Willie's Ride

[Coyote]

Posted by Coyote -- hosted by Photo Bucket. Willie sent me these so I could resize them and get them up. A very nice ride indeed!

[titan performance]

I like it,....nice subtle customisation.
What was the reason for the name?

[tz375]

Maybe he had a thing for Suzi Q and decided the confuse people.

Or maybe he's just messing with our heads.

[Willie]

I like it,....nice subtle customisation.
What was the reason for the name?

Thanks. I was a fan of CCR during the 70's and referred to the bike as Suzy Q after one of their hits. I got the idea of rearranging the letters while I was painting it. I thought painting "Suzy Q" would look tacky but rearranging the letters could look pretty cool. Adding the line over the final "U", for emphasis, clarified the pronunciation. The reason the sides are different is that I forgot about my original plan until after I'd put the 1st sticker on. I couldn't remove that one without damaging the paint so I had to settle for doing just one side the way I'd planned to.
And that's the story behind the name. Keep in mind, I did this over 30 years ago.
Willie

[pearljam724]

I'm not a fan of greatly customizing vintage bikes. But, that was done in good taste in my opinion. Not, over done. I like that a lot. It would look fantastic with some polishing of the barrels and engine covers. Where or what bike did that fork brace come from ?

[Willie]

I'm not a fan of greatly customizing vintage bikes. But, that was done in good taste in my opinion. Not, over done. I like that a lot. It would look fantastic with some polishing of the barrels and engine covers. Where or what bike did that fork brace come from ?

Thanks, PJ, that means alot to me. I'm a sucker for, what I consider, tasteful mods too. I like to keep as much of the original bodywork as possible. I did change the front fender (off an 80's GS650) because IMO it looked better and was a helluva lot lighter than the OEM chrome one. I had to keep the tail light assembly for the sake of originality. They just don't make em like that any more.
I was always fond of the tubular fork braces from that era. They're cool looking and incredibly strong. If memory serves me right, for once, I think they were made by CC Products outa San Jose, CA. They were popular on Beemers in the late 70's and early 80's.
As for polishing, I have mixed feelings about it. I guess it depends upon the location. I like the original satin finish on the barrels and went the opposite route on the head. I had that media blasted for a fine matte effect. It looks pretty cool in person.
Thanks again,
Willie

[Suzukidave]

I really like the upgraded front brakes

[tz375]

Willie, Welcome back.

Love the front brakes and the angled inlets with 34mm(?) carbs.

How do you like those J&R pipes? They have a reputation for making great power at lower than stock peak and signing off a bit early. Are they like that on yours?

[Craig380]

She's a beauty

The wheels especially really set it off. I'm a sucker for spoked wheels with alloy rims ...

[Willie]

Wow! Thanks again guys. The calipers are SV650 grabbing CBR rotors. I made the swap while I had the rims off to install the Akronts. Good catch on the angled inlets. I'm fortunate to have a cousin that owns a machine shop. I gave him the drawings and he fabbed them. They were needed for the larger carb bowls to clear and for the inlet angles to align with the intakes for a straight run in.
Feedback on the pipes will have to wait until I'm back in the saddle. The 10 yrs since I last rode it has affected my memory.
FWIW, the only other mods that can't be seen include the one-off CDI system made by Bob Fox back in the late 70's and the larger swingarm pivot bolt and bearings that were available from Grizzly back around the same time. Phew! A lot of history in ol Suzy Q.
Willie