80 gs450l project

[bigbeardan]

got this bike in really great shape(i think so anyways), drove it a couple days and it just quit firing. i think i narrowed it down to the igniter and got one in the mail as we speak, so just startin to think about what i want to do with it. cleaned up and polished its a real good lookin bike, but on the other hand wanna chop and customize lol. thinkin bout startin small, know i want to take all the way down and sand paint and polish, wanna get rid of the big dorky blinkers and seats, maybe swap out the guage cluster, just dont have any ideas of replacements on them. any ideas welcome and i will be hardcore in the projects threads searchin for ideas. not into the cafe style though(NO OFFENSE to anyone, just not MY thing) gonna try to get pic to work( no pics it didnt happen, lol) but here is a video link to a walkaround.
link

let me know what you guys think!!

[moto]

Well like pete said in another thread...

WELCOME!

As was recommended to me by pete when i joined, you may want to put a post in the gs owners thread for a warm welcome and all kinds of information.

Enjoy your stay

Moto

[pete]

Mate she's not in too bad a shape right now...

Is there any particular "style" as such that appeals to you or do you just have no idea yet?

I would suggest getting something reasonably accurate in your head before changing too many things permanently...

I gotta say as much as I like a well done cafe, they are getting a little numerous these days, so I'm quite glad I didn't end up cafe'ing mine now...

[bigbeardan]

Mate she's not in too bad a shape right now...

Is there any particular "style" as such that appeals to you or do you just have no idea yet?

I would suggest getting something reasonably accurate in your head before changing too many things permanently...

I gotta say as much as I like a well done cafe, they are getting a little numerous these days, so I'm quite glad I didn't end up cafe'ing mine now...

i like the hardtail chopper style really, but its in such good shape i cant decide if i wanna chop it or just leave it original and get another bike for a chopper project lol. even if i leave original, i wanna take it all the way down and sand/paint and go through and inspect/redo/fix/clean everything as money allows. I think its a pretty good lookin bike as is.....minus the couch lol, i just cant get over the big ol seats they used to put on these things

yeah moto ima have to get over to that thread and say hi soon

[pete]

Cool... hardtails aren't my personal taste but I can appreciate the work and effort that goes into a well done one.

I sorta like the old couches... but I'm gettin' on a bit these days... haha

[bigbeardan]

well, i got "the box" in the mail yesterday!!! thanks elevatorman71!!!! busy doing some hunting stuff so i didnt have time yesterday, but i did quickly hook it up real fast and push the start button and i now have spark, so i think it will fire up this evening when i put it all back together!!

Where do you guys think i should start with going through the bike? i havent noticed any kind of leaks or anything anywhere and ran pretty good when it was running. guess i can take all the way down and start the paint process and then clean/polish all the pieces while they are off

[pete]

Depending what you're doing, you'll probably want to knock over the valve clearances and proper carb clean while it's out of action. Worthwhile checking the state of the cam chain tensioner as well and probably the charging system...

[bigbeardan]

well just an update, i got igniter installed, decent spark on both sides, need some plugs and wires but its busting off. got some kind of fuel/carb issue. there is 2 lines that run down that pour gas when i put tank on PRI, and when on FUEL it dont pour fuel, but when i try to start they spit gas and it will start but wont stay running but a few secs?? ima research but any help is always appreciated. thinkin maybe its overflow lines w/float stuck but idk. made a video to try and show what lines im talkin bout

[7981GS]

Where do you guys think i should start with going through the bike?

After watching your short video, isn't it obvious?
Rebuild those carbs and check the fuel needles/seats.

Daniel

[bigbeardan]

isn't it obvious?

lol yeah its obvious i need to do what i need to do to have a running engine one the bike, i was refering to all the other little stuff on the bike. i actually wasnt expecting any problems with it running cuz it was running fine when igniter went out and parked 6 months ago. well i think my leaking gas was float stuck. i tapped on bowls with screwdriver handle and it quit overflowing. im guessing i got dirty carbs?? it will idle but wont throttle up without killing it. posted a video to show what its doing. let me know what you think

[7981GS]

Pilot jet/circuit plugged up.
You might want to wait on the experts for their advice.

Daniel

[bigbeardan]

lil carb cleaner spray and some throttle play and i think i got it blew out. bout to button up and test ride!......where is that dang stator cover......

[pete]

I'm with Daniel, although if you got it sorted even better

From what I've read and seen on here 6 months is pushing your luck with leaving fuel in there without dismantling and cleaning the carbs properly...

[bigbeardan]

yeah i just wanted to get it back running and ride it these few warmer days we got left. will probably be in the carb a lil bit over the winter cuz i think ive almost talked myself into putting pods on. anyone use that cheaper carb sync they got on ebay? just tryin to budget for stuff i might need. and also if i go pods i been readin bout a 50/50 split on buyin jet kit or just jets?? also thinkin im gonna try and paint it myself(be first time trying to do a real job ) and there is a lil dent in the tank(bondo??). also daniel, didnt mean to sound like an arse but kinda did cuz i took u soundin like one, so if it wasnt ur intent to sound like one and i just took it wrong lets just start over

[pete]

That makes sense, make the most of the weather that's left

I'm so glad we can ride year round here, although to do that I really need my bike on the road

As for pods, as long as you're prepared to re-jet properly then it should be all good, and for me I'm doing jets and needles as I need them. I discovered the stock needles on mine are adjustable which is a good start, and I've gone up a couple of pilots and up four main sizes as a starting point due to having K&N pods and a custom exhaust. If you want a Dynojet kit, then they only have a stage 1 kit for our 450's, so if you're going any more free flowing than a freer exhaust with the stock airbox then it probably won't be enough for what you need.

I have yet to get a carb sync. tool myself actually, but as long as the guages are reliable enough to have consistent readings then they should be fine. The actual numbers don't matter, just having both carbs balanced at the same point is the goal.

Oh, and FWIW I don't believe Daniel was being an arse either