Testarossa's 1980 GS750L Project

[Testarossa]

My new handlebars got here today. Here's a few pics of the new bars, and the primed body work. Sorry about the dark pictures. Hopefully the sun will come out this week and I can get a better shot. You can't really see the bars here.

I sure wish it would warm up so I could paint.

If I were to order an E model clutch cable and brake hose, would that the correct length for the superbike bars? My L model cable and hose are quite a bit too long for use with these bars.

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

Superbars look great! They are what I am thinking of using as well. Glad you posted the pics!

 

[Testarossa]

Superbars look great! They are what I am thinking of using as well. Glad you posted the pics!

Thanks boss. I just need to find the right length clutch cable and brake line. Also need some warm weather so I can shoot some paint.

 

[Testarossa]

The sun came out today, so I decided to get a daylight shot or two of the bike with the new bars in place:

As you can more clearly see in the second photo, the clutch cable is way too long, and so is the brake line. Hopefully, someone at Z1 Enterprises will know what cable to run, I was looking at pictures of the E model bikes, and even those bars look tall compared to the superbike bars. Suggestions?

Also, I popped off the valve cover, and took a crack at adjusting the valves. Thanks mostly to BikeCliff's Website, this was really easy. Mr. Basic's PDF does a killer job of explaining what to do. I started out thinking that I already had all the tools that I needed, but after I adjusted the first valve, I realized that I needed to make the tool that Mr. Basic suggests with the wood screw. That simple tool is genius. Makes it so much easier to adjust and hold while tightening the locknut.

The PO had suggested that he had the valves adjusted with a "paper thin" clearance. Now I don't know what weight paper he was using, but normal notebook paper is usually about 0.003" and doesn't hold up to oil very well. As it happens, I was right to check it, because all the valves were too tight. I didn't spend much time checking the current clearances, but lets say that my 0.003" feeler wasn't getting in. So I set them all to 0.005" and closed her up with a new valve cover gasket.

It was also nice to verify the presence of the Dyna S that the PO claimed was installed. Sounds like the guy was pretty square with me on this deal.

 

[haggisbasher]

Looking good,

I'm following the same path so I am grateful for the pics. My superbike bars arrived today. I've never painted anything so looking forward to that. I also need to figure out the best cables.

Thanks for posting

Tom

 

[Testarossa]

What do you think of my new paint job? I'm going for the road warrior look.

Just kidding, that's just the guide coat. For those unfamiliar with painting, a light coat of contrasting paint is dusted over the high build primer. This allows you to easily see the low spots in your part. When you sand with the block, the higher areas get sanded and the black is removed. Low areas will appear as black spots, since the sandpaper won't touch them.

So I got all three body panels block sanded today. I also got my oil changed. It smelled just like that bad gas that was in the tank.

Hopefully we'll see some warm weather in the next week, so I can shoot some paint.

 

[Testarossa]

It seemed warm enough to do some painting today. I got all of my body work in base coat, and hopefully I should be able to spray some clear coat tomorrow.

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

OH you LUCKY Texan!!! It was so cold here yesterday I didn't know if the paint stripper was going to even work. 10 when I woke up!
Man those tins look AWESOME. I like the fact you can swap attitudes on the bike, schizo personality change. Are you going to color sand them before the clear?

 

[Testarossa]

OH you LUCKY Texan!!! It was so cold here yesterday I didn't know if the paint stripper was going to even work. 10 when I woke up!
Man those tins look AWESOME. I like the fact you can swap attitudes on the bike, schizo personality change. Are you going to color sand them before the clear?

I guess that I should clarify one thing. The blue and white parts are for my KZ1000. Before you ask, I did try the tank, and no it does not fit. The backbone of the frame on the KZ is significantly more narrow than the GS. I was just painting them at the same time, so I included them in the picture.

 

[Bad Kaw]

Great work! Subscribed! This is what should happen to an "L" ...my opinion!
What are the plans on the seat, fenders, and other cosmetics? Any "down-the-road" plans...
...sneaky of me to draw this out of you on your own thread, huh!

 

[Testarossa]

Well, I do plan to replace the seat with something a little more sporting. As for the fenders and other cosmetics, well, who knows. As you know I'm just about done with my KZ1000 project, and not keen on another involved bike project for a little while. I do want to sort the cable routing to clean up the shorter handlebars, but once its all street legal, I'm just going to ride this one and make changes as I go. I would like to eliminate the rear fender in place of some sort of a rear cowl like on my KZ, but that will come in time. I'm taking a different approach here since this one is a runner. The KZ was a total basketcase.

I know one thing, if this bike is anything like the KZ, then what ever plan I have now will be likely to change in time. I will say that my wife is a bit of a cafe racer fan, so I may go that direction, but I fear that those bikes are starting to be a little too popular.

 

[Bad Kaw]

...hmmmmm ... cafe ... I like that! Mini Monster-ish fairing ... Cooley-Rep-ish tail cowl ... or the KZ650 duck-bill could look 'right'. Lots of potential...sounds good!
...oh, and I know how plans-change with time ... buh-lieve me, I know!!!

 

[Testarossa]

...hmmmmm ... cafe ... I like that! Mini Monster-ish fairing ... Cooley-Rep-ish tail cowl ... or the KZ650 duck-bill could look 'right'. Lots of potential...sounds good!
...oh, and I know how plans-change with time ... buh-lieve me, I know!!!

Leon(531blackbanshee) at KZR wanted me to dress it up like a KZ650. Too funny.

 

[Motocrossx23]

Have you considered sand-blasting/painting the front and rear fenders to match? That's the route I'm going with my "L".

 

[Testarossa]

Have you considered sand-blasting/painting the front and rear fenders to match? That's the route I'm going with my "L".

That's a possibility since I have all the necessary equipment. However, the chrome is in such nice shape that it would be a shame to paint over it. Anything is a possibility I might get the bug to make a hybrid out of it the way I did my KZ1000. Then those chrome fenders will be totally gone.

 

[Testarossa]

I hope you have your sunglasses handy. Here goes some pictures of my screaming red paint job in the clear coat:

The color doesn't look quite right in those first two pictures. Those make it look too orange. This one is more true to the color:

I built some overly tall sawhorses to hang my parts while painting:

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

BRAVO!!!
I know hat you mean about camera's not capturing the true color. But I can see you holding the camera in the reflection!!!!

 

[Motocrossx23]

Wow, looking very nice! Once you wet sand and wax that color is going it pop! Great job

 

[Testarossa]

I'm hoping that the sun is shining when I get home today. If so, I'll push her outside and get a better shot of the whole bike. I did pretty good this time. I can only find one very minor run on the seam of the tank. That will be easily fixed. I probably won't get much else done this week. I have to help my son build his pinewood derby car for the race this weekend.

 

[Testarossa]

Well the paint dried, and the sun came out, so I rolled her out of the garage: