New GS1100 G Restoration Project. Rebuilding my Dad's bike

[eil]

Holy cow. This is vapor blasting, you say? I need to read up on this. Will you paint them?

[nuitdevotremort]

Those look great man! I really wanted to have some vapor blasting done but couldn't find someone in my area offering the service. Hoping I can get half that quality with my soda/media blasting.

[londonboards]

eil - I don't think so. I have another (insurance) set of carbs which I am going to experiment on. I will try a gasoline resistant laquer on one of the carbs to see how it looks but will strip it off again if it is too shiny.

What I am looking to do is to stop them going "off" again. I still haven't given up on the idea of some sort of anodizing or metal treatment.

But they do look good as they are. I have no experience to know how long they will stay looking like that.

The other option is to buy my own vapour blasting machine so I can redo them whenever I want. I am told that there is no loss of material by this method of cleaning. It seems hard to believe when you see the corroded state of my carbs previously that something has not been flushed away but that is what they say.

I might also paint. Did you see renobruce's painted carb portfolio? They look pretty swanky. Trouble is; what colour?

Greetings

[Agemax]

Richard, vapor blasting should include a rust inhibitor in the process, (well mine did anyway) after over 5 years it still looks like it was done yesterday!

[londonboards]

Richard, vapor blasting should include a rust inhibitor in the process, (well mine did anyway) after over 5 years it still looks like it was done yesterday!

That's encouraging and amazing. I will try my fork bottoms next as I do not want to go for the shiny polished look. I prefer the sateen finish like the original.

Greetings

[eil]

eil - I don't think so. I have another (insurance) set of carbs which I am going to experiment on. I will try a gasoline resistant laquer on one of the carbs to see how it looks but will strip it off again if it is too shiny.

What I am looking to do is to stop them going "off" again. I still haven't given up on the idea of some sort of anodizing or metal treatment.

But they do look good as they are. I have no experience to know how long they will stay looking like that.

I suspect that if you don't store the bike outside, they will probably be okay for years and years. Aluminum doesn't really corrode easily unless it's frequently exposed to water, salt, or acid rain. I.e., sitting outside for 30-some years like it's been up until recently.

I'd be more concerned about the steel bits. Like the gang rail and idle adjust knob. Definitely paint those. Did you vapor blast them as well?

The other option is to buy my own vapour blasting machine so I can redo them whenever I want. I am told that there is no loss of material by this method of cleaning. It seems hard to believe when you see the corroded state of my carbs previously that something has not been flushed away but that is what they say.

They must mean that that there is no loss of "good" material. Blasting removes the corroded metal, but leaves the stronger stuff intact. In theory. I'm sure that saying "no loss of material" is technically incorrect. It's just that their method of blasting removes substantially less material than other methods.

Anyway, superior results and I can't wait to see how the bike looks back together.

[psyguy]

after over 5 years it still looks like it was done yesterday!

What parts are those Agemax? And how much did you have the bike on the road and/or wet?

I had my whole engine done and after a couple of years it got looking as if it's never been done and that's with only maybe 10k kms of (mostly) dry riding.
I feel quite given what I paid for it...

[wedoo2]

My goodness, those carbs are so fine. I really admire the length you have gone to get them to this point. I imagine I would have looked for new ones long ago. That vapor blasting is the bomb.

[Agemax]

What parts are those Agemax? And how much did you have the bike on the road and/or wet?

I had my whole engine done and after a couple of years it got looking as if it's never been done and that's with only maybe 10k kms of (mostly) dry riding.
I feel quite given what I paid for it...

i had the crankcases,block and head done. first 3 years was constant riding,mainly dry but it did get wet a few times. last 2 years not so much riding but still a few k's, again mostly dry. i find washing with hot soapy water actually helps keep them looking good. just warm the engine up after to dry them off

[allojohn]

first 3 years was constant riding,mainly dry but it did get wet a few times.

Mainly dry! How'd yer manage that in Plymouth!!

[londonboards]

allojohn - I'll tell you how he does that - he only drives it between the living room and the kitchen!

Evidence: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v...type=3&theater

Click arrow in link to start movie.

Greetings

[Agemax]

allojohn - I'll tell you how he does that - he only drives it between the living room and the kitchen!

Evidence: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v...type=3&theater

Click arrow in link to start movie.

Greetings

no, Richard, thats my wife, i wouldn't trust her to ride it that far......

[allojohn]

allojohn - I'll tell you how he does that - he only drives it between the living room and the kitchen!

Evidence: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v...type=3&theater

Click arrow in link to start movie.

Greetings

Ha! ha! ha!, LOL X10 - brilliant! That one will stay with me for a while!

[londonboards]

Day 214 Front Fork Removal

Finally got around to removing front wheel, forks and fork stems.

(Yeah OK this is a little out of chronological order but I just realised that I had not posted my fork removal process)

See: My GS1100G Blog - Front Fork Removal

Propped the bike up with a gas canister:





Loosen the fork tops before you undo anything else:



Take off top T:



Remove retaining collars:



And slide the complete fork unit down and out:



Check bearings:



And my little Canada sticker - don't want to lose that!



Greetings

[Paul]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/gs-1100-1000-850-/121088614376?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item1c31719fe8

Cheap front end, not sure if these forks will really match, but the seller seems to think so