1979 Suzuki GS750 - Trying something different (for me)

GS750JON

New Member
Thanks for stopping by to check out my build! I have been browsing around here for a few weeks now, and couldn't wait to start my own build thread!

After 10 years on and off of owning bikes of various styles, makes, and models of bikes I have come to one common conclusion... not having a bike in my life just isn't for me. While hot rods, and projects with four wheels consume a lot of my free time, and the majority of my "fun fund," I decided to try something different this time. I wanted to source something relatively inexpensive, easily roadworthy, and fun I could work on out of my garage while still keeping it on the road. Being in Southern Alberta, the winter provides ample nasty weather to keep the bike in the garage and get some work done, but still gives us the odd day here and there where throwing on a couple layers and some warm gloves allows for a brisk winter season ride! I have had plenty of projects that I've torn completely apart and started from the ground up, budgets have gotten blown completely out of proportion and become overall they just become overwhelming. Hence my intent to keep this one on the road, and tackle each task methodically, and efficiently.

I decided to post in the "Specials" area, as I have not 100% decided on, or committed to a particular style I want to follow in my build. From lots of browsing I have been quite inspired by builds such as Mad Ratter's "Stray Dog." I know I will have many questions, and welcome all of your input and advice along the way!

One think I rarely fall short on is posting pictures, so here's a few to get things going!

So what am I starting with?! I purchased a 1979 GS750 from a nice individual who had started working on the bike, and made a few modifications along the way. These first couple pictures I got from the previous owner of the bike before he did anything to it. It looks like it was a very clean stock bike.

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This second set of pictures is of the bike as I purchased it. As you can see the previous owner stripped it down a bit, switched out the bars, and added a rear frame loop.

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Finally, this third set of pictures is of the bike as it sits in my garage at this very moment. I plan on changing a few things the previous owner did, but it is seems like a solid canvas for me to start with that's for sure! First on the agenda is deciding on a seat style, cutting off the light/license plate bracket the previous owner welded to the rear of the loop and adding more discrete signal lights front and back, along with a different style tail/brake light. I'd also like to switch out the gauges for something that will take less real estate up front. The previous owner had made a flat seat pan, as can be seen in the pictures, that works with the factory hinges and lock to still allow for a lifting seat. I really like the idea of a lifting/locking seat as there is a little storage tray under the seat, and eventually I'd like to consolidate the electronics under there as well, but not sure if I should keep running with what he had already started, or start from scratch. Any recommendations right off the bat?

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Sure is quiet in here... but may as well update!

My new rear shocks got here today, also have a seat in the works which will help get this bike going in the right direction.

Trying to decide on signal light and tail light styles to get those replaced ASAP as well. Hoping to also replace the speedo/tach soon to something smaller and less prominent.

Any recommendations/opinions on bars? I’m not totally against the bars that are already on the bike.... with a flat seat and those bars I guess it might have a bit of a “brat” look to it which I’m less and less against after hours of image searching haha.


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My shocks arrived... but they are missing the bushings :mad: so I am currently waiting for those to arrive so I can install them. The seat should be here soon, and over the weekend I also pulled the trigger on a NOS Kerker 4-1 header. It does not come with a muffler, so I have been doing a bit of searching/research as to what I am going to use for the muffler. Looking for something with a 2.5" inlet, which shouldn't be too hard to do. Hopefully some progress pictures to come once a few of these parts come and I can get a bit done on the bike.
 
I would leave the plate and rear lamp where they are. That's legal and tidy. Maybe consider a smaller light unit but not so small that drivers don't see it or you.

Smaller than stock indicators are less intrusive for sure, but again there's the balance between visibility (safety) and subtlety (style).

I would strip off the exhaust wrap which adds zero functionality. Or don't wrap the new pipe and can. A light 4 into 1 won't make much, if any, more power but should shed weight and therefore improve performance.

The idea of a seat pan using stock mounts is perfect. All you have to do is to imagine a shape you like. Best way to do that is to take a side view picture and either print that out and use pens/crayons/pencils etc to play with shapes - or do that digitally.

One thing you could look at is replacing that instrument cluster with something less, shall we say bulky and replace it with a single unit from ebay or your favorite gauge supplier. That could lighten up the front end appearance.

I would also be tempted to fabricate some footpegs a little further back - even with stock(ish) bars. Don't go back to far and consider rubber mounted pegs like say a set from a Hyabusa.
 
teazer said:
I would leave the plate and rear lamp where they are. That's legal and tidy. Maybe consider a smaller light unit but not so small that drivers don't see it or you.

Smaller than stock indicators are less intrusive for sure, but again there's the balance between visibility (safety) and subtlety (style).

I would strip off the exhaust wrap which adds zero functionality. Or don't wrap the new pipe and can. A light 4 into 1 won't make much, if any, more power but should shed weight and therefore improve performance.

The idea of a seat pan using stock mounts is perfect. All you have to do is to imagine a shape you like. Best way to do that is to take a side view picture and either print that out and use pens/crayons/pencils etc to play with shapes - or do that digitally.

One thing you could look at is replacing that instrument cluster with something less, shall we say bulky and replace it with a single unit from ebay or your favorite gauge supplier. That could lighten up the front end appearance.

I would also be tempted to fabricate some footpegs a little further back - even with stock(ish) bars. Don't go back to far and consider rubber mounted pegs like say a set from a Hyabusa.

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions Teazer!

What do you think of something like these for the tail lights? They could be mounted to the plate that is already on the bike, and the plate could be formed a bit to follow the contour of the lights. (Obviously remove the lights from the plate bracket they come mounted on)




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Not too bad. I use an R6 LED assembly on my GT750 street tracker. Look for something completely different to get the creative juices flowing.
 
My seat arrived today. After setting it on the bike, I’m wondering if brown was a bad choice and I should have gone with black? I do intend to paint the tank, so maybe a colour that compliments the brown seat will fix that. Thoughts/suggestions?
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Scott, I do still have the stock seat pan and seat cover that the previous owner gave me in a box of parts he had taken off the bike. There is no stock foam as that is what the previous owner trimmed down and covered with a t-shirt... which I couldn't get off the bike quick enough haha.
 
Got a bit done on the bike this morning....

Switched out the shocks as the bushings finally showed up, got the front fork back to approximately stock location, and mounted the Kerker 4-1 header. Gotta change the plugs and do an oil change next, and hopefully find a decent muffler to run on the 4-1.


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Has been a bit cold in the garage again to get much more done on the bike, but figured I’d post a few more pics to keep people interested. The seat is still just resting on the bike, not mounted yet.
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I like the chrome exhaust better. Many colors go well with brown - dark green (what I'm using on my present build), red. Back and blue probably not so much.
 
I'm not picking on GS750Jon here - just a general gripe.

AFAIK, only one bike in history came stock with a brown seat - in my time at least - and that was the much hated CB500T. We all thought it was ugly and that seats are supposed to be black. They did not sell well and languished in showrooms for ages - deservedly so IMHO.

Now lots of people fit brown seats on their bikes and to my eyes the color combination just does not work. And why do people want to fit barely padded flat planks instead of seats. That's going back to the days of horse drawn buggies. A seat has to provide support and comfort. Yes, I know that people say that they don't ride far, but why fit a seat that basically ensures that the bike rarely gets ridden for long?

I get that it's some sort of fashion and there is no logic to fashion, but surely we can do better.
 
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