81 GS450 Cafe Racer Bits

[pete]

Hi all,

I've seen plenty of mention here about clip-ons and rear sets for 850's, 1000's, etc., but not much at all about the 450's.

As I already own this bike and need to do a bit of work to get it on the road, I thought I'd do the cafe racer thing while it's off the road, as when I get it back on the road, I wanna ride!

Anyway, I can't seem to find much info on what I can do over here in Aussie land as far as handlebars and rear sets go.

I think I can get Raask brand rear sets, and I'm waiting on the distributor here to respond to my query, but at $458.70 they ain't cheap.

So, I'm wondering if anyone knows of an easier/cheaper alternative to moving the pegs on a GS 450E back and up a bit? Not too extreme, just enough to get a bit more clearance.

Also, I'm trying to decide if flat or clubman bars are the way to go as opposed to clip-ons?

And, another quickie, the clear coat over the engine is really annoying as I can't polish it, and looking at other threads here, it appears the best thing to do is sand it off. Is that the best thing to do? Does it cause any grief down the road other than needing to keep it polished?

[bgmart450]

I used aircraft stripper and/or steelwool depending on the existing levels of corrosion and oxidation) to remove the clearcoat on the engine bits. No issues thus far. I'd imagine keeping it polished should help keep them safe.

I have seen those rearsets they have too... as nice as they are they are 1/2 of what I paid for my bike! If you learn of another alternative I'd sure love to hear it.

I put a flat bar on my 450 last year and found they bugged my wrists a bit more than I care for. I am going to get some clubman style bars next (and clip-ons when I hit the lottery ) The main concern I have is whether they'll hit the tank or not.

I have stripped off my gauges and installed a bicycle computer as a speedo/odo. I haven't had any issues with it so far and I love the look it made. It was also very easy to do. Today Leon (focus frenzy) showed me a Daytona digital tach that would be a nice addition.

As you can see I am looking to personalize my 450 as well. It'd be nice to see what you come up with too

[pete]

Well that sounds pretty good then, I always hated that I couldn't polish up the engine and that it looks so grungy all the time.

I had a feeling flat bars may not be the best solution, so I'll have to have a look around and see what I can.

The hardest thing over here is that very few bike shops actually have online parts and prices, so you actually need to go looking at lots of shops before you get to see something that takes your eye, and then you have to sit down when you see the price and start looking again...

I also just got a reply from the place that sells the Raask rear sets, and yep the price is right and they can get them for a GS450 which bolt straight on, which is pretty handy.

However, considering I originally paid $850.00 for my bike (roadworthy but unregistered), it's a bit more than half!

So far, I'm looking at $640.00 for a MOTAD 2 into 1 exhaust and $458.70 for the rear sets. Starting to get quite scary actually... but at least it should look good when I'm finished :-)

[first timer]

for that price it may be cheaper to try and make some rear sets your self or have a machinst do it for you.

-ryan

[gspaul]

On my bike I wasn't completly happy with the footpeg position , spent a long time looking at my footpegs.
Then went down to the wreckers,asked if I could go through thier box of foot pegs.
Came away with a pair of as new GPZ250 ( I was told ) pillion pegs $30.
I got what I was looking for,pegs are now about 40mm further back, 75mm further down, no lose of ground clearence because they tuck in closer.
Had to cut, bend and weld the brake lever and adjust my gear linkage.
So maybe take your bike down to a wreckers and have a look !

[bgmart450]

Here's a site you can buy parts for rearsets. You might be able to construct your own from the stuff here and whatever else you can find. Right there in Oz too

http://www.motorcycle-parts.com.au/rearsets1.htm

[KGB]

Wasn't there an E or ES version of the 450?
Are the pegs different on those?
And didn't it come with a small cafe style fairing?
Just a thought.......

[bgmart450]

Wasn't there an E or ES version of the 450?
Are the pegs different on those?
And didn't it come with a small cafe style fairing?
Just a thought.......

The E and S versions' pegs are further back than the L's and A's. the E and S have a linkage to the shifter shaft while the Ls shift levers are right on the shaft. I'd like to move mine a bit further back.

The S came with a nose fairing. But I want a smaller one, they really don't offer very much protection without laying on the tank anyways, and that kinda feels silly

Here's an E and S side by side
[img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0SgD3Au4UU!yYDRwTk6*F38KMy1dWmLadIj4ir5DBFABQCGUq6 mbSdFcvwwn5!91qDu1fHQ8Fc4rvgZgkut6h0l3PhMlEJogE7cb ePK5O2VZ53tqN29AVVg/P4240012.JPG[/img]

[pete]

Thanks for the replies guys!

Now, to Ryan - Yep, was going to check this option out as well before handing over the hard earned. I'm a bit "metal challenged" though, so it could be an interesting result...

gspaul - That's another thing I planned on doing, but I'll keep an eye out especially for GPZ250 pillion pegs . I had no idea what to look for, so was just going to do the same and scrounge. The other problem with this is getting the bike to a wrecker as I don't have a trailer or tow bar at the moment, but that problem may get fixed yet.

Keith and Brent - I actually have an E, although it has the bars and fairing like the picture of the S, so maybe it's actually an S? I'll be moving it into the garage today or tomorrow to start working on it, so I'll have another look then and clarify. But yes, it already has the pegs in that position with the linkage to the gear shifter, so it's definitely not an L or A.
Also, Brent, that site you sent the link to is where I got the price for the rear sets, they're actually not too far from where I work I think. Unfortunately I think the sum of the parts is dearer than the whole .

Anyway, I'm going to have a good look at things this weekend, maybe take some measurements, then try to get some time next week to go to the wreckers and have a good look around before making any decisions.

One thing's for sure, I've gotta make sure any handlebars I get still let me get to full lock without brusing my thumb.

In the meantime, if any other ideas pop up, let me know!

Cheers!

[pete]

By the way, here's one pic of my bike. The fairing's off in this one as I removed it years ago and found it handled better.

I'd just polished it up before this was taken, so it's now nowhere near as shiny and the exhausts are now majorly rusted unfortunately.

[bgmart450]

The 2 main differences between an E and an S 450 is the fairing and gold on the wheels instead of the black/grey.

Likely was an aftermarket or a fairing off an S model. They are pretty universal looking.

[pete]

Well, I've just bug sprayed the bike, sat in the pool for half an hour while it did its work, sprayed it off, sat in the pool again, and managed to fire it up for the first time in a couple of years! Geeez I love this bike, sitting still for more than 2 years and after a quick jog back and forward in gear to loosen everything up, and a jump start from a car battery, it fired straight up.

Anyway, the upshot is I've had a look at the compliance plate, and all it says is "GS 450". It doesn't say E or S or anything...

So, after removing most of the innards of the left exhaust by revving it a bit, I'll put it in the garage. I'll have some pics to put on my website too.

[pete]

Well, after my efforts yesterday, I've put some more pic's up on my web site with the ugly rust etc. so feel free to have a peek.