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1981 450 frame swap

  • Thread starter Thread starter Thegonar
  • Start date Start date
T

Thegonar

Guest
Hi all, I am very new to this forum and any help is appreciated!

I have a 1981 gs450 E with bent front forks and a bad frame. EVERYTHING ELSE is working well. There is a parts bike available to me, horrible runner and missing a lot, however it does have the frame and forks I need.
I think.
The parts bike is a 1981 gs450 L. While my E is in the shop for an estimate(insurance) I am trying to get the ball rolling with repairs, so I haven't measured any mounts yet. I don't want to purchase the parts bike unless I know I can use it.

Does anyone know if I can use the frame and forks of an L with the rest of the parts of an E?

Again, thanks for the insight!
 
Hey and welcome!

A lot of stuff will go on to the parts bike, but some key bits like the tank and seat etc. won't be a straight swap.

I believe it's possible, but you will need to relocate the tank mounts to fit the E tank on there.

The seat and tail will need some more thinking though. I took some measurements when I rebuilt my E and compared with the T and L seats, and they will not be such as easy swap I don't think.

Hopefully that helps somewhat...
 
Thanks Pete!

So I shouldn't have to worry about the engine or most of the other essentials? I'm fine with the seat, tail, and tank remaining for awhile.
 
Yeah the engine will go straight in, although the sprockets are different sizes I just realised due to the L's running a smaller diameter rear wheel.

The harness will probably be ok although I've never looked at one from an L or T to compare.
 
No probs... I'm sure there's more that I've missed but hopefully that's the main stuff. Good luck!
 
Aren't the forks on the L model leading axle forks?

IMHO, now seems like a great time to upgrade your front end. A Gs850g would work well.
 
I am keeping the front forks and frame from the L. Do leading forks matter if I'm keeping the frame that they are in?

I'm an amateur on a budget Rich. I am definitely recording some advice from other riders though. What does the fork upgrade(gs850) do exactly? Smoother ride? More control? More sensitive...

I gotta go pull the bent bike out of the shop before I get charged an arm and a leg for storage..
 
Last edited:
The 850 forks would have more stable handling. Early 450 forks are 33mm diameter, while 850 forks are 37mm diameter. Plus, you gain the option of dual caliper mounts for the future. I might have some 35mm forks from a GS650 kicking around if you're interested.

But if you're on a budget, I understand that too. And if I'm not mistaken, the steering stem angle is the same between all 450 models - so the leading axle forks are the only difference.
 
I would rather not go for the frame from the 450L. The GS450E was superb when it comes down the ride. The handling was a lot better then the L models but that might be a matter of taste/choice.
 
The E frame is bent. The L is the cheap parts bike I could find. Definitely going to be a mix of both. As the L has come apart I've found quite a bit of issues and I'm glad my e still has most components in good order.
 
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