My name is Miller and I just recently bought 2 bikes, I had to buy both to get one. They are a 78 Suzuki gs550 and a 79 gs750. They are both in pretty rough shape and I can't pick them up for a couple of weeks. I have full intentions of turning these into something special. All help will be appreciated. When I get these bikes over to my new house I will post pictures. I've worked on cars before but never a bike. If there is anything you need to know just ask. Thanks!
According to your profile you have an engineering background...that means you should have some sort of mental aptitude for the sort of thing you seem to be suggesting...a good place to start.
Get them road worthy first, then decide on any mods.
Ask plenty of questions, develop a sense of humor and a thick skin. My only other suggestion (as usual) is don't do anything you can't easily undo.
Best of luck and keep us posted.
Believe me, I know the difference. But you never know until you try. I may begin this and find out that I'm way over my head and decide to back out, but until then I'll never know. Thanks for the input.
But sometimes you can know before you try...it's called looking at history and listening to experience. For isntance...you shouldnt hack the muffler and put cheap pods on it. It WON'T run right. You shouldn't need to try it before you admit it can't be done. There are a ton of pit falls with these bikes that will result in the thing sitting in the corner or inboxes for 5 years and then sold as a parts bike on Craigslist. I would think you would want too know about those things rather than just figuring it out on your own because you..."love being told you can't do something"...sometimes you just can't do something and to ignore good, sound advice is just being stubborn. I admire people who take on challenges...but people who refuse to be told there idea won't work are just tiring. I promise you there is nothing you can do that hasn't already been attempted 100 times on tha kind of bike. You aren't unique and your ideas aren't unique. Use this forum as a source of knowledge and you will probably succeed....or don't...won't affect anyone here much, but we love seeing riders get on the road and actually use a motorcycle as intended.
"But you never know until you try." No, you may never know, we already do. Why make mistakes on your project when you can get sound advice from those who have tried and failed or succeeded.
" I have full intentions of turning these into something special. "
Before you rip into them with the sawzall, consider this: They were already pretty special the day they got taken out of the crate they came in.
It's a good point to ponder. Now, not in retrospect.
Danger, is my business.
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