Re: 83 GS 450 a lil work done. slow going but finally started moving
A little work done over the last week or so. A lot of reading and a little working going on. Removed the beat up, and turns out cracked, airbox (thanks to the PO). Replaced the intake boot o-rings per instructions. replaced the main gets with 122.5. Bench synched and reinstalled. cheapy pods installed (it's what i had).
I started work on the electrics box. it is super cramped but will be functional as I continue to weed down the harness a little. fabbed and replaced starter wire from the solenoid to the starter. Fabbed longer wires and installed an extended ground wire to reach where the battery will go. Will be creating a longer poitive lead and replacing the inline fuse with a blade type tomorrow (have the parts but ran out of ambition in the heat.
There are hopefully a few update pictures of the teardown, cleanup as I go process. If anyone has a GS450 and knows if the cross braces pictured (containing the front break light switch and a random ground mount) is structural brace please chime in. I would love to remove it all but the small portion which contains the light switch and ground. I am also curious if there is any structural need for the seat brace hump? I beat it back a little and it seems to be fairly flexable. I would like to fully remove for space for my battery box (battery is currently just setting for mock up purposes.
I have a ton of tabs to remove and grind down. I am going to have to go get a small $10 dollar electric hand grinder from harbor freight. My cordless tools are fine for rough shaping and cutoff, but dont have the power or RPM to grind the weld flux smooth and make things presentable and ready for primer and paint.
This is a low dollar build, it will be slow. Hopefully I will have ability to regain my motorcycle liscense next january (long story). This gives me plenty of time to clean, mock, fab, and redo this part by part at a leasurely pace.
Day she came home
Engine stripped and partially repainted. The rest will be stripped and poiished. Headers removed of all rust. there is some excessive pitting on the top curve, but the rest looks pristine. To pitted to polish so it got the high temp treatment as well. may wrap with header wrap when I decide on color scheme.(black or white).
cluttered electrics box (but it fit). will be covered with a Roc-city roadracer seat (only one i can find that may fit this setup for the red headed step child of the GS world.
Rough mock of where the battery will go. Its an AGM, but much larger than I would prefer. Money, the electric start only, and my knowledge are currently holding me back from switching.
The brace or mounting bar seperating my lower frame triangle from happiness. Is this structural? I SOOOOO wish i had a welder to refab some of these areas. I would love to leave just the stub where the brake switch and ground are to clean up the area.
Tomorrow hopefully i will be able to finish cleaning up the wiring. zip tieing it to frame out of the way. and start finishing the tab removal. Then it hours and hours of finish grinding to get where i need to be.
Any tips appreciated. i am handy with tools, but far from a mechanic. I am also totally new to the cafe style build as well as the GS p twin.
Gary