1980 GS450L "Rebirth"

[Anonymous]

My first vehicle was my 1980 GS 450L back in 1986. It carried me to high school football practice and holds a special place in my heart. It has been in my parents garage for the past 10 years, and I was finally able to get it. It still fires right up and is in good shape, however it needs new exhaust pipes if it is to pass inspection, and who knows what else.
I was hoping someone could tell me where I could find an exhaust, even aftermarket, for my GS and if such an expense is worth the effort, or am I just trying to cling to my youth?

Thanks!

[sv650]

Try this

You can purchase "slip on" mufflers if the headers are still good.

You might need toreplace some of the rubber parts as they are usually brittle after a long storage time.

I fixed one of these that needed far more work than your bike, and felt it was worth the effort. You might find that you have a great tme on the bike with little effort or expense.

Go for it!!!

SV

[nabrams]

Hey, that's great that you held on to the bike. After a long storage period your GS450 will need several things to be the very reliable bike you remember it as.
I've "restored" two GS450 bikes that had been sitting for long periods (mine and a friend's) so I've encountered almost all the typical issues.
You will almost certainly need to do a thorough carb cleaning. The fact that it started up is deceptive. It will not produce smooth, full power till you get those carbs spotless. Your air filter element, air box and all boots that connect to the carbs will have to be checked (any air leaks and all bets are off - see my other posts about this). Your regulator/rectifier and stator should be checked (as described in the garage section of this site). It is also likely that you'll have some loose and/or dirty electrical connections.
Some of the cables may need lubrication and adjustment. Of course, you will need a new battery.
If you've never done any of the above stuff then it will take you a while to learn it all and to acquire the right tools - anywhere between 25 and 60 hours of work - I'm trying to be realistic here based on my own experience. The second time I did a "restore" (on my friend's GS450) it went much, much faster. A Clymer's manual is a must.
If you're in no rush and you enjoy wrenching an hour or two a night then I'd say go for it. If not, you could take it to shop and pay an arm-and-a-leg for them to do half-baked job that you'll have to "finish up" - once again, I'm speaking from personal experience I had with a Honda many years ago.
I'm pretty experienced with the GS450, so feel free to send questions directly to me, if you like.
Good luck to you and enjoy the bike.

[Anonymous]

Check with your local Harley Davidson shop(s) for free or really cheap mufflers. Take a look at the following thread:

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/viewtopic.php?t=24094