GS450-rear mudguard opinions and advice

Re: 83 GS 450 with issues... here we go!

Good to see another Suzuki 450 on here! I've got a T myself. There's hope for them yet!

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Re: 83 GS 450 with issues... here we go!

yeah hoosier. Thats te place they told me about. I was trying to fnd/source something local to avoid waiting on delivery. Now I gotta wait till next weeks paycheck and order them online anyway. Best laid plans kinda fell apart. :(

Gary
 
Re: 83 GS 450 with issues... here we go!

As for the O-rings, you can order them from Cycle O-rings, I'm sure the guys at GS-Resources will have told you about him. I found that he's quick and reliable, as long as he has them in stock that is.

I replaced both boots on mine when I had to go through it. I purchased them from G&S Suzuki, based out of Texas. I've found that they've got the best prices for parts, and free shipping if I remember correctly, however it does take 10 or so days to get stuff from them since they are merely a middle man.

If you find that you need some odd part for those carbs, lemme know. I gotta second set for cheap just in case I lost/broke something and I'd be willing to help you out for minimal cost.
 
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.

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Day she came home

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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
 
Re: 83 GS 450 a lil work done on the "Red Headed Step Child" + pics

I can't say for certain, but a lot of other bikes that do NOT have that cross brace have them added in for structural support.
 
Re: 83 GS 450 a lil work done on the "Red Headed Step Child" + pics

On my 75 XS500 it doesnt have one and thats the way it came . But would think if they have one there it needs to be ? If your not running a rear fender and running a sub fender you could place a nice clean bar across there the cut out the old one ? Then have a strong place mount sub fender . Good luck with it !
 
Re: 83 GS 450 a lil work done on the "Red Headed Step Child" + pics

I'm sure if you had the brace cleaned up and ready to install, a welder would stick it in there for next to nothing.

Dread - the reason I brought it up is because I've seen a couple of braces added onto CB400F's. Maybe they need and and your 500 doesn't?
 
Re: 83 GS 450 a lil work done on the "Red Headed Step Child" + pics

You'll be fine taking that bracket off - it's a mount for the battery box and rear mudguard more than any structual brace.

The real strutural bracing is the one between the top frame rails in front of the shock mounts (a welded in hoop at the rear is also helpful in this area, but not essential).
 
Re: 83 GS 450 a lil work done on the "Red Headed Step Child" + pics

Thanks HIllsy,

I will remove all but the small part holding the brake switch to clean it up. The original seat mount support hump is going to get shopped as well. I will be replacing that one with a nice flat steel bar to brace it back up. Battery box will sit directly above where the seat support brace is currently.

Gary
 
Re: 83 GS 450 a lil work done on the "Red Headed Step Child" + pics

Always nice to see another Zook build on here and even more rare, the avoided "L" series. Definitely going to follow this one. Did you already finish the jetting on your carbs? I think yours are the same as the ones I have on my 750, BS32SS Mikuni's.
 
Re: 83 GS 450 a lil work done on the "Red Headed Step Child" + pics

No BS34's on the 45o. Yeah it is "the red headed step child" of the zooks for sure. I actually had someone from the GS site message me and ask why I would spend the time on an "L" model.lol :'(

I have had much bigger bikes for sure, and the L trim package is far from ideal. people ask why, I ask why not....LOL besides I'm poor :)

I got a heack of a deal on it and I was currently bikeless, so why not.

The jetting is under way. I have to finish the battery mount to the back and hopefully get a seat pan ordered from Roccity this week. Then I will be able to at least run the street (in between cops) and get some plug chops. The idleseemed to be hanging before, and is still hanging now (not as bad). This would lead me to believe it is lean. Or my intake boots had more of an issue than the o rings. However when I twist the throttle it bogs for a spit second and then revs fine. This would make me believe it is rich. There are small decel backfire popping as the idle comes back down which would also lead me to believe it is lean.

I jetted up to 122.5 which is 3 steps from the 115 origional. I got some advice to adjust the air/ fuel( ? ) out to allow for more fuel as well. if this doesn't work I will need to figure out how t raise the needle I am told is on the diaphram slide assembly. If that doesn't work then I will be back to the drawing board. I am new to this whole carb thing so there is more than the usual trial and error.

Gary
 
Re: 83 GS 450 a lil work done on the "Red Headed Step Child" + pics

gk45011 said:
I actually had someone from the GS site message me and ask why I would spend the time on an "L" model.lol :'(
Click to expand...

I had someone ask me the same thing on there as well either way it doesn't matter what you have as long as you like it. I have a bigger bike as well but I love the thrill of getting on my 750 WOT shooting the nearest canyon, nothing can beat that feeling and I enjoy every minute on the bandit as well. I have seen a lot of really sick bikes made out of the "L" series bikes for example:

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That bike has been part of the inspiration for my bike along with drooling over several others here on this site.

The GS guys are really knowledgeable although have a tough time when people start a build to make a cafe or bobber out of the bike, who cares its a bike.

As for your carb rebuild if I remember correctly you said you had pods and no exhaust? You may want to look at getting some form of a 4>1 exhaust or removing some of the baffles on your current cans because it will make it a little more difficult/finicky to tune on those carbs. The needles are easy to adjust up if they are an aftermarket jet kit just moving the clip down on the needle a notch will richen it up nicely for ya, but you already knew that :)
 
Re: 83 GS 450 a lil work done on the "Red Headed Step Child" + pics

danejurrous said:
I have seen a lot of really sick bikes made out of the "L" series bikes for example:

10-31-103.jpg
Click to expand...

There are no L parts on this bike apart from the frame / motor. That's kinda why people in the know say "why bother".

(don't get me wrong - it's a great looking bike ;))
 
Re: 83 GS 450 a lil work done on the "Red Headed Step Child" + pics

The bike has the factory 2-2 exhaust. Wouldn't drilling out or removing baffles continue to lean out the bike? How would I go about drilling or removing baffles in the factory welded on exhaust? I'm a little confused. I am sure you guys are right (and vastly more experianced). Help me understand please.

Gary
 
Re: 83 GS 450 a lil work done on the "Red Headed Step Child" + pics

Personally? I wouldn't mess with the exhaust yet. The closer the drivetrain is to stock is once you get it road worthy, the easier it will me to modify one thing at a time.

Or look on EBay for a MAC exhaust made just for your 450.
 
Re: 83 GS 450 a lil work done on the "Red Headed Step Child" + pics

Thanks erich. I didn't think I wanted to sap out any exhaust parts or mess with the stock ones until I got the current issues dialed in. I'll leave it alone for now.
 
Re: 83 GS 450 a lil work done on the "Red Headed Step Child" + pics

The biggest reason I suggested it was because you may end up replacing the muffler / entire system anyway. Why poke holes now when it will get unbolted later on anyway, right?
 
Re: 83 GS 450 a lil work done on the "Red Headed Step Child" + pics

EXACTLY!
Makes perfect sense for multiple reasons at this point. ;D
 
Re: 83 GS 450 a lil work done on the "Red Headed Step Child" + pics

The main reason I suggested it is that I have had several bikes of which I have rejetted with pods and found the power gains were minimal without any exhaust work. Also when doing some exhaust work at the same time minimized the work I had to do down the road with rejetting/ tearing the carbs apart again/ plug chops. To explain my reasoning, for example, when you do an oil change on anything when you get to the point where you are filling the engine back with oil if you use a funnel you can only pour so fast before it starts backing up so it is not any more effective the faster you pour. Similar thing on an engine, placing pods and a jet kit you are getting more air and fuel into the engine (volume) and not giving it more allowance on the exhaust side to go out.

Can you do it without any exhaust work? Yes you can, this is simply my $.02, just might make it a little easier with it.
 
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