1982 GS650G First time builder

Clear coat is going on tomorrow.


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Getting close. The muffler has been painted and cured. It will go back on the bike in the AM, and, hopefully, I can get some pictures up.

I still have the rear sets and linkage, fork gaiters, and a USB adapter to add to the bike. I will be adding those on weekends and late nights all while I am riding.

Also, a friend is going to hand paint a vintage Suzuki "S" in the white patch on the tank.


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The vinyl wasn't fully tightened on the seat in a couple of the photos I posted. It was in the last couple. I will get some good photos soon.

I am already salivating for next winter when I will be doing performance modifications. This season was about trimming weight and getting the right look.


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It is amazing how motivated you can get late at night when you are too tired to worry about how something will turn out. That was the motivation I needed to finish the seat upholstery and electrical I was working on. All the parts are back on the bike (except for the muffler), it looks decent, and it still runs! Tomorrow will be the maiden voyage.


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The bike looks great! I just picked up an '82 GS650L and plan on doing some similar modifications. Did the seat upholstery tighten up with some heat? I have reupholstered several car seats with prefabbed covers, but never made anything on my own, so I am concerned about the fit.

Are you getting rid of your gauges and just using a GPS APP on your phone for speedo?

Good work on the project, it looks like you had a much cleaner bike than mine to start with, but it looks even better now!

Godsilla, I hope your 82 is as reliable as mine has been.

I am totally new to upholstery of any kind. I just pulled it tight and attached it to some tack strips that I riveted into the bottom of my seat pan. It isn't the prettiest under the seat, and I don't think I would do it again. As for the look on the top of the seat, I was pleased with how it turned out. I may have a professional redo it in a couple of years, but it looks pretty good and is comfortable.

I did jettison the original gauges. I have a waterproof iPhone mount that has a chargeable battery extender in it that is connected to my battery via a USB adapter (eBay $25). I bought a couple of cheap Speedometer apps for my phone. One is just a good looking guage. The other is a full featured rally inspired app that can track everything from mileage and speed to cost per mile and. Specific routes that have been ridden. Neither was over $6.

As for my bike, it looked good at 15-20 feet. As you got closer her warts were more visible. Hence the pipe wrap and new muffler. The gas tank sprung a leak and ruined the previous paint job, so there was work that had to be done. I didn't want to cut up a bike that was in great condition, and this one was good but not exceptional. I always cringe when I see beautiful vintage bikes getting chopped. There are so many $800 not running barn finds (like this one) out there that it doesn't make sense to cut up bikes that have already been restored.


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I was planning on getting some pictures of the bike now that the muffler is back on and it is ready for the riding season, but our basement flooded with the crazy weather here in Northeast Ohio. I will get some decent photos up soon.


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Didn't you guys get a tornado warning or something last night? We've been getting hammered with rain over here too man, so I feel your pain.

Yeah. We spent about an hour huddled in the stairs to the basement listening to the weather. We would have gone in the basement, but didn't figure it was a good idea to be in 3-4 in of standing water during a thunderstorm with a few funnel clouds.


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That is stock. This is now...




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I still have some work to do, but the weather has finally turned. It is time to ride. The rest can wait for a rainy weekend or the winter. Spring, summer, and fall are for riding.


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Which R/R did you end up going with? I looked at the huge list, but I was wondering if there is one in particular that everyone buys now. I have heard talk of one made by honda that is cheap and supposed to be one of the best, but I don't know the part number. Thanks in advance.

I ended up going with another stock R/R, but I didn't end up needing it. The issue for me was a bad ground coming off of the battery and some bad wiring. If you have a few extra bucks, I would recommend going with a new one designed for this era bike rather than the retread of an old one, just my take. If it saves you one battery over the life of the R/R, it will more than pay for the difference in price.