1982 GS300 Project - Where do I start

[hjacobmiller]

With gaiters.

TimTom you out there? I need help with a seat!!!

[pete]

That's more like it... seat wise I think a slimmed down version of what you have now will be good. Still the raised pillion seat, just not raised anywhere near as much as it is at the moment...

[hjacobmiller]

That's more like it... seat wise I think a slimmed down version of what you have now will be good. Still the raised pillion seat, just not raised anywhere near as much as it is at the moment...

You thinking like what Jimmy did with his?

That bike is amazing. I love the simplicity of it.

And Pete you can't just vote each time you come to this thread!!!! You're probably the only one haha!

[pete]

You thinking like what Jimmy did with his?

That bike is amazing. I love the simplicity of it.

And Pete you can't just vote each time you come to this thread!!!! You're probably the only one haha!

Not quite... he's gone for a real brat style (as much as I hate to categorise it) and what he's done is absolutely spot on and minimalist.

From what I see of yours, if you really want that old Chevy style, you need a few extra bits beyond minimalist. Chevy's from that era weren't what I call minimal...

You need style (two tone green/white) and chrome to pull it off, and as such your seat will still need substance, just not as much as it has now. I think levelling out the pillion area a certain extent would probably be enough.

I'm just still not sold on the rear end... I think it still needs something but I'm not sure what...

As for voting, I can assure you I've only voted once ... You'll probably find Mekanix and Razor are the others... mind you your thread has something like 1200 views now!

[Tim Tom]

With gaiters.

TimTom you out there? I need help with a seat!!!

Haha I'm here. Been away a lot this weekend, and should have some time tomorrow to do a bit of photo-shopping for ya if you want.

I think you are on the right track with the lower seat, but you need something with the rear end. It is too plain with just the seat, and the fender.

I agree with pete about needing some style. I kinda think it should be a funky 1950's rocket tail light or something. It would match the two-tone theme really well and give it a classic look. I'd hit up a local junkyard or Ebay and see what you can dig up with old tail-lights. You could even use something like a bullet mirror mounted on the rear fender, but replace the mirror with the tail lens. That might work well....

Just food for thought here. Feel free to shoot me a PM with your idea's and I'll be happy to work with you and try and figure out something cool.


PS Pete, thank for the heads up

[pete]

Cheers Tim! And no worries

Glad I'm at least thinking in the right direction, and good call on the tail light! Something like that should do the trick nicely... I was drawing mental blanks on what goes on on the rear of a Chevy... actually some have those horizontal wings too don't they? Or is that Cadillacs?

[Tim Tom]

Some of the Chevy's had horizontal wings yeah, especially the '59s. The Cadillacs had vertical wings... My uncle had a '62 Cadillac convertible for many years, vertical fins in the back. That was a cool car, teal, with white interior and convertible top. Classy, but a boat to drive

Looked just like the attached one...

[pete]

Aaah cool, was definitely thinking of the Chevy then... I think I prefer the Chevy's over the Cadillacs from back then...

[hjacobmiller]

Wow what did I miss?!?

Hello TimTom! Nice to meet you! I've heard good things about your PS skills.

Yeah I'll have to look around and see what I can find. I don't know a whole lot of what I can do though as far as a new tail light because of the three holes in the fender that the original mounts through.

I'm excited!!!! Now all I have to do is get it up here with me!

I drove up I-95 to my new place and it was WALL TO WALL cagers. Cagers pulling cagers behind the cager RVs. Disgusting.

It was the first time in probably about three weeks I'd driven a car. Can't say that I missed it!

[hjacobmiller]

What if I flip something like this on its back side, glass some kind of fin to it? Make it all part of the seat.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-CHROME-GUIDE-TAIL-LIGHT-R1-56-FOR-1956-CHEVY-CHEVROLET-BEL-AIR-/170886957394?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27c9a80952&vxp=mtr

I don't know what I'd do with those three holes in the rear fender thennn..?

[pete]

Hmmm I think that one's a little chunky... maybe more like this?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TAIL-LIGHT-ASSY-LUCAS-TYPE-679-BEEHIVE-/360213063055?pt=AU_Motorcycle_Parts_Accessories&hash=item53de5f258f#ht_1054wt_952

The old Lucas style lights typically have some good classic styling to them...

Something like this as well:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1969-BSA-ROCKET-3-Tail-Light-Assembly-/180937797115?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2a20bbadfb&vxp=mtr#ht_5943wt_1185

And another:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Early-Lucas-tail-light-/150852354529?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item231f8041e1&vxp=mtr

If you get the right one complete with bracket, it might just take care of those mounting holes for you too...

Having posted all those, I'm really thinking of something else... maybe twin small rocket style tail lights side by side... I can't seem to find any on eBay quickly to show what I mean though...

[pete]

Found a picture at least...

[Tim Tom]

Now your cooking with gas.

I think pete is on the right track with the less is more mindset. The square-ish lights are too bulky. You need something more streamlined.

This one is kinda cool, and could probably use the existing holes to mount it up.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle-DELUXE-Tail-light-Assy-STOP-Stainless-NEW-/350530363700?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item519d3ce134&vxp=mtr

[Tim Tom]

Okay, so I had some time to play around in photo-shop a bit.



I altered the paint lines a little bit, giving more of a 50-50 split on the sides of the tank, and slightly more white on the side covers, and the bottom line mirroring the bottom angle of the side cover.

Speaking of side covers, I also altered those a little bit (much easier to do in the computer than in real life I know ) But you should be able to raise the top of the side cover with some fiberglass to cover that deep cut the seat has.

Speaking of the seat, I think you should look into something flatter. I lifted this one off a Triumph Bonneville, but I think it really suits the look your going for.

Also I changed the rear turn signals, and moved them back into the same spot as the brake light in the back. Looks much better to my eyes with all the lights in one coherent place.

Also just for kicks, and keeping with the 50's theme I think a white seat is just about as classic as it gets. Mimicking the classic white interior of 1950's chevy's.




Anyways those are just my preliminary ideas. Feel free to tell me it's rubbish and not what you were thinking, I have no problem with iterations

Cheers!

[pete]

Great stuff Tim, now you're talkin'!

Definitely better with the rear lights all together there... but I think with the white seat it lacks something back there.

The white interior of a Chevy has borders with the doors and windows but there's nothing on the rear to be a border if you know what I mean...

But wait, shaddap Pete, whaddya reckon Jake? This is your bike right?