83 Suzuki GS650 Shafty - Better Late Than Never

Bootsey said:
Looking good so far!

Thanks!

Got it fired up, with all of the essential wiring done (need to wire up the headlight, turn signals, and brake light still, but have the headlight relay in place). Adjusted the idle mixture screws and it's sounding pretty good, idles real nice. Dropped more money and bought a Carbtune, so I'll be syncing the carbs in the next few days. Seat pan is done too, just need to figure out what foam to use, what shape to make it, then cover it. I used 16 gauge steel, although for the same prices I could have got some .1" aluminum. This allowed me to weld up a few mounting bolts though.

Rather concerned about the rear tire in relation to the frame though. It sits to the left, which I thought was maybe a shaft drive thing. Turns out it isn't, something is just a bit out of whack. Picked up a swingarm for cheap, and that didn't fix it. Alignment with the front wheel seems pretty good, but I haven't been able to accurately measure it yet. Just going to get it on the road and see how it handles.

Oh, I also dropped more money and bought a Delkevic classic stainless muffler for $100 which allows for two levels of baffling. The Mac muffler sounds nice, but it's heavy, and the inside is coated in rust already. I didn't have the pipe clamped when letting the bike idle, and it was dripping rusty water out of it.

IMG_20150810_231752_zps6t23okko.jpg
 
Got the carbs synced, took all of 5 minutes once I got everything hooked up. Adjusted the timing to be at the F mark. Idle mixture screws are two turns out. Tossed the tank back on and used a ziptie for the exhaust mounting bracket (waiting for the new muffler to make one out of aluminum). Took it down the block with it almost being dark out (no headlight yet) and nothing managed to fall off of it!

You can tell in the one picture either the tank is mounted a bit to one side or the subframe is a bit tweaked. Oh well.

I'm a little concerned about the vibration from the engine though in the mid range. I need to change how my electronics tray is mounted because it vibrates pretty bad. I've heard from some that the 650 can vibrate more than the other motors, but others say theirs were buttery smooth. I'll have to meet someone with another 650 in the area and compare.

Next up still:
  • Seat
  • Pick out some front turn signals and wire up all of the lights
  • Mount the new muffler that will be here next week
  • Ride it just to make sure this thing is still worth dumping money into it
  • Probably install a Trail Tech Vapor speedo/tach
  • Install the RFID ignition along with having the existing hidden keyed switch under the seat
  • Probably switch to clip-ons, then decide how to handle the mounts on the top tree
  • Paint the tank

IMG_20150813_203259_zpsyiyonx0g.jpg


IMG_20150813_203246_zpsg2oeggrk.jpg
 
Tiny bit of progress. Picked up a Delkevic stainless muffler from their classic system for $90 shipped directly from them. I'm really impressed with the quality. Comes with a nice stainless t-bolt clamp and 3 different baffle configurations (full, center removed, entire baffle removed). Not sure why I picked up this muffler over the Mac I have, although the Mac was already rusting. I figure if I take the time to make up a mount it better be with something that will last a while.

(Ugh, clutch cover is leaking oil. Must be warped, will have to remove and use some RTV)
IMG_20150818_220229_zps9xndw3ju.jpg


IMG_20150818_220238_zpslzre2sac.jpg


Anyways, instead of doing it the easy way and welding up a bracket or bending one up to mount to a stock frame mount, I turned an aluminum plug/bushing on my 9x20 lathe to fit in the frame so that I can mount a solid bar of aluminum right in line with the mounts on the muffler. Drilled and threaded M10.

IMG_20150818_220256_zpsk8bwc2cx.jpg


IMG_20150818_220306_zpsgynefoi6.jpg
 
Nice work man. Lathe is next on my list of tools that I don't really need.

Agreed with you about getting her road ready though. I've been "almost there" on my 360 for a couple months now ;)

And just bought a GS550, might look into the same muffler you've got. Looks much nicer than my old rust bucket.
 
Thanks adventurco. I was excited to get a lathe for flashlight work actually (odd I know), but I really haven't used it much. I have yet to do any threading or anything that requires any skill. It's nice to have to turn down various parts though and machine simple spacers.

So after ordering "amber" LED turn signals from Ebay that were basically red, I ordered these from Super Bright LEDs...

License plate LEDs
https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/led-wired-bolts/miniature-led-license-plate-bolt/1685/

Small LED strip
https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/led-light-modules/am-series-miniature-rectangle-accent-light-black/25/

Flasher relay
https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/flashers-load-resistors/lf1-s-pin-universal-motorcycle-electronic-flasher/193/841/

I decided to use the first ones for front turn signals. They are tiny, and really aren't that bright, but they should do the job. I should have taken a closer up picture as they are hard to see. Headlight isn't mounted yet, need to machine some spacers first. Oh, and I will definitely be making a DIY brake line to replace the one you see here.

IMG_20150824_235846_zpsxmqr61hf.jpg


IMG_20150824_235928_zpst6ucpblb.jpg


The flasher relay seems to work great.

I bought a Trail Tech Vapor dash unit along with the shroud for indicator lights. I need to make a mount for that and wire it up which shouldn't be too bad. Maybe I'll actually get to ride this damn thing before Winter comes...

winterIsComing.gif
 
Got all of the wiring done tonight. Not the cleanest, but it works. A little cleaning up yet to do, then adding the RFID module and making a mount for the Vapor dash. I wish the wiring was cleaner around the battery, but this

IMG_20150828_000123_zpsybarkwh6.jpg


IMG_20150828_000131_zpsff7rvz43.jpg


IMG_20150828_000143_zpsciuphc3u.jpg


IMG_20150828_000156_zpsvl03wtpp.jpg


IMG_20150828_000204_zpseuztfb6c.jpg


IMG_20150828_000216_zpsinklaxju.jpg


IMG_20150828_000357_zpsfonyrtl9.jpg
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20150828_000721.jpg
    IMG_20150828_000721.jpg
    386.6 KB · Views: 470
Looking right man. Not usually a fan of clubman bars but they fit nicely with the width of the bike.

Thanks for the link on those little license plate bolt LEDs. Been looking for a solution for my CB's swingarm plate mount. Thinking I' might run it/them off a battery to avoid running wires onto the swing arm.
 
I plan on replacing the clubmans with clip-ons at some point. Already seeing some rust coming through the frame because I did a poor job of painting it. If all goes well I might disassemble it this winter to have the frame powder coated / anodized (there's an anodizing shop in town, not sure how much they charge), then I'll do a refresh on the motor too (need to look at the cam tensioner, inspect valve clearances, replace some gaskets, etc.)

Started shaping the seat using the crappy foam mat from Walmart. I'm going to shave a lot down from how it sits now. It won't be a comfortable seat, but I picked up some marine vinyl and my mom is a seamstress, so with diamond stitching it might turn out alright. Wish I went a few inches shorter on the rear end, but we'll see how it turns out. I can always chop it off and put a new hoop on, and build another seat.

IMG_20150909_140607_zpsuact4z1y.jpg
 
Got the seat done! Pretty happy with the way it turned out. I could have done a better job on the shape, but my mom did a great job with the cover despite not having a machine that was meant for upholstery. If I would do this again I would definitely invest in some better foam. The 1/2" thick stuff I got for the top is basically useless, so this seat is not the least bit comfortable.

Next up is removing the tabs from the tank and possibly taking it somewhere to get painted (I did a tank before and it was a pain), and ordering up some clipons.

IMG_20150917_185504_zpspa2xjlee.jpg


IMG_20150917_203159_zpsjcqnw4sj.jpg


IMG_20150917_203132_zpsc6uquu4o.jpg


IMG_20150917_203142_zpsalhr5yox.jpg
 
Looks absolutely amazing man, I have a lot of appreciation for this build being a fellow gs650 owner.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
 
Definitely need to get the tank painted and the bike cleaned up. Might switch to a large bucket headlight instead of the Vrod headlight too.

Got it running pretty decent. Turns out I had the needles too lean with the clip position. Had a bad stumble from idle to 3,500 rpm. Turned the mixture screws out slightly back to 2.5 and with the clips one richer than the recommended position, throttle response is great and no stumbling. Oddly enough it's back to where it was when I first fired this thing up. Not sure what the issues were then, but I could not get it to run right, but it's running good now. Next up are some plug chops.

Then, sadly, I need to fix the clutch that is slipping. The shifts often seem delayed, and it can sound like a CVT when romping on the throttle after a shift. I'll probably take the clutch basket out and inspect everything, hoping that I can just toss new springs on and not need new plates. I might do that this winter when I inspect the valve clearances and adjust the cam tensioner.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20150920_181859.jpg
    IMG_20150920_181859.jpg
    723.1 KB · Views: 451
I'm thinking just gloss black, keeping the emblems, although it would be nice to add some color. A gold wouldn't be bad if I had the calipers and maybe rearsets powder coated the same color. If you have any inspirational pics let me know!
 
I painted my gs650 over the summer, just gives you an idea of what red looks like

0491a62db65f10c521daaa44819cd390.jpg
49b7474700e9aa76de1eff9f0a945413.jpg


Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
 
Thanks specialk. Bike looks good!

I think I'm just going to keep it simple and go with black. Here's a shot from the front with the vrod headlight. New Tarozzi clip-ons arrive today, we'll see how they fit and look.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20150923_171903.jpg
    IMG_20150923_171903.jpg
    209.9 KB · Views: 458
Well I got my Tarozzi Low-rise clip-ons on. I went with these not for the rise, but for the offset moving them forward. I have limited clearance as you can see...

IMG_20150923_231937_zpsedmc2khx.jpg


But the problem is that even to get that clearance, the bars are too flat. I need to be able to put them at least a 7 degree downward angle with more pullback. I'll have to modify the turn stops by drilling, threading, and adding a hex head bolt on the frame or something.

IMG_20150923_230623_zpsyin2bnrg.jpg


IMG_20150923_230634_zpsljilqpv0.jpg


IMG_20150923_230610_zpsktjldl6w.jpg
 
Well I cut bracket out of 1/4 steel to make a turn stop so that my handlebars don't hit my tank. Hopefully it's not too restrictive on the turn radius, but it's a much more comfortable position.

IMG_20160206_225332_zpsgl5j6jna.jpg


I also decided to order up a MTW .110 connector kit from Cycle Terminal. The Weather Pack are nice, but they are way too bulky. I also need to redo my wiring as it's a complete mess. I have crazy respect for people that make harnesses, because I even did a wiring diagram and everything, but just adding a few components here and there (a battery/charging system LED monitor) and my RFID setup just made it confusing. I should have scrapped the RFID because it adds a lot of wiring with the relays and stuff, but oh well. I have a Brother label maker so I'm going to print off film labels to label the wires.

IMG_20160206_224935_zpsxgnwg2fb.jpg


IMG_20160206_224930_zpsfseljzqa.jpg


I'm starting to strip my tank now and am going to see how it might look in raw steel. If it looks good I'll just clear coat it.

Also, the battery location is pissing me off. It looks like crap, and it makes it difficult to remove, but I just can't seem to find a better spot. I might just mount it in the gap of the swingarm, but I need to build a sealed housing of some sort. Ugh. And then I need to disassemble to send parts, including the frame, out for powder coating. Building this bike was just a bad idea all around.
 
Back
Top Bottom