discouraging...

[Guest]

I just spent a couple hours working on the bike....

Useless.

I went out to the shed, sweating bullets into my shirt, jeanzls, glasses. My goal was to just do the last thing I have money to do (change the clutch cable)/since I already have the cable for months.

I expected this to be a 15 minute job.

I pulled off the tank, found the wires for the fuel sending unit have no casing on them just some old beat up cheap electrical tape covering the rusty connectors.

Pulled the old clutch cable off, struggled with the rusty cotter pin and finally got it out after breaking it 3 times with pliers and then found the clutch cable 6 inches too short.

My wife bought this for me last Xmas. Never been ridden. Started a few times but still has the totally bald and leaky tire on the back. Have the new tire in the basement to be mounted but since the stupid clutch cable seems so simple do I have a chance of ripping off the back tire correctly and getting it back on ?

Pulling the rear wheel seems more difficult.

I don't know if I was shipped the wrong cable or if the bike has been modified or not.,

It does look stock 79 gs850 but who knows....

This just sucks.

[tom203]

Take your old clutch cable to a suzuki dealer and get the right length and a better cable for maybe $25- I got to buy one soon myself and don't want to guessing as to right length .

[jeffgs]

Well man it is discouraging but nothing worth doing is easy. I had to resolve to not ride my bike for a couple of months after trying to take the easy route and getting frusterated it did not work. I made up my mind to tear everything off the bike i felt would need to be addressed after 33 years so then i was committed to doing it right. No going back and as a rule of thumb i knew i would have a 2 week turn around on parts so when i tore it down i just ordered everything instead 1 part find out needs another, wait 2 more weeks.

You have to commit either way: 3 years of payments on a new M50 which to me would have yielded plenty of ride time but no satisfaction, or just commit the time, money, and sit.down and learn this and do it the right way. We would have a fit if the factory took shortcuts why do we think it would work with an old bike. But man i cannot find words to explain the satisfaction I feel when i consider I built this myself. I know every nut and bolt and i remember feeling for torque tightening them. I have shaken it down and worked on the tune. It is not where i want it but it will be.

Don't get discouraged quickly and miss the prize

[mrbill5491]

When I decided to rehab my bike, upgrades, paint etc etc, March I pulled it into my shop at work. Plan was to have it done by that May...eeeehhhh yeah didn't work out like that. May one year later it rolled out of the shop. Just too many things keep poking their ugly heads out that needed to be done. Anyways, since riding season in your area is about to shut down, take your time over the winter and do everything you need to do. Don't get into a hurry about it. Figure out what you want to do, start looking over the bike and see what it actually needs and may need soon, might as well do it now. When it's done by spring all ya gotta do it throw in the battery fuel it and zoom zoom zoom. Budget fogitaboutit, my budget was shot just pulling the bike apart lol. You can see in my signature the major stuff I did. I think cleaning everything took more time then anything.

The end result, oooo baby looks good, runs good and turns plenty of heads when I show up at events. Was well worth it. Now shut up and have some fun lol. Oh yeah for a better pic of my bike, go to the GS Discussion section/Did anyone go for a ride today. Scroll down, you'll see it there. Pics will have Aspen Cash and Aspen Fest 2014 stamped on the pic. That is a 1 year's worth of rehabing.

[Vmass]

No worries, you'll get it done! You need that first successful task and you will be off an running.

Make sure you scroll through here for a bunch of great tutorials: http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/

I remember saying that I was looking forward to an "April Ride" on my current GS project............. well, it's almost October, which means I am 6 months behind. Maybe next April.....

Stick with it...........the tasks will get easier for you.

[BigD_83]

Yes,

lots of sweat equity goes into getting these old piglets running cleanly. I just spent an hour trying to replace the fuel line on the 550esd. Of course, I couldn't pull it off the carb end, so, maneuver the carbs a bit so I can reach in, pull th eold, and install a new cable. Go to put the carbs back in place, and the boots on the airbox side just...won't...budge. Grand. A 1/2h job just turned into a beer (and watching the Eagles crap the bed in San Fran). I have come to accept that there are things worth sweating, and things tht can be put off.

Stick with it, and eventually you'll turn your project into a pleasurable sport-touring machine with personality.

The wheel isn't that hard to do, but you'llneed to take the time to setup a bead breaker, which can be done on the cheap if you already have a workshop.

Now, about that clutch cable. From where did you source it? Check the part # against the parts fiche to ses if you were sent the wrong one. It has happened to me before, from a couple of different supply houses.

[Crankthat]

The rear tire will not be a big deal.
Take a few pictures of the spacer positions and the back brake stay/bracket before disassemble.
If it is shaft drive no spacers?
As stated above with the satisfaction and doing what needs done.
Handy to know your bike real well from working on it, more so if you or someone else is broke down on the side.
Give a total length on the cable that will not fit and a picture of your bars.
Someone will know what is wrong.
Post it in the for sale section and at least make a earn back bucks from it.

Any of the older guys on here who work on there own bikes will rarely be on the side of the road long with a breakdown if it is a doable fix.
It is good to know your bike well.
Not only being able to correct any problem, but just knowing where to look comes from working on your bike.

We all get discouraged at times with things.
Make your work area comfortable, well lit, and a better place to spend some time.
Just make it easier to work in.
Will help some.

[wymple]

"but you'llneed to take the time to setup a bead breaker,"

Shoot, I just use a vise.

[seanarthurmachado]

Now, about that clutch cable. From where did you source it? Check the part # against the parts fiche to ses if you were sent the wrong one. It has happened to me before, from a couple of different supply houses.

Unfortunately it was an eBay seller. In may.

When I measured the two cables I found the old to be 60 inches long.

The new was 50 inches. (A new old stock motion pro cable).

[BigD_83]

"but you'llneed to take the time to setup a bead breaker,"

Shoot, I just use a vise.

That's a heckuva big vise you got for yourself...but you still need a bench to use it, right?

Lots of options, thanks for sharing another one.

[eil]

My bead-breaking setup:



I'm sure I'm not even close to the first person to come up with this idea. That's two 2x4s, connected with a door hinge. Two 4x4s underneath the wheel so it isn't resting on the rotor. You can put the lower end under anything substantial, even a car. If I recall, I actually borrowed the hinge from the guest bathroom door while the wife was out.

I find tubes to be an enormous pain in the butt to deal with but if Suzuki installed them at the factory, I do so at home as well.

EDIT: On basscliff's site, there is a tutorial on how to remove the rear wheel on a shafty. Basically remove the shocks and lift the wheel up so that the axle can clear the exhausts. Once you know this, it seems obvious but I was scratching my head for a while at first.

[mrbill5491]

Unfortunately it was an eBay seller. In may.

When I measured the two cables I found the old to be 60 inches long.

The new was 50 inches. (A new old stock motion pro cable).

Ummm yeah, you want a OEM clutch cable. The Motion pro cable isn't near as stout as the OEM. I had a Motion Pro, got maybe 3 years out of it compared to nearly 30 years from the OEM clutch cable. I try to use (as well as some of the guys here) OEM parts as much as possible.

[tom203]

Take your old clutch cable to a suzuki dealer and get the right length and a better cable for maybe $25- I got to buy one soon myself and don't want to guessing as to right length .

Well there I was today enjoying a nice fall ride when my clutch cable snapped. Fortunately, there was a nice ballfield nearby -break out my spare cable, tools and in about 20 minutes, I'm good to go. No , I did not remove tank, I just temporarily routed backup cable . Will get new OEM cable to do job right.

odd thing is that I had just gone by alpha sports about 1 hour before- should have got new one then since I was suspicious of cable during last ride.

[seanarthurmachado]

Well I was pleasantly surprised. The seller issued me a refund for the cable mixup in spite of length of time.


Unfortunately dealership closed today...

[Nessism]

The cable issue is just a test of your resolve...and the beginning of your wrenching odyssey. It takes a LOT of work to maintain a 35 year old motorcycle, so you need to focus and be persistent. If changing a clutch cable constitutes a significant project you might want to consider a new hobby. Or at least getting a newer bike that needs less work.