Where To Start?

[dgm]

I've got an '80 GS450L that I've pulled off everything I can and still have it running/ridable at this point and just not sure what to tackle first.

Goal: cafe racer with as many modern components as make sense w/out sacrificing the look too much. Essentially, what I want is a cafe bike that I can cruise around town with and take to the track once in a while and have it perform reliably.

So, at this point, I'm ready to start getting in and doing some real work (not just pulling bits off). I'm not sure if I should start with the motor and carbs and getting it set up, upgraded, running as strong as possible while I still have controls and such in place OR go right into tearing everything down and worry about engine performance later.

This is my first build of any type. I'm fairly handy and have 2 other (much newer) bikes, but this is definitely my most in-depth project ever. Any guidance, suggestions, tips would be awesome!

thanks,
daniel

 

[SrgtBear]

Make sure the motor is in good shape first. Look for leaks, noise, check valve clearances. If you don't feel like tearing it down then check for compressions first, check valves clearances then replace any leaky areas with new gaskets. Carbs should be cleaned at the same time. check float bowl levels, replace any leaky gaskets.

Then I would do a mach-up. Work on the tank, seat, cut, grind, weld before you paint or anything. Once your done paint, powdercoat, then put back together.