Making my L look a bit beater, I mean better

[tateG]

So maybe I should have left well enough alone, but that just isn't in my nature, esp. when I didn't really like the looks of the L. So I started with a total beater and slapped some flat black on it and polished the turd and came up with this...



The pic makes it look nicer than it really is, or was.

I updated not too long ago when I put an old Alphabet 4-1 exhaust on it, but then my hard drive crashed, I moved, etc and I was unable to post about more mods to the bike. Here is a peek..

[tateG]

I changed to some black superbike bars, bar end mirrors, wire wheels while keeping the dual discs up front, and new sprockets and chain of the 530 flavor. I still have to change the seat, eventually. All work I do to this thing has to be done in one day so it can be ridden to work and all done outside, I no longer have a shop to work in. I need to fix my sidecover too, just recently broke the lower mounting pin. I might change to non-L sidecovers, I think others will fit.

This bike gets ridden a lot and parked outside, hard to keep it pretty and shiny. Once I get the seat/rear end sorted I will repaint the tank and try to keep it cleaner.

Also a question, will the later rotors with the holes work with my brakes?

[tateG]

Oops, totally meaqnt to rotate that last pic. Also on the agenda, new rear shocks and maybe some non-L forks and see how that affects height and handling.

[Go Mifune]

Nice work Tate. I have an 81 gs750l that I got off of ebay for $125 and I also plan on changing to wire wheels. What type of wheels did you use? From what model bike did you get them? Did you have any issues mounting them? Also what size engine and what year is your bike?

[tateG]

It is a 1000. I won the wheels on Ebay, they were advertised as GS1000 wheels from what I remember. I used my axle and spacers up front and it worked just fine, though the axle that came with the wheel was a bit short. It was originally set up for a single disc. The rear is a different story, the wheel hub must be a 1/4" narrower than the mag wheel so that when you tighten the nut on the axle it pulls it in so that the nut is past the holes for the cotter pin. I got a big washer from the hardware store to use as a spacer and it seems to work fine. The other problem I have is the brake caliper, it is a millimeter or two off and it drags a tiny bit. I am not sure what to do about this, maybe another washer between the wheel spacer and the caliper bracket, but I am not sure where to find one in such a large diameter but thin enough.

[mf70]

I need to fix my sidecover too, just recently broke the lower mounting pin.

If you want to keep the side covers, it's pretty easy to bend a small piece of 1/8" aluminum to the needed shape and pop rivet it to repair the missing pin. I'll take a shot of the job I did tonight if it'll help. It worked out pretty well. Don't forget a safety wire for the cover!

[j.w.napier]

cool ride

tate that's is a beater alright.:-D i've got a 79 750 l and i turn it into a hard tail i call it ol'dirty right now hopefully i'll find a way to take some pic's of it so i can show you guys on here whhat i've done anyways keep it up i love the bike that look like you don't care what it looks like8-[ even though you do and they go like stink:-D anyway keep it going fuel the love

J.W.Napier

[tconroy]

So maybe I should have left well enough alone, but that just isn't in my nature, esp. when I didn't really like the looks of the L. So I started with a total beater and slapped some flat black on it and polished the turd and came up with this...



The pic makes it look nicer than it really is, or was.

I updated not too long ago when I put an old Alphabet 4-1 exhaust on it, but then my hard drive crashed, I moved, etc and I was unable to post about more mods to the bike. Here is a peek..

Where did you get the alphabet headers and did you have to rejet?????Where they chrome or black????

[tateG]

The story on the Alphabet headers is here http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...d.php?t=108802

I haven't rejetted yet, I am sure it would help the WOT (though it isn't bad), but everywhere else seems fine. I will probably switch to pods and rejet when I yank the carbs to do the boots and o-rings, but it is running great at the present and I need to spend money on one of my cars, so bike stuff that isn't cheap or free will have to wait.

[Beaker]

Mate, that is looking really sweet - it is exactly the path I want to follow, although I would probably cut everything past the shocks to make it a single seater. This guy, BikerSwag, did a fantastic job on his old Kwaka LTD and has inspired me to do something similar on a GS - just gotta find the right GS now!!

[t3rmin]

Love the flat black but I think I'd either shave the gas tank emblems or get them shiney again.

Nice work!