'85 550ES (more rejuvenation than restoration)

[Guest]

So after very little thought and deliberation I scooped up a ’85 GS550ES. This is the third time I bought a GS and as always I am keep a thread going that details as much of the process of buying, owning, fixing, riding, and other “ing” words that seem relevant. I will also be tracking cost. I do this not to complain about the cost, but just to show the cost of ownership. With that out of the way, let’s begin.
Here it is:

A month ago I wiped out on a ’84 Kawasaki ZN700 LTD. I needed to find a replacement by the time I could start walking again. After trying for 3 or 4 GSs the right one for the right price finally shook loose from here. Two problems from the beginning. 1. The bike is blowing the main 15amp fuse. The owner was open about this, but just had too much on his plate to deal with the issue. Problem 2. While not dealing with problem 1 the bike sat. By the time I went to see it, 6 months after the last work had been done to it, the gas cap was frozen. With all that going on I decided to walk away from the bike. Price was too high, and there were too many unknowns. Eventually, my friend who went with me to check it out and knows better than me on such things said to get it. He also got the price down a bit more. I bought the bike.

My friend instantly took charge of the bike. I’ll give as much detail as I can on these initial repairs but a good deal I never even saw happen.

The gas cap was a total loss. A screwdriver had to be used to get it open. Before you respond with your tips on how to not have to do this, take a glance at how the inside of the tank looked.


The tank had a run wash of phosphoric acid and the inline filter was beefed up.

Still running out of gas on short runs the petcock was removed to show that there was no screen,

just the feeder tube. Before that was installed the tank got another wash through with muriatic acid. This really broke a lot of the gunk free, but there was so much that it was only going to get so good. When the weather becomes unrideable I will most likely do another treatment. All of the rust damage did end up taking the fuel gauge sender unit as a victim as well, total loss.

While all of that is going on the electrical problem was also being addressed. The problem was traced to very corroded connections in the blade fuse box. The decision was made to cross grade the fuse box to a glass one. There was some elegant wiring and mounting done that I will share photos of in a separate post.

So there goes the two “big problems” I almost walked away from the bike for; fixed in a manner of days. I bought the bike on Friday and got it back last night (Tuesday).

Those weren’t the only issues however. Also fixed in that time frame;
o replaced rear tire
o Brakes bled
o Rear brake light that was always on fixed
o Side stand warning light always on fixed
o Replacement front turn signal (just enough to get it legal, new lights all around have been purchased. I know you’ll love them)
o All new fuel lines
So the two immediate issues that are left to deal with are the chain and the breaks. When the bike sat, it sat. The chain is stiff where it was sitting around the sprocket. A couple runs have been made at cleaning it, and it has improved, but the thinking (hoping) is it will improve as the bike gets broken in.
The breaks however are not going to improve on their own. Caliper kits and possibly pads all around are due.
The numbers so far (btw the friend that was doing all these repairs just so I could have transpo also threw in the parts he used, like the petcock filter, fuel line filter, fuse box, etc. so this number should be higher).
Bike – 500
T&T – 120
New helmet and gloves – 140
Acid – 10
Plugs and oil filter – 18
Oil – 23
Signals 25
TOTAL: $836.00

The good news. I took the bike out today for the first time, my first real ride since the accident, and it was great. The Kawasaki after a one hour ride it would take me 20 minutes before my teeth would unclench but this bike was smooth and fun. The manual puts the weight at 425lbs (193 kg) but it seriously can’t weigh more that 40lbs. It is the lightest feeling bike I’ve ever been on. It feels as though if it broke down you could just throw it on your back and walk on. It is a very spry bike, bordering on being squirrely. It handles spectacularly. I’m sure modern bikes do as well if not better, but it is the first bike I’ve ridden that is so easy to move around.

The power is sneaky. Suzuki claimed at the time 64 horse power. Even if that was true, I’m sure that’s not what’s there now. This bike will not win a drag race. There is no torque really to speak of. All of that being said, I was on the highway today just rolling along in 5th (it has a 6th) and the bike is not making a sound. I assume I’m going to slow and look down to see 70mph. Now the speedo may be a little bit generous, but even if it was 45 this bike was purring. I will have to make a video to demonstrate the lack of hyperbole here, so look for that in upcoming post.

My only question for now, if you made it this far is about the kick stand. It is at a really weird angle and I’m just not sure if it was made that way, bent, or just a replacement part not fitting well. Here are some pictures to take a look.
on the center stand, side stand extended

on the center stand, side stand in

To Dos:
· Turn signal
· Oil change
· Fuel filter change (yea, it is going to need one already)
· Brake job
I’ll try to document those with more detail and photos than this post.

Parts needed:
· Chain guard
· Headlight ring
· Side panels maybe
Finally here are some beauty shots…

[spyug]

Welcome to the 550 club. It is a bike with potential for sure.

With the state of your gas tank you are going to have issues with the carbs and I'm really surprised that you were able to get it running and smoothly at that. Your lack of power makes me think they are not working optimally as these bikes rev willingly to redline and they will pull all the way to it. They are not torquey, however, so don't be expecting that.

The electrical systems on these bikes are another area of serious concern, especially the charging system. They are known to overcharge and this can cause burn out of the ignitors. Ignitors are not cheap nor readily available so you should verify your electrics sooner than later. You mention blowing of fuses so that makes me even more concerned.

Proper brakes are seriously important as your life can depend on them so no riding until you get them sorted. I'll bet that you will find at least one of the calipers (likely the rear) is gunked up and the piston maybe even frozen in place. Once you clean them up you should also change the hoses as they will be well passed their prime by this time and probably starting to break down inside. Stainless steel/ kevlar lines are the way to go and will improve braking performance immeasurably. Not expensive really from Rennsport in Toronto. A complete set, front and back $108 everything in.

You definitely do have a few things to look into but with a winters worth of work you will have a little rocket for next season.

Good luck with it and keep us informed of the progress.

Cheers,
Spyug

[Mudgepondexpress]

Since no one answered your 1 question...yes, that is correct for the kickstand.

I have had my 85 since...85. I still love the old GS and it is easy to ride and ride fast.

Other simple, quick fixe...change the regulator/rectifyer to the Honda version before you run it much. Like has been said...these bikes will burn up batteries and bulbs fast with the stock R/R. You will have to trim the heat sink of the Honda R/R but you still have plenty of meat.

Those carbs have never/ever been dunked! I love the look of the black carbs but that paint comes off in seconds if it is around carb cleaner. Time to remove the carb and give them a good cleaning. Purchase new pilot and main jets (cheap and quick) and make sure the slides work smoothly.

Looks like it is on the second tank...that is an 83/84 tank if memory serves me.

You can get the rubber inserts (wellnuts) and screws for the windscreen at nearly any good hardware store.

Don't oversize the rear tire...even 1 step up is a pain as you have to find the perfect tire to clear. There is very little chain/tire clearance on the bike.

Have fun! My buddy has been looking for one ever since he rode mine. It is comfortable, quick and smooth. It should shift like butter if all is working well.

Kenny (I haven't posted in years, I lost my old sign-on so I am a noob).

[detorn]

...Your lack of power...

...the charging system.

Cheers,
Spyug

not sure I'd call it a lack of power as much as sneaky power. before I dip the carbs I'm going to just ride it a bit. They were "cleaned" a couple months ago by a actual mechanic and fuel was not put through them after that i believe. so in theory they should be good. we'll see what running a couple tanks through it does and put it on the jan/feb to do list is its needed.

the regulator I have a replacement for. It wasn't installed right away because the fuse box was the big issue and mounting bacame a problem. Its still on stand by and will be put in at some point, it just couldn't be done on this first hit.

[detorn]

...yes, that is correct for the kickstand.

...change the regulator/rectifyer to the Honda

...Looks like it is on the second tank...


...Kenny (I haven't posted in years, I lost my old sign-on so I am a noob).

crazy, the stand where it sits makes me have to work a little to upshift.

i do have the r/r will do the swap probably over the winter

may be on its third by the time i'm done, but we'll have to see how that one plays out

[detorn]

budget update:
brake pads and seals - 73
clutch and throttle cable - 30

total - $939

[spyug]

I would caution you not to run gas out of that tank through your carbs, they will get gunked up. Inline filters may get the big stuff but the fine stuff still gets through. You may even find that running that inline filter will also cause issues in how the carbs work and you could end up chasing problems because of it. These bikes were not designed with an inline filter in mind and often cause interruptions in fuel flow resulting in poor running and performance.

Here's some stuff that came out of my tank past an inline filter:


Save yourself more work than you have to. Clean and seal the tank before you ride or be prepared to have some crappy running and probably some plugged jets to reclean.

My tank was like yours and these are the carbs that came off the bike:


Unuseable and very difficult to clean again.

Good luck with the refurb.
Spyug

[Tim Tom]

Glad to see you found yourself a bike again! I love the body work on these 550's they really do look fantastic. I'm sure you'll have all the issues sorted soon and a really fantastic bike too. Love the blue and white scheme with those gold wheels. Really slick looking.


PS that black '82 1100E on the Philly CL you were drooling over went to a friend of mine for $700 . It's got some fairly big motor troubles apparently, but will emerge from the workshop a Wes Cooley tribute next spring.

[detorn]

fuel started leaking from a pin hole today. the tank is a goner. going to use putty and play wack-a-mole for a week with any others that surface, but I bought a new tank.

adding another 160 to the bill,

new total: $1099

@spyug: is the bb oring kit okay on those carbs? meaning are there enough in there? is there anything different or extra i need to get?

@timtom: keep me updated on that 1100. no idea why but I'm interested in what happens to it.

[detorn]

Unboxing Day (part 1)

New tank has arrived. There is a little light surface rust, but you can at least see the surface...

this is a box


right side


through the looking glass



left side

[duaneage]

I'm helping him out on the bike, we did the rebirth at my house. This is a bike with very good bones that needs minor stuff addressed. The brakes are weak but it has decent rubber on it. The tank was a huge setback and surprise as the seller acid treated it before and it wasn't cleaned or deactivated right. When using acids you have to stop them from working at some point.

The RR is mounted in a metal cage on the frame making a Honda RR replacement challenging. We are looking for a new spot, possibly under the seat or underneath. I'm probably the best person there is to convert it to a Honda RR so we'll sort it out.

The handling is amazing. It tempts you to push it in turns. The forks could probably stand new oil.
The carbs are pretty clean, i think the filter is causing vapor lock and cutting fuel off to the carbs. With tthe new tank it won't be needed.

[loud et]

I am glad also to see you on your way with a new, solid bike. Lookin good.
That tank was just horrid. lol
I agree with Spyug and others that full time use of an inline filter could cause some running issues but I agree with filters to some point.
I did a full an proper carb rebuild with o rings. Did a fuel tank cleaning on the tank which was average condition inside. Even after multiple flushes, I ran an inline fuel filter just to catch the fine dust like micro sediment for the first handful of tanks of gas I ran through the bike.
At first I used the clear glass type with the plastic screen inside.That one let all kinds of junk through. Then I swithched to a clear plastic type that had a gold colored pourous stone type thing inside, it too let some fine stuff through.
In the end I found the Fram clear plastic filter with paper element inside is a tru particle blocker. Even after my thourough tank cleaning that Fram filter had blob of fine grit inside. It was not much but was still happy to have found a filter to keep that out of the carbs. Nice to see not a speck on the downstream side. Wal mart $3.88. ( might as well pick one up when you are getting your gallon of Rotella for 12.88. cheap)
Like I said, now that a few tankfulls have been run through, I am happy to remove the filter and run direct fuel lines.
Blah blah blah, just my experience and preference.

[detorn]

Okay, so here is the spring update. this won't be in order, but you'll get the idea. I took it down to this and started fresh.


electrical - the blade fuse box was very corroded so it was swapped out. Duanage hooked me up with a glass tube fuse box and wired it in.

I also took the 6th wire from the r/r and connected it to the brake light wire. This probably didn't need to be done, but while tracking an electrical problem that ended up being a hosed battery, doing this came up as a best practice, so I did it. thread.

R/R connector and new fuse box.


while playing with the wiring, cleaning it and tying back up, I must have knocked something loose because now the bike wouldn't turn on. this ended up being the a simple bullet that had come undone and hiding behind tape. thread

Fuel/air - Well you saw how the first tank looked, so there was no doubt that the carbs were going to need to be redone. I dipped the carbs and installed new O-rings.

I put on intake boots I had got as part of a package from a gsr member when I swapped out the intake orings and bolts. After putting the carbs on and taking them off the boots shredded. they were being held together with glue and dude sold them to me. I put my old ones back on but there is still an air leak somewhere. I ordered new (actually new) boots and they should be here any day. Thread, this one is still on going.

after it still not being right I again called in duanage. Turns out after three times taking these apart and checking them I still didn't have the float heights right. don't judge me, he's done this a lot more than I have

all new fuel, vacuum, and vent hoses. new clamps. I also removed all of the screws. the float bowls not have allen bolts and the gang bars have hex bolts. I hate screws.

added a new fuel sending unit and fuel cap.

final drive - the chain that came with the bike was not salvageable. it was rusted and kinked so we said goodbye to that. assuming that the sprockets took some damage from this I decided to swap them out as well. I'll save you the story of taking the front sprocket off, but I will say if you're going to do this have a long piece of steel pipe handy.

I bought a rivet tool from harbor freight for the chain link. it worked well. It gets a lot of bad reviews for being weak or one use, but if you take your time and do things right it holds up great.

Appearance - This one I'm going to lose some support on. I was not a fan of the R2-D2 paint job. Also, with the replacement tank it seemed as good a time as any to make it my own.

I rattle canned the body work all white. I started out trying to do a really good job with this. about half way through I saw that good wasn't possible, so I went for passible. I've decided that I will try to get body panels that are in better shape as time goes by. When I have a complete new set that is good I'll have a pro paint it all. for now I am happy that what was R2-D2 is now a storm trooper.

New turn signals. you may or may not be a fan, but I think they look great compared to the bulky stock ones. can you find them?


So even though I had 3 side panels for one side and 2 for the other, none were fully okay. most of the tangs were off, or there were plastic welds that looked terrible. I took the two I thought looked the best and went to work. first I did some new crack repair work. some with putty epoxy some with liquid.

the tangs I drilled out. I dremeled them down and then drilled from the center using increasing sized drill bits. they are now attaching to the frame with nylon screws and nuts. was a solution based on necessity, but I think it looks kind of cool.

I also got new grommets all around. all the little plastic bits I removed before painting were in terrible shape. I am making a list of grommet and bolt sizes that I will post later.

I removed the rear foot pegs. I am never going to ride anyone so why look at them or have the weight on the bike. still thinking of what to do with the open bracket, I'm open to suggestions.

Tires - I got a set of Duro Tires. I do not know the brand, but only two other brands offered a set in the odd size this bike uses and they were both double the price, I figured I give them a try... jury still out

Suspension - new fork seals, the old ones were looking a little beat up.



Mistakes
as with most things I do I make it worse before I make it better. Here is a list of some things that really slowed me down.

brake lines - while taking the old lines off I pinched them in the wrong place creating an air leak. they became spongy and unusable. I had to get new (used) lines. going to do ss lines and the money gets better.

brake calipers - I put the bolts back in the wrong place. When I went to torque them down I stripped them out. had to replace the calipers.

carbs - while pulling them out of the dip I lost a air mix spring down the sink. I was able to get it back, but it was mangled pretty bad. I got it back to kind of useable and duanage got it a little bit better after that.

I dipped the carbs initially in January thinking I would put them on in a couple days. They sat for 3 months. A part of that time was in the basement. they not only got dirty again but picked up some light surface rust and had to be dipped again.

a o-ring got hosed while I was putting it in. it was the 3rd time I was taking them apart and putting them back together and just didn't take the time I did on the first two passes.

pic of me looking confused



Tires - while putting the tires on I was kind of mailing it in and ended up putting the rear tire on backwards. this is more of a PITA than a real problem, but just a note to let you know you should be paying attention when you do this stuff.

choke - one of the little plastic bits that connect the choke to the carbs got stripped out. $5 here, $10 there, it becomes real money after a while.


pic of a friend who showed up to help with the bike


Purchase list
tires -140.00
chain, boots(not usable), petcock(not usable), gas cap(broke but was fixable), lock set(not usable) - 120.00 (waste of money)
fuel sender, chain guard and head light gasket - 35.00
intake boots - 90.00
fork seals - 15.00
grommets and bolts - 40.00
miscellany - 100.00
paint - 80.00

total so far $1720. (this is probably $200 low)

should be on the road this week weather permitting, should be buckled up within two... wish me luck

some more random pics -http://imgur.com/a/N03PA

[duaneage]

I've seen the white paint job and it's not bad. Better than BBQ black with no side panels you see on "Rat Bikes"
The tire was my fault, I was directing the process and will swap it when Detorn makes the celebratory ride to my house on it.

[detorn]

ah forgot the dressed up pics...







and here is a cheese steak