New to Site, New Project

[Mike Lawless]

New to the site. It's been a LOOOONG time since I had a bike. "Back in the Day" I had a 3 cylinder Kawasaki.

Fast forward to today, I picked up the Suzuki pictured, a 1983 GS300L. The plan is to build it into a cafe style street bike.

I come seeking knowledge and wisdom, along with constructive criticism.

More photos as the build progresses. For now, it's in the strip down phase.

[kerosene]

constructive criticism:
1. you picked the wrong bike.
2. In sensible build there is no strip down phase until much later when everything is sorted and works. Not before.
3. Read more here.

[Charlieboy]

Hi Mike ..Good luck. Keep the pics coming. Oh and take the constructive criticism as it comes. The guys here are very knowledgeable and will give you solid and honest advice. Fell free to check out my XS 1100 build which is also a cafe conversion from a cruiser style bike.

[mlinder]

Hi Mike ..Good luck. Keep the pics coming. Oh and take the constructive criticism as it comes. The guys here are very knowledgeable and will give you solid and honest advice. Fell free to check out my XS 1100 build which is also a cafe conversion from a cruiser style bike.

Yeaaahhh.. but....

Your set of skills and resources make your project completely plausible.

[hardline_42]

Hi Mike. Your bike looks pretty clean. Unfortunately, you're facing an uphill battle to make it into something resembling a cafe racer. The "L" model GS bikes all had cruiser ergos and styling. They come with 16" rear wheels and different frames from the standard models. In the case of this bike, it doesn't even have front disks (at least you don't have leading axle forks). With a lot of time and effort, you could make it more like a standard bike, but that frame will limit you. Small displacement GS bikes in "E", "S" and even "T" trim make better candidates. I'd look for a GS400 (2 or 4 valve heads are available), GS450 or GR650 if you want a twin, and any of the 550cc and up chain driven in-line fours.

[Mike Lawless]

constructive criticism:
1. you picked the wrong bike.
2. In sensible build there is no strip down phase until much later when everything is sorted and works. Not before.
3. Read more here.

Thanks. However, for what I'm looking to do, there is no wrong bike. It happened to come along at a good price, and is in very good shape. Damn near a shame to cut it up. It may not be mainstream, but by the time I'm done with it, it'll be something built by my own hand.

Now I don't know about anyone else, nor do I care, but for any project I start, it begins with a total deconstruct, whether it's a car or bike or even a hot rod lawnmower.

Just because I'm new here, does not mean I don't possess skills. I have considerable fab skills and resources. Please don't dismiss me as being stupid or without a good skillset because of my "newby" status here.

And I will read more here. That's why I signed up!

[mlinder]

We don't know what your skills are. Go check out charlieboys build thread, and see why I have no doubt he can turn whatever into whatever else.

Your skills and resources, we have no clue about.

Good luck!

[Mike Lawless]

We don't know what your skills are. Go check out charlieboys build thread, and see why I have no doubt he can turn whatever into whatever else.

Your skills and resources, we have no clue about.

Good luck!

I will check Charlieboy's build thread out. Thanks!
As for my skillset, I reckon you'll just have to wait and see. Then you can judge. The assumption that I have no skills bugged me a bit, but then I reckon a lot of people come on here with grandiose ideas that can't even decide which end of the hammer does what.

[mlinder]

Nobody assumed you didn't have skills. We have no idea of them, and therefore cannot ascertain what end product may spring forth from Suzukis equivalent of the rebel 450 and your hands.

We just know that 99.99% of the people on the planet would not be able to pull off anything other than a box of parts or some hideous deathtrap.

[mlinder]

Heres charlies thread: https://www.caferacer.net/forum/proje...100-build.html