Suzuki GS 550 E first timer cafe racer build UK

stevogs550 said:
I had had a flat tyre going quick round a sweeping bend and nearly came off! Had to park up and get a lift to the local garage to fix it.
Then I had a scare when I was riding home down a country lane in the drizzle and suddenly all my electrics went and I was left traveling at 70mph in pitch blackness! Managed to stop in the middle of the road without riding into the verges! And had to push the bike the last 1/2 mile home. So I decided to overhual the wiring before I rode her again!

Man that happened to me the other day. Scary as hell! Going from full light to pitch black and no power. You have to slam on brakes and HOPE you can stay in a straight line.
I also had the same thing happen to me on the tire, going about 45 and the back tire just blew sending me completely out of control. Luckily I was able to get it stopped (and then push it a mile uphill back home because I didn't have my phone)
Glad you made it past both mishaps!
 
Bit of a gap in my photos. I've re-located the ignition switch under the tank and made a bracket for the speedo so it's tucked right in against the top yolk.

I was having trouble starting her in the cold. And my main aim was to get to 100mph so I bought a stronger battery, new points, condenser, coils, iridium sparkplugs, leads, balenced carbs, cleaned chain. All made her smoother and gets to mid 90's easy but no more. Maybe would if I gunned it for long enough.

I checked valve clearances and they need doing, so I'll do them and re-setup carbs etc.

I got a sweet open-face helmet and cafe style leather jacket for christmas :)

I'm thinking I'll sort out the paint work when the weather warms up. Black frame with british racing green tank and seat. Here's some recent photos in black and white so the bad paintwork doesn't show up LOL!...
 

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MJPriceisright said:
where did you pick up the seat foam? looks great!

I just found it on eBay...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LARGE-CAFE-RACER-SEAT-NEW-UNUSED-SUIT-BMW-ETC-IN-BLACK-/251173909005?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item3a7b21b20d

I think it's gone down in price since I bought it too!
 
MJPriceisright said:
where did you pick up the seat foam? looks great!

Ah you asked about the foam not the seat whoops. Race seat foam uk...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Motorcycle-Seat-Foam-20mm-Thick-/281097104742?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item4172b16d66

It's quite pricey, but I wanted the foam all in one piece rather than a seperate bump pad at the back. I'm thinking about making a thicker foam pad with stitched vinyl covering for when I re-spray the bike. Although I like the 10mm race foam I've got now, so not sure.
 
Finally got round to doing valve clearances. Only needed 2 new shims coz I could swap a couple of the others around to bring into range.

Now the clearances are right I can re-calibrate my carb float bowl levels, fuel screws, and re-balence the carbs.

#4 carb was quite a way off balence, which had the valve that was furthest out of range before I did the clearances. I have had a slight leak from the reservoir drain plugs for a while now - the thread was on it's last legs so I couldn't tighten them up enough and the paper washers had seen better days. I've now fitted m6 bolts and rubber o-rings which seems to have solved that prob.

I had been having problems getting her going the last 6 months. I had changed the points, coils, plugs, battery, earth lead, wiring and fiddled with the fuel screws, which all helped a bit but still didn't want to start easily. Once she got going she sounded rough for a bit, then was sweet once warmed up. After I did the shims she was a bit better starting, but not great. But after the carb balencing this weekend and the new reservoir drin plug seals, I just tried starting her and she fired up instantly and ran smooth :) It seems the main prob all along may have been a slightly leaky reservoir on two carbs! So the empty/low reservoirs on two carbs were slowly being filled while turning the starter motor (I don't have a 'prime' position on my fuel tap), and I was probably flooding the other two cylinders coz she wasn't firing up! So fingers crossed she's all sorted ;D stoked.

I also changed the fork seals (for the 3rd time!!) this weekend and gave the engine a couple hours of polishing just with a rag and autosol :)

So now I'm up to date with this blog (is it a blog?!) apart from a more recent photo with a new headlight and a pressed aluminium numberplate, which I will post at some point. I went for a bigger headlight with a black bowl. I wasn't ever keen on my small Bates style headlight really.
 

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Bike is looking good!

On the topic of the foam; how dense is it? Dense enough to be able to stick a couple of pieces together without it being too squidgy? (If that makes sense?)

Keep up the good work! Am looking forward to seeing it completed!
 
TomGravelle said:
Bike is looking good!

On the topic of the foam; how dense is it? Dense enough to be able to stick a couple of pieces together without it being too squidgy? (If that makes sense?)

Keep up the good work! Am looking forward to seeing it completed!

Yeah definately dense enough to double up. I found it quite difficult to cut to shape cleanly, so use the sharpest scalpul/stanley you've got! It's just difficult to keep a clean edge coz you can't really trim small bits off, you have to get the line right first time. Well that's what I found anyway. I'd recon sticking the layers together first then cutting to shape would be best.
 
Got round to making the idiot lights yesterday.

I used the original wiring to the old clocks and just cut each light and wired in a small LED. I like these LED coz although they're not exactly inkeeping with traditional style, they are discrete and can be tooked away neatly. They're cheap and come with built in resistors so it's just a straight swap from the originals.

I'm trying to keep the bike fairly tradition Cafe style and not too nu skool. But I'm not gonna be an anorak about it! ;D

I made the bracket by cutting a bit out of the original number plate bracket for now, as this was quite thin and soft steel so easy to work with. I made my new number plate bracket out of stainless steel sheet (coz it needed to be still and strong) and I struggled with my blunt drill bits! I was going to use a bit of ali sheet for the idiot light bracket but I can't find my off-cuts from my clock bracket anywhere!

I tested the wiring before bolting it all in place. I had forgotten that LED lights need to have the + and - the right way around.

Then I tidied up the bare connections with some electrical tape. It all feels like a bit of a bodge job as there was no soldering involved, just lots of crimp connectors and tape, and I managed with my blunt drill bits and battery powered drill! (I usually pop over to my Dad's house and borrow his 'workshop' and tools to do the job properly).
 

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I'm happy with the result. They're nice and bright coz they're tucked down in the shade so they stand out when lit up well. Although the camera has made them look blindingly bright!

The smaller Bates headlight I had on before had a highbeam warning light built into the bowl (which is a legal requirement for MOT), and the new bigger headlight I fitted the other day doesn't have this warning light. Which prompted me to finally get round to fitting all the idiot lights. The others aren't a legal requirement but I want them anyway. In fact I haven't even got indicators yet but I put the warning light there for when I do.

So this is how she's looking at the moment with the new bigger headlight and pressed plate I fitted recently...
 

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robbing said:
Very nice bike, you dont have any problems with steering? you bought the clubman from ebay?

Problems steering? Like what? The bars did take a couple miles to get used to I suppose. Although it was probably the whole bike that took a bit of getting used to as I'm used to riding my other bike - 2000 ZX6R (or should I say I WAS used to riding my ZX as I ride my GS most of the time now!). I think coz the bars are actually slightly infront of the forks it feels odd at first, and the 19" heavy front wheel makes the steering feel heavy compared to a more modern bike. But I really like the different riding style now. You just have to be more heavy-handed with the bars! ;D

Is that what you meant by steering problems?

Yeah I bought the bars from eBay.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BSA-A65-LIGHTNING-CLUBMAN-CAFE-RACER-ACE-BARS-/330780286360?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item4d040a9d98
 
Finally bit the bullet and forked out £115 for Dynatec electronic ignition. I got fed up with adjusting the points every weekend! They seemed to just keep slipping out of sync or the cam wasn't reliably breaking the points at the same time every time it passed.

I had bought new points and condenser and got the timing spot on and she was running sweet. But then after a couple of runs the timing was out again!

The Dynatec was pricey, but hopefully worth it. She is starting up in the blink of an eye and running much smoother now. I think I was running slightly rich on the pilot jets to compensate for the bad timing coz now I've screwed the fuel screws in a full turn and she's running sweet right through the range :)

Hopefully no more adjusting will be needed :)
 

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Since it's now "summer" I thought I'd finally sort out the paint work. I was thinking a black frame with British racing green tank and hump. But then I saw a sweet café racer which had the metallic red frame like mine, with a white/cream tank and hump. I've decided to try something very similar with mine (ie the same!). I thought maybe a black frame and green stuff might be a bit cliché so I'm currently painting my bits white/cream.

I've also started to make a seat pad to replace my 10mm thick seat foam. The foam is fine and not too uncomfortable but I thought I'd have a go at making a nice padded pad. I've made a mock-up using the mouldy foam and shitty vinyl from the original seat. So I got my girlfriends sewing machine out and gave it a go...
 

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Rubbed tank down and I found that the original tank colour was black and had been primered over the top and sprayed red. After a good clean of the frame I noticed the same where the red paint had chipped off - originally black. The reg document states it's red. But I've never found another Suzuki gs in metallic claret/burgundy red where the frame and tank colour matches. Another reason why I'm keen to try this claret/cream colour scheme.

So far I've applied 2 coats of primer, but the coats on the tank seem to be reacting to whatever primer was used to spray over the original black tank. Anyone know why? How to resolve? The last picture here is the bike I saw, which I'm "copying" the colour scheme.
 

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I wasn't keen on the diamond quilting seat cover I started to make so I went for the ribbed quilting in a claret vinyl to match the frame...
 

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I think I went over the top on the thickness of the foam. So I got rid of the foam and just kept the wadding as the only padding to the seat.
 

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I got rid of the petrol filler flap and filled the screw holes. Finally got the lacquer on. Got some nicer tank badges from a GT500. The paint job looks slightly more cream in person.

Next up is the indicators. I've bought a pair of projector LED units to fit on the ends of the frame where I've cut it down.

I'm also considering clip-on bars and a set of small chrome speedo/tacho clocks.
 

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Just finished the rear indicators :)

I've got a new relay coming in the post tomorrow hopefully to fix the flash rate.
 

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