Indiana Hello w/'80 GS450

[dgm]

Hey everyone, I just acquired an '80 suzuki GS450L that I want to cafe. Here's a couple pics of how she looks currently. Runs pretty good, but has some minor issues. I did ride it home about 10 miles in the rain yesterday with no problems. Looking forward to this building process and learning as much as I can along the way. I'm pretty handy, but have no fabrication equipment unfortunately. I do have 2 other bikes, a sort of bobbed/stripped harley iron and a ducati monster, so this GS will just be a project. I'm in no rush to get it done and I want to do every piece right. Looking forward to any input from the far more knowledgeable folks here about this GS450L in general, ideas for moving forward, known issues, recommended places for parts, etc.

 

[Big R]

Welcome to DTT man! Let me guess, electrical issues? Common GS flaw.


Looks like a clean bike to start with.

 

[Wingspan]

Welcome fellow Hoosier.

 

[dgm]

thanks! Where in IN are you? (nevermind, just saw your from Indy). I'm about 1.5hrs north. I'm in Indy all the time though.

I haven't given it a full look-through yet, but here's the issues I noticed right away:

-headlight doesn't work
-once warm, if rev'd up, the revs will linger for too long before dropping back down
-when I shut if off, after the motor stops, I here a rattling or something rolling around for just a second.
-something about the bars seems slight off (other than being almost ape hangers). Like maybe they are bent or twisted slightly to the right. Hoping it's just bars and not something more serious.

 

[Big R]

Dgm, I don't know if you are a member on the GS Resources but those guys know EVERY aspect of the older GS's.


The headlight is probably blown, the carbs will need cleaned (and new o rings by the intake couldn't hurt), the rattle could be anything really (I want to say a baffle in the muffler hopefully).

 

[dgm]

Yeah, I am a GS Forums member, but haven't posted anything over there yet. I will though. I agree on the headlight, probably just blown. I'm sure the carbs need a good cleaning and I'm guessing the lingering revs might be an air leak? I don't know a ton about carbs, so I'm looking forward to getting into that and learning more.