! The bolt must have been thinking as it spun freely in the frame. Well, the hammer drill isn't going to do much with this. I spot the grinder I used to flatten the washer. I bet this'll do! I grab the grinder and safety goggles. I loan the goggles to the neighbor. I'm wearing glasses, that'll have to be good enough. I start grinding away. Everything is going good.
Look how pretty it is when it glows red. I think to myself. Oh-snorkle!!! The plastic is melting. The neighbor grabs the mud flap to steady it while I run to the hose and get water. I pour the water over everything making a bit of a mess. It actually manages to boil for a little bit. I figure this flap is ruined. We proceed anyway. This time I take several breaks to cool it down with water. Finally, we get through. The mud flap still looks rather usable. I tell the neighbor that I've definitely taken some years off of it, but it'll still work for now.
Two questions.
The T plug on the bottom of the carbs is gas, and the one above is drainage. Is that correct?
In this photo you can see what is my guess is a drain on the air-box. Should there be a hose or anything here?
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5455/6904815768_792eeb8a2d.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6904815768/)
DSCF2477 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6904815768/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
The bottom T on the carb is gas, and the top T should have a tube that flops over the top of the airbox. This is a breather tube to make sure there is no airlock preventing gas flow. It needs to be routed over and rest behind the airbox to make sure it does get positive pressure through it with the wind.
Managed to get the bike running today!! Started leaking gas. Realized I forgot to tighten the rubbers bits in betweet the carbs and engine. Seems to be running fine now without the leak.
I got the rear fearing on, and wiring harness all in place. I do not have the proper battery, so a bit is out of place. I'll get on that later.
I replaced the two part fuel lines. They are now one hose each instead of two joined hoses. Not sure why it was done this way.
My throttle sticks horribly. I'm not sure what I need to adjust lube. Any help?
I acts like I'm still holding the throttle. There is no pull back.
http://youtu.be/twUBVhH6eW8 (http://youtu.be/twUBVhH6eW8) Video of it running.
Missing picture from before of the wire harness holder.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7277/7062904445_f018fd0a4b.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/7062904445/)
2012-04-09 19.27.00 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/7062904445/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
TODO:
Chain (no idea how) I'll look up some videos.
Fix throttle sticking.
Get proper battery.
Bump?
Any idea on the throttle sticking?
If you move the throttle by hand at the carb with the cable removed does it stick? If so, then the problem is in the carb. If not, then it's the cable or the throttle tube sticking against your bar-end or something.
It does not stick at the carbs. Could I have the cables routed wrong? I came in the first A hole on the same side of the throttle and then over the bar above the engine and down to my carbs.
Quote from: verboseone on April 10, 2012, 10:47:24 AM
I came in the first A hole on the same side of the throttle and then over the bar above the engine and down to my carbs.
I'll leave the bad taste humor to others on this one.
Your bike/carbs are 2001 right? I think I can get the routing diagram from the Suzuki service manual to you later.
Your cable might have some corrosion in it. You could lube it up/break it loose with some WD40 and then get some proper cable lube to keep it that way.
Yes, it is an 01.
I said A hole because it is shaped like an A. Can't believe I missed the possibilities with that one. :o
Here is a diagram from the service manual, but it's for a '95. I doubt that anything changed before '04, because I don't think you have the dual throttle cable.
(http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii224/dtilford/GS500/CableRouting-1.jpg)
I definitely have a dual throttle cable.
Oh...sorry. I thought those came later.
The bike is done!!!
The throttle issue was just a cable to tight at the carbs. Moved the bolt up 1 cm or so, and it works fine now.
I need new mirrors but other than that she's road worthy!
I'll get a tag and some insurance and start driving her to work for a week or two before giving her to the wife.
Thanks for all the input guys/gals!!
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7055/6976393524_4688deb690_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6976393524/)
2012-04-28 17.35.45 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6976393524/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7235/6976393580_2e68d1c287_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6976393580/)
2012-04-28 17.35.35 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53587771@N02/6976393580/) by verboseone (http://www.flickr.com/people/53587771@N02/), on Flickr
Things that still need to be done, but not before I drive her.
Cover for right side of the engine. (There is duct tape keeping crap out of that hole.)
New mirrors. The current ones are bent, and don't stay where you put them.
The forks need new springs.
I also plan to wrap the exhaust pipes with exhaust wrap. (Any suggestions?)
Stick around, and I'll continue to post the things I run into, and do to this bike.
Thanks again Steezin!