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JohnnyL's 1980 GS550L Cafe Build

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    I'm pretty impressed with the amount of work you get accomplished in a small amount of time.
    You certainly are more enthusiastic than I. I have to double then triple and finally quadruple my work to be sure I have it right.
    Really enjoying following this build. Can't wait to see it at Brown county in June.
    Larry

    '79 GS 1000E
    '93 Honda ST 1100 SOLD-- now residing in Arizona.
    '18 Triumph Tiger 800 (gone too soon)
    '19 Triumph Tiger 800 Christmas 2018 to me from me.
    '01 BMW R1100RL project purchased from a friend, now for sale.

    Comment


      Engine paint looks great, what brand and color code did you use? I also like the look of the flat or satin black with the stainless or chrome bolts/screws ... I will be taking this page out of your project and using it on my current 81 CM400T cafe project. Nice job!
      GS550T 1981
      GS850G 1983
      GS650G 1982
      GS650G 1982 Under Restoration 😳🏍👍

      Comment


        Originally posted by Mr.humbucker View Post
        Engine paint looks great, what brand and color code did you use? I also like the look of the flat or satin black with the stainless or chrome bolts/screws ... I will be taking this page out of your project and using it on my current 81 CM400T cafe project. Nice job!
        Thanks! The paint is Harley Davidson texture finish. It comes in rattle cans. I’m pretty impressed with the paint so far. I plan on doing some testing on the junk cases. I’d like to test fuel resistance and how hard it is to scratch.

        Alloyboltz.com has polished stainless steel bolt kits for all different models of bikes.
        1969 Honda CL350 Cafe
        1980 Suzuki GS550L cafe project Link
        2019 Yamaha MT-09
        2016 Honda CBR650F(wife’s bike)
        2001 Honda CBR600F4i(Son's bike)

        Comment


          Just a quick update. Brian helped me pretty much wrap up the wiring last Saturday. I'm still trying to figure out how I am going to post what we did because I'm still trying to wrap my head around it all.

          I finished cutting the new triple clamp tonight. The bike is literally a few days away from first start up. Time permitting that is. Work seems to be getting in the way all of a sudden. Grrr...



          1969 Honda CL350 Cafe
          1980 Suzuki GS550L cafe project Link
          2019 Yamaha MT-09
          2016 Honda CBR650F(wife’s bike)
          2001 Honda CBR600F4i(Son's bike)

          Comment


            Nice bit o' kit.
            Cool touch with the etching.
            2@ \'78 GS1000

            Comment


              Thanks for taking the time to post so many pictures and info about your build. For me its been fascinating and inspiring, i know people write stuff like that occasionally but honestly bud its great.

              I get back from Saudi Arabia at the end of Feb and will be starting a re-build on a '78 GS550. Unlike you i am not a highly skilled mechanic so i will be revising your post repeatedly before getting home.

              Thanks again bro
              Mike

              Harley Davidson Fatboy
              BMW R1200GT
              GS550 1978 Project bike
              Yamaha Virago 535 bobber project
              Honday VFR 750 1995 restoration project
              https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0fb80604_s.jpg

              Comment


                Originally posted by MikeinSaudi View Post
                Thanks for taking the time to post so many pictures and info about your build. For me its been fascinating and inspiring, i know people write stuff like that occasionally but honestly bud its great.

                I get back from Saudi Arabia at the end of Feb and will be starting a re-build on a '78 GS550. Unlike you i am not a highly skilled mechanic so i will be revising your post repeatedly before getting home.

                Thanks again bro
                You're very welcome MikeinSaudi! I'm happy to hear you are inspired. Are you in the service?

                I wouldn't call myself a "highly skilled mechanic". I'm just not afraid to take on projects and to learn along the way.

                Please let me know if you need any help once you get home and start on your GS550 re-build. I'd be happy to provide any assistance I can.
                1969 Honda CL350 Cafe
                1980 Suzuki GS550L cafe project Link
                2019 Yamaha MT-09
                2016 Honda CBR650F(wife’s bike)
                2001 Honda CBR600F4i(Son's bike)

                Comment


                  Originally posted by JohnnyL View Post
                  You're very welcome MikeinSaudi! I'm happy to hear you are inspired. Are you in the service?

                  I wouldn't call myself a "highly skilled mechanic". I'm just not afraid to take on projects and to learn along the way.

                  Please let me know if you need any help once you get home and start on your GS550 re-build. I'd be happy to provide any assistance I can.
                  Thanks JohnnyL, yeah i am semi-retired ex-military ( >20 years as an intelligence officer). While i am sure you are being modest brother i genuinely am new to spannering so i will need and ask for help. My bike came in bits from a friend of a friend who was starting a cafe racer. it is stripped and he had done some work and bought a load of parts so it was a real bargain at circa $600 US. My intention is not to do anything cosmetic initially to the bike, just rebuild and get running to prove everything is good to go. Then strip and customise. Does that approach sound about right...or would you suggest anything different.

                  Im not very bright but i take instruction pretty well By the way, i do know that its pretty stupid to buy a bike unseen even if the guy selling it is genuine and a good mechanic builder, but i just couldn't wait and was hoping it would have been there for my Christmas leave.
                  Last edited by MikeinSaudi; 01-29-2020, 07:36 AM. Reason: update
                  Mike

                  Harley Davidson Fatboy
                  BMW R1200GT
                  GS550 1978 Project bike
                  Yamaha Virago 535 bobber project
                  Honday VFR 750 1995 restoration project
                  https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0fb80604_s.jpg

                  Comment


                    Originally posted by MikeinSaudi View Post
                    Thanks JohnnyL, yeah i am semi-retired ex-military ( >20 years as an intelligence officer). While i am sure you are being modest brother i genuinely am new to spannering so i will need and ask for help. My bike came in bits from a friend of a friend who was starting a cafe racer. it is stripped and he had done some work and bought a load of parts so it was a real bargain at circa $600 US. My intention is not to do anything cosmetic initially to the bike, just rebuild and get running to prove everything is good to go. Then strip and customise. Does that approach sound about right...or would you suggest anything different.

                    Im not very bright but i take instruction pretty well By the way, i do know that its pretty stupid to buy a bike unseen even if the guy selling it is genuine and a good mechanic builder, but i just couldn't wait and was hoping it would have been there for my Christmas leave.
                    Well first off...thank you for your 20+ years of service!

                    Your approach sounds perfect. This will allow you to get to know the bike. When you're ready, strip the bike down and customize away. Just be prepared to empty your wallet when you do get around to customizing. LOL.

                    You say you're not very bright but you're an intelligence officer....LOL...I like you already.
                    1969 Honda CL350 Cafe
                    1980 Suzuki GS550L cafe project Link
                    2019 Yamaha MT-09
                    2016 Honda CBR650F(wife’s bike)
                    2001 Honda CBR600F4i(Son's bike)

                    Comment


                      Thanks JohnnyL, i had a great time in (and out) of uniform and got to spend 16 years working with very special people, keeps you humble when you work with guys that swim at the deep end of the gene pool!!

                      I used to work with a great US Army Master Sgt, (i don't share names), he and i became good friends. He used to repeatedly say, "*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$ sir, sometimes you are the dumbest genius i know". Fun times!!
                      Mike

                      Harley Davidson Fatboy
                      BMW R1200GT
                      GS550 1978 Project bike
                      Yamaha Virago 535 bobber project
                      Honday VFR 750 1995 restoration project
                      https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0fb80604_s.jpg

                      Comment


                        The usual recommendation around here when someone rescues a GS and isn't sure of their goals is to get everything working the way it's supposed to, with some well-proven upgrades like suspension and brakes, then ride it for a while, see how it works, and then figure out what you'd like to change from there.

                        In stock form, these bikes actually work astonishingly well -- for example, Suzuki was the first and only manufacturer in the late '70s to really get frame geometry, handling, and most of the ergonomics (except handlebars...) right. The brakes on 1980+ models are quite good when they're working right. The others didn't really start to catch up until later in the '80s.


                        In this case, John began with a much clearer vision than most of where he wanted to go with this build, and a commitment to do things right. I'd say 95% of the "cafe" builds we see around here are stoners hacksawing frames in their Mom's back yard, then wandering away when their hours at Taco Bell get cut and the dogpile of mockery on this forum starts...

                        It's quite refreshing to see someone doing a quality job on a neat project like this! And of course, it's been pretty cool to actually be a part of it. I had no idea things like the m-Unit existed.
                        Last edited by bwringer; 01-29-2020, 09:55 AM.
                        1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
                        2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
                        2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
                        Eat more venison.

                        Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

                        Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

                        SUPPORT THIS SITE! DONATE TODAY!

                        Co-host of "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at tro.bike!

                        Comment


                          Ok. So I was going to explain everything we did with the wiring in detail but It's just too much for me to put into words. Brian Winger was a tremendous help in this department and I consider myself more than lucky that he was willing to offer his time to help me.

                          I will just say that we were trying to be as neat as possible with the wiring and all the wiring was put into red/black nylon loom. The M-Unit is incredibly cool and I wish my car, my KTM and everything I drive had this unit in it. I connected my my bike via bluetooth to my iPhone. Upon walking up to the bike, the blinkers flash and let me know that the bike is ready to ride. One click of the start button turns the bike on. The next click of the start button starts the bike. Double clicking the start button shuts the bike off. You can also set the range of the bluetooth. Walking out of range of Bluetooth and the blinkers flash to lock the bike and set the alarm. The alarm has nine settings for sensitivity. Depending on the sensitivity setting, when the bike is moved, the alarm is activated and the horn starts honking and the lights start flashing.

                          I had a problem with the coils being mounted too close to the mounting posts which caused a short. The M-Unit has fuses built-in. When I connected the ignition wire to the M-Unit, I immediately got a notification on my iphone that there was a short in the ignition circuit. Pretty crazy right? I made an offset plate for the coil mounting posts and the problem was resolved.

                          The brake lights can be configured for different settings via the phone app. You can have a normal brake light or you can have different settings for a blinking brake light before it goes solid. You can also set an emergency brake light for when the M-Unit senses hard braking, it will flash 10 times along with the blinkers letting people behind you know that you are coming to a hard stop.

                          Blinkers can also be configured in the app to either blink normally(quick on/off) or fade in fade out. One thing that I loved about my Harley Softtail was the auto off blinkers. The bike would sense that you made a turn and the blinkers would automatically go off. You can set the blinkers through the app to turn off after 10 seconds, 20 and 30. This is controlled by the brake. The timer is set when you release the brake. Apply the brake and countdown timer starts over. You can also set a 3x blink for lane change by briefly pressing the turn button before it locks. Also, if you have a headset in your helmet bluetoothed to your phone, you will hear a blinker noise when the blinkers are on! All geeky stuff that I love.

                          The app also has all sorts of things you can do with routes. You can record your route and rate it. You can also set reminders in the app for oil changes and other maintenance items. All pretty cool stuff that I look forward to trying out.

                          I did have a problem with my Acewell gauge. I'm still not sure what happened. The Acewell requires a red wire to go to switched hot and a brown wire to go to constant 12v for the clock. When I connected the brown wire to constant 12v, the gauge background lights came on even when the bike was off. And now, the background lights are on when the bike is turned on but there is no data on the screen. I disconnected the brown wire from the 12v and now when you turn the bike on, the background lights come on but there is no data on the screen. I'm afraid something is fried but I don't know what caused it. Dime City said they would take the gauge back. I went to order another one but they're out of stock.

                          Anyway...here are some pics of the wiring. I had to put in a back-up ignition switch but with the bluetooth keyless-go, I don't have to have a key to start the bike. I located the Amazon $12 scooter switch under the seat. I still have some tidying up to do with the wiring.









                          Last edited by JohnnyL; 01-29-2020, 12:37 PM.
                          1969 Honda CL350 Cafe
                          1980 Suzuki GS550L cafe project Link
                          2019 Yamaha MT-09
                          2016 Honda CBR650F(wife’s bike)
                          2001 Honda CBR600F4i(Son's bike)

                          Comment


                            Very nice. I like the Black / Red looming. I'm going to look into some of that. I assume there are different colors? One small thing you haven't mentioned yet. Looks like you have the wiring all connected. DOES IT RUN ? ! ? LOL
                            '83 GS 1100T
                            The Jet


                            sigpic
                            '95 GSXR 750w
                            The Rocket

                            I'm sick of all these Irish stereotypes! When I finish my beer, I'm punching someone in the face ! ! !

                            Comment


                              Originally posted by Spyder View Post
                              Very nice. I like the Black / Red looming. I'm going to look into some of that. I assume there are different colors? One small thing you haven't mentioned yet. Looks like you have the wiring all connected. DOES IT RUN ? ! ? LOL


                              Comes in all black, blue/black and red/black. Different diameters too.

                              Last night I changed out the pilot jets and main jets. I went from a 92.5 main to a 117 main and a 40 pilot to a 42.5. I guess this is as good of a place to start as any. Carbs are on. Throttle and choke cables are connected. Fuel lines are on and I will probably put my backup tank on temporarily because the good tank is still with the painter. I dumped 2.5 qts of oil in this morning and set the Dyna ignition timing. I still need to adjust the clutch. I need to run and get some fresh gas and then fire her up. I'm really excited but at the same time nervous. I'm trying to finish up work early so I can mess with everything. I'm just going over everything in my head before I click that starter to make sure everything is torqued down and so forth.

                              I'll keep you posted.
                              1969 Honda CL350 Cafe
                              1980 Suzuki GS550L cafe project Link
                              2019 Yamaha MT-09
                              2016 Honda CBR650F(wife’s bike)
                              2001 Honda CBR600F4i(Son's bike)

                              Comment


                                Now i understand a phantom pregnancy LOL

                                Originally posted by JohnnyL View Post
                                I need to run and get some fresh gas and then fire her up. I'm really excited but at the same time nervous. I'm trying to finish up work early so I can mess with everything. I'm just going over everything in my head before I click that starter to make sure everything is torqued down and so forth.

                                I'll keep you posted.
                                Hey Johnny, couldn't help laughing because i'm enjoying some vicarious nervous excitement for you!

                                Get 'er done bro and let's see and hear it running.

                                Who dares bro
                                Mike

                                Harley Davidson Fatboy
                                BMW R1200GT
                                GS550 1978 Project bike
                                Yamaha Virago 535 bobber project
                                Honday VFR 750 1995 restoration project
                                https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0fb80604_s.jpg

                                Comment

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