CR's EZ saga.

[Anonymous]

Okay, so I've been married a while, turned 40 and wonder where the time went. Kids are flying the coop. Life is a little monotonous. Got a cool hobby called geocaching where you use a GPS to find containers hidden in various places. Got a wonderful wife; good looking, thoughtful, and takes excellent care of me.

But something was missing.

I remember back before the wife and the life I have now to the times when my sole transportation was a champaign-colored '82 Suzuki GS 1100 EZ. At the time I had bought that bike I was riding H*nda Shadow 500 and my riding buddy had just picked up a '73 Z1. I was ready to graduate to a larger bike. I looked around and the only thing at the time that was in my price range was this EZ. So I got it.

Boy, what fun I had. It already had a pipe. I removed the aircleaner and installed pods and a jet kit. I had problems with it because the kit came with jets that were too big. It was a dog below 4k, but if I sat normally on the seat the front end would rise during a 1st gear roll-on punch. If I sat forward, the rear tire would break loose. So, I took it to have it tuned and got back a really well-mannered rocket.

In short, great fun!

Fast forward a nearly two decades and here I was wanting that excitement back in my life.

After talking to the wife and receiving her blessing I started looking. Back in the day, I had been fond of the early Eliminator, the V-Max, and that little Honda Hawk 650. Katanas were cool. GSXRs were a little radical for my taste though.

Then I saw it. On eBay someone was selling an '82 EZ. It was even the same color as the one I had. I fell in love.

That was my first mistake and it went downhill from there.

I figured I asked all of the right questions and what I got back was that this bike had been sitting for the past 5 years, it was completely stock except for a set of pipes, and as far as they knew, other that maintenance, a wrench had never touched the bike.

What should have alerted me that it was all a lie is the fact the engine is BLACK! Doh! I knew something was naggin at the back of my mind, but I was blinded with love and that was that.

I ended up paying $1900 for a "mint condition" motorcycle. I thought I had stolen it! This was a little over a year ago.

We agreed to met half way. Saw the bike and still didn't see the problems with it. Cranked it up and I got a hard on from the sound alone--no baffle.

Okay, so I've not been on a bike in well over a decade and I'm about to test ride a bike that could be dangerous to a novice. We had met in a mall parking lot and it was kind of busy. I couldn't romp on it much, but what I did do, it was strong in the low end--threatening to leave me sitting on the pavement strong.

With a grin ear-to-ear I gladly paid.

...to be continued...

[shaftzuki]

Welcome back!! That feeling you describe is priceless - doesn't matter what the bike cost - some things are just worth it!! 8)

[DMPLATT]

Hey, come on. That ain't fair. Where's the rest of it? You said it was over a year ago.



Welcome aboard.

P.S. I too was a semi victim of e-bay.

[Anonymous]

...okay, so I get the bike home. My buddy and I pull it from the truck and he is eager to hear it. No problem!

Well, problem.

Dead battery.

After taking stock of everything, or a bunch before I got disgusted and stopped, here's what else was wrong with it:

Front forks leak.
Front brakes coated with fork oil.
Engine would not run over 5k, it spits and sputters.
Front brake doesn't light the brake light.
Horns sound like a sick VW.
The rear brakes are shot and the disc is heavily scored.
The pipes that are on it aren't for that bike and are contacting the bottom of the engine case.
A multitude of screws and rubber pieces are missing.

...and on and on.

Boy, I was so sick at my stomach that the bike sat for two months for me to try to figure out what I was going to do.

I finally decide that I've got the bike, I might as well fix it and ride it. I order a set of Kerkers in anticipation of taking it in and getting it tuned. I order from Bike Bandit and a month later, still no pipes. I call and they do some research and come to find out, Kerkers discontinued those pipes for my make and model. Crap! I have to settle for some chrome V&H pipes. Not what I wanted, but they look a lot better than I envisioned.

Okay, so I take it in to my local Suzuki dealership to have it tuned, the front fork seals replaced and brakes repaired.

Three weeks later I get a call. It seems as though number 3 cylinder has absolutely no compression what so ever. Crap!

"Okay, so what is it? A burnt valve? Bad rings? What?"

"Don't know. We'll have to take the head off to see"

"Do it."

Now, why in the world would the only dealership have only one stinking guy that works on '80s and earlier bikes? Why wouldn't that whole dealership not have one of those scope thingies that would allow them to look inside the cylinder? Anyway...

The answer for the no pressure comes back.

"Don't know."

"What!?"

"Can't tell. Probably needs a valve job."

"Probably?"

Crap! See how this is becoming a theme. This bike is a pile of...

Anyway...

I say to just put it all in a box and I'll make a decision of what to do. $300 later, instead of a semi-running bike, I get a box of parts back.

The wife in the meantime has spotted this little bike shop in the low rent district of town. So I go by and talk to the guy. He says he can't promise anything, but bring it by and he'll see what's what.

Probably the first smart thing I did. (I'm still knocking on wood, though.)

I show up with my box of bike and he shows me some pics. He likes this very bike as well. Even the same color! Good news? ... or bad?

I gets a call from him a few days later and with a slight chuckle in his voice he asks me to come by.

So I show up and he's got the head and the carbs on the table. He shows me where there is some slight leaks in the valves and says he can do a quick valve job to fix that. He also shows me the number 3 intake boot had been crushed when it had been put on sometime in the past. Number 3 had been sucking air!

So for $450, I get a semi-running bike back with a valve job an front fork seals replaced. I had told him to only get it back together, I'd work on the carbs by installing the jet kit and I'd do the brakes. When that is done, I will return with the bike so he can tune it.

However, life happens and I got short of money and the bike has sat until recently. With a bit of disposable cash in my pocket I've ordered the jet kit. I've also order pod aircleaners because the airbox is such a pain the behind to remove. The front brake pads are fine, but the rears are shot. I need a new rear rotor as well, but looking for used.

So, now I presently have the bike semi torn apart and I've been discovering parts are now on the bike that weren't before. My new mechanic had been putting parts on that were missing before! How cool is that?

At present I think I'm out of pocket somewhere around $3000 for a bike that still doesn't run. Live and learn I guess.

I'll be looking for advise from you guys because this thing has been taken apart and not put back together again like it should. Like where is the main controller supposed to mount? It was just stuffed up under the tank and was just sitting there. Stuff like that.

I've still got a long ways to go!

Thanks for listening.

[Anonymous]

HERE are some pics where I was going to sell the bike on eBay right after I got it back in pieces from the dealership. I didn't get a bid of what I wanted, so it didn't sell.

Notice the plastic bag over the head--it's just sitting there.

Oh, another thing the dealer mechanic said, it won't turn backwards. Said that was a serious problem. By this time I'd have to look to see if he told me the sky was blue.

[DMPLATT]

Nice looking bike.
I would try and do the rest yourself. The Tech section is unreal. They can walk you thru anything. Trust me.

Sounds a bit like the "Perfect" condition bike I got off e-bay. Except for the fact that it DID run great.

You've got a few months to get it back together before the Southeastern Rally.

You've also got a couple GSers near you that may lend a hand?

[earlfor]

Re: CR's EZ saga.

Sheesh, what a tale. :-) Where are you? I'll be glad to turn some wrenches if youre in my neighborhood.

Earl

[Anonymous]

Re: CR's EZ saga.

Sheesh, what a tale. :-) Where are you? I'll be glad to turn some wrenches if youre in my neighborhood.

Earl

I'm a little north of you. Charleston, SC.

Thanks for the offer, though!

[earlfor]

Re: CR's EZ saga.

Unfortunately, from west of Miami to Charleston S.C. is a smidge farther than I can do after work and before dinner. :-) I thought I checked your avatar for location. Please tell me you just added your location. :-)

Earl

I'm a little north of you. Charleston, SC.

Thanks for the offer, though!

[Anonymous]

Re: CR's EZ saga.

Please tell me you just added your location.

Yeah. I was wondering where you were and I saw it under your avatar. So, I put in my own location. 8)

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Welcome, and let us know if we can help.
Sometimes things don't go as planned, but maybe your story will have a happy ending.

[Joe Nardy]

Coyote,

Try to keep in mind that this isn't just about money. This is about owning and restoring a part of your youth. It's about owning a classic motorcycle that you have molded into the bike you've always wanted. You've already fixed the worst and most expensive problems. Keep asking here and the great folks will get you up and running like a dream. You'll probably never be able to get what you've out into the bike back out of it but you'll also have a sweet classic bike that will serve you faithfully for years.

By the way, everyone knows the black motors are faster!

Joe

[solo suzuki]

Try to keep in mind that this isn't just about money. This is about owning and restoring a part of your youth. It's about owning a classic motorcycle that you have molded into the bike you've always wanted...

note to self: remember what joe said

and coyote, it's a keeper!

[Anonymous]

The sage continues...

This weekend some parts came in and was loking forward to putting in the jet ket and working on the brakes.

Didn't have much time because of family obligations, but turned a wrench...barely.

I've got the carbs off and got to wondering about the compression. I decided it needed checked. Spent far too long rounding up a compression tester only to discover the plugs are much smaller than normal. Compression test NOT accomplished.

Oh, well...

I've got the brakes apart as you know from an earlier post the front brakes are covered in oil. I wheeled her out and broke out the Simple Green. While cleaning I noticed the right bracket was awful close to the disc. In fact, it looked to be touching! Well, while it's NOT touching--barely--the disc is not in the center of the bracket. I got to looking and apparently the disc had been off--so much for a wrench had never touched the bike, huh!--because the ring that is supposed to on the outboard of the disc is inboard!

So, the wheel has to come off and the spacers moved around to re-center the disc, but I run out of time for this weekend.

So, it continues...

Oh, I'd like to replace the rear disc as it is deeply scared. I don't want to spring for new. What alternatives will fit, if it's not the exact year? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

What a weekend!

I figured I'd concentrate on safety issues, being able to stop and some horns that work, in case some cager has his finger up his butt. At least then I'd be able to stop or maybe even bring him out of his daze. Hopefully.

Start off by removing the front wheel thinking the goofs before me had put something together wrong. There isn't a ring on the outside of the right disc like there is on the left. Well, there is no ring behind the disc either. So, I clean it all up, considering with the wheel off I can get to more places easier, and reassemble. I need to replace two of the little rubber booties that go around the caliber bolts.

I process to bleeding the brake lines and discover the brake fluid is a milking brown. Yuck! So I run brake fluid through the whole system until it runs clear. Except for the right anti-dive piston. I break off the fitting trying to loosen it.

The rear I cleaned up and just reassembled keeping the old pads because I want to find a new rotor. I bleed the system and now feel like I can get the beast to stop. Will be going pretty slow until I make sure it all works like it is supposed to.

Next I move onto the horns. I scrap the factory horns that sound like they've seen better days and bolt on some "Highway Blasters." These are supposed to give off 132dB. I figure if I sound like a car I get more attention when I need it. I bet if I sould like a train I'd get very more attention, but that's a bit out of the question. Maybe a semi truck? Air horns. Eh, that's for down the road.

While trying to figure how to wire them I discover Suzuki had the hot side of the horn connected to switched power and the horn button was on the ground side. HUH? This means I'm having to run a relay to power the horn. Button/ground to activate the relay and feed postive to the + terminal of the horn as the body of the horn is ground.

I was also having problems with the horn button, so I decide to check it out. After hunting down the four tiny-assed springs that flew out of the housing I'm left with figuring out how to put it all together again. Well, I go ahead and clean all of the contacts and reassemble the unit while praying the puzzle Gods that I've got it right. Three tries later I'm swtiching turn signals and highbeams. My multimeter says the horn button is now working solidly.

In the meantime, I discover the clutch interlock has been bypassed. Not by jumping the switch or the plug. No, the harness is cut and wirenutted where it is impossible to get a crimper. Jackass. If I want to put it back I have to remove the gauges or the headlamp to get room to get in there.

The oil temp gauge wasn't registering so I check the sensor by grounding it and the needle comes up. I look it up on Bike Bandit and they want over $70 for it! Holy crap! Alternatives?

I swear, there is so much stuff that I've got to fix on this thing it's unreal. I'll be lucky if I'm riding when it gets warm around here.

Next, is I need a relay to complete the horns and then it's installing the jet kit! w00t!