Howdy buffalos! Can I join the herd?

[Ugly]

Check out my new bike. It's an '83 GS750ES chassis, mocked up with GT750 block, grafted on GSXR front end and wheels. Everett Suzuki apparently did the mockup and it looks pretty good I think. It's almost a complete roller after I scavenge up a few things. The retrofit fab is mostly done except a shift linkkage. Of course I have no motor....yet

To say I am stoked would be a complete understatement. For at least a couple decades now I have been wanting/waiting to do a larger bore street legal classic motogp type project thing. When this came up on CL I couldn't even come close to resisting the temptation. I've always eyeballed those big suzukis and figured that'd have to be the way to go with the water cooling and all.

Here's the deal: I'm not rich, not much experience fabricating metal but I am about as jazzed by this project as is possible and know some pretty good fabricators I may be able to turn to when I'm over my head. I've been building my bikes foe years but not professionally so can wrench well enough.

The goal here is getting this bike the closest I can possibly make it to a full on works factory gp bike but while maintaining my modest budget and maintaining its dot privileges. The good news is I don't mind taking my time and so may be able to save up some for more expensive bits I've deemed necessary. I'll likely be hunting down some carbs first then build to them. I'll update to pointless, utilize my dremel tool to maximum effectivity and whatever else I can do myself. I repeat the goal here is not a comfy cruiser but a full tilt racer that's a major pain to ride on the streets. I already have a cruiser and don't want any more.

I guess what I'm saying is what tips are there for garage mechanics attempting to pump up their bikes as much as possible without major fabrication/redesign work? I see the talk of squish inserts etc. Where does one purchase these kinds of goodies anyhow?

Cheers!

[Tamadrmr26]

woah

[two-stroke-brit]

i have signed to watch this thread already.
good luck with the build .
mark

[tz375]

Welcome. Always good to see another project. Someone must have stretched that engine cradle to fit a GT motor in there. it looks like a good start. I hope that the rest of the motor came with those cases and that it came with a title.

What are your plans for it? I know you mentioned GP look, but that chassis is from a different era, so that may be difficult to pull off. This is where photoshop comes in.

[Ugly]

Howdy fellas. Glad I'm sensing approval about the bike. What a goldmine I've discovered here in the form of this forum!!!

Mark I'm sure this build will go way too slow for anyone's taste. Especially mine. I hope you have a comfy chair. I plan to do this one as right as my means will allow. That means I have entirely too much reading in front of me before I can really even get started. I've been reading this forum and off-shooting links every spare hour I have since I found it several days ago. My understanding of 2-stroke theory is lacking somewhat it would seem.

TZ, heh. I should have gone with my gut instinct about using the "GP" word and bypassed it somehow. Maybe I could hang some pho dual shocks off the subframe to get that classic look. Luckily it came with a legit looking title. You know something? I think you are right about that frame chop. I never even noticed til you said it. Did I mention my relative noobishness? As you noted however the work looks OK and for once in my life my surprise discoveries about it have all been great news rather than disappointments. Signs are extremely positive so far. I've found nothing that bums me out at all. Goals are simple: maximise power/weight while keeping her sharp in the corners/stopping in a "streetable" package. In my minds eye I picture a twisty carver nearly worthy of the Gods but at a price I can live with. Re the motor. That case is trash. I'm in the market right now. Condition won't matter much since everything in there is going under the microscope. There doesn't seem to be much choice about thorough rebuild even if I wasn't planning to re/engineer since everything I can afford on eBay, CL, etc seems pretty worked. heh. I'll likely purchase crank pre built by some guru/master as I have zero expertise and don't care to gain any. I'll apply what I learn here as far as porting/carbs go. TRish specs look to be what I'm after as I understand it now. I'll definitely be looking into close ratio tranny options as I go. The rotating assembly weight reduction techniques I'm reading about in our archives here are quite intriguing too. It's entirely possible I end up geeking out on this thing enough to design and have built some of my own expansion chambers. Unfortunately nothing too exotic in the cards for me as I have way too many hobbies already, a family too to go with my solidly middle class lifestyle and real fab work can get spendy. But then I suppose even most royalty would have trouble affording some of the fancier pieces one runs across on a site like this. The general plan is to implement as many of the tricks which seem reasonable for me as long as I can hold back on just slapping her together immediately for some instant WOT gratification. Luckily I have a few other bikes to keep me grinning in the meantime.

[bobotech]

That is going to be really cool when it is done. But you are a better man that I, I would just want some instant gratification and would look for a running GT750 engine to slap in there so I could just hop on and go! lol

[smoketriples]

Bit of concern on the frame itself. Looks like a big area of unsupported length. Modern sport bikes have the engine as a stressed member of the frame. The GT doesn't, and with the GT motor fully bolted in there flex may be an issue. Maybe not, hard to tell from one pic

[Ugly]

Smoke, We'll see eh? All in the name of science. I'm a pretty hefty load and I climbed up on it and jumped up and down and didn't notice any excessive noodliness but the real test will be when/if it performs. If I'm lucky a failure wont be catastrophic and send me to an early grave. Suppose I could add gusseting , cross members etc but I'll wait till I'm sure I need em first I think. Right now I'm estimating about 200lbs as it currently sits and I really like the sounds of that. Of course I'm still missing a hundred lbs or so of parts but I lifted it into my truck myself and back off when I got home. I've never been able to lift any of my road bikes like that before. Not even my old RD350. I think this thing is even lighter than my crf450 now. I think theres even 5-10 more pounds waiting to be removed on there still in the form of battery box, old blinlker solenoids etc...The current plan is going minimalist as I can get away with.

[Ugly]

That is going to be really cool when it is done. But you are a better man that I, I would just want some instant gratification and would look for a running GT750 engine to slap in there so I could just hop on and go! lol

bobotech letsa wait till I demonstrate what I'm preaching for congrats. It's going to be a true test of my patience.

[Suzukidave]

You have a cool project start that has been done before so it can be done but just a bit of warning is you are looking at $2,000 or so to complete depending on how much of the work you can do yourself .

[Ugly]

Found my engine and it had part of an ol water buffalo still attached. Some guy up in Kalispell MT I found on craigslist traded me his half a lump that doesn't run for my seized up old CB which hasn't run in a decade. Sweet!

Made in June of 73 according to the tag. Not seized, I kind of rocked it a little w/ kick starter without turning it. The engine seems pretty clean but is missing a couple covers. Though it almost seems as if I could maybe even save it as is without a rebuild, it's coming apart before it goes in the frame.

Been starting picking up bits of GS and GSXR's off ebay to fill in missing gaps on the chassis.

Unfortunately, still continuously mining the goldmine of information on this forum for nuggets wisdom while trying to play catchup regarding theory.

[Ugly]

You have a cool project start that has been done before so it can be done but just a bit of warning is you are looking at $2,000 or so to complete depending on how much of the work you can do yourself .

Thanks man....but 2K? I'm afraid it wont stop there.

I seem to already have this shopping list well beyond that mark.

If my recent CRF build up is any indication of my rationality when it comes to this stuff it's pretty safe to assume I'll be spending way more than what would be considered normal on this piece of beautiful art er uh I mean bike I've somehow been lucky enough to acquire.

[Suzukidave]

Looks like time to move this to the Customs section

[Ugly]

Hindsight being 20:20, "Customs" probably would have been more fitting place for my thread. I don't think I can move it though. I've been thinking of questions to ask over in customs and it might be tidier if it were all contained within one thread. Mods? Should you deem this appropriate, I'm game.