Suzuki S32-2 Olympian restoration

[goldy]

Get this bike done...I see a 'bike of the month' nomination in your future.

 

[sbaugz]

Get this bike done...I see a 'bike of the month' nomination in your future.

Thanks. I am getting there. Probably within a couple weeks it will be finished. I was just in contact with my upholsterer and she plans on wrapping up the seat this weekend. Hopefully will post some pics shortly after that.
I also tracked down a repro chain guard. The originals are impossible to find. I am dropping that off at the powder coater later today to have it powder coated blue to match the rest of the bike.

 

[sbaugz]

Small update. After enough pestering, my upholstery looks to be underway.
I also dropped off the chain guard with the powder guy.

I hope to have this bike wrapped up within a couple weeks.

 

[sbaugz]

another update on the seat situation. Just got this pic from my upholstery lady. Its not exactly stock, but I went with tuck and roll on the front and back parts. I thought it would add a little to the overall look rather than I plain, flat seat top.
Its hard to see but once she wipes away the chalk, the center part of the seat will not have tuck and roll. I also decided to go with piping, which the stock seat did not have. She is also going to rivet a seat strap in the middle.

Hopefully it will be shipped out tomorrow.

 

[goldy]

Looks really nice so far!

 

[sbaugz]

here is the final seat. Hopefully the USPS will be kind to it. Is coming halfway across the country.

 

[sbaugz]

Looks really nice so far!

thanks

 

[Maritime]

That looks great. Better than stock.

 

[sbaugz]

That looks great. Better than stock.

thanks- I just hope when it comes time to sell it, that it doesn't detract from potential buyers because its not stock/ stock appearing.

 

[Maritime]

True, it may take the I want 100% stock folks off the list but you also used powder coat and other things they won't like anyway.

 

[sbaugz]

True, it may take the I want 100% stock folks off the list but you also used powder coat and other things they won't like anyway.

very true.

 

[Tim]

Looks awesome. I'm still plugging away at my Baby Dream. Wish I had gone with powder coating in some ways - might have saved me a bundle of money Mine went from red to white.

I used Thai rims/spokes as well with vapor blasted hubs. For this small bike, I wasn't concerned with getting Thai parts. Buying new rims and stainless spokes would have cost hundreds more.

 

[sbaugz]

I used Thai rims/spokes as well with vapor blasted hubs. For this small bike, I wasn't concerned with getting Thai parts. Buying new rims and stainless spokes would have cost hundreds more.

I got numerous parts for this bike from Thailand. Makes me wonder if the majority of them were shipped to Thailand? Lots of the parts were genuine OEM (starter brushes, transmission gears, bushings, cables, and a bunch of rubber parts). I also got lots of reproduction parts from thailand (rear pegs, front footpeg rubbers, kickstarter, and chain guard, spokes, wheels). I have rebuilt and restored alot of bikes and this was the first one where the vast majority of the parts had to come from another country. There just wasn't many parts for this bike in the USA.

 

[sbaugz]

Looks awesome. I'm still plugging away at my Baby Dream. Wish I had gone with powder coating in some ways - might have saved me a bundle of money

no doubt powder saves a TON of money. The difference between a couple hundred bucks versus a couple thousand bucks. Not to mention its durable as hell.

There is no way a proper and full restoration on this bike would have made any sense at all. Its just not worth it on a bike like this.
The chrome plating bid for fork lowers and rear shock mounts along was as high as $800 from one bidder. and these are tiny little forks on this bike. Made much more sense to pay $40 to have those powder coated in "super chrome".

 

[Maritime]

For sure. If it was your dream bike you may do it. I prefer what you are doing over the meticulous resto anyway and powder is better for a lot of stuff. Paint can be as good but take 10X the prep and product.

 

[sbaugz]

small update on the bike. I got the seat back and it looks awesome! She did a great job on the padding and upholstery. I really could not be any happier with how it turned out.

Only thing left is waiting on the chain guard and new swingarm to get powder coated blue and then the bike will be good to go.

 

[Maritime]

That's better than OEM. Looks great.

 

[Rider52]

Very nice! I rarely see any of the smaller Suzuki street bikes at shows. I'm glad you are saving one!

 

[sbaugz]

Very nice! I rarely see any of the smaller Suzuki street bikes at shows. I'm glad you are saving one!

I’m also “saving” a Suzuki GT 185 , albeit in a different way. It’s in the cafe racer build section. It was too rough , and it was missing too many parts for a restoration , so it’s getting the cafe treatment. These little Suzuki two strokes are fun and super easy to work on.

 

[sbaugz]

Well, she's done. I picked up the final pieces today from powder coating. The swingarm and the chain guard. Got those installed and she runs great. Took it around the block for a short run (it is only 35 degrees here today).
Here are some pics.