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Inherited a '78 GS400, bought a '78 GS750

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    #1

    Inherited a '78 GS400, bought a '78 GS750

    Hi all, name is John and I live in North Dakota. I mostly ride modern bikes, but still have a soft spot for the vintage bikes. Here are a couple of GSes I picked up recently. The gear position indicator works on both of them, lol!

    I got the GS400 from my stepdad as he wasn't riding it anymore. I'm currently going through the bike and getting the maintenance caught up using Basscliff's handy links. I've already changed the oil, filter, filter cover o-ring gasket and plan on servicing the air filter and brakes soon. Am also going to check steering head bearings and lube chassis and do anything else it needs. As it stands it runs very well, but I know it hasn't been used or serviced for at least 3 years. As you can see it's in pretty fantastic condition.






    The other GS is a '78 750. I paid $950 for it this spring. It's been repainted, but was well done in I believe the factory black, and I plan on stripping the pinstripes and replacing them with replicas of the factory blue stripes. I also plan on taking off the fairing -- fortunately the headlight bucket and ears are still mounted -- and replacing the funky floorboards with factory pegs. I may also try to locate a factory seat, but if I go used will bolster the foam. It ran when it bought it, but wouldn't hold an idle so I suspect the carbs need to be cleaned/rebuilt. It's in pretty nice shape also. Sorry about the crappy pic, it was the only one I had handy.

    Last edited by Guest; 09-01-2014, 01:02 PM.
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    #2
    Welcome to the site, John.
    The 400 looks like it belongs in a museum. Beautiful!
    Gotta love the king/queen seats. I don't care how comfortable they are, they are fugly.
    2@ \'78 GS1000

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      #3
      Thanks, Steve. Yep, the little 400 is probably the nicest unrestored bike I've ever seen, at least in person. I was surprised by how smooth the motor is -- I didn't know they were counterbalanced when I got it. I started riding on a Honda CM400T back in the eighties, and that little sucker was a tingler and a shaker. The Suzook motor is electric-smooth by comparison.

      My idea for the king & queen seat on the 750 is to have a good upholstery shop streamline and trim the passenger part of the seat down to meet flush with the rear cowl which I think would improve the looks a great deal -- kind of like a vintage Corbin without the ugly rear bucket. If it doesn't work, no great loss, right?

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        #4
        The 400 is beautiful!! I love how the cluster still has lettering on it. I have ridden a bunch of vintage bikes, and these little 400's, they may not be the fastest or the most valuable, but they are a dream to ride and work on.
        Last edited by Guest; 09-01-2014, 06:03 PM.

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          #5
          Welcome to GSR.

          Man, that 400 is show quality.

          .
          http://webpages.charter.net/ddvrnr/GS850_1100_Emblems.jpg
          Had 850G for 14 years. Now have GK since 2005.
          GK at IndyMotoGP Suzuki Display... ... GK on GSResources Page ... ... Euro Trash Ego Machine .. ..3 mo'cykls.... update 2 mocykl


          https://imgur.com/YTMtgq4

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            #6
            Thanks for the welcomes guys, I appreciate it. Am enjoying the forum a lot already, seems like a group of real helpful people here.

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              #7
              I took the rack off yesterday, and have also since then changed the oil and filter, lubed and adjusted the chain, lubed the rear brake pedal, adjusted clutch, lubed the side stand (still need to do the center stand) replaced the air filter and lubed the throttle cables and throttle tube. Oh and I polished the paint and exhaust pipes. I still have more maintenance items yet to do, but thought I'd post some pictures of the bike without the rear rack; I'm sure it's pretty useful, but I have other bikes that will carry stuff, and I thought it kind of ruined the lines of the bike, so off it came. Looks much better now I think. I'm really enjoying riding the 400, it just keeps getting better the more I tackle the maintenance items and make the adjustments it needed. I've also included a pic of the 400 with my modern-retro bike, a 2013 CB1100. That bike is really the best of the old and new in one package, I love that thing. I've personalized it a bit with a Staintune slip-on, Corbin seat and Japanese market OEM low bars along with smaller mirrors, and also the Honda OEM rack.




              Last edited by Guest; 09-03-2014, 05:53 PM.

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                #8
                The CB looks nice. I have seen the Youtube clips with the Staintune and it sounds nice as well.
                Did the previous owner keep that GS in the house? It is that good looking.

                Is that a NT650 lurking in the garage?
                2@ \'78 GS1000

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                  #9
                  Looks MUCH better without the rack IMHO.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Originally posted by steve murdoch View Post
                    The CB looks nice. I have seen the Youtube clips with the Staintune and it sounds nice as well.
                    Did the previous owner keep that GS in the house? It is that good looking.

                    Is that a NT650 lurking in the garage?
                    Hi Steve -- I'm not sure where the GS lived prior to about 4 years ago, but I guess it might've been a house pet at one time. I'm pretty tickled by this little bike and am having a lot of fun getting to know it.

                    You called it - yep, '88 Hawk GT hiding in there, along with a '77 RD400. I'll have to see if I can't locate a pic. of the whole little collection together.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      wow! Another nice twin on the forum! And you are a good picture-poster too! Nice to hear your comment on the smoothness. My twin has a slightly different engine (8 valve) but the counterbalancer is there and I think these are exceptionally smooth too compared to other bikes of the era and ilk.

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                        #12
                        I have not seen that good looking of a 400 in at least a decade. I like the physical size of them.
                        sigpic Too old, too many bikes, too many cars, too many things

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                          #13
                          Originally posted by 850 Combat View Post
                          I like the physical size of them.
                          That's a good point -- kind of like a 7/8th scale GS! Oh, and love that Lotus 7/Replica in your signature, very cool.

                          Comment

                            #14
                            That is actually a genuine 1965 Lotus. A good year for them, with Jim Clark winning Indy, and the Formula 1 World Championship.
                            sigpic Too old, too many bikes, too many cars, too many things

                            Comment

                              #15
                              I assumed it had to be a replica because I'm sure the genuine ones are pretty rare over here. Even cooler that it's the real deal!
                              Last edited by Guest; 09-04-2014, 11:30 AM.

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