**99% done. Updated pics** My winter project.

[PatheticPuma]

Mailman played Santa today delivering me my 89 clip-ons. I got them for a steal off a guy's parts bike. He didnt know what he had. I only paid for the top plate and the clamps, but he sent the bars as well. The Right one is bent, and the left is disgustingly rusty, so I will be purchasing replacements as planned. At least now I have a reference for cutting the notch, and drilling the hole.



I plan on repainting the pieces, one quick question though, Am I going to need etching primer, or will the 2k I usually use be fine?

[weedahoe]

You only use etching primer if you take it down all the way to the metal

[PatheticPuma]

You only use etching primer if you take it down all the way to the metal

Thats the plan, I intend on pulling it apart and using aircraft stripper. Then some metal putty to fill in a couple of deeper nicks.

[PatheticPuma]

OK, quick question. What is the purpose of the holes in the bars? I assume either the controls or handle clamps should have a corresponding peg. Mine have no such pegs. Not sure if they were filed off or broken for some reason or what. When tightened everything sits firm and I am unable to wiggle it so it doesn't seem to be too incredibly important. So I figure when my new bars get in I should only need to notch them and not worry about drilling the holes.

Just looking to see if I am terribly mistaken and need to add a couple items to the purchase list.

[boobooliboo]

OK, quick question. What is the purpose of the holes in the bars? I assume either the controls or handle clamps should have a corresponding peg. Mine have no such pegs. Not sure if they were filed off or broken for some reason or what. When tightened everything sits firm and I am unable to wiggle it so it doesn't seem to be too incredibly important. So I figure when my new bars get in I should only need to notch them and not worry about drilling the holes.

Just looking to see if I am terribly mistaken and need to add a couple items to the purchase list.

The controls originally had little plastic nubs on the inside to fit in the holes. Some people file them off as you can obtain enough grip with the control housing screws and don't need to drill, at least you can with bars that have some texture to the surface.

My cheap chrome Bikemaster bars have a really smooth surface and the PO had filed the nubs, so I had a bit of trouble getting the controls not to move - I ended up with a pretty dirty solution where I superglued a balled up bit of aluminium foil to where the nubs where on the inside of the controls which gave enough purchase when the screws were tightened to hang on to the surface of the bars without movement. I don't expect this to last forever, eventually I want a set of clipons so I'll revisit then.

Of course, I bought my '05 GS for cheap and just wanted a learning bike, so I'm not troubled by the dirty solution but hopefully that helps explain.

[PatheticPuma]

Well hopefully the eBay cheapo bars I bought (vortex knockoffs) will work well without the nub. Otherwise I may just me making my own version. I don't understand why they would be filed off since the bars my bike came with were stock 91's. 

[weedahoe]

They will work fine. You will see once you get them that you can adjust how close or far away they are from the tank. Too bad you bought some though as I getting ready to sell mine and the top plate that I milled down the OEM bar mounts

[PatheticPuma]

They will work fine. You will see once you get them that you can adjust how close or far away they are from the tank. Too bad you bought some though as I getting ready to sell mine and the top plate that I milled down the OEM bar mounts

I see. I got the replacement bars on sale for only $10 shipped. Don't think I could afford yours that cheap. 

[PatheticPuma]

Sooooo, I ordered a few cheap things for the bike, and started to get excited about the upcoming riding season. Just to look outside and see I can barely see my car 20 feet out the window it's snowing so hard. 

Anywho, among the purchases were the Suzuki and GS500 deals for my tank and plastics.

Would it work to put the vinyls on and THEN do the clear? I will be using 2K clear.

ANY tips/tricks/advice would be appreciated.

[jacob92icu]

If you have the type of decals I am thinking of, then yes you are supposed to put them on before you do the clear coat. Speaking of decals, can you send me the link to where you got yours please?

[PatheticPuma]

If you have the type of decals I am thinking of, then yes you are supposed to put them on before you do the clear coat. Speaking of decals, can you send me the link to where you got yours please?

Got them from eBay user graphicshackuk

No longer showing the SUZUKI ones I got for the tank, only the GS500 Slingshot ones.

[jacob92icu]

Ahh those will look nice. Ya you put those on backwards like a mirror image before clear coat. sometimes it can be tricky, but when I did Yamaha tank decals it was pretty simple, only thing that got messed up was the confusing Yamaha sign. So you should be fine.

[PatheticPuma]

Ahh those will look nice. Ya you put those on backwards like a mirror image before clear coat. sometimes it can be tricky, but when I did Yamaha tank decals it was pretty simple, only thing that got messed up was the confusing Yamaha sign. So you should be fine.

How do you mean backwards? It wouldn't be as simple as putting it where and how I want it, then spray away?

[jacob92icu]

Yea its that simple. You'll see when you get it, its really a no brainer. There should be a big clear sticky piece that has the decals attached. You lay that whole clear sticky piece with decals where you want it, and make sure there are no air bubbles in the decals, then slowly remove the clear piece and the decals will stick to the tank/plastics.

[PatheticPuma]

Yea its that simple. You'll see when you get it, its really a no brainer. There should be a big clear sticky piece that has the decals attached. You lay that whole clear sticky piece with decals where you want it, and make sure there are no air bubbles in the decals, then slowly remove the clear piece and the decals will stick to the tank/plastics.

Okay, thats how I thought. The "mirror image" comment that made me all 

[jacob92icu]

Sorry I'm just   

[PatheticPuma]

well today i went and picked up an 89 gs to fix up for the wife. came with about a second bikes worth a parts, including everything I needed to fix mine and more...I smell PROGRESS, and it smells good. Only problem is the PO didnt have the key and tried to bust the tank open with a flathead on a suggestion he received here. He busted the top half of the lock cylinder off, but the cap wont open. Anybody got any suggestions as to what I can do to open this tank up

[BockinBboy]

well today i went and picked up an 89 gs to fix up for the wife. came with about a second bikes worth a parts, including everything I needed to fix mine and more...I smell PROGRESS, and it smells good. Only problem is the PO didnt have the key and tried to bust the tank open with a flathead on a suggestion he received here. He busted the top half of the lock cylinder off, but the cap wont open. Anybody got any suggestions as to what I can do to open this tank up

Nice Move!

- Bboy

[PatheticPuma]

I'll have some pics coming up after work tonight. (11:30pm EST) I got the cap off the blue tank thanks to a well placed screwdriver and a hand sledge. Inside of the tank. Pretty clean inside on both tanks, but some dents.

The misses wants to do the work on her bike herself with my help. So the 2 of us started stripping the paint off the tanks last night. I wasn't going to strip the black one but the dents in it were bad enough to merit the stripping for pulling and bondo.

The PO was complaining about not getting spark, but I'm pretty sure I know the problem there. There is no key for the bike. And he was just directly jumping the starter motor off the battery. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the ignition isn't on than the could aren't getting power for spark. Im going to rig up a temporary switch bypassing the cylinder for the ignition to test this theory.

[PatheticPuma]

OK so here are pics of the gas cap we busted up with a screwdriver. And I mean busted, knocked a chunk of aluminum out of the bottom of it.

Lock Cylinder as I received it


Where I pried with a screwdriver.


And the piece busted out with the added force of a hammer.



I will be adding more pics as progress is made. Almost done stripping the tanks so we will be hitting the bondo here pretty soon.