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Is it a keeper?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
  • Start date Start date
A

Anonymous

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I just bought this 83 GS550e. It's not running, brakes locked up, and stuck between gears. It's been sitting for 2 years. The guy said it has a bad coil, and the brakes don't work. The bike is factory complete down to the air box. It's red and silver - red faded. Has oil in it, no leaks. Rear tire flat. It's my project bike. Gave $150 delivered. I've been told that it's tough to get parts for. Would like to know if anyone one knows what will interchange with it. I tear into it this weekend. Starting with brakes, then tranny, oil, gas tank/carb cleanout, coil, and then who knows... Any advise would be great!!! I've never worked on a bike but when it comes to 4 wheels I've done it! I ride a '01 GS500E, but always wanted one of these. I like the looks of this one better. Am I over my head?
 
1. How much is your budget for a restoration?
2. How muct time to you anticipate in spending on your project?

You've picked a great bike, parts should be easy to find on eBay.
Lots of advise here.

There's no feeling like owning something that you've brought back to life. It really belongs to YOU!

I suggest, keep it real. Get a service manual right away, a parts CD, a good book on motorcyle repair and a clean place to work. Get it safe and ridable and work on it as a rolling restoration. That way you can start enjoying it right away. It's also a lot more fun in my opinion to make improvements over time and watch the thing get better and better. Before you know it, it's awesome.

Good luck and welcome to the club of REAL bikers.
 
It's gonna be fun I think

It's gonna be fun I think

Time is the problem. I'm only home every other weekend, and traveling the rest of the time. I took a week off so I can work on this and get some other stuff done. It's being delivered this morning. Can't wait to get started!!! Once I get it running, I'm gonna trailer it, and take it with me. ANd ride and tinker as I'm on the road. I have a laptop, so I can post what I'm doing. Thank you so much for your support... I feel I'm gonna need it!!! :lol:
 
Red and silver sounds like the 650 turbo. I thought the 550s were red and white.
 
It seems original...

It seems original...

Well, actually it's silver and red, still waiting for it to get here today, but everything seems to be factory original. I've seen Pics of other bikes exactly like it, in better shape of course. I wish it was turbo! That comes later... Much later... I hope to race this within a couple of years... As soon as I get it road ready I will be taking it to the track (test and tune)just so I can see what it's made of as stock.
 
Interchange parts

Interchange parts

Can anyone tell me a source for finding out about interchange parts?
 
You would be supprised what is still available from the dealer 8)
 
Best of luck with it. If you trailer around behind you, there is no reason you can't do a little work on it at night or whenever your off time is. Before too long you'll be riding and loving the bike. Keep an eye on e-bay as parts are a plenty there if you search right.
 
Time and money will fix any and all problems :D Seriously, if you want it on the road you can get it done. Lots of bikes like that were sold, however not in Springfield MO. I know since I live there too! Check for used parts out in Rogersville at RE Cycle. It is a combination repair and salvage shop. I know he has some Suzuki stuff. It has kind of become my home away from home. Hard to say how much for your particular bike. Good luck! Dave J
 
Got it running! Sort of...

Got it running! Sort of...

It was quite a day! We dragged it out of the back of the pick-up, flat tire and all. Took the calipers loose all the way around, lubed the chain, and then realized it was stuck in a gear too. But hey! the clutch works! Rocked it back and forth untill I got it in neutral, and rolled it to the patio. The coils were gone. SO my boyfriend got out his extra coil pack from his 95 Mazda pickup(Do not try this as a permanent fix!), and -I'm not an electrical guru, so he rigged it up, took about 2 hours to figure the wiring out, and got a spark. I did get a repair manual, and it did come in handy. I cleaned out the gas tank, put racing fuel in it, and tried to fire it up...after about 20 cranks, it came to life, but only for a few seconds... that was enough to get me excited! SO we took it apart again, cleaned the lower end of the carbs out, cleaned the main jets, got the dead spiders, mud, and gunk out, checked the needle and screen, cleaned it, put it back together. Cranked it once, and it started! Warmed it up, got it off choke, reved it up( kinda slow reaction). It died once the coil pack was good and warmed up. Which is ok, I may have burned up the ignition, the coils are too hot for a bike, but I know the motor is good! Sounded great! Now I gotta find a pair of coils before I can start it up again. But in the meantime, my shopping list grows longer... Today I'm gonna dig into the brakes. The chain is toast, and the rotors are all bad. the master cylinder it gonna be tough, the reserviour screws are rusted, and wallowed out. I'm submitting a shopping list in the wanted section under 83 GS550E for what I've found so far... Any suggestions would be appreciated, this is gonna take awhile... Oh, by the way, I mentioned my boyfriend helping. He's promised that this is my project, and promises to help only when I need him... (yeah we'll see) He supports me in learning about working on bikes. (He owns 2 Suzuki Bandit 1200, drag races one, plays on the other.) Thank you for all your support so far!!!
 
lady,
You need to go into your profile and set it to allow PMs so people can get messages to you about parts they have that you might need. Anyway, for coils you can use a newer set from just about any GSXR, Katana, or Bandit. Just do an Ebay search. You can usually find sets going for about $30. Only the newest GSXR coils won't work. They have individual coils built into each plug cap which are controlled by the EMS.
 
I dunno but, wouldn't you really have been better off just getting a nice clean 550 that ran OK?

I've restored a lot of stuff and it's almost always (unless you have a rare machine) cheaper and easier to get a well maintained bike from the get go.

Sounds like this bike is going to cost you a small fortune in parts alone. That $150 investment will turn into $2500 real quick.

I do admire your enthusiasm.
 
well she may have saved another from the dreaded bone yard to keep on the streets :-k O:)
 
Much more fun to ride something you have put together, and a great way to learn about the bike itself. Wish I had more time for such enterprise, but I am slowly picking away at a couple of them. Go for it! :D
 
Getting there

Getting there

Well, you guys are right. It's a project bike that was probably headed to the bone yard. I picked this up as a project. If it gets to be too much, I'll cash in, use it as a parts bike. But I see potential. Didn't work on it today, weather was not the greatest, so I played with my grandbaby instead. Going to look for parts tomorro. Got a couple of bone yards to check out... Looking at Ebay for parts.. found several coils... watching them...
 
OOps!

OOps!

Well, I meant to take pics before I started, but all I have are ones that are showing it tore down... Will try to get Pics tomorro... But not sure how to post them...
 
They're a nice bike, nimble and surprizingly quick. Performance parts may be hard to come across, but if that's not your bag its still a hell of a bike.
 
Hey!
I second the notion of RE-Cycle in beautiful downtown Rogersville!
The guy has a good knowledge of old bikes and will visit with you about problems.
He also is priced fairly and stands behind his work.
Ozarkdrb
 
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