[8ball]

Been a while since I have done any updating on this, but I have a couple things to add:


First, this thing has no horn! And that is a problem because APPARENTLY it is also invisible! I don't think I have had need to use a horn on a bike a handful of times in the last 25 years riding on the street, but I have had to make several hard maneuvers because people haven't seen me on this bike. It go to the point where I followed my wife home one day and asked her if my headlight was working.


Anyway...I got a cheap horn from ebay. It worked well enough, except that the mounting tab is too flimsy and it bounced around like a fat boy on a diving board. So I made a new mount and it works fine.


You can see the differences in the mounting tabs in the photos:

Next I have been planning the next phase of the build and I want better brakes, maybe get some super bike bars (not sure) and maybe another seat (if I can find a stepped one that doesn't look like crap and fits the stock tail). All this will wait until winter. But in preparation for the brake upgrade, I looked at a few options. One option was to swap out a modern front end (and consequently, rear end). But to be honest, you lose a bit of ground clearance and in my opinion some of the character. Another option was to get a set of dual disk forks, and put modern rotors and calipers on it. That would require hub spacers and caliper brackets made and getting the rotor offsets and the caliper positioning right. That is totally do-able, but I don't have access to machine shop, and would require a bit more money. But it was the direction I was going, until....


....While looking for a dual disc front end, I came across a good deal on a set of forks from a 1982 GS550M (Katana). It has the same diameter fork tubes (so I can use my current triples) and it uses the same axle part number, so I can use my current front wheel (Suzuki was nice enough to drill and tap the rotor mounting holes on both sides of my hub).

I also found the rotors and calipers from the same seller so I got a package deal.

I will need to paint the carriers and calipers, cause the red won't go too well.

 

[Cafe Jim]

Good looking build! Thanks for the good documentation.

 

[santander]

Just curious, what headlight are you running? I like the looks of it...

 

[8ball]

Just curious, what headlight are you running? I like the looks of it...

You know, I don't know....It was in the pile of parts that was the bike when I bought it. I had to modify the bezel, because "top" was off about 30 degrees when the tabs were in the index slots. I think it was for an automotive application, or universal projector housing.

 

[8ball]

Since I have been traveling for work since October, I haven't gotten into the garage to work on the bike until this week. So I got out in the garage, got a little bored and started getting a little stupid...

Actually, I did get the new forks rebuilt (new seals, bushings and guides).

The rotors and calipers are out getting bead blasted and I am waiting on the paint to arrive to get rid of that Gawd awful orange.

 

[8ball]

Finally got some time at home in the garage. Man! I have been travelling a lot!


Disassembled the new calipers and had them media blasted, as well as the rotors.

Painted them with G2 epoxy Gold paint

They came out OK, but it was a brush-on application, and I probably would have been happier if I had put the paint in a HVLP sprayer, but it isn't bad.


Here are the calipers after rebuild:

I mocked-up everything to test alignment and fitment.

I still need to order one brake line, rotor bolts and retainers, right side wheel bearing cover and brake pads before the final install.

 

[ILoveThumpers]

Brakes are looking good. Those gaiters are not.

Tell me more about the paint; it's Epoxy?

-Deek

 

[bmartin]

You might think about cutting down the stock seat BUT if it's in really good shape, I'd source a junk seat of ebay and have that one cut down. I think the front fairing looks ok but the rear looks to modern for the bike. I would think about using the stock seat back for the suz and cut down a junk seat for it. Fork gaiters look too old school for the bike to me -

 

[8ball]

The R6 fairing was a joke. I was bored and my race bodywork for my R6 caught my attention......

 

[8ball]

The gators are not tied down and the forks are not fully extended, as the preload/sag it not set up yet. Set up, they don't look bunched up.

The paint is a kit from G2. It is a 2K epoxy, which is very resistant to chemicals. I used a 2K clearcoat on my R6 tank when I painted it, and it isn't phased by any gas splatter or spillage....and looks fantatic after 3 years.

I would have sprayed it on the calipers, but the kit only comes with 4 ounces of paint and I was afraid there wouldn't be enough to cover the parts with that little.

A VHT spray can was my other option, but to cure right it needs to be baked, and the only way I would be able to do that would have made my wife (who suffers from severe migraines) very put out with me.

 

[ILoveThumpers]

I asked because the VHT I used on my calipers is already dull around the bleeder and chipped in a couple of spots. I did the full-bore prep I usually do for powder coating and then followed the directions for spraying/curing and it's still not holding up. Total crap in my opinion.

Next time I'll just go ahead and powder coat them. Laziness got the best of me that day and I paid for it.

-Deek

 

[8ball]

I got all the hardware and lines in to finish up the 2 disc front end install, and took it out for a short blast through the foothills to bed in the new pads and see how it works. I left the stock '82 springs in and put 7 psi of air in the forks to see how they would work before going with conventional spacers and new springs. Actually, that set up seems pretty good. The front and rear seem to work together, and it steers fairly well (still feels like a Mack truck compared to my R6, but hey it is what it is).

I put the GSX-R master cylinder back on (the one that felt like a block of wood with the single disc set up) and with the twin calipers it works well.

 

[MK3Brent]

Looking clean, man!

Looks like you have some better weather than us... would love to get out there and run some miles.

 

[o1marc]

Looking clean, man!

Looks like you have some better weather than us... would love to get out there and run some miles.

What was it like there today. It was freaking gorgeous (75*)here in north Ga. today.

 

[MK3Brent]

Rainy morning, standing water afternoon, and windy gray skies until now. mid to upper 50°F though.

Just one of those days when you say... "nope... " and go back to the kitchen for a coffee/beer.

 

[o1marc]

Rainy morning, standing water afternoon, and windy gray skies until now. mid to upper 50°F though.

Just one of those days when you say... "nope... " and go back to the kitchen for a coffee/beer.

I was expecting rain today but was quite surprised by how clear, sunny and warm it was all day.

 

[henry69]

Hi guys, im new here, im from argentina.
I have a problem, i need some parts from my gs 550 e 80". I need valvles, pistons rings, etc.
Help please! TKS!

 

[8ball]

Sticky Buns!

Pirelli Sport Demons...

I find it is harder to mount tires on shallow wire spoked rims than deep sport bike rims. Had to use a combination of tire irons and my mount/demount bar.

Balance front and rear:

Installed...Would have been easier on my lift, but since the R6 is occupying that space, it was kickstand and floor jack time!

We'll see how they work, tomorrow!!

 

[Witworth]

GS+

This is a good bike, all round

 

[8ball]

Tire testin' went well...