1978 GS1000 Upgrades

[russr33]

Really wanted to wait and do a complete frame off but instead I'm going to upgrade the brakes and suspension plus a few other things at this time. The plan for right now is to install the following:

-Metmachex swingarm
-Tarozzi fork brace
-29mm Smoothbores (pretty bad shape sent to Bruce for his majic)
-stainless brake lines
-New Ikon shocks
-Progressive fork springs and fork seals
-Allballs steering head/wheel bearings
-Salty Dan brake mod
-Duanage Reg/Rec
-Some type of exhaust change

Here's what it looks like now. 50 footer. Really in need of a strip down for powdercoat and repaint but that will have to wait for a later date.

 

[russr33]

The metmachex:

The big question is exhaust. I really want the bike to end up looking like a sort of cafe version of the Yosh race bike as seen here:

Or here:

I have the Yosh exhaust on the bike right now. I'm waiting to hear from a local guy who does custom race exhausts for dirt bikes to see if he can make me a custom upswept can to mate with the yosh header. He actually made the custom baffle for my current exhaust I have now. Other options include a Harris which I have but that is going to need some work or a bassani which I wanted to save for the Cooley:

As you can see the Bassani is in great shape except for the damage to very end of can and plate. Probably going to get the last 2 inches cut off. Not really sure how I can get that plate repaired unfortunately.

 

[hampshirehog]

Russ - what about a Marving 4-1 race pipe. Top LH pic here is the back end on a GS1000:

http://www.exactrep.com/acatalog/in...rep.com/acatalog/catalogbody.html&CatalogBody

I've got one on my CB1100F and I love it - the missus won't let me get one for the GS1000; too noisy she says but it ain't bad (comes with a baffle)

 

[russr33]

Russ - what about a Marving 4-1 race pipe. Top LH pic here is the back end on a GS1000:

http://www.exactrep.com/acatalog/index.html?http%3A//www.exactrep.com/acatalog/catalogbody.html&CatalogBody

I've got one on my CB1100F and I love it - the missus won't let me get one for the GS1000; too noisy she says but it ain't bad (comes with a baffle)

I've been craving one for quite some time Hamp but you are talking about quite alot of $$$$$$$ to get that thing down to me in Houston Tx.

I wish I could just get this Yosh re-bent but I know that's not a possibility. I guess I could sell the Harris, V&H currently on the Cooley and the Yosh and probably come close to what would be needed for the Marving. Don't really want to part with the Yosh though.

 

[gs road racer]

You can have that Yosh pipe cut and welded...but you'll lose the rear foot peg frame piece and have to weld on a mount. Need the frame stripped (you want to powder coat anyway) wheels rear brake , suspension , bare motor and someone who's a good or better tig welder/fabricator with exhaust or thin wall experience. I'm welding tubing here that's .040-.065...... it's the cutting and fitting that is a little work they have to be sure to clear the tire/swingarm/brake linkage.

Randy

 

[hacksaw55]

I really like the look of that exhaust who makes it,what's it sound like?

 

[hacksaw55]

Asked and answered,sorry.

 

[russr33]

Asked and answered,sorry.

No worries Hacksaw. Yes that's a hand bent Yosh exhaust. Don't see many around. Salty Dan and I are the only two on the forum with one that I know of. Have to give a big thanks to mustangflyer for selling it to me a couple of years ago.

 

[TheCafeKid]

Russ, sent you a PM

 

[russr33]

Alright some good news. Local guy who makes custom exhausts is going to be able to make me a custom made muffler to go on Yosh header to give more of an upswept look like seen in Cooley race bike above. Question now is where to cut off the right side foot peg bracket. Bracket was bent in when I hit some gravel and had a low speed low-side. He is wanting me to cut off right behind the rear foot peg mount, and will utilize the mount for the exhaust bracket. That is assuming it has enough rigidity of course. Either that or cut it off flush with frame and make a bracket that hooks in behind rear set.

Not in love with idea of having that piece stick out 5-6 inches like that but it will mostly be hidden by exhaust anyway. Comments?

 

[TheCafeKid]

Not in love with idea of having that piece stick out 5-6 inches like that but it will mostly be hidden by exhaust anyway. Comments?

Yeah, get some new tires! That thing is as bald as my head!!

seriously though, on the cafe I did, going after the "sporting" look, and im assuming you're NOT concerned with having rear pegs ever again, cut either the upper arm or the lower arm off, or cut em all off, and run a retainer off the upper shock mount, like the guys who use modern pipes do...

 

[russr33]

Yeah, get some new tires! That thing is as bald as my head!!

seriously though, on the cafe I did, going after the "sporting" look, and im assuming you're NOT concerned with having rear pegs ever again, cut either the upper arm or the lower arm off, or cut em all off, and run a retainer off the upper shock mount, like the guys who use modern pipes do...

I assume you're joking Josh or the pic makes them look worn. They've probably got a whole 500 miles on them!

No not concerned with rear pegs and yes cutting off entire lower arm. Question is where to cut upper arm; either flush with frame or right behind rear peg mount (and utilize it for exhaust bracket).

 

[steve murdoch]

I would cut off the upper arm at the footpeg instead of flush with the frame. If the muffler mount bracket is too bulky or noticeable from that position you can change it afterward to the frame.
Raasks are ugly, but they fit me perfect.

 

[347yoshi]

Russ this is this is a GS frame I have done to yoshi spec I have most of the bits to build it but no time.

 

[srsupertrap]

Russ,
I think cutting it off right behind the rear peg mount is your best option of the two, it will give the fabricator the room to make the necessary bends. I would envision the new upswept muffler will be bent more like the bassani pipe to make use of the footpeg bracket. I would instruct the fabricator to weld the mounting bracket on the bottom of the muffler so the megaphone section covers everything up. That's how the old supertrapp mounts. Curious are those scrapes in the Yosh from kissing the pavement?

Also can I get your opinion on the Morris wheels? Since you have ridden the GS1000S back to back with Big Red here is there any discernable difference in the handling between the two bikes?

Alright some good news. Local guy who makes custom exhausts is going to be able to make me a custom made muffler to go on Yosh header to give more of an upswept look like seen in Cooley race bike above. Question now is where to cut off the right side foot peg bracket. Bracket was bent in when I hit some gravel and had a low speed low-side. He is wanting me to cut off right behind the rear foot peg mount, and will utilize the mount for the exhaust bracket. That is assuming it has enough rigidity of course. Either that or cut it off flush with frame and make a bracket that hooks in behind rear set.

Not in love with idea of having that piece stick out 5-6 inches like that but it will mostly be hidden by exhaust anyway. Comments?

 

[russr33]

Russ,
I think cutting it off right behind the rear peg mount is your best option of the two, it will give the fabricator the room to make the necessary bends. I would envision the new upswept muffler will be bent more like the bassani pipe to make use of the footpeg bracket. I would instruct the fabricator to weld the mounting bracket on the bottom of the muffler so the megaphone section covers everything up. That's how the old supertrapp mounts. Curious are those scrapes in the Yosh from kissing the pavement?

Also can I get your opinion on the Morris wheels? Since you have ridden the GS1000S back to back with Big Red here is there any discernable difference in the handling between the two bikes?

Good eye 'trap. Yes those scrapes are unfortunately from a low speed low side when I hit gravel in a blind decreasing radius right hander coming out of bastrop state park outside of Austin. Important lesson learned that day: GO SLOW in areas that you are unfamiliar with.

That accident actually got the ball rolling on this project. When I went down I bent the rear footpeg bracket into the swingarm, resulting in a cracked in half Raask rear-set and:

No worries though, the Metmatchex swinger went in today:

As you can see we did cut right behind the rear foot peg mount. Still have some cleaning up to do in that area. Looking forward to seeing what the fabricator comes up with on the exhaust.

As far as differences in the 2 bikes I would say the cooley handles better, but I think that had to do mostly with the telefix fork brace on the S and the lack of fork brace on the '78. That will be rectified with a Tarozzi fork brace which is on the way. I was actually thinking of keeping that old school fork brace that is on there and adding the Tarozzi to it. I like the look of it (was it ever even intended to be functional or just for looks?) but it is worthless as far as handling. Sometimes when I would hit a seam in the road a mild heart attack would follow. Very inbterested to get it back together and see the difference in the two.

 

[russr33]

Besides the swinger going in today got alot of other things accomplished as well:

-rear brake caliper painted
-new rear stainless line installed
-progressive fork springs installed
-new all-balls steering head bearing installed
-rear wheel bearing installed
-fork legs painted
-lower triple painted

On the agenda tomorrow:

Get rotors drilled for Salty Dan brake mod. These are 296mm CBR900rr rotors (or so I thought) and I thought everything I had read said that these would line up straight with the hub you just had to widen to 8mm. Should line up perfectly with spacer. These however need to be drilled like the F3 rotors. So either I was mistaken in my reading or I have F3 rotors instead of CBR900RR's. Right?

 

[salty_monk]

Those are the F3 rotors same as I have.

Dan

 

[russr33]

Making progress....

Making progress....

So the Salty Monk brake mod is done and I got the exhaust back. Jemco is the name of the place that did the exhaust here in Houston and they did an outstanding job. They had previously done the custom baffle for the Yosh pipe a year or so ago. They have been around for over 30 years and are big with the 2 stroke dirt bike crowd. He went ahead and painted the can with Krylon 1200 degree bbq paint which actually looked really good. After these pics I went ahead and disassembled the exhaust and took it to a guy to sandblast the ceramic coated header and he is going to powdercoat for a very reasonable price so I am having him do the whole thing, the old Yosh can included. Dan btw if you ever wanted a upswept pipe like that for your old Yosh let me know; I'm sure he could do one for you.

 

[russr33]

Also got the tarozzi fork brace on. I went ahead and kept the old fork brace on as well. I like the look of the old one but functionally it was useless.

Waiting on the new Ikons and the carbs back from Bruce as well as a few odds and ends and should be good to go!