1983 GS450E build. My first bike.

[Guest]

Hello all. My name's Nick, I'm 23 years old and this is my first bike build.
I'll show updates on my downtime and look for advice here.
So a bit about my first, I've been working cars since I was 16 and have done mild builds on volvos, a plymouth laser, resto modded a '72 corvette 350, various motor builds and swaps along the way. A few years ago I attended Wyotech then worked for a wholesale aftermarket parts installer, leading up to now paint (spot repair mostly) and detail.
As far as motorcycle experience I don't know anything. I build a '86 honda spree and swapped a '87se50 motor then dio motor into it. Other than blowing moped motors that's all I've got

I picked up one fine 1983 GS450E from a buddy that received it in a partial trade. I had no idea what I was getting into. I guess I should have figured it would be a hassle, $200 for a while bike and clean title though. The bike, as I got it was rolling, had the motor mounted and a large box of parts.
The wiring harness was completely in the box.
The tank looks like it has taken a couple or more very hard falls.
The left foot peg bracket bent somehow...not sure what could do that but it looks like it may have fallen out of a truck.

I'll quit ranting and get to some pictures.

http://imgur.com/a/lUnQy#0
Here's a link to the album.
Let me know what you think, right now I need to know what to do about a new clutch lever+perch and a new front brake mastercylinder and lever. The clutch lever assembly I have now is incorrect and I'm able to pull the brake lever to the bar, even after a caliper rebuild and vigorous bleeding.

I replaced the stator and wired in a Shindengen R/R from a '08 ninja 250.

Currently I'm working on building an engine harness. The started ate through brushes while trying to crank and check spark over the weekend. I'll rebuild it by friday. The coils and igniter are going to be relayed off the ignition, ignition switch will also power a relay with the hi-lo headlight beam switch only switching the ground of a relay.
I'm taking all the power I can away from the hand controls and using switches to control grounds of relays. I'm finding it easier to build my own harness how I see fit, instead of using the hacked up piece of garbage the previous owner put aside for me.
Yesterday I sprayed the tank with a pre-mixed color that isn't used much anymore, Hyundai "Spicy Red". Closer to burgundy than red and with red metallic.

[Charlie G]

It sounds like your on the right track with the electrics. The tanks looks great. There aren't to may of them (1983's)around. Foot pegs should be easy to aquire. Body parts will be harder. It's good to let us know what part of the world your from, even if it's somewhat obscure. Welcome!

cg

[83_450E]

oh yeah, I'm in Oregon

[JEEPRUSTY]

nice paint on the tank there old boy.

[pete]

Welcome Nick! Tuning in...

[83_450E]

So I have the engine electronics all sorted enough to run the motor. I burnt out the starter, rebuilt it and now I'm getting just starter motor noise and no cranking!
My first guess is the starter clutch, never dealt with a starter clutch before. I'm used to pinion gears moving onto the ring gear to turn a flex plate or flywheel.
I'm trying to pull off the stator rotor to access the start clutch and I've only gotten as far as the threat pitch is m14x1.5 and it needs a slide hammer or something else I've never heard of.

Any words on easing the rotor off one of these motors?

[Charlie G]

I wish I could help out, but I never dug into my 450 that far. Pete has his totally apart and back together. You might want to post a question in the techinical forum.

cg

[nuitdevotremort]

Manual recommends using a slide hammer and special attachment. Very doable. Attachment is cheap enough.

Part # 09930-33710

http://www.alpha-sports.com/tools/suzuki_tools.htm

http://www.partzilla.com/parts/detail/suzuki/SP-09930-33710.html?gclid=CK6Oobf2h7YCFetAMgodgWoAfQ

[83_450E]

Thought I'd swing by for a brief update.
The bike runs!
I have no idea where the stock electronics mount so I'm just making brackets and putting them wherever I want.
The engine harness is 90% done now and I did get the motor to run briefly.

She sounds a bit meaner than I anticipated.

[83_450E]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUmZe...ature=youtu.be
Figured a little video would be nice to see. In the end it stalled, out of fuel but it starts and runs up just fine.
A little bit of tinkering to go and I'll throw on the tank, paint the side covers, the seat/tail light plastics and start up the hand control wiring.

[83_450E]

The Igniter was mounted out of the way

The Shindengen R/R I swapped to got a bracket made since nothing came on the bike, It is mounted solid and should get some decent cooling.

[pete]

Mate well done! Glad to hear her running!

For my electrics I went with a flat sheet of aluminium under the seat with the R/R underneath for lots of cooling also. I do have the advantage of no ignitor to find a location for though as the Dynatek is all self contained under the timing cover.

[83_450E]

If I get back into the electronics I'll do just that, one mounting surface for all. A fusebox wouldn't be such a bad idea either...
Anyway I got off work early today and since spring just started some painting was in order.

turn signal housings pushed in just to see what they look like, tail plastic sanded ready for primer

primed

white balance cell phones, it is not pink!
first coat

a few coats of paint and a coat of clear later, looks darker in person

I didn't like how the clear set up initially on the first respray. I scuffed it up and then

much better. There are a few things stuck in the clear now but with two coats down it will wetsand out perfect.

Right side cover looks terrible.

Filled that with super glue and sprayed accelerator. I'm not going to even try and getting those to clean up for paint. I'm going to glue, bondo, primer and paint over.

The right side had a few more low spots. More glue! Yay glue!

More after the beer break.

[83_450E]

Side covers are finished. They aren't perfect by any means, and not my best work. If I take perfection into consideration this bike will not get finished. They do look a lot better though.

Front fender had a lot of spray paint on it.

After one coat of primer the old paint started to reactivate. It either does this or curls up.

To fix this, sand it relatively smooth.

Use a heat gun to warm the piece, and primer, go over very light passes one at a time and dry a few minutes between each pass.

After several light coats it will seal in the old paint and build up enough to sand for paint.

A small part still reactivated underneath. I doubt anyone will notice.

The headlight bucket also got some color.

Time for more beer and some searching about jetting the carbs. Previous owner said he jetted the carbs for the K&N pod filters. I believe the jets are too fat. Low rpm sudden throttle increase bogs motor then climbs rpm. The plugs also look like asphalt.

[Toasty]

Nice painting skills!