Suzuki Dragbike

[Herman T]

Here's a picture that I took yesterday with the wheelie bar on the bike.

[water cooled]

thats a great shot of the Buffalo Dragster. Cant wait to make that first pass with you Gary!!! work hard on it this winter and we can make that pass in the Spring. - Hatchet

[tz375]

Herman,

Have you had a chance to take stock of the bike and work out a plan of action to get to Martin next May? Does it need a lot of work or just a clean up and adjust session?

[Herman T]

I'm just trying to loosen the cylinders now. I sprayed some PB Blaster down the cylinder stud holes. It looks like the carbs won't be able to be used. I can't get the pilot jet out of the first one and after looking at the other 2 pilot jets in the carbs, it looks like they are worse than the first one. Does the motor have to be removed from the frame to get the cylinders off? I want to have the bike ready for the first race in 2012 but it will be a challenge, that's for sure.

[Suzukidave]

A puller plate to get the cylinder off sure would make your job easier . In a stock frame the cylinder can be removed without pulling the engine but being your frame has been modded this is hard to say .

[tz375]

Barrels can be removed/replaced with the motor in the frame. Next step is probably to beg, borrow or steal a puller plate to pull the barrels off.

Or leave them alone and run it how it is. How long since it last ran? Maybe - just maybe, it could run as is for a few runs to get familiar with it and schedule the big rebuild for the end of season refresh.

[Herman T]

I know that the right thing to do is take the motor completely apart but the bottom line is, I don't at the moment have the finances to do so. I'm thinking that I could take the motor completely apart, find out that the crank should be rebuilt and then what. No spare money at the moment so the bike would just sit and sit, more than likely through next season, while I wait to get the motor rebuilt. I could also patiently watch for another motor and grab that for a rebuild if needed and do it when I have the money to do so. I'm usually pretty lucky at finding things at bargain prices if I wait long enough.

I managed to find the previous owner who actually raced the bike via facebook and a name that was on a piece of paper that came with the bike paperwork. He did reply a couple of weeks ago, stating that he had raced the bike at Woodburn Raceway in Oregon. He had to sell the bike due to divorce and sold it really cheap to the guy that I bought it from. I sent him another contact asking if we can correspond so I can find out more about the bike but so far haven't received a reply. I know for sure that the bike was raced in 2007 and want to find out the last time it was running. The guy that I bought the bike from said he was turning over the motor and oiling the cylinders when he had it. He got the bike the beginning of this year and put it on ebay a few weeks afterwards.

I was thinking that I could at least get the cylinders off and check out the pistons. Clean them up and check the bores to see how they are. What I can see of the cylinders and pistons looks really good visually. I just have a feeling that if I completely tear down the motor, it will be years before I get the bike running. I'd be better off selling the bike than to put myself in a situation where I have a bike sitting in the garage that can't be run and of course I don't want to sell it.

I'm hoping that the person who made the frame took into consideration that the cylinders might have to be removed fast during a race and designed the frame with that in mind. I have heard about the puller plates. I might have to go that route. It won't be long before I know for sure if I will need it.

I made a youtube movie with 80 pictures of the bike, from the pics that I saw when it was on auction, on the truck for delivery to me, first pics that I took when I saw the bike for the first time through each stage of clean up and buffing to where it is now. I hope I can have this bike ready for next season. I guess I will know that next year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKK0AaZFMoc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[D&D CHASSIS]

Gary, if the top end looks clean, bolt that head back on and fire it up. These engines were built way overkill from the factory, so unless it has arod sticking out of the case, I'm sure its fine........

[tz375]

I know that the "right" way is to strip it and rebuild the complete motor, but I'd leave teh barrels where they are and bolt on a head and do a compression and leakdown test. If they are even close to "normal". I'd be scrounging carb bodies and jets and getting the beast to run.

Racing is relatively cheap compared to engine building (neither is exactly low cost), but I'd see if there is any way to run it as it is safely and have some fun.

Bottom line is that we are all resource constrained and have to work through compromise to get the most out of what we have available in time and treasure.

Maybe there's a set of 34mm Mikunis lying around that you can get for less than stock carbs - or borrow a set of carbs from somewhere/someone for a few races.

[water cooled]

Gary,

I can tell you what worked for me....I pulled the motor and brought it inside for the first two winters and got to know the motor....concentrating on one area at a time so it wasn't so overwhelming to me.

I set it on a table with a towel under it, read all the service bulletins, the GT Service manual and read threads on the Forum over and over. Then I took the motor apart. When ever I got stuck, there was always someone that was able to help answer a question or give some option on how to deal with a problem. Dave Derrick is right that these motors are bullet proof but once the motor is out, you will be surprised how easy it is to take apart and put back together....and what you will learn. You arent going to hurt it. It will run when it goes back together....trust me. Winter will last 5 month on the east coast. Spend 20 minutes every single day making one step forward to inspecting the motor, measuring what you can, taking pics of it to refer back to (very important) even if the 20 minutes is research or reading information or posting a question... that counts. The key is to spend 20 minutes every single day. By April, you will know that motor better than many others and will be well on your way to making the first race with a "known-motor". If you want to build the motor back the way it is currently configured, that's a great idea. Do what you can during the winter to make sure that the crank seals are in good shape. The time is well spent and if it saves you from a crank rebuild (now or in the future) it is well worth the effort.

If you get into trouble, I will go to the east coast and help...you will make that first race if it kills both of us...but you will be in the staging lanes and thats the end of that discussion.

Figure out tonight what you plan to spend 20 minute on for tomorrow and start two lists: "Things I Must Do (to make my first pass)" and "Thing I want to Do" Make sure everything on the first list gets accomplished!

I will see you in the Spring!

[Herman T]

Richard (TZ375) went through the carbs for me and I got them back on Thursday. Thanks Richard!! Really nice work!! Now I feel comfortable knowing that they are ready and right. They are on the bike now.

My next step is to bolt the head on. I went in my parts box to get the bolts and I only found 10 of the 11 large ones. I later found the last one. For some reason the head was cut off and the end buffed. I don't know why the previous owner would do that and figure now I have to get another one. I see they are available from Suzuki. I should have checked this before and had the bolt here already. Oh well.



I'm also missing one of the bolts that has threads on both ends....Part # 09108-08035
This one is not available from Suzuki.

[tz375]

There must be a million old head sleeve nuts between the lot of us. Who is closest to Herman?

The double ended bolt aka stud can be replaced with a regular cap screw or bolt of appropriate length as long as the end of it isn't broken off in the barrel already.

[Herman T]

If anybody has one they would like to sell, let me know. I supposedly can get one from Suzuki for around $11.00.

[water cooled]

Ive got one and can ship it out tomorrow morning.

[Herman T]

Got the bolt today Kevin. Thanks a lot!!