GS550E plans & head scratching...

[XL-erate]

Hi folks!

I recently got a '78 GS550E chassis with forks and disc brake, wire front rim, alloy rear with disc [no caliper] and a '78 GS550 engine. Rest is
stripped. Engine turns over but is minus carbs. I'll check on the stolen status before I do anything, just in case.

I live in the mountains and all roads are wild and twisty, what some folks only dream of. Now that I have the GS pieces I may build up this Suzie after reading about the extraordinary reliability and longevity. I'm not a racer and actually my riding skills are pretty rusty. I need something forgiving in suspension and good reliable brakes. Thinking of a cafe build.

I have a good MIG and quite a few fab tools. I also have a '68 Honda 450 frame and a '75 Honda 360E K1 frame if that fits into the picture. I need cheap, cheap because of low fixed income, other than that can build just about anything. Considering buying another GS parts bike to save expense of one piece at a time.

Would one of the other frames mentioned be better, or stick with Suzuki? Any precautions or suggestions, being as I'm starting from scratch? That is, use THESE brakes, THESE carbs, THIS exhaust, that sort of thing?

May purchase some fiberglass parts, tank & seat/rear fairing or lay them up myself if they're too pricey. Really like the vintage GP look. I saw some bars that were pretty low, but not clip-ons or clubmans far as I could tell. I don't think I'd go to rear sets but stick with stock shifter/brake.

Ideas? THANKS! Real nice site and good atmosphere.

XL-erate

[Nessism]

The GS550 is a FAR better handling bike than either a honda 360 or 450. Slam dunk choice is to stay with the stock chassis.

Regarding the project on the whole, you might be better off to find a complete bike and use your extras as spares; piecing together the rest of the bike is going to be costly.

[skreemer]

to agree with the above I've seen complete and running 79 - 80 gs550's gor for as little as 500$. That might be quite a bit but you'll spend at least that getting everything together depending on the parts you have on hand. (You didn't say anything about the electrics or rear suspension and other odds and doodads that would add up pretty fast.

[tkent02]

GS 550s are easy to find. They are great bikes. You can find a 550 with a few "issues" for really cheap if you are patient.
All the little parts separately will be a lot more.

[XL-erate]

Been thinking about it all day and came to the conclusion that your answer is exactly what I wanted to hear! I really have little here but some spare parts at best, and not real confident of their condition. A complete running bike would be a nice start hah!

Thanks for some very good advice, and wisdom. Time to see what's in the barn for horse trading.

[BassCliff]

Hey howdy hey!

Mr. XL-erate,

It sounds like you've got quite a project there. This will be pretty much your own custom creation. Like an artist, you are starting with a blank canvas. Very exciting. An now, on with my "official" unofficial welcome.

Let it be known that on this day you are cordially and formally welcomed to the GSR Forum as a Junior Member in good standing with all the rights and privileges thereof. Further let it be known that your good standing can be improved with pictures (not you, your bike)! :grin:

Perhaps you've already seen these, but I like to remind all the new members. In addition to the carb rebuild series, I recommend visiting the garage section via the GSR Hompage and check out the Stator Papers. There's also a lot of great information in the Old Q&A section. I have some documentation on my little BikeCliff website to help get you familiar with doing routine maintenance tasks (note that it is 850G-specific but many tasks are common to all GS bikes). Other "user contributed" informational sites include those of Mr. bwringer, Mr. tfb and Mr. robertbarr.

And here are some quotes from one of our dear beloved gurus, Mr. bwringer, with ideas on basic maintenance needs (depending on initial condition), parts, and accessories.

***********<Quoted from Mr. bwringer>************
Carburetor maintenance:

Replace the intake boot o-rings, and possibly the intake boots. Here's the procedure:
http://bwringer.com/gs/intakeorings.html

Here's an overview of what happens with this particular problem:
http://cycleorings.com/intake.html

You'll also want to examine the boots between the carbs and the airbox. There's a good chance these are OK, but check them over.

And finally, if things still aren't exactly right, you'll want to order a set of o-rings for BS carbs from the GS owner's best friend, Robert Barr:
http://cycleorings.com

Once you receive these rare rings of delight, then you'll want to thoroughly clean and rebuild your carburetors. Here are step-by-step instructions that make this simple:
http://thegsresources.com/gs_carbrebuild.htm
*************<End Quote>*************
**********<Quote Mr. bwringer>**********
GS850 Basics:

Every GS850 has (or had) a set of well-known issues that MUST be addressed before you have a solid baseline for further troubleshooting.

It's a vintage bike, and it's quite common (as in, every single GS850 I have had contact with) that there are multiple problems that have crept up and slowly gotten worse over the years.

It's not like a newer vehicle, where there's generally one problem at a time.

These common issues are:

Intake O-rings (install NEW OEM or Viton only - common nitrile o-rings will quickly deteriorate from heat)

Intake Boots (install NEW -- these cannot be repaired)

Valve clearances (more important than most people think)

Carb/airbox boots

Airbox sealing

Air filter sealing

Petcock (install a NEW one)

On '79 models, install new points or Dyna electronic ignition (or at least verify that the old points are working correctly)

On all models, it's fairly common to have problems with the spark plug caps. These are $3 or $4 each, and often worth replacing if you're keeping the stock coils/wires.

Stock exhaust with NO leaks or holes -- good seals at the head and at the junctions underneath.
**********<End Quote>**********
***********<Quoted from Mr. bwringer>***************
Parts and Accessories:

http://denniskirk.com
Put in your bike model and see what they have.

I would definitely double and triple the recommendations to use Cycle Recycle II and Z1 Enterprises as much as possible. These guys are priceless resources. Z1 tends to have slightly better prices, CRC2 has a wider range of goodies available. If you're near Indy and can bring in an old part to match, CRC2 has a vast inventory of used parts.

http://oldbikebarn.com seems to be slowly regaining a decent reputation, but it's still caveat emptor. They don't have anything you can't get elsewhere at a better price anyway.

OEM Parts/Online Fiches:

http://www.babbittsonline.com/
Decent parts prices. Spendy shipping. Don't give you part numbers at all. Useful cross-reference if you obtain a part number elsewhere. Efficient service.

http://bikebandit.com
Fastest. Middlin' prices. Uses their own parts numbering system to obfuscate price comparisons -- can be very confusing for large orders. Cheapest shipping, so total cost usually isn't too bad.

http://flatoutmotorcycles.com
Slow. Cheapest parts prices, crazy shipping costs. Don't expect progress updates or much communication. Real Suzuki part numbers.

http://alpha-sports.com
Exorbitant parts prices. Different type of fiche interface that's quite useful at times, especially with superceded part numbers. Real parts numbers. Shipping cost and speed unknown due to insane, unholy pricing.

Stainless Bolts, Viton o-rings, metric taps, dies, assorted hard-to-find supplies and materials, etc.:
http://mcmaster.com
Fast, cheap shipping, good prices. No order minimum, but many items like bolts come in packs of 25 or 50. Excellent resource.

http://motorcycleseatcovers.com
Great quality, perfect fit (on original seat foam), and available for pretty much every bike ever made. Avoid the textured vinyl -- it's perforated.

http://newenough.com
You DO have riding gear, don't you? Great clearances, always outstanding prices and impeccable service.
***************End Quote**********************

Here are a few extra links:

Cycle-Re-Cycle Part 2
http://crc2onlinecatalog.com/

The ever popular Z1 Enterprises
http://www.z1enterprises.com

The Rice Paddy (salvage/used)
http://www.ricepaddymotorcycles.com

Ron Ayers Motorsports
http://www.ronayers.com

Lots of good info/pictures

http://www.suzukicycles.org

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed of your progress. There's lots of good folk with good experience here.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
(The unofficial GSR greeter)

[XL-erate]

Thanks for the kindly welcome there, Bass Cliff! At this point I'm starting with more of a blank mind than blank canvass! I read a poignant question once, "Can any man wage war without first measuring the cost?"

I was into GP Hondas back in the mid 60's so leaning in that direction, but with the Suz instead. Should be interesting regardless! Thanks...