New project build - sacrilege?

[maxandgrinch]

I really hope it isn't too sacrilegious but I'm "building," an '85 GS550L for the Dirtbag Challenge.

30 days, $1k, and capable of a 3-4 hour tour of San Francisco - that's about it on the rules. I have a little over two weeks left and it's still not running :lol: (Any NorCal experts?)

My goals are safe, rideable, legal (lights, reflectors, exhaust) and sorta WTF. The monoshock is a HUGE advantage over all the guys building hardtails.

Not sure exactly how it will all come together, and if you look at images from prior events, I do not intend to destroy it at the end.

So far I've extended swingarm 4 inches, and the done usual rearhoop-ectomy. Easy stuff vs. working on the carbs.

While the finished bike overall concept is still being hashed out - not sure a cafbobchopbrat has been done yet; I'm having a bear of a time with the carbs, but in looking around, that doesn't seem uncommon.

I just realized that I don't have any of the before images hosted so I can share them, but rather than retyping this later, I'll encourage a little anticipation to the thread? I'll get some posted later tonight - as they say, daylight's wastin'

 

[tkent02]

I really hope it isn't too sacrilegious but I'm "building," an '85 GS550L for the Dirtbag Challenge.

30 days, $1k, and capable of a 3-4 hour tour of San Francisco - that's about it on the rules. I have a little over two weeks left and it's still not running :lol: (Any NorCal experts?)

My goals are safe, rideable, legal (lights, reflectors, exhaust) and sorta WTF. The monoshock is a HUGE advantage over all the guys building hardtails.

Not sure exactly how it will all come together, and if you look at images from prior events, I do not intend to destroy it at the end.

So far I've extended swingarm 4 inches, and the done usual rearhoop-ectomy. Easy stuff vs. working on the carbs.

While the finished bike overall concept is still being hashed out - not sure a cafbobchopbrat has been done yet; I'm having a bear of a time with the carbs, but in looking around, that doesn't seem uncommon.

I just realized that I don't have any of the before images hosted so I can share them, but rather than retyping this later, I'll encourage a little anticipation to the thread? I'll get some posted later tonight - as they say, daylight's wastin'

Sacrilegious?
Nah, it's an L, your good.
We will be requiring pictures.

 

[wkmpt]

What Tom said,

 

[Guest]

Sounds like fun to me!

And ditto on the pic's...

 

[Guest]

This one looks safe.
LMAO, looks like fun to me too!!

 

[maxandgrinch]

Whew - I'm glad I'm not sawing away on a bike with a must not modify cult following; and if it was, I guess it would have cost more than a dollar.

Starting point (actually after carbs were removed):

You'd have thought it wasn't maintained, left in a field to rot, then gone through multiple attempts at resurrection, and then... actually it was- never had to fight to get any bike, even older ones, apart like on this one. Inches of goo and a lot of simple green

Swing arm with the extension, prepped for primer. I think I'm going to replace the bearings while it is apart, sorta logical, but it gets me that much closer to the $1k number.

I'm hoping to get some Ninja 250 trackbike takeoffs for the front and the rear, and decide on a color in the next 7 or 8 minutes. Oh, and get it running.

Updated progress images on Monday. Thanks for the encouragement.

 

[Guest]

Sacrilegious?
Nah, it's an L, your good.
We will be requiring pictures.

Hey now no picking on the L's :evil:

 

[maxandgrinch]

Painful week getting the carbs functioning, and I'm not sure they're right.

However, new used tires mounted and the swingarm back in place.

This is what was removed from the back

The 4" extension kinda helps?

 

[tkent02]

No footpegs, no seat? You gonna stand on the back tire like those old log roller dudes?

You could stand on the front of the swingarm if it was a little bit longer.

Oh, wait, this is art, right?

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

From a previous Dirtbag, this looks like it was pretty well executed. I like the monoshock under the seat.

Less than $850 into this '79 GS1000. It looks quite serviceable.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[scottychop]

Subscribed!

Subscribed!

Wish we could all donate some time or parts on this one! I love the Dirtbag Challenge. Nothing like a little deadline to make people think and chop harder. Good luck.ray:

 

[maxandgrinch]

I should add, I'm never, ever going to buy a project bike that doesn't run again; and secondly, I am really loving the mod part of things, but the make run? I could do without that.

I don' think I'm going to have the time to slap a coat of real paint or powder on it - which is a drag.

 

[ddaniels]

Hi,

From a previous Dirtbag, this looks like it was pretty well executed. I like the monoshock under the seat.

Less than $850 into this '79 GS1000. It looks quite serviceable.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

That's a seat? did he get if off a tractor?

 

[maxandgrinch]

It's over.

Getting it running was a real challenge, and this is the first time it moved under its own power in the 3+ weeks I've owned it, and in the prior 3 years.

That was Friday night, the event was Sunday @ 9. After dealing with things like this:

and this

Saturday morning was go time, with a four hour ride starting at nine Sunday, and time to deal with trying to make it outstanding. Challenge after challenge, time sped up.

Bike and I arrived on Sunday @ 4:30, after working overnight; it was fun and I'm exhausted.

Here's a hint of the finished (for this second) product:

The event:

Professor Dirtbag provides a comparative demonstration showing the properties of the inner and outer cylinders on an inline four cylinder air cooled motorcycle engine under stress, without an active airflow.

 

[scottychop]

More pics!!!

 

[maxandgrinch]

Final update: It was absolutely something I'll do again. It has inspired me to think a little differently on my other projects, and I would strongly recommend the experience to anyone.

I have about $330 in the the whole bike - $75 of which was the F*CK tail light, including purchase (not including the 3 years of back registration and 150%/year penalties)

If you have questions, like 'do you want to sell any of the stuff that is not on the bike now?' 'will you create a checklist for considerations before starting a DBC bike build' or 'is it for sale,' PM me.....

Now I'm going to replace fork seals, think about building a new tank for it, remake the airbox/battery cover contraption, finish shaving the front forks, add turn signals and maybe a basic instrument cluster, and powderblast the engine, really really rebuild the carbs, air intake boots, paint the exhaust.... and more burnouts.

Pics of the bike: