1978 Suzuki GS 550 E >>>>NEW PICS!!!<<<<

brainrush

brainrush

Active Member
To catch up:

Member Introduction:

http://dotheton.com/index.php?topic=14714.0

Seat Build:

http://dotheton.com/index.php?topic=14750.0

In short this bike was a ball of snot when I started, now it's on the verge of being a working bike,

I'm in the middle of building the seat. I bought some bar end mirrors, carbs should come in any minute now. I still have to cut up the rear subframe a bit and buy all the little accesories as well as make/buy some rearsets/clubmans/etc.
 
Re: 1978 Suzuki GS 550 E

Carbs came in, I got half way through installing them before continuing on the seat.
 
Re: 1978 Suzuki GS 550 E

Yep! ;D ;D ;D

It actually has a slip on muffler that goes with it but it brings the noise level down to prius ::)
 
Re: 1978 Suzuki GS 550 E

Alright, so whats the plan for the girl? I am building a 1979 GS425E, Eileen! Check it in my sig! I am excited so many zooks are starting to show up on here now! I will be watching yours for sure!
 
Re: 1978 Suzuki GS 550 E

well, I just figured out the buggered carbs, they need some major tuning, but now I can feel safe ordering parts, so I'll be doing the usual, clubmans, grips, fabbing some rearsets (I'm going for oil blackened steel because it's easier to come by), getting rid of most everything behind the rear shock towers,bar end mirrors, seat, etc. etc.
 
Re: 1978 Suzuki GS 550 E

link to the page with the carb troubles: http://dotheton.com/index.php?topic=14827.0

Bonus pic of the bike after a trip around the block, I was trying to watch the count-down light:

image-upload-4-700664.jpg
 
Re: 1978 Suzuki GS 550 E

jacket; you need one. asphalt sucks at any speed.
 
Re: 1978 Suzuki GS 550 E

I've got one, a proper one too, BMW maverick, I donned the jacket and gloves, but it was a bit hot for the photos, I'm so used to full face helmets that fog that I forgot I had the helmet on! Next photo of me near the bike I'll have more gear on just for you.
 
Re: 1978 Suzuki GS 550 E

I hear ya on the oil black, I have used some on my build, even though SS is better for where I live, across the street from the big salt pond (Gulf of Mexico). SS is just so high and hard to find in the style bolts you want some times! Have you thought about color yet?
 
Re: 1978 Suzuki GS 550 E

what you see is what you get, satin red frame with matte black tank 'n tail. I'm going to try and paint a gloss black air force roundel on the tanks sides. the bike isn't pretty, unfortunately it will never be pretty, it's been abused by the PO so much I figured it was unrestoreable. My next project is going to be the pretty one. I'm already planning out s small displacement single, custom framed and supercharged commuter bike. I won't give away any more than that. ;D
 
Re: 1978 Suzuki GS 550 E

frame is chopped, still need to finish filing/sanding before I repaint, also am thinking of just using velcro at this point. Also my bar end mirrors just arrived my mirrors arrived, they cost me $6, original price was around $18+s&h from amazon but I had a $25 coupon so I got them for less than the cost of shipping! they look decent and cant wait for the clubmans to come in so I can mount them. they look exactly like the ones carpy sells on his sight, so it would be in good conscience to say they probably are the same ones, but half the price, same goes for a lot of the stuff on his sight, but I digress.

link to the mirrors: http://www.amazon.com/Suzuki-SV650-GSXR-Hayabusa-Mirrors/dp/B00167VG90/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

link to carpy's sight for comparison: http://www.cb750cafe.com/parts.php?id=105

pics of the bike
image-upload-1-796990.jpg


image-upload-2-730094.jpg
 
Re: 1978 Suzuki GS 550 E

Hey BRush, bikes lookin good so far. But I gotta ask, is it just the pics or does the paint on the frame have a magenta / pink hue to it? I know you said it's red but I keep seeing pink in it somehow.
 
Re: 1978 Suzuki GS 550 E

The most accurate depiction of the color is next to the exhaust, but a tad less pink.

The color is rustoleum satin colonial red : http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=91

Again the web doesn't do it justice, in person it's more of a red barn color, like a dark satin cherry red, a little lighter than the trim of my door in the pic. I guess I can blame my phone for washing out the depth of the black and not color-balancing itself correctly.

When choosing colors, i wanted a flat black bike, but when it's all black it looks sort of lame unless it's a special bike like the nightster, so I wanted some red to make it pop, but not just any red, it couldn't overpower the black, so it had to be a darker red. Flat red wouldn't bring out the essence of the bike enough while gloss red IMHO would make it loose its personality. At the time it was the only color scheme I could really picture really appealing to me. Now all I can think of is baby blue, orange and silver...
 
Re: 1978 Suzuki GS 550 E

Thanks! I was going to use the original seat hinge and lock, but they are quite a ways out from the seat, as well as use neodymium magnets to hold the bump-stop pad, but the magnets are quite brittle and I don't think it'd be terribly wallet safe. I'm thinking I'll just use hermaphroditic velcro instead. That way I can also build a 2-up seat and swap it out in under a minute if need be. (seriously tho, a chick should be able to ride her own bike)
 
Re: 1978 Suzuki GS 550 E

Mate i don't take pillions, period. Too hard. Too dodgy.
 
Re: 1978 Suzuki GS 550 E

Point taken, I usually call "pillion" (plural?) by what they feel like to me, which is ballast. As you can probably tell, I ride solo 99.9% of the time....

By the way, I'm thinking of ditching the air force roundel for hand-painted name, any suggestions?

The only name I can come up with atm is Audrey, but this ain't no vespa...
 
Re: 1978 Suzuki GS 550 E

I was about to ask about the rear turn signals, but guess I'll have to wait. Everything's lookin good.

How tall are you BRush? Like 6'2"?
 
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