A Little Tinkerin', A Little Drinkerin'

[Leigh]

I wouldn't say it's a rebuild as such, more of a spit and polish.
Around June, I think, I got hold of a sweet old GSX750E.

Everything on it is bog stock, except for the 4 into 1 and O'Brien can.
I haven't been able to do much due to a slowly mending broken collar bone. But now I have enough movement and strength to start.

I've had a bit of a tinker and done some scrubbing.
The bodywork, which was fine except for the hazing and crackly tank, now looks like this.

That is coat #1. I'm pretty pleased with myself as I have never wielded a spray gun before. Only cans.

The new Progressive Suspension 1204 shocks are on their way from a mate in Vegas. The eBay bloke wouldn't post outside the US.

$19.99 USD. Yes, I gots me a bargain there. They are, allegedly, just old stock.

The frame is covered in dust and rubbish but most of it wiped off with a kero soaked rag. the small patches of surface rust I have attacked with a whire wheel and Killrust black. This is a before shot, obviously.

The exhaust is off to a mates tomorrow to be sandblasted, then VHT'd and wrapped in black wrap.
I have ordered new mirrors, tank protectors (belly and knee pads) off eBay.
Tomorrow, I will ring the brake line man and get a set of Goodridge sent to me.
The sizal wheels and compound await.

I have pulled the forks, they are off to a trusted mechanic to be checked and serviced.

All I need to source now is a rear indicator lens, the pinstripe kit and tyres.

The bin in my shed has a quite a few cans squashed into it.

 

[Leigh]

Oh, and for all you blokes with your roomy sheds and bike jigs?
I'm just a little envious.

 

[Guest]

Lookin' good Leigh! Nice find on those shocks for sure, need to something about mine down the track.

What colour blue is that by the way? Trying to find a nice deep blue for mine once I get to that point...

 

[Leigh]

It's Killrust, Pete.
The colour is called "Ocean".

If you want deeper again. there is a Colourbond colour called "Deep Ocean"
Similar tint but a lot darker shade.

 

[Nessism]

Looks like a fun project Leigh. Body work is looking GOOD! And that frame is DIRTY! Was that bike doing taxi service in the city before you got it?

Keep those photos coming.

 

[Leigh]

Taxi? I don't know about that?
From all the dust and dirt, I would have imagine it was used in a coal mine.
Still, what do you expect after 29 and a bit years?

 

[Leigh]

Polish? Bah! I hate polish.
I've been a truck driver for the last 18 odd years.
I know about polishing crap.

2 hours in the shed tonight with a couple of cans.

The sizal wheels couldn't get into the real corners of the rim.

Out with the wet & dry, old nappies and the Autosol.

I really hate polishing.

 

[Guest]

I feel your pain... a lot of chrome is going away with my rebuild... I only want just enough shiny bits to be, well, shiny...

 

[Ricko19]

Top work there Leigh! Sounds like she's coming togther well. Wish I was well enough to tackle all that stuff on my bike - needs a bit of TLC too.

Jelous about your score with the shocks! Well done! Been looking for a bargain like that for mine as well - must have missed those

Looking forward to more pics mate

 

[Leigh]

You're a wise man, Pete.
The only shiny things will be the edges of the rims.
Maybe some bits of the engine..

Cheers, Ricko, I'm getting there inch by inch mate.

 

[Guest]

Great minds think alike hey Leigh! Or is it all fools think the same? Hmmm...

I'm going shiny case covers on the engine, shiny rim edges (all my spokes are painted already), shiny footpeg brackets, and that'll be about it depending on what I do for an exhaust.

I may end up shining up the carb bowls yet... undecided on that one.

 

[Leigh]

Yup, shiny covers and I might polish the rear peg brackets around the edges.
I was thinking of doing the barrels in black and leaving the case and the head in silver.
I saw one on here like it.. Looked pretty swish.

 

[Guest]

My cases and valve cover are going POR 15 Black Velvet (in fact they are now), but I'm going to send my barrels and head off to a guy in Jimboomba to be "wet blasted".

Apparently once it's done, you no longer need to worry about road grime or anything, it'll all just wash off with soapy water...

He's quoted me $130 - 140 for mine and I'll get it done real soon I hope because I'm almost ready to put the motor back together after I BBQ the lower crank case etc.

 

[Leigh]

Sounds all right..
There will be photos of course?

 

[Guest]

There's already some photos, but more to come, especially things like the wet blasting.

Current ones are towards the end of my rebuild thread here (can it be nearly 6 years since I started? wow!!):

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=158670

And here's a rather lengthy thread about my confusion of what to do with the engine and how it lead to part POR 15 Black Velvet and part wet blasting:

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=135476

Looks like it may rain this weekend, but if not I'm hoping my motor will go in the BBQ again...

 

[Leigh]

Sheesh..
All I'm doing is giving my bike a bit of a rub with a wet rag by comparison.

I will be out in the shed this weekend to do a bit more T & D..

Photos will follow..
I got my mirrors($24), tank pad($4), knee pads($8) and exhaust wrap($55) in from ebay..
The forks($100 to service/oil) will be done tomorrow..
Griffin is posting me some blinker lenses this week (bloody champion!)..
The shocks are out on the ocean somewhere..

Then it's tyres, probably Avons I think, the RWC and rego..

All this by the GP?
Maaaaaaybe.

 

[Guest]

Sheesh..
All I'm doing is giving my bike a bit of a rub with a wet rag by comparison.

Bet you you're done years ahead of me though

If I had've realised how little time I would have to work on it, I would've done a tidy up like your doing rather than the rebuild, I'm having serious riding withdrawals and have been for a few years now...

I will be out in the shed this weekend to do a bit more T & D..

Photos will follow..
I got my mirrors($24), tank pad($4), knee pads($8) and exhaust wrap($55) in from ebay..
The forks($100 to service/oil) will be done tomorrow..
Griffin is posting me some blinker lenses this week (bloody champion!)..
The shocks are out on the ocean somewhere..

Then it's tyres, probably Avons I think, the RWC and rego..

All this by the GP?
Maaaaaaybe.

That's all sounding real good!

What sort of mirrors and knee pads are you getting? I'm undecided on mirrors, whether stalks or bar ends, but I'm thinking of trying to get some custom made rubber knee pads designed for my tank along the links of the old trumpy rubber knee pads.

I also discovered Michelin sell some tires called Pilot Sporty I think they were that could be good for our old GS size rims and are based on the Pilot Sports, so theoretically they should be good.

And don't worry, still a month or more to the GP, plenty of time (you lucky b*&%%%)

 

[Leigh]

The mirrors are these..

..and the knee pads are these..

Michys eh?
I'll have to have a look.
The BT45, Avon Roadriders and Shinkos are all about the same price, $290 to $350..

 

[Guest]

Those are like the mirrors I currently have... undecided yet and a long way from needing to worry about it

Apparently there are Michys, however a quick look again this morning showed me a completely different story... no good at all! So I may be leading you up a garden path without a paddle there...

 

[Leigh]

I am off to my happy place this afternoon to pick up the forks so I'll talk to the blokes there then and see what they can get for me..