78 Gs750EC Project-Restore with Moderization

[Garand1]

Hi Everyone,
I'll be posting pictures to this when I can during the resto/modernization project.
It's a 78 Gs750EC with 32,000 miles. I've owned it since approx 1985, but its been in my garage untouched since about 1999. So.....I thought it was about time to get it out and show it some love and it make it look pretty again. It's been an awesome bike and It's had some hard use when i was younger....but its never cost me a cent other then tires, oil and chain & sprockets. So I guess it's time to renew it. Hope you enjoy.
I was originally just going to do a few minor things with it, but, the more things i looked at the more i realized it needed to be stripped and completely re-done.
First picture is of the frame hanging while the primer drys waiting for paint.

 

[Garand1]

I painted it with a black texture paint with copper flakes in it. 2 coats of color, then went over the top with 5 layers of clear. Wow!!!, did the clear ever bring out the copper flake, it also smoothed out the texture & gave it a nice gloss. Just wish I had a better closeup picture. But, very happy with the way it turned out

 

[Gumbo76]

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Hey, man! I'm definitely interested in what you have planned for this project! More pictures when you get them!

So what are your plans with the bike? Specifically? Cant wait to see the progress!

 

[Garand1]

I really want to keep it in its original form.....the muscle/sport bikes from the 70s & 80s are just awesome looking imho. I'm thinking black with some orange or copper color striping and trim pieces. Upgrade the electrical system, HID headlight, Trail Tech Vapor cluster, and will probably make my own dash lights maybe with colored L.E.D's.....I'm kinda not sure with the wheels, thinking of either having them soda blasted and then clear coated in natural, or painting them in the same paint that i did the frame in. Of course it helps that i can do 97% of this stuff at my work.
This picture is another of the paint on the frame.....wish i could get a good clear picture that shows it better. I'll try to fiddle with camera settings more tomorrow

 

[Good Times]

Do it up! Can't wait to see. Have any before pictures?

 

[Gumbo76]

...will probably make my own dash lights maybe with colored L.E.D.'s...

This is what I did for my dummy lights. Green for blinkers, Red for oil Sensor, and Blue for High Beams. I'd suggest a less bright Blue bulb though. VERY distracting at night! LOL!

 

[Garand1]

This is what I did for my dummy lights. Green for blinkers, Red for oil Sensor, and Blue for High Beams. I'd suggest a less bright Blue bulb though. VERY distracting at night! LOL!

Hey, that is very similar to what i was thinking, nice aluminum plate mounted with some small dummy lights. Will have to see how much room I'll have when I get the TrailTec mounted

 

[Garand1]

frame after paint-if you look really close you can see the copper flake in the paint in a couple of spots.
I started two jobs today...worked on the swing-arm, cleaned it up and got the old bearings out...ruined them of course, but they needed replacement anyway. I'm not sure what I want to do with the swing-arm.....a few posibilities are; paint it black, paint it the same as the frame, paint it silver, or paint it a copper color....i did find a copper metalic color that is a chevrolet color. 2nd thing I did was to start stripping the paint off the wheels.....I used some Aircraft stripper and got some of the rear done and I think I'm going to really like the wheels in bare aluminum.

 

[Garand1]

just a quick picture of the tank.......I cant believe how the paint went to #$&&, it sat in my garage for 11 or 12 years....in a dark corner.

 

[Gumbo76]

just a quick picture of the tank.......I cant believe how the paint went to #$&&, it sat in my garage for 11 or 12 years....in a dark corner.

Unless those scratches are really deep, like into the color or to the metal, you should be able to buff most of those out. It doesn't look beyond repair to me. Are you planning on painting the tank too, or leaving it stock?

 

[Garand1]

was planning on stripping & painting the tank anyway, but its pretty nasty....its like the paint dried and shrunk. The paint was 10years old when i put the bike away and was near perfect.

 

[Garand1]

Worked on the forks today and got them pretty much done, one of them was pitted, but thankfully it is above the seal. I dissembled, cleaned, stripped the original clear coat, installed the springs, repaired the pits in the one fork and reassembled with BelRay 20wt (180cc as per the Suzuki service manual). I was going to paint them the same as the frame but decided not to. What are your thoughts on the fork skinz????.....they went on hard but i really like them.

 

[7981GS]

What are they? Can you get a clear close up and a much larger pic?
Are they something like gators?

Eric

 

[Garand1]

These are from Moose Racing....think that they are also called gators..., basically neoprene socks. I'll get a closer picture. Tomorrow, hope to get the engine finished up and get the exterior of the engine acid washed and brightened up.

 

[Garand1]

Did some more work on the bike today. Swingarm painted, steering head reinstalled with new chrome balls, & forks installed into steering head. Had plans to finish the valve shimming on last Sat but the shims that were sold to me were 29mm(yamaha's i believe)....i was major bummed when i went to install them and noticed play between the bucket and the shim i had planned to get the engine buttoned up and then cleaned and painted.
Also, today received my Trail Tech Vapor(gauge/computer) and my new tires. I went with Shinko 712's....very happy with how they look, & I've had a few guys with similar bikes say they were very happy with the tires....we'll see. Had been thinking of running the new tires without the tubes....still some time to decide on that though.
I also marked my rear rotor & drilled 1/8" pilot holes, & will use the rear as a template for the front rotors.

 

[Garand1]

Did some more work today, and thought id post a few more pictures. Shinko 712 tires

 

[Garand1]

Close-up of the forks & fork skins

 

[Garand1]

The wheels with all the paint stripped off. I was going to paint them all black but i kind of like them bare aluminum. I did a few other things today also...I reinstalled the center stand, but wasn't able to pull the spring into place, wow.....that's a tight spring. Think I'll have to wait until i get the engine back in so there's some weight there. Think I've decided that I'm not going to use the stock headlight mounts. I found a few of the type that just clamp around the forks. Also, had a bike come in for state inspection that had a double headlight and i really liked it, Was very similar to this on flea-bay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/black-motor...Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item53ebf9840a

 

[Good Times]

I did a few other things today also...I reinstalled the center stand, but wasn't able to pull the spring into place, wow.....that's a tight spring.

Pull the stand back off. Put the spring on first and then the bolts. Can't stretch that spring alone. This is the voice of experience. Once it's on the stand you can pull the stand enough to stretch the springs and get the bolts in. Tricky.....

Have fun.

 

[Garand1]

I'll try that, thanks for the tip!!