Hello world

[MonkeyWrench]

Good afternoon everyone. I joined the site today in preparation for my winter project. I picked up a GS750 for $100.00 from a close friend. I'll be converting it into a caf? racer after I give the engine a run through. I'll be picking the bike up this Sunday with the title.

Other info about me. I ride a '13 Harley Fatboy mostly stock (modified stock exhaust) and put about 14K miles/year on her the last 2 years. I love riding, longest trip was a 2400 mile round trip over 3 days. I'm a big baseball fan, doesn't matter the level of play I enjoy the game. I work on cars, enjoying computers, the occasional video game (hard to do with a newborn), movies, music. Over all I'm a pretty laid back guy that loves the opportunity to learn something new.

Glad to be here and looking forward to learning from everyone. Any tips for my project are appreciated.

 

[GSXR7ED]

Hey new GS member (MonkeyWrench),

I like that you've got yourself a 750...now I'm wondering what year? Is it an 8-valve or 16-valve? (Circle vs Square valve cover)

You'll definitely have to post a pic of your GS. The HD...well, you'll find out soon enough the perception of that type of bike. No harm no foul...it doesn't matter what you ride in my book. But sometimes there's jabs pointed...you'll see soon enough. I see 9 views and no replies so that tells me right there something is amiss.

Also, you are talking about a cafe racer conversion. (Almost a double whammy) Unless you do something glorious like this thread, then you'll be in the clear. http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?232754-Hello-from-Germany&highlight=cafe+racer

In addition, there was talk of a section for cafe racers but I'm not sure if it came to fruition. Here's the thread for that:
http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?232424-The-GS-Cafe

Great to have a new member. Don't forget to post pics...I'm interested to see what $100 got you.


Ed

 

[Gorminrider]

Hi,Monkeywrench!
$100! my kinda guy!
Pix!
...until then, double-checking you've been here:
http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?196338-New-Members-CLICK-HERE!!

 

[MonkeyWrench]

GSXR7ED - Its a 1978 GS750 E with an aftermarket Vetter fairing. I'll get pics posted when I pick it up Sunday.

 

[GSXR7ED]

GS750 History

GS750 History

I did a search on your bike and found this site. I love reading the little history on these bikes...

http://www.suzukicycles.org/GS-series/GS750.shtml

Presented in October 1976, GS750 was the the first four-stroke engined Suzuki motorcycle after 22 years of only 2-stroke engines from Suzuki. The Colleda 90cc COX was the first, but the model was discontinued soon after its release in 1954 and after that Suzuki concentrated in deleveloping great two-stroke machines.


Although Suzuki had earlier been known as the home of two-strokes and for years let other manufacturors go ahead with their complicated and not-always-that-reliable four-strokes. Honda presented its CB750 already in the late sixties being a emmidiate success. Suzuki's answer, in form of the great new two-strokes in the T and later in the GT family were great bikes in the early seventies but were soon hopefully out-of-date. When even the RE5 with rotary engine turned out to be unsuccesful, it was time for Suzuki to think again. New harder emission regulations were arriving in the USA (California) killing the eventual plans of making even more powerful two-stroke machines. No, Suzuki had to swallow its pride and go with the flow. The name of the game was four-stroke.


Three four'strokes were introduced in the late '76: GS750, GS550 and GS400. All three of them had similar appearance and specification other than the GS400 had a cross-mount inline twin, six-speed gearbox and drum rear brake. The 550cc and 750cc versions had five speeds and disc brakes front and rear. All GS models had two valves per cylinder, double overhead camshafts, tubular double craddle frame, telescopic front and pivoted-fork rear suspension, fuel gauge, gear indicator and electric starter.


Suzuki Motor Company started the engineering of the four-stroke engine already in 1972 (some sources say 1973) and enormous sums of money was spent in designing a reliable and powerful engines. Today we know that the efforts paid off, the GS line had great engines that were durable and also beautiful.


At first the GS750 had a single disc brake at the front and steel wire wheels, but already in January 1977 the the model had double disc at the front. From the beginning the model had 5-speed gearbox, electric starter and 12V electric system with conventional battery and coil ignition (the CDI ignition wasn't introduced until to the GS750 until with the 16 valve models a couple of years later). The front suspension was conventional coil and oil-damped telescopic front fork, the rear suspension also conventional oil-damped swingarm with self-adjusting rear suspension. The swing arm had roller bearings instead of the bushings like in most other motorcycles, for durability.


The GSX750 engine with 65,0 mm bore and 56,4 mm stroke delivered 63?72 hp, depending on the export country. Even the restricted versions (for West-Germany etc.) were powerful enough to give the GS750 a top speed of 200 km/h, making the GS750 faster than any other Japanese motorcycle in 1976.


As already mentioned, the 1977 GS750DB had twin brake disc at the front, othervise the urgraded version (January 1977) shared the same specifications with the preview model of the GS750. Officially 1977 was the first model year for the GS750. I only presented the '76 GS750 because of the lack of the right side front disc.


The GS750E (the correct model name for the '78 year's model is GS750EC) with star cast wheels was introduced in February 1978. The most obvious differences to the earlier model were new type of wheels. Otherwise the GS750E differed from the GS750 only in small details.


The '79 GS750E was presented in December 1978 and was the last one of the eight-valve 750's (except for Japan, see further down on this page). The GSX750E with a 16-valve engine, released in January 1980, replaced the GS750E and the model was discontinued in August 1980. The bikes sold in 1980 were identical with the 1979 year's GS750EN and officially there wasn't any 1980 year's GS750ET model.


The '79 GS750EN (GS750E-II in Japan) was almost identical with the '78 year's GS750EC. The only differences I know of was that the choke handle was moved to the handlebars anf of course the flashier paintjob.


Here I will remind that the model name was never changed in the Northern America although the introduction of the 16-valve engine. For some reason, the ?X? that told about the new 4-valve cylinder head didn't find its way to the model names in USA and Canada and all the GSX models (with exception of the GSX-R series) remined GS ?over there?.


Suzuki introduced a custom styled GS750L in 1979. It had same specifications as the GS750E but had high handlebars, stepped seat, leading axle front fork, smaller fuel tank (13 l/ 3.4 US gal) and short cut silencers. Sorry, no pictures available for the moment. See the 1981 GS750GL picture further down on this page. The model was sold until 1980 and was discontinued after the presentation of the 16-valve engined GSX750L.


The GS750 engine lived on in Japan where it wasn't allowed to sell motorcycles larger than 750 cc piston displacement. Basically the GS750G was GS850G with a 748 cc engine and different handlebar, both models were sport tourers with shaft drive. The GS750G was presented in December 1979.


Suzuki presented the second and final version of the GS750G in February 1981. Cosmetic changes only. This was the last model year for the GS750G.


The GS750GL was another Japanese home market model with the reliable eight-valve engine and shaft drive. The design of the GL was obviously more chopper influenced but mechanically the GS750G and GS750GL were similar. The model was introduced in May 1981.


I haven't found info of any other model years. It's possible that the '81 was the only model year for GS750GL. Probably the model until 1983.


Ed

 

[Weasel]

Welcome MW. I too recently joined here after just picking up a GS750 with plans to build a cafe racer. I was into Harleys in the late 90s and 2000s. I have pretty much been ignored here as well with the exception of a few guys. Chuck78 has been a great source of info on the 750, you can catch up on what he shared by clicking my signature below. Maybe you, me and Chuck can enjoy our own little forum LOL

 

[MonkeyWrench]

Picked the bike up this weekend and was VERY surprised with the condition after two years outside.

 

[bikemtn]

Damn sweet bike for $100! Nice score. Looking forward to seeing what you do to her!

 

[GSXR7ED]

Yes, nice bike for the price.

Are you gonna strip her down or keep the wind jammer on her?

Ed

 

[Spyder]

Cafe' would look even sillier with a big Ol' wind jammer on it, no?

 

[MonkeyWrench]

I'll be stripping her down to the essentials for the caf? racer style I'm going for.

Fairing has been removed since this picture was taken. Now I have to work on getting her started this week. New battery, fresh gas, and few other engine items to check and we'll see if she will fire up. Then I'll get into the rats nest of wires in the headlight after that hopefully.

 

[GSXR7ED]

I'll be stripping her down to the essentials for the caf? racer style I'm going for.

Fairing has been removed since this picture was taken. Now I have to work on getting her started this week. New battery, fresh gas, and few other engine items to check and we'll see if she will fire up. Then I'll get into the rats nest of wires in the headlight after that hopefully.

Wow, if I would of re-read your first post I woulda not asked that question. Good luck with the build.


Ed

 

[dorkburger]

Hello back! Welcome.

 

[BigD_83]

Welcome to the GSR. You've got one long, cold, dark Nebraska winter to turn it into a dream machine.

Maybe you could start a project thread to keep track of all your progress

 

[MonkeyWrench]

Anyone interested in following my progress, I started a project thread here:
http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?236829-78-GS750-Project

 

[GSXR7ED]

Cool, thanks MW.

Ed

 

[WolfworksCustoms]

My original post said "nice find, try something like this"....sone reason i cant delete the 2 red "x"s....but anyway...

View attachment 43353

 

[Jedz123]

Welcome to the 750 mad house... My first ever MC was a 750L and I love the hell out of that thing... Rode the hell out of it too .

Ugly as sin on pick up too...

Enjoy your build! I'll be peeking over you shoulder periodically .

 

[GSXR7ED]

Laverne Seat

Laverne Seat

Love the seat Jedz,

I have the same step seat that came with the bike when I acquired her.

Looks like a fun ride...that's why you rode the hell outta her!


Ed