what's up from western CT

[gregp]

Hey everyone.... just bought a 1981 GS750...it's a runner but I'm sure it has issues to be dealt with. this is my second project... my first was a Honda CX 500 Deluxe. I'm not a bike mechanic...far from it...so I will be looking for some help for sure. the bike looks pretty good cosmetically but I will be modding it nonetheless...it's winter here so what else am I gonna do...some pictures of the bike now and some ideas of where I will go with it once I lower the resolution and reduce the file sizes...I will need to download the FSM if anyone has a link that would be helpful...otherwise I will search the forum....looking forward to all of your input in the coming months...

 

[gregp]

Pics of as she sits now and some ideas of where to go with the customization. will be a few posts as I am only allowed one pic per post...

 

[gregp]

first idea...not my current path though

 

[gregp]

Second idea...

 

[gregp]

this is the direction I am leaning towards most...rear of tank will be raised a bit...rear seat and cowl will be one off hand crafted from aluminum (side covers too). tank stripped and clear coated...but still possibility of leaving it red and painting the new pieces to match. up front still undecided....probably change headlight (maybe dual headlight)...and maybe simplified gauge cluster...

 

[GSXR7ED]

Welcome and good morning Greg!

Nice ride...I'm partial to 750s as I own two "T's". Anyway...interesting ideas you have going on with the seat and other things I'm sure I'm missing (because I'm not that great when it comes to noticing little niches).

I like how you came up with those ideas and photo shopped the image (I'm saying photo shopped because I don't know if there's another name for it).

Service manuals are located here: http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/

It looks like you have some great ideas on a change to the original bike. There are folks here who appreciate mods done with great quality workmanship...you'll get feedback fer sur. Just don't be too upset about the brutally honest opinion.


Ed

 

[gregp]

thanks Ed...I have participated for a few years on the CX500 forum and had a great experience there...yeah sure there are traditionalists and there are guys who customize. I like all original and I like tasteful mods. I lean towards original mechanical and mostly just cosmetic mods (if it ain't broke don't fix it). my seat pan is rusted through, the paint is starting to chip and peel and the bike was a pretty cheap Craigslist purchase...plus there are hundreds of these bikes around. there was a saying on the other forum I participated in...if you're a purist and someone chops up an original don't be upset, it just makes your original more rare and thus worth more. for reference this is the CX500 I modded from stock...hopefully I won't receive too much brutality for my actions...

 

[Snoochiewooo]

Hey everyone.... just bought a 1981 GS750...it's a runner but I'm sure it has issues to be dealt with. this is my second project... my first was a Honda CX 500 Deluxe. I'm not a bike mechanic...far from it...so I will be looking for some help for sure. the bike looks pretty good cosmetically but I will be modding it nonetheless...it's winter here so what else am I gonna do...some pictures of the bike now and some ideas of where I will go with it once I lower the resolution and reduce the file sizes...I will need to download the FSM if anyone has a link that would be helpful...otherwise I will search the forum....looking forward to all of your input in the coming months...

Welcome

This forum is friggin awesome.
So much friendly people in here.
This alone has made me look for a second gs.

Really like your ideas, I have to say.
What strikes me is that you don?t really have to do that much, to get a personal style to your bike.
Just check this german one out, might serve for some insipiration.
http://www.suzuki-classic.de/umbau_gs750_01.htm

Your black Cx turned out supergreat, and the color of that seat is soooo right.

Cheers!

 

[dorkburger]

Welcome greg.
You will get many opinions about your proposed mods, and as Ed said, some could be painfully honest.
My suggestion would be get the bikes maintenance and safety systems up to date first.
I like the exhaust on that bike- I think the muffler looks good, as im not a fan of megaphones. You sholuld also check / verify the jetting due to the exhaust change- it looks awfully blue at the head indicating a possible lean condition.

Good luck and enjoy.

 

[gregp]

Welcome

This forum is friggin awesome.
So much friendly people in here.
This alone has made me look for a second gs.

Really like your ideas, I have to say.
What strikes me is that you don?t really have to do that much, to get a personal style to your bike.
Just check this german one out, might serve for some insipiration.
http://www.suzuki-classic.de/umbau_gs750_01.htm

Your black Cx turned out supergreat, and the color of that seat is soooo right.

Cheers!

Thanks Snoo...i actually ordered a different color...a darker brown...but it "wasn't on the menu" so to speak. the seat was from motorcycleseatsdirect.com and although they say you can specify different colors I basically got what I got. once I had it I thought it was righteous enough so I went with it. the German GS looks great...kinda up my alley in so much as it appears mostly stock mechanically but some light mods cosmetically. I had thought about reusing the rear cowl on my bike (the one on the German bike looks very Kawasaki-ish to me) but I think in the end I decided for more of a raw aluminum look (which I won't get with plastics bits). I looked at a lot of vintage cowls on ebay but the reason I am doing this is it is really artistic release for me....getting back to my roots working with my hands and making some parts out of aluminum in my shop. the CX was quite a journey...and as they say it's never done. Although I think the only way to say it's done is to start something new. the GS was a great looking bike stock for sure....so that is one of the reasons I ultimately settled on it for my next project.
thanks again!

 

[gregp]

Welcome greg.
You will get many opinions about your proposed mods, and as Ed said, some could be painfully honest.
My suggestion would be get the bikes maintenance and safety systems up to date first.
I like the exhaust on that bike- I think the muffler looks good, as im not a fan of megaphones. You sholuld also check / verify the jetting due to the exhaust change- it looks awfully blue at the head indicating a possible lean condition.

Good luck and enjoy.

thanks Dorkburger (not your real name I hope!)...I will be pecking away at the maintenance items throughout these winter months. I did test drive the bike and it seemed to run well although it was a very short ride due to some really cold conditions. the bike passed inspection in Massachusetts less than a year ago so I believe it is a decent base bike to start from. I did notice the blue on the headers and can't be sure that the carbs are in order from my short test ride. because it runs I am going ahead with the cosmetics and when I can I will do so more test rides to assess the tuning. I plan to bring it to my trusted mechanic Jim Hamlin at Hamlin Cycles in Bethel CT for a professional assessment as soon as possible. Jim has worked on my CX and other vintage bikes belonging to people I know and he is very fair and honest with his assessments and service. whatever I can do myself I will do but I rely on Jim for anything beyond what I feel I can handle or what I have time for (vs. cost naturally).
i'm really excited about this project...got a few hours in today working on the seat/cowl...i'll start a new thread eventually for that stuff

 

[Redman]

DO describe your photo editing mock-up techniques.....

.

 

[gregp]

DO describe your photo editing mock-up techniques.....

.

hi Redman...I use an app called sketchbook for tablet on my Sony Vaio flip. So basically it's an app that I use on my windows 10 laptop with the touch screen. the Vaio is a laptop that can "flip" into a tablet format so I suppose the app can be run on any tablet so long as it supports some kind of digitizing pen. it's kinda like Microsoft paint but much easier to use. I'm using the basic free version. You can select various "pen types" with varying widths and even a couple airbrush options. for some of the "pen types" you even have pressure sensitivity so that the harder you press the darker the line. you can select the "dropper" (like an eye dropper) and pick up a color from your image to load into your pen or select from a "color wheel". I usually select a color from my image for similar material representations. the more I use it the better I get at it...I find it very therapeutic...

 

[GSXR7ED]

I knew there was more to this than photo shop. Dang smart ideas producing great ideas.


Ed