750 cafe project

[80GS1000]

Nice, gives it that Yoshimura racebike look. What are you going to do about a tach?

[beergood]

some slightly better pics




Oh yeah, and one of the best parts: retaining the stock Suzuki speedo face.

[beergood]

Nice, gives it that Yoshimura racebike look. What are you going to do about a tach?

I'm going to listen to the engine and drive by feel. To be honest, I rarely look at the tach.

For tuning purposes I can still screw the tach in.

[80GS1000]

I'm going to listen to the engine and drive by feel. To be honest, I rarely look at the tach.

For tuning purposes I can still screw the tach in.

Looking great! Very cool.

[beergood]

Hey, more pics never hurt, right?

Wheeled her outside to get a better/longer look at her. Sunlight really does a much better job than a cramped garage.

[Billyboy]

Sexay!!!!!!!!

[beergood]

Close up of gauge/bracket



Now all I need to do is figure out the LED resistances, configuration and I should be good. I've done stuff like that before, so I don't anticipate a problem. I am also thinking of ways to mount the gear indicator into the bracket, for no reason other than I kinda like it. I probably won't bother with that until I get more mechanical stuff out of the way. Then all the wiring is going to get some TLC.

Either the carbs are getting cleaned later this week, or the swing arm is coming off. Haven't decided which yet.

Does anyone have an odometer thumb screw? Mine didn't have one when I got it. It's not that important, but I would be willing to throw a couple bucks in an envelope if someone else would be willing to do the same.

Thanks for stopping by.

[80GS1000]

Looks even better in the daylight! Wow. The bike looks ready for some vintage roadracing now.

[beergood]

A trip down memory lane

I really should have gone crazy and taken a ton of before pics. In reality, she was so unspecial that I really wasn't inspired to take that many. These pics don't really show all the little things that were wrong.

I do kinda wish that I had the laced wheels from the first pic (previous owner kept them), however, I also like the mags, so I am not too bummed. I figure that someday I will waltz into a good pair at a swap meet, until then, it ain't no big thing.

In previous owners garage, the day I bought her:


In my driveway, after a short trip testing out the clubmans:


First (misfired) attempt at a paint scheme:

Although, I gotta be honest, I don't think it was that terrible, just not all the way there. I think my next project (because I am apparently insane, to be even thinking about one before finishing this one) I might go gloss black with a deep metallic red striping of some sort with white accents. Who knows.

And now, which is about 80% there:


That's about it for the recap. I am truly enjoying this project. And thank you for the interest, encouragement and much welcomed comments (especially 80GS1000, Jonesti, Billyboy, Tarbash 27, Mike_H, Isaac and others, I am also watching your projects with interest.)

[UncleMike]

Very nice. And more than that, very inspiring.

What's the plan for the exhaust?

[MissFabulous]

Looks beautiful! This little touches of red around the headlight & speedo are nice extras and not over done. I think you've got a really great balance of chrome, black & red. Very inspiring!

[beergood]

I would like to get a 4-1. Condition isn't important (I would prefer it to be black, so a rusty one would be fine). I am not in any hurry, since I don't want to pay $300-$400 for it. A friend picked one up for less than $100 at a swap meet last year, so that is kinda my plan as well, unless anyone out there has one they would like to part with for a reasonable price.

A friend suggested that I keep the 4-2 and chop about 8 inches of the back of each pipe and build my own baffles. This would definitely be cheaper, and I know that I could do it, but these pipes are still in pretty good shape (little surface rust on underside, nothing that wouldn't easily clean up) so it seems like a shame to take a saw to them.

I still haven't figured out what to do about turn signals. I know I don't need them (at least not in MI), but it seems slightly foolish not to have them. I kinda like the originals, but they are f'in huge. The small LED ones are nice and non-obtrusive, but I think they would look silly on a 30 year old bike (especially since I am kinda trying to keep a vintage look). I saw a couple if chrome bullet style that I thought looked good (kinda harley-ish, but I think they could work on the bike), bit they were somewhat pricey, and at this stage of the build, there are other things that I would like to spend money on. Maybe I will put the originals back on and see how they work with the mods that I have done, then post pics and see what people think.

Someone just "Buy It Now"ed a pair of gators out from underneath me on ebay while I was measuring to see if they would fit. Damn! I think the seller should have more posted soon though. Many different colors. I am thinking Red.

Here is the only other before shot I have, followed by another after from roughly the same angle:



I know my backyard is kinda making me look whitetrash in some of these pics, but we just cleaned/replaced some gutters, which explains the old one on the ground. I haven't cut it up yet (that there is good aluminum!). And we had a BBQ, which is why the burner is there and the coolers are airing out. Not that there is anything wrong with being white trash.

Alright, fine, I'm whitetrash.

[Tarbash 27]

whats up with that rediculously long brake line? Also, look at my exhaust, I chopped it and made my own little baffles. Is this what you want? Im looking for a 4-1 myself and looking to get rid of this exhaust.

[beergood]

whats up with that rediculously long brake line? Also, look at my exhaust, I chopped it and made my own little baffles. Is this what you want? Im looking for a 4-1 myself and looking to get rid of this exhaust.

When you change over to clubmans you end up with a lot of slack on all your lines. I haven't played with re-routing the brake lines because I might go over to custom SS lines. It is just wrapped back up and put on the junction to keep it from hanging/dripping all over the place. Brakes are the last thing I plan on doing before starting it, that way if I want to take apart the front end again I don't have to deal with draining/bleeding.

If I chop the exhaust, I will do it at about where the swingarm ends. I like the overall line of the exhaust, it's just too crazy long.

[Tarbash 27]

If you get a 79 GS750"L" exhaust, it comes shortcut from the factory. The end of the muffler ends at the rear axle. Id say its about 6 inches shorter than the regular 750 exhaust.