1980 GS 850 Cafe Project (yay, another one...)

[Guest]

So, my buddy wanted this bike out of his yard. I obliged.

I started fooling around with the bike, and found that the cost of replacing the missing side covers was prohibitive. I thought to myself, "What would look cooler than side covers and cost less? Daylight!"

Well, you know how one thing leads to another...

Now it's a full-blown cafe racer project (my first), and boy have I got questions! Such as:

How do I go about lowering the front end a couple of inches?

Should I mount rearsets at the pillion peg locations or somewhere else?

Does anybody know a source for really cool (and competitively priced) led turn signals/taillight/headlight?

How do I keep my wife from noticing we're hemorrhaging money?

[BassCliff]

Greetings and Salutations!!

Hi Mr. buzznichols,

In your "mega-welcome" is a list of most of our favorite vendors for OEM and aftermarket parts. You'll have fun shopping around.

Lowering the bike a couple of inches will drastically affect the handling. Here are some tips, but be cautious with ground clearance: Lowering Your Bike.

I would suggest that you get the bike running well and in good order before you start making your modifications. It's easier to start from a known good baseline.

Anyway, 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

[Scudder]

I pushed my forks up through the triple tree, and bolted clip ons to the fork that was sticking through. Make the bike look cooler, and not as uncomfortable to ride. I also lowered the rear of my gs750 with 11" shocks. If your 850 is shaft drive your out of luck on that on, however.

Scudder

[Soyanarchisto]

Scudder that is one gorgeous bike!

[airbornespud]

i don't know if you can keep your wife from noticing, but i've found that buying one part every paycheck helps. it may slow your build down, but that's not always a bad thing. another one if my tricks is to start selling things around the house on CL or eBay and using that to buy parts. plus it gets rid of the clutter and gives you more room in the shed / garage.

[buzznichols]

Hey, that's great advice. Thanks.
Also, 2nd that opinion on Scudder's bike. Real pretty.

[Octain]

Cafe a 850?
Who would do sucha thing?

Ebay is your friend. Find just about everything you need.

[MisterCinders]

Cafe a 850?
Who would do sucha thing?

Ebay is your friend. Find just about everything you need.

Yes to cafe an 850 is absurd. You cafe a 750, and then convert it to an 850.

[dispatch510]

I pushed my forks up through the triple tree, and bolted clip ons to the fork that was sticking through. Make the bike look cooler, and not as uncomfortable to ride. I also lowered the rear of my gs750 with 11" shocks. If your 850 is shaft drive your out of luck on that on, however.

Scudder

Nice, Where did you find the 11 in shocks?

[lemmon95gt]

heres my 850....shafty.....i love it