• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

1981 GS450E Rebuild

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
Woodsy, fork brace as in a substanial cast or billet clamps on the top of the fork.
ensures both forks move in unison eliminating any flex or distortion of the axle, and yes could used as a guard mount.
 
Last edited:
with one like this, a plastic guard could be cut to fit over it rather than under, and screwed to it. which would give the required larger clearance appearance.



5904684956_75d59557f2.jpg




But hey its not my project, its for Pete to do whatever way he pleases, and it sure as hell aint the only or cheapest way.


John
 
Well... I'm decided on one of two methods definitely, all depending on measurements, exhaust clearance, money, and looks :rolleyes:

One is to raise the stock guard with 3mm thick brackets which should at least keep the same rigidity as the stock mudguard has built in (I hope anyway). That's totally dependent on how much clearance there is for the pipes and how stupid it looks. I have a feeling a raised road style guard just won't look right regardless.

The second is to do exactly what John suggested and get that plastic dirt bike guard (or similar) off eBay and attach it to the top of a proper fork brace.

If the guy on here can be convinced to split his 450 parts up there may be a reasonably priced fork brace available depending on what he wants for it and postage costs from the US... otherwise I'll have to ante up for a new Tarozzi brace, and as Landshark said it's really not that much compared to the exhaust cost... and of course the Ikon stuff ain't gonna be cheap either...

I didn't get to call Tranzac today either, work has been a complete s*&t fight since I got back on Monday and it's an absolute madhouse at the moment, so haven't been able to spare 5 minutes to call. I have to do that tomorrow though, getting desperate here!

In fact, I'm getting so desperate that I rearranged what's on the white board tonight and did a couple of diagrams with the two mudguard measurements:



And tidied the mess in the corner so I could see the sockets again (which I still need to organise):



And I was so desperate for some action I photographed it! Sheesh...

That also reminds me John that I need to return that there art of welding book...
 
Well I'm looking through the Tarozzi application PDF and it looks like I need a brace designed for 33mm diameter forks with 56mm diameter fork lowers and 175mm centre to centre for the fork leg width apart.

Naturally I'll need to measure mine whenever it comes back to confirm this, but there's lots of models with the same measurements, and interestingly enough there's an "A" version which is arched for the GT380. If the arched is a higher version, then that would be quite handy if it's the same in all other aspects as that would really allow a high mount mudguard appearance... I shall have to do some more Googling now for GT380 braces...
 
mike-s said:
how does this look? ebay heat shield
Click to expand...

Honestly I ain't keen on the mounting method for those ones, I wouldn't be happy to wrap hose clamps around the ceramic coating...

However...

I got a spare 2 minutes to call Tranzac today... it's been made!! :dancing:

However...

It goes to the ceramic coaters on Friday, so it should be ready at the end of next week. I could get the bike back this Saturday, but I believe I may be able to do the BBQ'ing of the painted bits, so I think I'll do that and get the bike back with the exhaust at the same time, so maybe Saturday week or I might take the following Monday or Tuesday off and get it towed then.

The other good news is that I don't have to worry about a heat shield after all, when I spoke to him today he said he made one already! Mind you, if I'm keen I can always go and make a fancy one later if I want to... but one less thing to make means less time before it's on the road :D
 
Very nice, something extra to increase your value for money just a little bit :)

Hoppefully he's kept with the general theme of the bike, i'm sure he would, especially if he's GOT the bike there with him to measure it all up.
 
mike-s said:
Very nice, something extra to increase your value for money just a little bit :)

Hoppefully he's kept with the general theme of the bike, i'm sure he would, especially if he's GOT the bike there with him to measure it all up.
Click to expand...

Yup for sure! I suspect it'll be nothing fancy, just a solid piece of steel or whatever that follows the shape of the pipe where the rider and pillion legs are, but I won't be doing any complaining :D

cowboyup3371 said:
Woo hoo :dancing:
Click to expand...

Yeah baby! :D
 
Well it seems I at least have something to do this week at last... although Tuesday I'm supposed to be working til 10pm so can't see me doing anything that night :eek:

Anyway, got an hour or so today to BBQ the painted bits and while that was cooking away I got to finish trimming the duck tail to size.

In the BBQ:



I obviously didn't get a couple of bits prep'd real well, but it looks like I can get away without redoing them.

Trimmed duck tail:



Seat lock cut out seems to be good:

 
Took them out after they'd cooled a bit, and yeah, definitely some bits weren't prep'd enough, but over all pretty good. I was also expecting it to end up not quite so matte given the can says satin, but it'll fit in ok I think as I really don't wanna have to do it all again:



And the grab handle seems like it'll fit ok too:



I still need to test fit the duck tail against the seat and seat trim as I expect I'll need to do some touch ups to the shape, but it lines up pretty well with the front of the stock duck tail now which is all I was really trying to achieve before the bike got back. It needs lots more sanding yet too to get rid of the excess sharp pointy bits after cutting it today, and of course in preparation for the putty to go over the top to even it all out and get it to be a good base for painting.

So now I can put the carbs back together and assemble the front brake caliper which means I don't have to sit around doing nothing waiting for the bike to get back from Tranzac... nice :D

I also figured out I should be able to get a bit of a move on with the voltage monitor as well if I finish the rest of it up.
 
aww u baked em, i reckon they looked cool how they were! Hurry up and bog the tail!
 
I preferred the way they were before too, but gotta bake 'em otherwise the first sign of brake fluid and it'll be repaint time... :rolleyes:

No more work on the duck tail til the bike gets back and I can make sure it all lines up ok :p
 
I've never spilt brake fluid on any of my parts even when doing a pad change and a brake bleed, i reckon you should strip them all back and re paint them without baking them...... you know you wanna.......
 
Woodsy said:
I've never spilt brake fluid on any of my parts even when doing a pad change and a brake bleed, i reckon you should strip them all back and re paint them without baking them...... you know you wanna.......
Click to expand...

Well... I have... :rolleyes:

You have no idea how prophetic your comment was... stay tuned for an update while I upload pics...
 
Well bugger me... notice something in a little odd in this pic?



Yep, those diaphragm covers were painted with caliper paint... were being the operative word :mad:

I wondered why every time I touched some of the parts I would come away with black fingers, and I figured there was some soot from the BBQ sitting on top, unfortunately in the case of the diaphragm covers it seems it was the paint... it had baked pretty much right off, but it stuck well to nearly everything else, so I'm guessing whatever alloy they use for them just doesn't provide a suitable surface for the caliper paint.

I wiped them down with a damp rag, most of the paint came off, but the float bowls were still good:



Repeated with metho and got most of it off:



I thought maybe my prep was bad, but if you look closely you can still see the sanding marks so I can only gather it's the alloy that's the issue... bugger!

Oh well, I persevered putting the carbs together so I can get them on the bike when it gets back ready to test fire it again.

Assembled the choke lever adaptor:



And the clutch lever:



Left carb's float bowl back on with pilot and main jets inside:



See that paint stuck just fine to the float bowl... oh well...

Then I dropped the clip on the needle to raise it one notch as a starting point for the fuelling with the K&N's and new exhaust. I'll get some 2 size up mains as well at some point, but not urgent right now.

 
Left carby assembled:



And repeated for the right:



I finally get to use the new T piece:



That went in real snug between the carbs too, a much tighter fit than the old one so hopefully no more fuel leaks out of that area.

And all back together again:



And, finally, a couple of short dodgy videos to show that the choke lever adaptor in its final form actually works and has no more clearance issues, so it's ready to hook up to the lever on the GSX control once the bike is back:



That's it for tonight, man I'm so frustrated about those diaphragm covers! Guess I'll need to polish them up as they look even worse now than they did before.

Next time I'm down in the garage I should hopefully be assembling the caliper, at least the paint seems to have stuck ok to that and the caliper bracket.
 
Pete, I missed it- what kind of K&N's are you going with? I put the 2-1 filter on my GR and already went up 3 sizes on the mains (need one more I think) and about 3 washers under the needle clip. So either my stock setup was very restrictive or I have a slow fuel valve....... Better to be a little too rich starting out than too lean, right?

Good work so far man. Keep it up!
 
Big Rich said:
Pete, I missed it- what kind of K&N's are you going with? I put the 2-1 filter on my GR and already went up 3 sizes on the mains (need one more I think) and about 3 washers under the needle clip. So either my stock setup was very restrictive or I have a slow fuel valve....... Better to be a little too rich starting out than too lean, right?

Good work so far man. Keep it up!
Click to expand...

Cheers Rich! I've got individual pods for mine and when I talked to the guy at Tranzac about a starting point for jetting, he said most likely I can keep the pilot the same, go up one notch on the needles and up two sizes on the mains.

Generally speaking I think our bikes were a bit less lean from the factory than in the US as we generally lag behind in emissions laws etc. I could be wrong, that's just pure guesswork...

And yep, agreed, definitely better to be too rich! For my next fire up to test the ignitor and finally hopefully the full 15 minute heat cycle, I don't expect to hit WOT which is why I'm not worried about the mains just yet, it should mainly be on the pilot jet this time around.

Man I want my bike back... with the shiny new exhaust!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top