What to check/replace when reviving an old bike

[Guest]

Hi,
I'm Eran, new to the forum.
I'm planing to buy 2 GSX400, one is more or less complete and the other one as a parts bike
they are 84 and 85
the "working" bike has started once during the last 6 months but not ridden.
other then that it's been stored.
How can i tell what will be needed to be fixed apart from the obvious stuff like brake fluid,fresh gas etc...?
The plan is eventually to restore it completely but i'll be happy not to have to rebuild the engine too for example

Thanks
Eran

[cowboyup3371]

Welcome to the site. Basscliff will be along later with the official welcome but to get you started go here... http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff and click on the Read Me section. It contains lots of information on what needs to be done plus his site contains tutorials on how to do some of it.

[spyug]

Welcome. Our resident greeter BikeCliff/BassCliff ( he has a dual identity) will be along soon with a complete package of information for you that will answer most if not all your questions.

In the simplest terms getting a bike back on it's tires consists of a)getting the engine to run b) making sure the brakes work and c) ensuring the tires are in good shape. It is ,of course, a lot more than that since you may have to "refresh" certain subsystems. To get the bike running you may need to cleanup the electrical system as voltage may not flow correctly to the ignition switch, coils and or starter. You will ,in all likely hood, also need to clean and rebuild the carbs and possibly replace components connected to them, but all that will come clearer with the info package.

The very first thing I always look at is if the engine turns freely by hand and if it has compression when cranked over. Once you know you have the potential of a running engine then you will work on getting it running. Once running, then you know you will have a viable project.

Good luck with it and post some pics of what you will be working with.

Cheers,
Spyug

[Redman]

eran,

Welcome to GSR.

Yes, do look for the BassCliff BikeCliff site. He has a writeup about what to look for in old GS.

Do post pic of bike.
And do add your location to profile in UserCP. That will then show up in every posting.

.

[chef1366]

First get a manual.

[tkent02]

First get a manual.

From here:

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/

[eran_k]

Well, bikes not here yet. it might take a couple of weeks, in the meanwhile i wanted to ask few more questions
Which manual is better? clymer or hayns
what parts are interchangeable with the more modern GS500 (i can parts for it quit easy and there are many in breakers yards around here)

Thanks
Eran

[GateKeeper]

As mentioned get your manual from here...

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/

and here is everything else you will need...

Greetings and Salutations,


Every once in a while I will miss a new member or two and they may not receive their "mega-welcome". If you are here you probably have a 30 year old motorcycle that needs about 20 years worth of maintenance. You'll find all kinds of helpful tips, procedures, manuals, etc, in the links below. Let's get started.

Let me dump a TON of information on you and share some GS lovin'.

I just stopped by to welcome you to the forum in my own, special way.

If there's anything you'd like to know about the Suzuki GS model bikes, and most others actually, you've come to the right place. There's a lot of knowledge and experience here in the community. Come on in and let me say "HOoooowwwDY!"....

Here is your very own magical, mystical, mythical, mind-expanding "mega-welcome". Please take notice of the "Top 10 Common Issues", "Top 15 Tips For GS Happiness", the Carb Cleanup Series, and the Stator Papers. All of these tasks must be addressed in order to have a safe, reliable machine. This is what NOT to do: Top 10 Newbie Mistakes. Now let me roll out the welcome mat for you...



Please Click Here For Your Mega-Welcome, chock full of tips, suggestions, links to vendors, and other information. Then feel free to visit my little BikeCliff website where I've been collecting the wisdom of this generous community. Don't forget, we like pictures! Not you, your bike!

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[eran_k]

Thanks Gatekeeper,
I did Download the manual from the site, just wondered if i should get the clymer too.
Eran

[duaneage]

Spend your money on brakes and tires. Rebuild the calipers and master cylinder and replace the brake hoses if you can. Safety trumps everything and you need to stop properly and maintain adhesion to the road.
Before spending the money on the brakes and tires go over the bikes and see if there are any glaring problems that might make spending money on the bikes a bad idea. Not every old motorcycle is worth restoring, some are too far gone or are too hard to find parts for. Here is what I look for:

Accident damage. A little lay down is expected but if the forks are bent, the handlebars twisted, and the engine cases cracked then it's probably got more damage you can't see.

Rust. Rusty tanks are a big problem and if the tank is rusty it will need to be cleaned or replaced. Usually that means replaced. A common model is easy to find a tank for, unique models can be impossible.

Overall desirability. Eventually you will want to move on/up to a different bike so what is the market like for a model? If you spend more than you paid for a bike restoring it ( and you will) is there any hope of selling it for enough later to fund a new bike or at least recoup a portion of your investment? I've spent much more on my 650G than I could sell it for but I've also driven it 20K miles and have not qualms about keeping it for a long time.

I'm a fairly competent mechanic with a lot of tools, a heated garage, tons of spare parts, and the experience of restoring 5 bikes already to near perfect condition. I'm not afraid to tear one down (currently have one in pieces) and confident it will be running in a month or two. If you are not equipped to service or rebuild an old bike do yourself and the bike a favor and not take on a project you can't complete. There are plenty of newish bikes out there people are tired of that can be picked up cheap. They won't be classic GS rides but that's another discussion.

[BassCliff]

Hi Mr. eran_k,

I see you have already received the welcome package. Welcome to the forum.

A generous member has submitted a factory GSX400 manual which I am now hosting on my site. After you download it, flip it 90 degrees to the right so that it displays properly. One of these days I'll get around to flipping it and adding and index/bookmarks.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff