TOPIC:

I picked up this 82 750 LTD about a month ago for $900. My original plan was to fix it and give it to my dad, but pops might have to wait a little longer for me to make something of this thing.



First thing I did was remove the horrific sissy bar. It wouldn't start when I bought it, but a used starter from a rotting GPZ turbo fixed that. The previous owner put a new battery in it a week before I got it, so that's one less thing I have to worry about. So far here is what I've done to it:

Removed carb holders and sealed them with rtv to eliminate the vacuum leaks
Changed oil and filter
Fixed the cam chain tensioner
Replaced the buckhorn bars with "super bike" style bars
Installed a front master cylinder from a ninja (the ltd master didn't play well with the new bars)
Changed the front and rear brake fluid
Rebuilt the front forks (new seals and 15w fluid)
Lowered the forks 1" in the trees
Rebuilt the vacuum petcock with new rubber parts
Rebuilt the fuel cap because the tank vent holes were clogged
Replaced the rotted exhaust with a Delkevic stainless system
Replaced the thermal flasher with an electronic flasher
Installed new plug wires and spark plugs
Replaced engine bolts with stainless Allen head bolts
Synchronized the carburetors
Fixed electrical issues







It runs amazing throughout the entire rpm range now. The carb sync definitely cut down the primary chain rattle to an acceptable level. The Delkevic exhaust is impressive. A little loud, so I might add some muffler packing material to the silencer. I want to go through the carbs sometime soon just to clean them out. I'm not sure what direction I want to go with this cosmetically, but it will end up being some sort of cafe/brat/tracker/scrambler thing. I'm sorting out all of the mechanicals before I do any fancy stuff.

As it sits today, a little less LTDish :

Commendable progress JaFlo. Good eye for innovation in the world of retromods. Cosmetically eyeing the profile, wld look quite sharp mounting an early KZ tail piece...KZ650..perhaps KZ900/1000. Wldn't be that hard to do and wld make the profile pop and look really fast, even sitting still lol. Good choice on the exhaust.................Mike

That's a nice bike you got there. I have a red version of it but it doesn't look as nice yet. Keep the updates coming so I can steal some ideas hah.

Thanks for the encouragement. I haven't done much to it in the past week mainly due to the weather changing (its getting cold). I've been working on cleaning the garage and prepping it for winter use. I did put some bar end mirrors on and had some fun messing with the seat. The previous owner attempted to reupholster it at some point, so I didn't feel bad hacking it up for fun. I'm planning on a new seat, so I put very little effort into this. It does, however, illustrate just how much of an affect the seat profile has on the overall look of a bike.

I also unbolted the rear shocks to get an idea of where I want the rear ride height to be. It looks like a 14" shock will do. This should quicken the steering a bit, and that's something this bike really needs.

what about Pop?
Steve

swest wrote: what about Pop?
Steve

It's a terrible genre

Been watching your progress on your 750 and it's nice to see someone building something, dreaming up their own ideas and adding their own personal touches as they go along. I love those kinds of projects. I am working on one myself and hope to start the big bore engine build this coming Winter or Spring. Good job so far. Keep up the good work. I also picked up aluminum polishing kits with various drill attachments, rouges etc. Wow they work wonders on aluminum engine covers, parts and anything shiny, and don't cost much. Don't know if you have aluminum polishing stuff but just a thought..............Mike

JaFlo wrote:

swest wrote: what about Pop?
Steve

It's a terrible genre

I guess he'll have to find one on his own.
Steve

swest wrote:

JaFlo wrote:

swest wrote: what about Pop?
Steve

It's a terrible genre

I guess he'll have to find one on his own.
Steve

In all seriousness, my dad will ride this someday. Hopefully in the spring/summer next year. He is unaware that I am doing this, so I want to surprise him with a really nice "old" bike.

Rockranch wrote: Been watching your progress on your 750 and it's nice to see someone building something, dreaming up their own ideas and adding their own personal touches as they go along. I love those kinds of projects. I am working on one myself and hope to start the big bore engine build this coming Winter or Spring. Good job so far. Keep up the good work. I also picked up aluminum polishing kits with various drill attachments, rouges etc. Wow they work wonders on aluminum engine covers, parts and anything shiny, and don't cost much. Don't know if you have aluminum polishing stuff but just a thought..............Mike

I like the polished look, but I'm also a fan of the way some metals look raw. I'll probably polish some of the smaller aluminum components and leave the larger ones raw or sand blasted. I really want to powder coat the engine covers black and leave the block and head raw. It should be a nice contrast and will highlight the look of the stainless steel engine bolts I installed.

The tear down has begun. Wet sanded the tank and started to repair some of the rust spots. The previous owner coated the inside a few years ago, so there is no rust where it counts.



I pulled all the wiring off. It's a disaster. The harness is hacked up and melted in several spots. I'm probably going to make a custom harness and eliminate as much wiring as possible.





Went through the carbs and cleaned everything. polished the outside and added some "flare".





Checked valve clearance. Looks like I need to get some shims.