Tank's Skunk Thread!

[Steel Toed Tank]

Well as I've posted elsewhere on here, I finally got my skunk home!!

I found it for sale on Kijiji a couple months ago, in Manitoba.
I chatted with the owner about it a few times on the phone, we came to an agreement (on the condition that the pieces from the frame that had been hacked off were still with the parts) for $1000.

I've been looking for a skunk since right after I bought my first T, and this was the only one I've ever seen for sale in Saskatchewan Alberta and Manitoba.

I'm glad it was in my price range!!


What I was told about this bike was that he got it as part of a larger deal involving several choppers and v-twins, and had plans for it that ended when he got a divorce.

PO said when he got it that it was a drag bike equipped with a simplified harness, stripped lights gauges and signals, struts, air shifter, etc.

He claims it has a big bore and aggressive cams but the only evidence I've seen of that is a video of it running with a pretty lumpy idle, and it has what appears to be stock carbs (unknown jetting), so who knows.

He got all the stock parts with it in his purchase so he started converting it back to a street bike, and in the process took a hacksaw to the rear of the frame.

HEARTBREAKING.

Luckily he saved the chopped pieces and I work with half a dozen journeymen welders, but still it will never be as complete as it was before the chop.

The ride to go get it was long and cold and expensive, St. Francois Xavier MB is 11 hours away and the truck we took has no heat in it and gets 11 mpg.

Worth every minute of it though!!

I've posted these already elsewhere, but here are pictures!!

This was the picture in the ad.

After chatting with him a bit I requested more pictures, these are what he sent.

And the parts boxes...

Most of the parts are from the bike but there is some spares in there, like a rear fender and the sprockets from the 630 to 520 conversion.

I haven't been through the parts boxes yet though as I was pretty beat when I got home yesterday and I just headed straight to bed.



These next pictures I took when I picked it up and afterwards when we stopped for gas and there was better light.

Not sure what I had in mind before I actually saw it IRL, but it's a little bigger and wider than I was expecting. That's a good thing as I'm not a small fellow!!

And here is the pics of it in the truck after I picked it up.

 

[Crankthat]

Congrats Tank!
Two RRs?

 

[GSXR7ED]

Tank Skunk

Tank Skunk

Wow!

That beast needs plenty of work. You're right, she will never be the same even after you weld the chopped off bits. But I'm sure you will do a great job in restoring her.

Good luck with the rebuild! I'm subscribed.




Ed

 

[Steel Toed Tank]

While I was in his shop I noticed he had a lot of barware type collectables and mentioned I collect the same stuff, so he gave me a light up Moosehead sign for free!

We made it only couple of hours before almost hitting a deer on a dark highway in the middle of nowhere so when we got to Brandon MB we stopped at a hotel for a snooze.

Waking up I found my luck with snow arriving every time I get a new bike hasn't changed at all.

The roads for the next few hours looked like this, lol.
The weather was above freezing and clear up until we woke up.

I think for now my plans for it are to get it reassembled, weld the frame pieces back on, and get everything in proper running order.

Once I know everything is how it's supposed to be I will decide which direction I want to go with a resto mod.

Either period correct Yosh race bike style upgrades or GSXR/Bandit upgrades.

Time and money will tell I suppose.

 

[Steel Toed Tank]

Congrats Tank!
Two RRs?

Thanks!

Yeah I'm not sure about that either. It has a very simple harness in the parts box that PO said was a drain to waste set-up that was on it when he got it.

He also had a diagram and the original harness and electrical parts that came with it so I think this might be a result of confusion when he was swapping back the original harness.

All my bikes will be going to a SSPB and Compufires though, so either way it doesn't matter to me so much.

 

[Steel Toed Tank]

Wow!

That beast needs plenty of work. You're right, she will never be the same even after you weld the chopped off bits. But I'm sure you will do a great job in restoring her.

Good luck with the rebuild! I'm subscribed.




Ed

Thanks Ed! I hope I do a good job on it too!!

 

[Guest]

Congrats on the find . You will love that when you get it up and running. Your T will feel like a moped after riding the skunk. Just remember if it doesn't have 4 digit's it is a moped

 

[Rob S.]

I can see why you bought her, she's gorgeous! She's a '78, right? Was that the only year of the "skunk"?

 

[chuck hahn]

There ARE NOT two R/Rs. the one is the regulator and the other is the rectifier. The 78 1000E had the twp piece system instead of the one integrated style. Take the cover off the backm of the fuse box Tank. It should just be pressed on some pegs..youll see when you look at it. Check the connections and clean any spider webs out of there Even if you need to pry the back off the pegs and they snap its no biggy. Just get some Devcon Plastic Weld and stick it back on..no harm no foul.

 

[SVSooke]

I'll come for the ride to STT

 

[tkent02]

Tank, how about a pic of the underside of the carburetors please?

 

[wymple]

Congrats Tank!
Two RRs?

1st thing I saw, too.

 

[Steve]

All my bikes will be going to a SSPB and Compufires though, so either way it doesn't matter to me so much.

I'm sure you are aware that the Polaris R/R is just as good or better, and about half the price? :-k

.

 

[Guest]

Tank,
Been thinking about you while I was riding all around central Florida, wondering if perhaps you made it down here like you were going to do at one time, and perhaps one of the zillion Harleys putting around here had you on it.
Seeing this post, I don't think you ever made it.

I had a true Skunk once, was to become my favorite motorcycle.
I got it in '79 in Alaska, less than 500 miles on it, $2,100.00.

 

[Big T]

Tank

Nice find

Take the hacked off seat loop and find a rod/pipe that slides into the holes in the tube

Put the tail cowl on the fender and both on the loop and use that to line up exactly where you want the loop to be and weld away

You want to regain the kerf from the previous cutting so you have enough gap between the seat and the cowl that the seat goes up and down okay. Err on the gap a few mm wide, the cowl position is adjustable a bit

That loop just holds the cowl, tail light and the back of the rear fender, so a decent weld should do the job

 

[Steel Toed Tank]

Congrats on the find . You will love that when you get it up and running. Your T will feel like a moped after riding the skunk. Just remember if it doesn't have 4 digit's it is a moped

Haha, I don't know about a moped, the T's aren't too many HP behind the 1000!

I can see why you bought her, she's gorgeous! She's a '78, right? Was that the only year of the "skunk"?

Yup, a 1978 GS1000E, the only year of the skunk.

There ARE NOT two R/Rs. the one is the regulator and the other is the rectifier. The 78 1000E had the twp piece system instead of the one integrated style. Take the cover off the backm of the fuse box Tank. It should just be pressed on some pegs..youll see when you look at it. Check the connections and clean any spider webs out of there Even if you need to pry the back off the pegs and they snap its no biggy. Just get some Devcon Plastic Weld and stick it back on..no harm no foul.

I learn something new every day! My only experience so far has been with single R/R models of GSes so thanks for the lesson!

Tank, how about a pic of the underside of the carburetors please?

As soon as I get it out of the truck. First thing I want to do it weld the tail back on, so she'll be in the truck until that happens.

edit: I'll see if I can snap a pic on my way to work

I'm sure you are aware that the Polaris R/R is just as good or better, and about half the price? :-k

You are correct Steve, what I meant to say was 'series R/R'.
Being me it will naturally be the cheapest one!

Tank,
Been thinking about you while I was riding all around central Florida, wondering if perhaps you made it down here like you were going to do at one time, and perhaps one of the zillion Harleys putting around here had you on it.
Seeing this post, I don't think you ever made it.

I had a true Skunk once, was to become my favorite motorcycle.
I got it in '79 in Alaska, less than 500 miles on it, $2,100.00.

Yeah that job backed out on hiring me at the last minute, so Florida was a no go. They really left me hanging too but I'm back on top now.

You'd likely never see me on a harley though, I prefer sportier bikes over tractors, lol.

Very nice skunk, hope mine turns out half as nice!

Tank

Nice find

Take the hacked off seat loop and find a rod/pipe that slides into the holes in the tube

Put the tail cowl on the fender and both on the loop and use that to line up exactly where you want the loop to be and weld away

You want to regain the kerf from the previous cutting so you have enough gap between the seat and the cowl that the seat goes up and down okay. Err on the gap a few mm wide, the cowl position is adjustable a bit

That loop just holds the cowl, tail light and the back of the rear fender, so a decent weld should do the job

Luckily for me I work with pipe welders, unlucky for me is the company WILL NOT let us weld our own stuff on site, and the fellas that have their own welding units live several hours away.

Good tip on lining it up with the tail on, thanks!

One way or another, I'll have that loop welded on by this weekend.

 

[Steel Toed Tank]

Here you go Tom.

 

[chuck hahn]

stock VM26 carbs there. Missing the oil pressure sensor wire also in the picture.

 

[Steel Toed Tank]

So I started into the Skunk today with the plan of pulling and inspecting the carbs, petcock, and tank.

The weather didn't hold out and it started to drizzle, but before that I did get some pictures, and I also have some questions.

First, pics of the tank inspection.
It shows it's age, but isn't nearly as rusty as some I've seen that sold for good $$$$.
SCORE!!

I will likely give it a vinegar derusting just to get it in the best shape possible, due to the difficulty and cost of replacing it.

Nice and solid underneath, oh yeah!


Now on to a few questions...

This is not the stock petcock is it?

I discovered a pair of dyna coils under the tank, but they aren't mounted.
What is the preferred method of attaching these to a skunk?

Also, the carbs have 3 vent tubes but I can't seem to find the vacuum port for the petcock. Where would I find that?

 

[allojohn]

If you have some old handlebars laying around you'll find a piece will fit perfectly inside the frame tubing when you put the cut bits back on.