For once I'm doing something on a GS Twin instead of my Katana, so figured I could actually finally start a topical thread on here :icon_mrgreen:
In 1998 I bought this 1982 Suzuki GS450E:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49076396172_3939e33720_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hLHmMA)IMG_0267 (https://flic.kr/p/2hLHmMA) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
That photo was taken when it unfortunately went off the road due to lack of $$, then after a number of years in better circumstances at the end of 2011 after a rebuild it ended up like this:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49076413582_b6d7da18cd_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hLHrXL)2012072614 (https://flic.kr/p/2hLHrXL) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
Since then it's been my daily rider, has given me close to 90,000kms of fun, but has also had some fun of its own with traffic altercations and diesel spills, so it's currently a bit ratty with a dented header and so forth (and a top box for the commute):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49076369442_f478d96b23_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hLHdQJ)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2hLHdQJ) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
This year I completed my 1984 Katana 1100 and have had six months worth of fun on that, with the unfortunate situation that my wrists are feeling incredibly uncomfortable with the motorcross 'bars on the 450, so I'm not riding it as much.
So that brings us to this thread where my plan initially is to fit some clubman 'bars and a set of rearsets to the 450 to get the riding position closer to that of the Kat.
I ordered some clubman 'bars which have arrived, and I got some ZX12 rearsets from a mate that weren't in use (at the right price... breakfast).
I've done a quick mock up of the rearsets, and conveniently at this height they give me exactly the same peg to seat height as the Katana, although I will need to move them forward closer to the swingarm pivot bolt as they're a little too far back.
The plan is to use some 10 - 12mm thick 6061 T6 aluminium to make the brackets that will replace the stock footpeg holders. I'll need to ensure I add washers or a spacer for the swingarm axle and will need to figure out a centre stand bump stop as that hangs of the stock muffler bracket location (you can just see it in the pic).
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49075633493_d3a1a73631_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hLDs4X)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2hLDs4X) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
Here's an exciting photo of the clumans:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49120888166_6e4edd3849_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hQDoGW)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2hQDoGW) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
I started on the clubman install last night and the night before and so far that's proving interesting. I measured my existing controls etc. and figured there would be plenty of real estate on the clubmans but in reality it's a close call! I need to be careful of clearance between the throttle block and brake lever to ensure there's no interference.
I'm also going to have to re-route the throttle and clutch cables to ensure the curves aren't too tight and cause excess friction. I've also taken the headlight and brackets off so I can get the brake hose routed a little better. Ideally I should be replacing the master cylinder with a remote reservoir style and swapping out the brake line for a shorter one, but I have zero budget for this at present.
I haven't taken progress pics yet, hope to do so after I've figured the cable routing issues out, and there's a chance that Sunday this weekend will involve reverting to the motorcross 'bars so I can keep riding while I figure out a solution.
The clubmans are all but installed after last night.
Fiddled with the clutch and choke cables so neither has a tight radius and rerouted the throttle cable around the left of the steering stem. Most definitely going to need different mirrors, don't think the existing ones will work too well at all.
I've replaced the headlight brackets as I'll need to have the headlight lower than the stock position to accomodate the new brake line and throttle cable positions, but I haven't sorted the headlight out just yet.
It's always been a fun little bike to ride but after sitting on it in the garage last night it now feels absolutely tiny!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49141308387_f96f637745_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hSs3VH)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2hSs3VH) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
I'm in for watching this build progress.
I've always appreciated the aesthetics of the GS450E and assume the motor has very similar characteristics to the GS500. It must be a fun bike! Glad to hear you have gotten a lot of use out of it.
Hey Bluesmudge yeah the 450's are great little bikes and while I've not actually ridden a 500 they share so many commonalities they'd have to be fairly similar. In stock guise they definitely sound very similar!
It's certainly a fun bike and has given me many years of joy, especially trying to keep up with my riding buddies on their bigger Katanas and GSX's.
I have 2001 model GS500 camshafts in the top end along with the same model carbs, and they've made some big improvements. The camshafts in particular seem to have given it a bit of a midrange boost which is very handy. It doesn't do much over about 8500 RPM like it used to but that's ok I prefer midrange.
This thread's probably going to evolve quite slowly as I have things to revisit on the Katana that will suck up $$, but there's a bunch I can do that's simply effort which I'll get done as I get time.
Hopefully this morning I'll get a test ride in with the clubmans to ensure it's right for the commute this week, and then hopefully have enough time to rip the footpegs, swingarm axle, and footpeg holders off so I can make the brackets in timber to check linkage lengths etc. I can hopefully pick up some aluminium offcuts this week to start making the end product.
Test ride done and dusted yesterday, had to navigate through some pre-Christmas shopping traffic and even with the stock mirrors it's so much easier to filter!
I definitely need 'bar end mirrors and weights, the vibes aren't great on the hands and the mirrors I have on there are barely useable due to the angle.
I definitely need to sort the rearsets out too as the footpeg position just feels wrong, even with toes on pegs like I normally ride.
Yesterday after that I took the footpegs etc. off and swingarm axle out so I could remove the stock hangers and mock up some timber brackets, will post some pics and details once I know what I'm doing. I can use an existing spare Katana shift linkage I have, but the brake side is a big question at the moment. Going to need a spacer each side for the swingarm axle too as I suspected as well as the drum brake actuator. Those run through the stock footpeg hangers so are too long without those in place.
Finally you made a thread! This is going to be great! Good stuff already sir! :bowdown:
Hahahaha yep figured I'd do something completely different :icon_lol:
I was able to mock up the rearsets with some scrap timber I had around from an old packing crate. On the downside, I put a little pressure on the right one and it snapped... oops! Still useful though.
The excellent news is that my spare shift linkage and rod ends I have are the right length for the gear shift linkage, and the existing shift linkage is the same length as what I need for the brake lever side. Bargain!
I've put the bent brake lever on for reference, it'll get cut down although I may rotate it one spline further down yet to compensate for the fact it won't have 90 degree angles (I hope that makes sense!).
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49158968468_f6d0548a64_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hU1yDS)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2hU1yDS) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49159686072_6365375c6a_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hU5eYm)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2hU5eYm) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
I picked up some 12mm thick 6061 T6 aluminium flat bar so I can get on with making the brackets now.
I also need to make up two 10mm spacers for the swingarm axle.
I've been plugging away at the rearset brackets, slow going cutting 12mm aluminium plate with a hacksaw and stitch drilling the curves but the first bracket is cut out ready to be drilled and have the edges filed smooth. Didn't get a photo yet but will once I've got the second bracket in the same state.
I'm heading down to a mate's place tomorrow to borrow his lathe to make the swingarm axle spacers.
My 'bar end mirrors arrived yesterday, fitted them last night but need to test ride with them yet. So far they look like they'll do the job and are heavier than I anticipated so I'm not sure if I need to figure out 'bar end weights or not yet.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49176820003_d9fdac4f97_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hVA4hX)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2hVA4hX) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
I borrowed my mate's lathe yeserday to make the 10mm spacers for the swingarm.
I've roughly cut the rearset brackets out and have drilled and tapped a hole for an eyelet for the brake lever return spring. Will be heading back down Wednesday night to use his milling machine to clean the brackets up.
So far the weight of the 'bar end mirrors seem to have solved the vibe issue so I'm keen to see how they are on the commute this morning. So far visibility is good.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49186966651_a8c898fd5c_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hWu4xa)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2hWu4xa) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49186966616_10946a4939_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hWu4wy)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2hWu4wy) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
kick a@@ pete
looks familiar.
BTW I was using half as thick aluminum, but cut it with a jigsaw. As long as I kept the blade lubricated it went pretty ok. But it was not a pleasant experience. I can't imagine doing it with a hand saw.
Cheers CBR!!
Yep mr72 the hacksaw ain't the easiest thing... I have a jigsaw but most of this I'm doing at night and making a lot of noise isn't an option, so hand tools all the way. The drill press isn't too noisy though.
I'm part way through the centre stand bump stop but not enough progress for pics yet, hopefully have something I can share next update. Basically I'm making one that bolts on using the right hand swingarm bolt... actually I won't attempt to explain, I'll just post a pic when it's done :)
Actually @mr72 I meant to ask what was familiar... then I noticed you have a project thread in which you and I have used the same techniques for making footpeg brackets, now I see! :)
Were you able to just re-use your stock bolts etc. for them? I'm going to be chasing down some M10 cap head bolts for mine as the stock ones are a little second hand these days. Was going to use high tensile but they seem to be hard to come by as opposed to stainless, so I may opt for some 316 grade 80 yet as they're supposed to be structurally close enough to 8.8 tensile steel.
I was able to reuse bolts to affix my new footpeg plates to the frame. I did have to add my own bolts for the rear brake M/C extension plate.
Everything works great and it seems the 1/4" thick material is more than strong enough. I would think yours will be even better, thicker material and stronger mounting for the brake and shift levers.
Ok cool good stuff! I'd like to refresh the fasteners but also need new ones for the rearsets themselves. The thickness of mine is probably more than I need, but I'd rather do that than have them brake or bend on me. I'm also trying to keep the pegs similar width wise to the stock ones. If the left one is too close to the frame I'll start having issues with the pipe running inside my left ankle. Where it is now I basically don't notice it.
I got the centre stand bump stop mostly made last night, all that's left to do is drill the hole for the rubber stopper, paint it, then mount it. I'll figure the diameter for the rubber stopper when I properly test fit the rearsets which should be over the weekend. I do need to round the edges and tidy it up yet also.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49198208586_b4bbbb97c3_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hXtFnC)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2hXtFnC) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
The bump stop simply mounts with the right swingarm axle and uses the mount on the frame as support (yeah it's filthy under there!).
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49197714098_d61d98fc12_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hXr9nY)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2hXr9nY) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
Quote from: peteGS on December 10, 2019, 12:26:08 PM
I'm also trying to keep the pegs similar width wise to the stock ones. If the left one is too close to the frame I'll start having issues with the pipe running inside my left ankle.
That's a really good point and something you don't often think about. I came home from my recent ride and noticed a whole bunch of scratches on the leather of the inside heel of my (new!!) right boot. After I freaked out about that I went out and looked at the bike and it appears my right boot is contacting the bolt head holding the right peg plate on when I brake. Which sucks. But anyway, dunno why left side doesn't have the same problem when I shift but I'll be doing something to keep me from further ruining my boots. Stock foot peg plates ("rearsets") had the peg well aft of these bolt heads which is why I think it didn't bother, was nearer your arch on your foot.
Well to be honest if I didn't have the pipe where it is I wouldn't have given it a second thought either!
In my ridng circle the 450 is known as either the wee beastie or the leg burner... The pipe has had two victims so far as the heat shield could really be a few inches longer to be fully effective.
The pipe has some stains on it from one mate's boots where they were contacting the pipe, and another mate has a scar from a huge blister on the inside of his ankle that came from riding it for 50 or 60kms on a ride a number of years ago. He's a diabetic so feeling in that area is not great, and he didn't pick it up soon enough. I didn't feel real good about that when we swapped back again...
And I'm all set for a short test ride this morning! :woohoo:
I still have to shorten the stock brake lever I've cut down yet but it'll work for a test ride, so providing all goes well I can take everything back off and get some paint done later today. I need to get some proper fasteners during the week and then everything should be good to rock and roll.
The spare Katana shift link I have is exactly the right length for the gear linkage, and the stock gear shift linkage is exactly right for the brake link. That worked out well! I may need to get a shorter return spring for the brake yet but the brake lever travel feels right sitting on it in the garage, will verify that on the test ride.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49216450708_f36b9ec57c_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hZ6b7Y)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2hZ6b7Y) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49216932821_60e9f43746_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hZ8Drg)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2hZ8Drg) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
Mixed success on the test ride... the rearsets feel good and the levers are in the right positions, so I've taken them apart and given the brackets, spacers, and bump stop the stain black treatment.
On the other hand it looks like my Acewell speedo has taken a dive after the torrential rain I rode home in on Friday, so now I need to figure out what to do there.
"the rearsets feel good and the levers are in the right positions"
yayyyyyyyyy
"it looks like my Acewell speedo has taken a dive"
awwwwwww
(https://66.media.tumblr.com/d1922150f47c5f24235652ea20e5e064/tumblr_noqt74w7Ks1utyvvoo1_500.gif)
Yep got it in one CBR! Definitely a bit of :D and :hithead: going on right now...
I validated the Acewell is most definitely toast last night. Pulled it apart, no water nor unexpected corrosion evident, and a clean up with isopropyl alchohol made no difference whatsoever. As best I can tell it's the actual LCD display itself that's failed as it scrolls through all its functions fine but only displays the right hand two segments of the speedo display so 0kph displays as 1kph. Spinning the front wheel flickers a few other segments of the second digit as well but that's about it, so effectively useless.
I'm contemplating going back to a mechanical speedo at this point, looking at this one: http://mostynindustries.com.au/product/speedo-60mm-black-with-warning-lights/ (http://mostynindustries.com.au/product/speedo-60mm-black-with-warning-lights/)
On the upside, the brackets etc. are all painted ready to be installed which I hope to start tonight. I got the stock brake lever cut down to suit also.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49229327056_3084c8d101_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2i1eaNY)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2i1eaNY) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
Those look fantastic!
I like the look of that gauge you're thinking about.
Cheers Showbiz! Yeah the gauge looks ok but I'll have to see it in person, unfortunately I'm not likely to get down there until Friday at this point, too many meetings to get out of work early enough to get there until then. Damn work getting in the way of my private life! :D
I got the new bump stop installed last night along with the rearsets.
Aside from adjusting the levers everything's good to go, just can't test ride until I sort the speedo out.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49232455321_3afd9dd2d1_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2i1vcJz)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2i1vcJz) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49231990493_5bc3b2b9f3_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2i1sPyi)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2i1sPyi) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49232455371_0acf38b854_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2i1vcKr)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2i1vcKr) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
Those look great Pete. Really well done (https://www.motohouston.com/forums/images/smilies/notworthy.gif)
Cheers CBR, just wish I could try them out!
On the plus side a fella I used to ride with about 20 years ago is selling a POSH brand speedo on eBay for about half price even though it's brand new, so I'm heading over this arvo to pick it up. It's a lot more convenient location wise than getting the other one I was looking at also, so I don't need to leave work so early to get there.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Posh-Speedo/283641824949?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2748.l2649 (https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Posh-Speedo/283641824949?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2748.l2649)
Looks fab. Wish I could do work that well.
Brackets and rearsets look great. I need to do something similar on my '05 to move the pegs since I changed the seat. That Posh speedo will look awesome. Nice choice!
Cheers guys! Couple of tips from me... welding looks great if you're a good grinder :D and a few coats of satin black paint covers many things :D
Picked the speedo up yesterday and it does indeed appear to be a quality piece of kit.
I was hoping I could simply swap the Acewell out and use the existing dash and mount but no go. The one good thing with a digital gauge is that you're not really limited with placement and can extend wires if need be. With a mechanical gauge the length of the cable is the limiting factor.
It should be on the left, but the clutch cable would interfere with the speedo drive, so it has to go on the right, and the cable's just long enough to reach.
I'll have to revisit the bracket situation when I have some more time but at least it's useable where it is.
I haven't hooked the idiot lights up yet, ran out of time last night just getting the position right.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49242096576_a529f51634_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2i2mBK7)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2i2mBK7) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
Got the idiot lights all hooked up Friday and got a quick test ride in yesterday finally to check out the rearsets and see how accurate the speedo is. According to the GPS speedo app on my phone the speedo is pretty spot on for accuracy, and the rearsets are in a real good position, just needed to tweak the lever positions a touch to be spot on. I'm heading out for a bit of a twisty ride this morning so I'll see how it all goes!
One thing I definitely miss is a tacho, so I'm eyeing off a GS500 tacho as they're electronically driven meaning I should be able to use the signal from the coil like I did with the Acewell. I've done some searching on here and it looks like I'm not the only one to put a later GS500 electronic tacho on rather than a mechanical one, so it should be calibrated correctly for a wasted spark twin cylinder four stroke. :thumb:
Well it's official, the 450 is fun again!
Had a short ride up a local mountain to meet a mate for coffee yesterday and it was a blast. The clubmans and rearsets make it quite comfortable and the speedo does the job nicely also.
Forgot to get a photo up the top but it's fun for me seeing my little old ratty 450 parked amongst the modern sports bikes :D
I definitely need to change the front mudguard out though, the dirt bike guard on there is way out of place, so I broke out the stock mudguard last night and figured out where it needs to be cut down. Not sure how soon I'll get to do this though as it's going to be quite noisy with the angle grinder. Don't worry, it's got some road rash and is a bit bent in places so I'm not molesting unobtanium.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49257520216_fc95b6f9ac_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2i3HEDW)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2i3HEDW) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
"seeing my little old ratty 450 parked amongst the modern sports bikes"
that's awesome pete! would have loved to see that pic!!
I definitely should have gotten a pic, very slack of me! There will be other opportunities though, will definitely get one next time!
Quote from: peteGS on December 22, 2019, 12:25:17 PM
I definitely need to change the front mudguard out though, the dirt bike guard on there is way out of place, so I broke out the stock mudguard last night and figured out where it needs to be cut down. Not sure how soon I'll get to do this though as it's going to be quite noisy with the angle grinder. Don't worry, it's got some road rash and is a bit bent in places so I'm not molesting unobtanium.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49257520216_fc95b6f9ac_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2i3HEDW)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2i3HEDW) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
Not sure if you got around to cutting the front fender yet. I did the exact same thing to the front fender on my 82 450T and a handheld jigsaw with a metal specific blade did the job quite handily. Didn't even need the grinder. Just filed and sanded the burrs off after the initial cut. Best of luck!
Ah cheers good to know! No I've not started on the cutting yet, only opportunity I've had is night time so noise is out. I did decide to try with the hacksaw but that's going to take hours and hours and hours so definitely not doing that.
I have a jigsaw here with metal blades so that's an option, see how noisy that is compared with the grinder and go from there. This time of year I try not to make too much noise in consideration of the neighbours also, being courteous can be annoying some times :D
I'm also going to do a garage reorganise during my short time off work between Christmas and the new year so hopefully will have more room to move and work on stuff as a result, as well as room to park the Kat and the 450 side by side properly.
Happy New Year all! First post for 2020 is a good one for me :D
I hadn't done any more on the 450 as I've been spending my time off doing a serious garage tidy. This made enough room for a new workbench to do all my bending, drilling, cutting, etc.
Relocating the bench grinder also allows enough room to park both the 450 and Kat side by side.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49303118093_a35283e3e3_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2i7Knje)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2i7Knje) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
As a result, yesterday I got to cut the front mudguard down. I ended up using a metal cutting blade in the jigsaw which made the cutting nice and quick and let me get close to the end result without having to spend ages cleaning up on the bench grinder.
Then I give it and the rusty headlight bucket the satin black treatment.
I got as much of the loose crappy chrome plating as I could off the headlight bucket with a wire wheel then scuffed up the chrome surfaces with some 120 grit wet and dry. Self etching primer then went on along with the satin black, just aerosol acrylic for the moment.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49302430578_dfa8c53a5e_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2i7FQWw)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2i7FQWw) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49302916966_3a34c4c922_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2i7Jkww)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2i7Jkww) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
The acrylic takes 24 hours to fully cure so I should be able to get it reassembled this afternoon or evening.
Ah, nice going! Few things as satisfying as tidying up the garage :cheers:
Your bike looks great. Nice to have some variety aside from all our 500's on this forum
Cheers! Yeah it's a real pleasure walking into the garage now and being able to just do stuff without having to sort through crap to start with. It's always nice when you can put your hand straight on the tool you want because it's where it belongs.
I got the mudguard and headlight installed last night, looks so much better than the dirt bike mudguard and having a rusty headlight bucket.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49308618443_46491231c4_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2i8eynR)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2i8eynR) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
That front fender (and the whole bike for that matter) looks great! :thumb:
Looks really good. I wonder if the fender is long enough to keep muck off of the front of the engine... But of you avoid riding in rain like I do...
Reminds me, I need to clean my garage. Bad.
sweeeeetness right there pete,...
Cleaned my garage yesterday. Crazy how it piles up,....
Cheers guys, really happy with how it's turning out!
The length of the front guard won't keep much crap off the header and engine, but that's how it was with the dirt bike guard anyway. I can't have it any longer or it will smack the header when the forks compress which wouldn't be good for any of it... or me... :)
Was hoping to ride it to work today but I went to turn the ignition on last night to test the GS500 tacho I picked up yesterday, but the barrel has frozen in place. It was getting a bit stiff lately so I guess it's called it quits now so that'll be a fun job for the weekend. Guess I'm riding the Kat to work again today...
Quote from: peteGS on January 02, 2020, 12:46:55 PM
The length of the front guard won't keep much crap off the header and engine, but that's how it was with the dirt bike guard anyway. I can't have it any longer or it will smack the header when the forks compress which wouldn't be good for any of it... or me... :)
Right on. Glad you mentioned that, since I may be mudguard-modding my GS500 to fit new bigger tires and I wouldn't have thought to check for this kind of clearance.
My dad has a DR200SE and he decided the front fender was too big and he cut it to make it small, and then ride it in the rain and discovered it deposited dirt and water and mud straight into his face. So he ordered a new stock one and put it back. Funny how sometimes Suzuki knew what they were doing :)
Hahaha oops! The 450 has plenty of protection between the header and motor I could probably leave the guard off entirely... but aside from the fact it's illegal here to do so I still don't really want all that crap being flung up towards the top of the motor and under the triple clamp etc. I also don't want to lose the bit of bracing the front guard does either.
I dismantled the ignition barrel to find three different issues, and it's a wonder it was working at all! The spring holding the little door stopping crap from getting in is broken which I guessed was the case quite some time ago, and of course the graphite I've put in over the years has turned to muck when combined with water and whatever getting in. The third wafer is bent way out of shape and there's no way it was moving at all, and the remaining wafers seem to be worn enough that they don't retract fully.
I'll shuffle the wafers I have around to get the best match I can for the key then I'll have to do a bit of filing on any that don't quite retract enough. Should definitely be fixable though.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49323655917_c99b647e1a_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2i9yCuD)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2i9yCuD) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
Well a bit of shuffling plus a small amount of filing and back together again... now to get back to testing the GS500 tacho.
Well I finally got it out for a decent ride yesterday after the changes so far.
Definitely more enjoyable to ride again and I had a blast, although encountered a couple of issues.
First one's a simple fix... my rear number plate had started to crack from vibration likely due to the weight of the reflector bolted to the bottom of it, and yesterday my favourite bit of twisty road was the final straw. At the top I discovered it had broken completely and was only being held in place by the height of the LED bolts I use for it. Ooops! It's cable tied on now temporarily.
The other is going to be a bit more effort to fix... essentially I have no top end power. Not having ridden beyond 70 to 80kph since May last year and only commuting, I've not picked up I have an obvious issue once the revs get up and the throttle is open. It sounds and feels like it's way too rich once I open it right up. I essentially had little to no top end in the faster sections yesterday, and it wouldn't even hold 100kph up a hill which it used to do with no fuss at all.
I guess it's time to look into putting an O2 sensor bung in the pipe finally and being a bit more accurate on figuring out the fueling.
I've never successfully removed the pipes myself yet so it won't be an immediate thing but I'll need to tackle that soon, and probably at the same time I should attempt to do something about the header dent and probably some VHT flameproof paint as well.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49368534886_b4ac7c9432_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2idwDrY)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2idwDrY) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
sweet pic pete! "I guess it's time to look into putting an O2 sensor bung in the pipe finally and being a bit more accurate on figuring out the fueling." I heard this'll turn you into a carb guru. Need to get one m'self
Hahahaha dunno about turning you into a guru but it certainly takes a lot of guesswork out of tuning! I'm hopeless at reading plug colours from a plug chop, and knowing how far to go on jet size changes from the colour of a plug is a black art to me (pun fully intended!). With an O2 sensor setup I can look at the numbers on the gauge from two different jet sizes and have a reasonable idea if I should go up, or down, and by how much. Or of course if I should just leave it be.
My "seat of the pants" dyno is not accurate at all, so I much prefer something more quantitative.
I decided to check the compression last night given the lack of top end and the results weren't good.
Number one has 120 PSI, number two only 100 PSI. Going by the manual 100 PSI is the service limit, but they should be 130 - 170 PSI, and if both cylinders measure under 130 PSI it's time for an overhaul.
So that sort of puts a bit of a damper on the refresh, at least I can still commute on it as it is for a while.
I've been contemplating the GS500 cylinder and piston swap for a while so something like that might be a way forward, but there's no budget for that for quite some time yet at this stage.
I'll still get the GS500 tacho on though as that'll be needed whatever I do.
hmmmm, be interesting to see where you go from here
Well I noticed the valve cover gasket appears to be doing some serious leaking also, this will be due to my DIY valve cover gasket. They're now nearly $50 for OEM which is a bit rude for a perishable regular service item.
So my plan is to pick an oil filter up this week, finish making a new valve cover gasket (started last night, it's tedious), and drop the oil after work on Friday and get the service done over the weekend.
I'll have a look down the spark plug holes as best I can, double check all the valve clearances, re-test compression, etc. and see if I can see anything to help me understand where the problem lies. I won't be pulling the head off or anything just yet.
In order to be able to ride the Kat to work while taking the 450 apart a bit more comprehensively I need to fix the leaking fork seal (re-chroming or replacing the stanchions is required for that) and sort out the luggage situation. I only have a Hallmark (pre-Ventura brand) bag which is good but not waterproof, so not great for those damp commuting challenges that crop up.
I got the service done yesterday, standard oil/filter change and check valve clearances and so forth. New DIY valve cover gasket is in place, and yes the reason for the leak was that the gasket had torn in one of the inside corners. Easy fix!
The only shim needing changing was number 2 inlet as last time I'm guessing I got the clearance a bit wrong as it was way out of spec (over 0.10mm) and had to go up a shim to bring the clearance back down to 0.08mm. All the other three were good.
There's no way too much clearance would lead to low compression though.
I looked down each spark plug hole as best I could with the valves open and the faces looked clean, no significant carbon build up I could see and same with the top of the pistons. Of course I can only see a small section of each that way so it's certainly not a guarantee that the valves are good.
I did a cold compression test and got number 1 with 140 PSI and number 2 with 150 PSI.
Took it for about a 20 minute test ride and did a hot compression test getting number 1 with 135 PSI and number two with 140 PSI.
Now I'm really confused! I did what I could in those 20 minutes to get the throttle open and revs up as much as possible and every time it felt strong, no drop of power like happened when the compression measured low. I'm guessing I have to get the engine hotter again to test this, then stick a bit of oil in to see if it's likely to be rings or head.
I finally got some time to work on a mounting bracket for the speedo and tacho yesterday.
I'm liking the non-symmetrical layout, and the speedo positioning means no interference between the clutch and speedo drive cables.
The big gap between them will also allow me to put a different ignition switch in given the state of the original now.
I've still got to figure out some sort of enclosure for the tacho yet, the bracket will get tidied up with some satin black, and I'll likely leave the speedo as is.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49542680502_5947d607af_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2itVbSA)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2itVbSA) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49544046516_a0a577fc67_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iu3bWy)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2iu3bWy) by starpoint73 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89703844@N08/), on Flickr
That looks great! I like the non-symmetrical look too.
Cheers ShowBiz! Yeah I'm keen to get it done now, really don't like having the front end very untidy with the headlight relays cable tied etc., really annoying me!
With any luck I'll get some more time this weekend to tidy the bracket up and figure out the enclosure for the tacho and how to mount the replacement ignition switch.
Pete! You're a busy fella...... good to see you're still at it.
Hey Rich, you're still alive!! :D
I've not done anything for a couple of months now, and after getting stuck working from home and having recreational riding banned has put the nail in the coffin for the moment. Hopefully that'll change soon and I can get motivated to get stuck in again :thumb: