1979 GS850 cleanup/rebuild

[Digitus]

Looking fantastic! How did you get that final drive to sparkle? Nice.

Daniel

Thanks ! I just polished the thing, sanded out the weathering with 240 on a sanding machine, then polished with the sisal wheel, then the buffing wheel.

I'm too lazy to do the 600-800-1000 sanding by hand

[Digitus]

Hey, good to see more Europeans joining the site ... and good work there!

That 4-2 exhaust looks interesting. How available are they and what do they sell for, if you know?

FC, I agree, I think the USA market got rather understated paint schemes...

I bought a 2nd hand complete set for 175 euros incl shipping
New set of just mufflers is still here on the local classifieds site for 175 ex shipping. http://link.marktplaats.nl/465438066
Still dont know if they fit, gonna try that today

[Digitus]

Exhaust are on the bike and they fit like a glove. They came off a 750, so I didnt know if I could use them

[Nessism]

Looks great! You are obviously a skilled craftsman. I love the way you used the sling to hold the engine. Great work and thanks for sharing.

[Digitus]

I got the wiring back on the bike ! Another big step.
I have done:
-Soldered all original connections back on the loom
-Cleaned all plugs
-Re-wrapped large parts of the harnass with textile wire protection tape
-Cleaned all wires
-Sanded all the ground connectors and measured ground resistance between frame, engine and battery

It was a LOT of work, glad its done.

I decided I'd bring the electrics exactly back to the original state and then check all functions. From there I can do suggested mods that I read about on the forum. If I incorporate them right now, troubleshooting will be a nightmare.

Soooo, I hooked up the battery and checked ... everything works EXCEPT the neutral, oil pressure and gear indicator. .....bummer.
Havent got the time to hunt down that problem right now. I assume GI, neutral and oil are all switched to ground, so I suspect a power failure in the clocks somewhere..to be continued

[Digitus]

I found the problem ! Broken cable that feeds +12V to various bulbs. Details are in the pics. Funny thing is that the rubber protection around the bunch of wires was not damaged ! My guess is the problem came from bending the cable repeatedly and when I took the clocks off the bike the cable was already on the verge of breaking.

Things left to do:
- paint front brake handle
- rebuild cabs
- seal airbox
- Take care of tank rust and make it presentable. I will not spend any money on a professional paint job unless I am 100% sure Im going to keep the bike and its in excellent condition.

By the way: does anyone know the best way to get the white text back on the clocks: high beam, neutral, oil pressure. Its completely faded from mine

Here pics of today's adventure:

[psyguy]

I By the way: does anyone know the best way to get the white text back on the clocks: high beam, neutral, oil pressure. Its completely faded from mine

Not sure that it's the best way but... for my handlebar switches i used office label maker = white text on black self adhesive tape. then clearcoat.

[psyguy]

[Digitus]

thx psy, looks great, Ill give it a try...

Couldnt do much in the weekend, my elbow hurts, no idea why. Maybe I ran out of elbow grease.

I tried to fit the new seat. Just bolting on a new part, should be easy enough, right? Wrong. Seat was a bit too short, I had a space between the seat and the tank. changed the mounting of the tank to solve that.

Also went on the hunt for some carb dip cleaning fluid. Nowhere to be found, just blank stares when I asked for it. So I cleaned my carbs with lemon juice, it worked quite well.

I am also on the lookout for a right hand side cover, with original blue paint and GS850 on it. Anyone anyone????


I like the way it looks now, much more presentable than the tired looking thing I bought

[psyguy]

I am also on the lookout for a right hand side cover, with original blue paint and GS850 on it. Anyone anyone????

Remember that's Euro-spec paint scheme so you won't find it across the Atlantic...

I have a couple of matching GS850G emblems. They are yours if you want them. I can post a pic later on.

[mike-s]

I'm impressed, that worked quite well for lemon juice

[MiloBramble]

Very Nice work.

[Flyboy]

Wow, that bike did clean up nicely, you have done some good work there.
Keep up the attention to detail.

[Digitus]

Wow, that bike did clean up nicely, you have done some good work there.
Keep up the attention to detail.

thanks folks

Yes, the devil is in the details...however...Im not going for the impeccable look, it wont last when the bike is in use.

I know of some old bikes that have been restored to a state that the owner wont ride it. Instead they are on constant display. Thats not my cup of tea.

I want to ride it a LOT ... and I like cleaning and polishing after a ride

[psyguy]

... and I like cleaning and polishing after a ride

Are you young?