1978 GS 750e

Hello DTT members, I am fairly new to the forum and excited to share my new project.
I purchased this 1978 GS 750e over the winter from a individual located in Detroit, which is a four hour drive for me. The bike was said to be running fine, and in great condition. The price was 650$ After a long drive, it was discovered that since the previous season of being ridden the front master cylinder had seised up and was non operational. ... The bike started with a charge, and idled fine. The paint on the side of the tank not facing in the photo also had paint chipping and a ding from a handle bar smack or a tip over of some sorts. Nothing major in my opinion aside from it not being mentioned before I made the drive. Considering the brake/battery/ and ding I offered 500$, after some himmmhawwing It was a deal.
Some pics of it then...

A friend with a truck who helped in the endeavor.
Once home, we wheeled it into a spare room of my house to begin working on it.

I heard a saying once while building a AK that it truly isn't yours until you cut it...So I took that to heart and started right away removing the seat, brake light and turn signals and jigsawing off (having to work with a limited selection of tools ) the rear section of the frame.

At this point I was intending to do a Cafe style build so a rear turn of pipe was in order. I decided to try making this myself as affording a pre-bent was not a option. I went down to the local hardware and after a hour of frustrating blown out bends which were far to large anyways..the guy working told me to go see his uncle who build race cars who's shop was less than five min away. So off I went to "Uncle Troys" who in no time had me a rear loop created and welded to my frame...For 20$!!!



Now to start deciding on seating options, I at this point though I was starting to stray from the Cafe mindset seeing what price a seat and fiberglass etc. was going to cost me. So I had a idea, while working on repurposed skateboard decks for bicycle seats....So I payed the local skateshop a visit and asked for any thrashed decks they would be willing to part with and after hearing the plan they gave these all to me for free.

With a little spoliation on a Zero deck I painted up a rad image for the cycle deck seat.
I love the love a bobber solo seat, but I also love a woman riding along with me so...how to get that look with the option of two up...With a belt sander I began sanding another of the decks into shape. This is what I came up with, loosely positioned on the bike..
I also started in on the once plain helmet..

After some time away from the bike I am back at it. The bike is having some breathing issues, not wanting to start unless both air filter and exhaust pipes are removed. I am taking the bike to a mechanic friend who offered to clean the carbs while teaching me to do it, hopefully this takes care of that issue.

I need to read up on what type of battery I should buy for the bike and get that installed as well as wire in a small brake light.

I went to a local chop shop and found they had just parted out 3 Suzuki's a 76,77, and 78. So I am waiting on a price but I most likely scored some spoked rims, a master cylinder, and a brake light.

As it sits now


I need to fab up and weld a seat pan to attach the seats to. I also plan on removing the gauge cluster and front turn signals and just running basic gauges, maybe just reusing the existing ones without all the other bits of the dash.

Oh, as you can see in the previous post, I have also stripped the tank down some. still needing some more zippstripping/sanding.


I really dig the look of a gloss black bike, but I also don't want to have just another black bike...so I was fretting a bit over what paint scheme to go with, as I was doing so I was wiping down the tank with cutter using a old set of scrap bed sheets I received from my great grandma so time ago..they are a wild old print, and bam! I discovered what paint scheme I am going to go with.
The background will either be flat black with that print only being on the sides of the tank with a center streak of gloss black or...the background will be gloss and the entire tank will be in that print design...

I worked on the tank today. I finished stripping it and painted the underside in a flat black.

Demucked and polished petcock.

Moved to Specials.

Thanks boss

I put the tracker bars on to get a feel for how they will look. It will look a lot better I think once the gauge cluster comes off.
Sorry about the crappy cell phone pics again.

Finished first attempt at making a seat and seat pan. I didn't have any sheet metal but I did have some plexiglass, so I gave it a try. It offers a cool visual appeal being able to look right into the battery box I think.

Found some ratty compadres in the burbs.

From the ride this evening.