oh wow, i didnt even notice until you put them side by side.  lol. 

Wow, cool looking bike! You have certainly made it stand apart from other GSs. I like it.

thanks fred!  My main goal was to see if I could throw together in my head what is the best of each section of the bike and mash it all together as one lol

Very inspiration work, love the progress you've made. Did you keep any reciepts or tabs on how much this project has cost you? I read in the previous pages, you chose not to paid $400 for a shop to paint the frame, etc. How did you go about painting the parts? Rattle-can spray paint?

I'm in a similiar situation, have a 1989 GS, seized the motor a few years ago due to low engine oil. Brought a 1992 replacement motor off eBay, but never went any further. After reading all 21 pages, I'm tempted to finally grow some balls and start this project. First, I must clean up the garage and get some work space. 

What types of tools would recommend? What kinds parts to have handle?

Again, thanks for the great read, and keep up the superb work! 

Thank for your kind words!  My biggest piece of advice is to just do it, especially if the bike is already messed up.  Its only money and you can't make it any worse lol  Thats where I started from, and even if its not 100% what I want it to be its still a great project in my eyes.

Tools....hmmm, I really just have basic tools.  Wrenches, screw drivers, sockets, and torque wrench.  Might need some feelers for internal parts if your rebuilding, and I'd recommend picking up a manual as an assistant in tearing apart things.  If I needed a new tool while working I just picked one up.

I haven't kept track of the little things I had to pick up for the project and lost my original spreadsheet where I was keeping track about 8 months ago lol so sorry not to sure what I have spent.

As for paint, I just spray painted things.  I know that I'll have to touch it up as I go, but thats whats nice about .99 cent spray cans, its not going to break the bank to touch up anything!

Nick

A-mazing! I hope it runs as smooth as it looks.

Too bad your future wife won't ride with you, (that was how I got hooked, he took me for a ride and I loved it) but the solo looks good. Have you considered making it frame-color?

You give me hope that I could do some "minor" in comparison work on mine too. Or at least an attempt at my own solo seat with zero fiberglass skills. What did you use for your "mold"? It looked like cardboard and a plastic bag? (If this has been beat to death in another thread, please ignore newbie.)

Well I have been working on other bits so after the rebuild I never even started it so I don't know how it runs! lol I should be getting it started soon as I'm running out of other mods and just need to clean the carbs.

I debated painting the solo seat black but I felt it was to much black and I wanted to use the same color as the tank to show off the lines of the bike and tail a little better.

The mold was made from duck tape, cardboard, a couple plastic bags, and a piece of metal to make sure the piece closest to my back stood verticle.  I learned over the net from Josh, and its really not that hard if your patient and willing to learn from your mistakes.

Thanks,

Nick

Been awhile since I updated so figured I would post some pictures!

ON MAY 16TH 2009........SHE HAS STARTED!!!!!!

Last weekend was the first time the rebuilt engine turned over and after some tinkering she ROARED to life.  The carbs have some gremlins that need worked out but I'm new to them so it'll be a slow process.  Also add in the fact I'm moving 2000 miles to Ohio in 10 days and it might be awhile before she ever sees the road.

Found out the battery has died after sitting since last June, no big surprise there.  Also has an oil leak out of the right side cover, forgot to replace the gasket after dropping the cover.  Have one sitting in the garage so no big deal.

Carb issues are a pain, and those are being detailed in another thread so search for that if you think you can help!

Finally got the Vaypor guages all wired in and had to replace the spedometer gear in the front tire.  Luckily the spacer on a Katana fits perfectly!




Things left to do:
1.) Fix carb gremlins
2.) replace right side gasket/fix oil leaks
3.) oil change before hitting road
4.) final torque of all bolts
5.) drill out bars for new bar ends
6.) final paint touch up

I remember when this list took up 2 entire pages typed in size 12 font and its now down to 6 lines? WOW.

Thanks for looking!

Nick

Congrats! 

Glad to hear it runs after all you've been through. Good luck moving =)

Impressive!  You've got grit.

If you don't mind me aski, where'd you get the levers that didn't fit. I just got some and the look just like those

Quote from: utgunslinger13 on January 23, 2009, 10:21:57 PM
Well I hate to say it but the brake and clutch levers do not fit.  I suppose thats what I get for going against my better judgement and taking at face value the oppinion of another GSTWINER 

Everything has arrived in the mail, and hopefully I will get some time this weekend to install some of the parts.  I finally got around to making a list of everything that still needs to be done and I was surprised at how little was left!  I can finally start seeing the end of the build!

Thanks,

Nick

Wow, its been quite awhile since I've been on here!  No new update on the bike but I'm back in Ohio, married, working, and back on my feet.  The weather is starting to break so I'm catching the bug to start working again so the GS might be coming out of storage so I can finish her up and actually ride her!  Progress will be slow, but hopefully it won't be almost 9 months again before I post!

Nick

Looking forward to it, Nick!

Still haven't had the chance to relocate the bike from storage at the parents barn to my apartment in Dublin, OH.  They work second shift, and I work first so our schedules don't usually match and I have to use a moving truck that I can borrow from my apartment to get it the 45 miles to Dublin.

I'm also now expecting to be a father on October 29th, so this might hinder progress as well!  Hopefully soon I'll be able to get it started up again!

My parents were able to bring the bike into town from storage for me on Monday, and I'm going to get the bike to bring it to Dublin tonight!  I can't wait to start working on this again!

let me know when you get it riding, I'll come roll with you. 513 ftw.

Finally got the bike down to my apartment in Dublin.  Met my neighbor for the first time after he sold his 96 GS on Saturday!  Got title situated finally, and got plates too!  Set the float heights within specs and I......

RODE IT FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!!!!

Still have some oil leaks that need taken care of, should probably check valve clearances when I fix the leaks too.  But most pressing is the hesitation upon accelleration.  When I first blip the throttle, it almost wants to die. But if I turn the throttle and hold it, then the bike will eventually accellerate.  I have the carbs set at 3.5 turns out, and I believe everything inside them is stock.  Any ideas?

Its been sitting a while, pull the carbs and give them a good clean, check hoses and strainer, air filter then start from there.

I can't imagine they are dirty, there has been no gas in them for a year.  The bike was started twice in AZ then all the gas was drained and bike was ran till it stalled and the bike was put in storage for the last year while we relocated back to Ohio.  Could there be anything else that would cause this I could check before tearing them back apart?

I also noticed that the exhaust has 4 or 5 holes drilled in the rear baffel (spelling? Is that what its even called?).  When looking from the rear of the bike straight into the muffler, the holes are drilled around the center pipe that comes out in the center of the exhaust.

1.) could this cause the jetting to be off which would then make the bike hesitate?
2.) what should the proper setting be for stock intake, holes in exhaust?

I have a really fast/cheap adjustment option for your exhaust...

Campbell's soup (or another can the same diameter) and a hose clamp. Works for me.
The fit is so fine that I did have to peel the rim off the end of the can to get it on the pipe.
Restriction easily adjusted with a nail (or a new can if you use the nail too much). Nine with  a 16 penny nail is what I'm running (6 was somewhat choked). As far as I know, stock jets. Certainly stock airbox/filter.



Once painted, it looks fine.


However, I don't know that your symptoms are caused by the exhaust drilling. My exhaust had the whole plate that's been drilled on yours chopped right out. It was cold-blooded as heck, and loud, but once warmed up I don't recall any hesitation as such. It is much more ridable this way. But perhaps you never really got it warmed up, in which case the excessive cold-bloodedness might be the hesitation you are getting?