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» gs550 7k miles cafe racer build
My new GS550 build in progress EmptyFri Oct 26, 2018 3:57 pm by RussJ

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My new GS550 build in progress EmptySun Nov 15, 2015 3:07 pm by RussJ

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 My new GS550 build in progress

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Breadline Racing




Posts : 11
Join date : 2013-07-30

My new GS550 build in progress Empty
PostSubject: My new GS550 build in progress   My new GS550 build in progress EmptySat Aug 17, 2013 11:14 am

Hi, I'm at the beginning of a new Café Racer build based on a 1981 GS550e, which I bought off Ebay some time ago. The original brief was to build a sprint bike for racing the 1/4 and1/8th mile tracks but on tearing the bike down I found some major issues....... the biggest of the lot was a large amount of filler in the frame tubes
My new GS550 build in progress P8070467_zps21c4fa56
My new GS550 build in progress P8070468_zps3837b40e
My new GS550 build in progress P8070466_zpsc11f69bf
Yep, I'd been turned over real good! But not being a violent man, I figure what goes around, comes around and the little **** will get his............. eventually.
Anyway, after a while of contemplation, I bought myself a second hand frame and have begun the now long overdue build process. This is where we are at just now............
The engine was running when I bought the bike and so I figured a quick rub down with an oily rag would do just fine...........wrong again!
There were exhaust studs epoxied into the head and the drive sprocket had been welded onto the output shaft. The exhaust studs were an easy fix, helicoil the head and Bobs your fathers brother, but a call to JT's Suzuki in Bridgend (they have a massive stock of OEM old/new Suzuki stock) threw a spanner in the works. A new output shaft was going to be £118.00 + vat, so after another hunt on Ebay I found a second hand bottom end which I bought and robbed the shaft from.
My new GS550 build in progress P8020296_zps70886a09

The frame was a write off, so I sourced another from a 1979 model thinking I could just transfer the running gear from the 1981, but of course nothing is that easy. Suzuki improved the head race bearings in 1980 and the VGC bearings from the original frame were of no use in the replacement, and after some investigation I found that the older style bearings would not fit onto the later set of yokes.........back to Ebay and a set of 1979 yokes were mine.
My new GS550 build in progress 169_zpsd20961f3
My new GS550 build in progress 167_zps4318264f
The plan is to utilise the original tank, the shape is great, I had thought about bashing some knee dents into it but at present think I'll leave it as it is. The seat unit is from a 1978 Ducati 350 Desmo, it has be shortend and will be recovered in black leatherette.
My new GS550 build in progress P8020292_zpsb6745e6b
The rear sets are from a 2002 Yamaha R1, they fit straight on, with only a little work required to make the gear selector work properly. The R1 shifter has the linkage on the top of the lever, whereas the GS requires the linkage to be underslung.........the fix was fairly simple, I got a local engineering firm to turn a collar the same size as the one on the R1 peg, cut the original GS lever and welded the new collar to the old lever.
My new GS550 build in progress P8170843_zps3b8f042b
My new GS550 build in progress P8170844_zpseb061d34
The Clip on bars came of a Yamaha RD400 and set in the ideal place fouled the tank on full lock, so the frame steering stops were modified, solving the problem
My new GS550 build in progress P8170839_zps699d3c40
The electrics which used to live under the side panels have been hidden under the seat pan and hump on trays fabricated between the seat mounting hardware
My new GS550 build in progress P8170842_zps7065872c
.......now where did I put those Allen keys? (Sometimes you just have to improvise LOL!)
My new GS550 build in progress P8170846_zpsb554bd55
With the majority of the build in hand and no more work on the frame to do until the full fairing arrives, it is time for paint
My new GS550 build in progress P8170847_zpsfea36c61
My new GS550 build in progress P8170848_zps4a4b60e6
Dark gunmetal grey..............just waiting for it to cure hard before I can load the motor up and start on the wiring
Keep watching this space for more updates.................




The plan is to add a full fairing and a Barry Sheene inspired heron Suzuki paint job
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pauliexjr

pauliexjr


Posts : 782
Join date : 2011-02-08
Location : Livingston

My new GS550 build in progress Empty
PostSubject: Re: My new GS550 build in progress   My new GS550 build in progress EmptySun Aug 18, 2013 8:28 am

Eeew, that frame is nasty! Still, you seem to be getting on a pace and the basic shape is looking good.
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RussJ

RussJ


Posts : 175
Join date : 2013-07-16
Age : 56
Location : New Forest UK

My new GS550 build in progress Empty
PostSubject: Re: My new GS550 build in progress   My new GS550 build in progress EmptyWed Sep 18, 2013 2:29 pm

yeh frames looking great now, Angus Young aswell .. Cool Smile
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crusierlover




Posts : 3
Join date : 2013-09-24

My new GS550 build in progress Empty
PostSubject: Re: My new GS550 build in progress   My new GS550 build in progress EmptyTue Sep 24, 2013 12:29 am

That is going to be a nice bike eventually.That first frame was junk.I own a gs 850.
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My new GS550 build in progress Empty
PostSubject: Re: My new GS550 build in progress   My new GS550 build in progress Empty

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My new GS550 build in progress
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