1981 GS450E Rebuild

[pete]

Indeed Charlie! Should be about $12 plus postage I reckon so I'm quite stoked

[pete]

My cheap paint arrived today... $12 + $12 courier to work... much much better than $64

So, now I can finish up those bits I missed on the rear drum and the front wheel and I can also paint the toolkit and electrics trays for under the side panels.

The only things stopping me putting the wheels on properly now after I do that painting is a new rear sprocket, fork oil, and getting a torque wrench.

Not sure when I'll get time to get those, but hopefully next week as I'm taking a week off work to paint the eaves and gutters on the house.

[pete]

Got the week off to paint the gutters but it rained all day yesterday, so instead I went to Bunnings and got some time on the bike.

Picked up these from Bunnings with my birthday gift card:





I know it's not the highest quality torque wrench in the world, but should do what I need it to. I can't see any use for it after my rebuild at the moment, so I can't justify the $300+ for the better quality ones.

The plastic paint should be good for the guages, trim on the bottom triple clamp, and the chain guard.

I then got out my newly acquired bargain basement priced Blackcote and prepared the last pieces to be painted with that in addition to the bits on the wheels and sprocket carrier that I'd missed initially:



Then got the first coat on:

[pete]

And the wheels:



Just the rim around the edge of the brake lining on the rear and the lip on the front of the centre of the front rim (if that makes sense).

So, second coat today and then it looks like the weather's clearing up so back to the gutters...

[Hornswaggle]

Making some great progress!

[Redneck]

Looking good. I plan on doing the same thing with my wheels, except I will probably either rattle can them or if I can swing it I will get them Powdercoated. Keep up the good work.

Paul

[pete]

Thanks guys I'm actually starting to feel like I'm getting somewhere

Got the second coat on yesterday but haven't taken pic's yet.

One thing I forgot to mention was I rebuilt my speedo gearbox, not so "crunchy" now:



Oh and Paul, I reckon you'll love how your wheels look when done, I think they're so much better than stock like that for what I want. Of course if I was going stock that would be a different story...

[scottychop]

Cool.

Speedo drives are pretty dang cool eh? I just rebuilt my first one a few weeks ago. Wish I could figure out how to make mine compatible with my new front end.......


Scott

[pete]

Cool? Hmmm... dunno if I'd say that...

I think you're gonna have fun getting it to work with yours for sure. If you were going with a digital speedo, you'd probably be ok with a magnet triggered sensor or something.

I also got my tax refund back, so time now for a gasket set, rear sprocket, and some shiny new handlebars me thinks...

[Scott W]

looking good Pete, I like the wheels. Might just have to do the same thing to mine.

[pete]

Cheers Scott, yeah I really like how they turned out.

Gonna be a couple of weeks before I get back to it again now, but by then I should hopefully have my gasket set (should be here in a couple of days) and a rear sprocket and new set of handlebars.

I'll need at that point to give the plastic facia over the lower triple clamp a coat or three of my newly acquired plastic rattle can paint along with the chain guard, then I can look forward to getting the rolling frame assembled fully and correctly.

[Macguyver]

Progress...WOOHOO!


Looks like there is quite a bit soon to be checked off of your "to do" list Pete! It all looks great!

Keep up the commitment to quality, and keep feeding us picture junkies!

[pete]

Haha cheers Mac, progress indeed!!!

If all goes to plan, then in about two weeks I should be doing the plastic painting and putting the first touch up coat on the crank cases and sump cover etc. where the Black Velvet pealed after curing in the BBQ (due to my bad prep work), meaning the next thing after that will be beginning the frame and engine assembly for real.

In the meantime, I've sourced a rear sprocket and what looks to be a nice set of handlebars that I hope to order today.

And, after that, I believe there will be enough left over from my tax refund to get a set of stainless steel bolts from Z1 for the case covers which would be real nice indeed and will fit nicely with my aim for polished covers.

Fingers crossed it all comes to plan, and I will definitely keep feeding everyone's (including mine) pic addictions

[pete]

Received my first present today... a flat cardboard box filled with gaskets and seals

I took a couple of pic's mainly to show what the head gasket looks like for another thread, but looks like my supposedly compatible with Windows 7 camera isn't really and I'm typing this up on the work laptop, so they'll have to wait til I get back to my PC.

Anyway, I also ordered my rear sprocket and handlebars today and they should arrive early next week.

I also just realised the other day that I need to get myself some locktite and anti seize before I start putting this stuff together properly.

[pete]

As promised, here's what I got in the mail yesterday...





I know the green gaskets are going to make a lot of people shudder around here (understandably), but my base gasket and seals will all be OEM (got them a little while back), so no need to use the green base gasket from the kit.

Now just waiting for my sprocket and handlebars and will endeavour to score some loctite and anti seize over the weekend hopefully.