A GS1100 To Restore

[Nortoon_imp]

I've been tinkering with this old bike doing a bit when I had time. I sent the carbs off to a fellow in Texas for refurbishing as they were beyond my skill to deal with. They came back (4 months later) looking like new and today I connected a temporary fuel bottle and cranked the old bike to life. Adjusted the idle and seems to be running fine; no oil smoke but very loud through the old 4 into 1 system without a muffler. Now I can start acquiring the many running parts needed to finish the project. I'm painting it a light blue similar to the blue on early Suzukis. Still needs the forks rebuilt, new chain, tires and tubes, seat rebuilt, handlebars, grips and rear turn signals and a full exhaust system to name a few.

If you are going to all the trouble of restoring this bike, why not just clean and wax the current paint? It has been my experience that paint never turns out the way you expect it to. Plus it devalues the bike and it's authenticity.

Found the mufflers I needed for my 1971 BSA Lightning restoration at a motorcycle salvage yard. You couldn't see the chrome for the grime. I had to use oven cleaner to remove it. Gave them a final polish with Autosol and they sparkled.

I was a good customer of the last remaining BSA shop in Ottawa. Harry the owner gave me a set of the authentic handlebars when he heard I was restoring the motorcycle.

 

[redbirds_imp]

I've been tinkering with this old bike doing a bit when I had time. I sent the carbs off to a fellow in Texas for refurbishing as they were beyond my skill to deal with. They came back (4 months later) looking like new and today I connected a temporary fuel bottle and cranked the old bike to life. Adjusted the idle and seems to be running fine; no oil smoke but very loud through the old 4 into 1 system without a muffler. Now I can start acquiring the many running parts needed to finish the project. I'm painting it a light blue similar to the blue on early Suzukis. Still needs the forks rebuilt, new chain, tires and tubes, seat rebuilt, handlebars, grips and rear turn signals and a full exhaust system to name a few.

If you are going to all the trouble of restoring this bike, why not just clean and wax the current paint? It has been my experience that paint never turns out the way you expect it to. Plus it devalues the bike and it's authenticity.

Found the mufflers I needed for my 1971 BSA Lightning restoration at a motorcycle salvage yard. You couldn't see the chrome for the grime. I had to use oven cleaner to remove it. Gave them a final polish with Autosol and they sparkled.

I was a good customer of the last remaining BSA shop in Ottawa. Harry the owner gave me a set of the authentic handlebars when he heard I was restoring the motorcycle.

If you are going to all the trouble of restoring this bike, why not just clean and wax the current paint? It has been my experience that paint never turns out the way you expect it to. Plus it devalues the bike and it's authenticity.

Found the mufflers I needed for my 1971 BSA Lightning restoration at a motorcycle salvage yard. You couldn't see the chrome for the grime. I had to use oven cleaner to remove it. Gave them a final polish with Autosol and they sparkled.

I was a good customer of the last remaining BSA shop in Ottawa. Harry the owner gave me a set of the authentic handlebars when he heard I was restoring the motorcycle.
I'm not really interested in a period correct restoration. Just want the bike to run reliably so that my wife may enjoy riding it. The existing paint may look okay in the photos but in fact there was surface rust and all the decals were beyond help. The right side cover was missing but I was able to make one from the cracked remains of two black side covers I bought cheap on Ebay. I'm doing the paint myself and the results are obvious when seen close up that I'm no expert at this.

 

[Nortoon_imp]

I've been tinkering with this old bike doing a bit when I had time. I sent the carbs off to a fellow in Texas for refurbishing as they were beyond my skill to deal with. They came back (4 months later) looking like new and today I connected a temporary fuel bottle and cranked the old bike to life. Adjusted the idle and seems to be running fine; no oil smoke but very loud through the old 4 into 1 system without a muffler. Now I can start acquiring the many running parts needed to finish the project. I'm painting it a light blue similar to the blue on early Suzukis. Still needs the forks rebuilt, new chain, tires and tubes, seat rebuilt, handlebars, grips and rear turn signals and a full exhaust system to name a few.

If you are going to all the trouble of restoring this bike, why not just clean and wax the current paint? It has been my experience that paint never turns out the way you expect it to. Plus it devalues the bike and it's authenticity.

Found the mufflers I needed for my 1971 BSA Lightning restoration at a motorcycle salvage yard. You couldn't see the chrome for the grime. I had to use oven cleaner to remove it. Gave them a final polish with Autosol and they sparkled.

I was a good customer of the last remaining BSA shop in Ottawa. Harry the owner gave me a set of the authentic handlebars when he heard I was restoring the motorcycle.

If you are going to all the trouble of restoring this bike, why not just clean and wax the current paint? It has been my experience that paint never turns out the way you expect it to. Plus it devalues the bike and it's authenticity.

Found the mufflers I needed for my 1971 BSA Lightning restoration at a motorcycle salvage yard. You couldn't see the chrome for the grime. I had to use oven cleaner to remove it. Gave them a final polish with Autosol and they sparkled.

I was a good customer of the last remaining BSA shop in Ottawa. Harry the owner gave me a set of the authentic handlebars when he heard I was restoring the motorcycle.
I'm not really interested in a period correct restoration. Just want the bike to run reliably so that my wife may enjoy riding it. The existing paint may look okay in the photos but in fact there was surface rust and all the decals were beyond help. The right side cover was missing but I was able to make one from the cracked remains of two black side covers I bought cheap on Ebay. I'm doing the paint myself and the results are obvious when seen close up that I'm no expert at this.

I had a similar problem with the second hand 1971 BSA Lightning I bought. The kid had made a quasi-chopper out of it and painted it metal-flake sky blue. Unfortunately the factory paint scheme for that year was also really ugly. So the frame, tank and side panels got painted black. Looked better than either of the two previous paint jobs.

 

[tinboatcapt_imp]

Great find. Those Suzuki's were great bikes. A vintage bike is a great bit of tinkering fun.

Jim

 

[redbirds_imp]

The project Suzuki is coming along slowly as I have time and funds to work on it. It was never my goal to make a restoration but simply an old bike I could enjoy riding thus I have tried to save money by buying and repairing some used body parts such as the side panels. The carburetors were beyond my abilities so I sent them to a pro for complete refurbishing. The motor now starts almost instantly but I need new rubber intake boots as the old ones are not sealing right. Here is a link to more pics.
http://s1259.photobucket.com/user/stumps...t=3&page=1

 

[flynrider]

Looking good so far, Redbirds!

If your intake boots are not sealing because they're too hard, you might want to try wintergreen oil. It should soften the boots enough so that you can get a good seal between the carbs and the airbox. Just Google "rubber wintergreen oil" for various methods.

A friend of mine used this on carb boots when resurrecting an old KZ bike and the boots were extremely pliable after soaking in the oil for a few days.

Might be worth a shot.

 

[redbirds_imp]

Looking good so far, Redbirds!

If your intake boots are not sealing because they're too hard, you might want to try wintergreen oil. It should soften the boots enough so that you can get a good seal between the carbs and the airbox. Just Google "rubber wintergreen oil" for various methods.

A friend of mine used this on carb boots when resurrecting an old KZ bike and the boots were extremely pliable after soaking in the oil for a few days.

Might be worth a shot.

Thanks for the tip. I'll try that.

 

[Guth_imp]

I'm still trying to decide if a car smelling like a chip wagon is a good thing or a bad thing.

In the meantime, if the wintergreen oil doesn't work, I'm wondering if something like Shin-Etsu grease available from Honda, or any silicone grease for that matter might be of use on the carb boots (or any other tired, old rubber bits on the bike that you're trying to salvage for that matter)?

 

[Nortoon_imp]

The project Suzuki is coming along slowly as I have time and funds to work on it. It was never my goal to make a restoration but simply an old bike I could enjoy riding thus I have tried to save money by buying and repairing some used body parts such as the side panels. The carburetors were beyond my abilities so I sent them to a pro for complete refurbishing. The motor now starts almost instantly but I need new rubber intake boots as the old ones are not sealing right. Here is a link to more pics.
http://s1259.photobucket.com/user/stumps...t=3&page=1

I there a way of seeing the pictures.
All I got from that link is a myriad of pop-up ads.

 

[redbirds_imp]

The project Suzuki is coming along slowly as I have time and funds to work on it. It was never my goal to make a restoration but simply an old bike I could enjoy riding thus I have tried to save money by buying and repairing some used body parts such as the side panels. The carburetors were beyond my abilities so I sent them to a pro for complete refurbishing. The motor now starts almost instantly but I need new rubber intake boots as the old ones are not sealing right. Here is a link to more pics.
http://s1259.photobucket.com/user/stumps...t=3&page=1

I there a way of seeing the pictures.
All I got from that link is a myriad of pop-up ads.

I there a way of seeing the pictures.
All I got from that link is a myriad of pop-up ads.
I'm sorry that Photobucket is where the photos are stored now. I want to move them to a different photo host but been too lazy to do so.

I'm still trying to decide if a car smelling like a chip wagon is a good thing or a bad thing.

In the meantime, if the wintergreen oil doesn't work, I'm wondering if something like Shin-Etsu grease available from Honda, or any silicone grease for that matter might be of use on the carb boots (or any other tired, old rubber bits on the bike that you're trying to salvage for that matter)?

Another option I may try. The new boots are $13 each which is not bad really but the challenge has been to make do with original parts if possible.

 

[Cormanus]

redbirds, make it smell like a chip waggon if you can. The punters you ride past will never be quite sure what just happened. It's too funny.

 

[Nortoon_imp]

I'm still trying to decide if a car smelling like a chip wagon is a good thing or a bad thing.

In the meantime, if the wintergreen oil doesn't work, I'm wondering if something like Shin-Etsu grease available from Honda, or any silicone grease for that matter might be of use on the carb boots (or any other tired, old rubber bits on the bike that you're trying to salvage for that matter)?

Having a car smelling like a chip wagon would be very fattening. You set out to run a simple errand and end up stuffing you face with greasy fries, or worse poutine (fries with cheese curds and gravy).

In Canada, there are numerous Canadian Tire Stores. What started out as simple tire shops are now large stores offering car service, car parts, sporting goods, hardware, small appliances, etc. It is not uncommon to have a chip wagon on the corner of the parking lot. Nothing dumb about the management of these stores.

Ordinarily chip wagons are only open in the summer. It is often thought that the owners made so much money, they could spend their winters in Florida. But the ones on CTC parking lots are so prosperous, they are now open all year long.

 

[the Ferret]

chip is a french fry? or anything fried? Not familiar with the term. To me fish and chips is deep fried fish patties and french fries.

 

[Nortoon_imp]

chip is a french fry? or anything fried? Not familiar with the term. To me fish and chips is deep fried fish patties and french fries.

Canadians and our British cousins call French fries "chips", as in fish and chips. We sprinkle white vinegar and salt on them.

Every chip wagon here has a bottle of vinegar with the rest of the condiments offered. Although Ketchup is now becoming more common because of the fast food chains.

Ogdensburg, NY is about 45 minutes from my home in Ottawa. Some of the restaurants there have learned to place vinegar on the table when their Canadian customers order French fries.

We don't get the "HUH?" reply as much when we ask for vinegar in Florida either. I guess they learned about the peculiar eating habits of the "Snow Geese".

 

[emptysea]

I like vinegar with my fries/chips. Guth may very well know what you meant by "chip" and "chip wagon" and was merely pondering if a vehicle smelling like french fries was bad or good. Then again, he probably had no clue whatsoever.

There's a fairly famous drive-in near me called Superdawg. You eat in your car (generally) and order from a metal box with a speaker and microphone in it. Carhops (not on roller skates) bring your order to your car. Superdawg puts your meal in a small blue cardboard box which would include your entree (a hot dog or burger usually) and your fries. There's more that goes into the box and into the Superdawg experience, but the point here is that the blue box smells like what I imagine Nortoon describes as "the inside of a chip wagon".

When I was younger, but not very young, we would keep the blue Superdawg box when we finished our meal rather than leaving it for the carhop. After eating and usually this was late at night, we'd drive around looking for friends' cars which they may have unfortunately left unlocked. If we were lucky enough to find one, we would slide the Superdawg blue cardboard box under the seat. After a night-long steep, the car would smell like....well, the inside of a chip wagon, I think. We called this "Superdawging" a car and none of my friends from that era EVER leave their cars unlocked.

 

[Ulvetanna_imp]

People who've done the conversion from diesel to used cooking oil emit that "French fry" smell from their tailpipes. Not many do it any more but for a while, one could encounter an old Mercedes diesel once in a while that would either smell like a Chinese restaurant or a MacDonald's. That's what I think of when y'all talk about a "chip wagon".

We call those roving lunch trucks a "Roach Coach" down this way. And they smell like tacos and fajitas.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

My childhood friend's dad owned a fleet of Roach Coaches (politely referred to as Catering Trucks) along with a central commissary where they'd inventory, prepare and package most of the items sold on the trucks. He became a multi-millionaire from that business. He gave his son (my childhood friend) a shiny new Yamaha JT-2 Mini-Enduro for Christmas one year. To say I was a jealous twelve-year old would be the understatement of the century!

 

[redbirds_imp]

Found some nice pod filters for the GS Suzuki. Went on easy enough, now to get up some cash for the new headers and muffler.

 

[PowerDubs_imp]

Noice.

Who gets the joy of tuning the carbs?


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