1981 GS450E Rebuild

[pete]

Some old vs. new comparison, I'll let you guess which is which:



The old ones have basically shrunk in comparison and I can see now why I had intake leaks on Saturday. The outside diameter has shrunk so the clamps don't really do any real clamping, and the inside diameter has expanded.

Mr Barr's O rings back in, and you can see they aren't flat so should continue to seal well:



And back where they belong:



And carbs back in:



I cannot believe the night and day difference getting those carbs mounted. No rubber grease required, just slotted in nice and easy, and I could feel that doing the clamps up was actually having some effect, so I should be intake leak free now.

I also decided while I had the carbs off tonight that I'd put the 22.5 pilots in and wind the mixture screws out to 2 turns out, so next time I'll have a not so lean starting point...

I put the figures up on my white board, and just realised I neglected to put the needle setting up there as well which should be one clip down:



I'm also starting the hunt for a new R/R and it looks like a SH232-12 is the most common variety easily available on eBay so I'll probably try for one of those.

[Cdnpt1]

Beautiful polish on that motor, the rust gives it some character eh? Wow those intake boots are night and day, mine look like your originals, one more thing for the list for the next order.

[pete]

Beautiful polish on that motor, the rust gives it some character eh?

Well character's one word for it

Definitely want to clean that up.

Spent some $$$ getting the head and barrels wet blasted, got nice and shiny SS bolt set from Z1, polished up all the case covers, then went and left cruddy old head nuts on there... sheeesh...

[Leigh]

Congratulations, Pete!!
that sounded really sweet. Nice chunky note to it.

Yes, yes, I had to go back a few pages to catch up on where I left off.

Island Classic next year then eh?

[pete]

Congratulations, Pete!!
that sounded really sweet. Nice chunky note to it.

Yes, yes, I had to go back a few pages to catch up on where I left off.

Island Classic next year then eh?

Yeah I did a thing or two during your absence... haha

Definitely happy with that pipe, looks and sounds just right

Island Classic is looking decidedly south of iffy for me, but I have promised myself I will be riding to the island sometime... I owe it to myself! The leave pass will be the main issue this time around...

You do have some new members down your way you need to check out too, oohsam is doing a nice cafe and S0nia has a stock 450T and I believe is heading to the island and will be catching up with the likes of Simon Keuther. Trust me I wish I was going, but practicalities will dictate otherwise this time around...

[pete]

Beautiful polish on that motor, the rust gives it some character eh? Wow those intake boots are night and day, mine look like your originals, one more thing for the list for the next order.

Missed your intake boot comment initially... yes do it!

$US25.01 each from Boulevard... cheap as chips!

[Leigh]

I do have some reading to do, don't I?
haha.

It'll be good to catch Simon anyway.
I'll hunt out the new guys close to me too.

[pete]

I do have some reading to do, don't I?
haha.

It'll be good to catch Simon anyway.
I'll hunt out the new guys close to me too.

Indeed you do! Would love to hear your feedback on the colour scheme and the front guard and fork brace and stuff too... and that pipe... haha

I'm sure there's a third and maybe fourth one down your way too but could only think of the two for the moment...

[pete]

Valve arrived today, I forgot they express post everything



Made for 0.05mm clearance meaning it was verging on no clearance at all:



And valve cover is back on again:



I really need to get her on the road! I need to see if that oil burns off or if the Athena valve cover gasket really is a pile of poo. I also really need to do something with those head nuts.

I need to go back and polish up the starter motor cover yet so I might attempt to get those nuts polished up as well, otherwise it'll be replacement time.

[Leigh]

Indeed you do! Would love to hear your feedback on the colour scheme and the front guard and fork brace and stuff too... and that pipe... haha

That pipe is the ducks guts.
I thought you might have gone with the reverse cone but that looks great.
Is there a shield to go on it as well?

Front guard.. Hmm.
Is it sitting too high? Or am I being lied to by the photos?
Mine hugs right down over the tyre.

Are you painting the bike in that spearmint colour?

[pete]

That pipe is the ducks guts.
I thought you might have gone with the reverse cone but that looks great.
Is there a shield to go on it as well?

Front guard.. Hmm.
Is it sitting too high? Or am I being lied to by the photos?
Mine hugs right down over the tyre.

Are you painting the bike in that spearmint colour?

Haha exactly what I thought, duck's guts indeed! Can't give the guy at Tranzac enough credit for how well he pulled that off...

And yeah that is a reverse mega too

I nearly went a Conti style end cap but I'm so glad he suggested the reverse mega as an alternative...

The front guard is currently 25mm's too high and I need to drop it, it needs to be up just a tad for that true scrambler look.

This is the plan for the colour courtesy of Tim Tom's idea of making the rear guard black and front guard the same colour, except my work below doesn't compare with his original Photoshop work (he didn't have the stripes in his though):

[pete]

Just thinking I need to take a night off the bike probably tonight or tomorrow night and start compiling a list of the remaining stuff to do and make sure I have $$$ available at the right times otherwise it ain't getting done this year which is gonna bite the big one...

I'm currently watching a ton of R/R's and some mirrors on eBay and I haven't even made the time to choose one of them yet...

[Leigh]

Aww red, not spearmint?
Hahaha.
That will look the goods when it's done.

The can looks great from that angle.
I thought it was a straight mega from the other photo.
Soooo shiny...

[pete]

Aww red, not spearmint?
Hahaha.
That will look the goods when it's done.

The can looks great from that angle.
I thought it was a straight mega from the other photo.
Soooo shiny...

Ha, no, not spearmint... More of a peppermint guy to be truthful...

Essentially I'm thinking a slightly deeper shade of the maroon that's on there now with the white stripes should be a good way forward.

And yeah... shiny

Ceramic coated as opposed to chrome too, and you can really feel the difference, the pipe was definitely not putting out anywhere near as much heat as a chrome one does.

I'd really like the heat shield to go a bit further forward, but the pipe at that point sits in the thin part of my leg just above the ankle so it might be ok.

If all else fails, there was a point earlier in the thread where lots of heat shield ideas where bandied about...

And on a totally different note, something cropped up today which may mean no more budget for the time being, which really puts the kybosh on the this year timeframe if it happens. Got home ready for the paint conversation to receive different news altogether, so just have to wait and see at the moment.

[Leigh]

Hmmm, that doesn't sound good.
I hope everything works out all right, mate.