The Grand Touring project

I've been yakking here since last July when I started looking for info as I started my project bike. But up until now, there's been no proof that I have one!
I started with what was left of my '81GPz1100, that I bought in 1987 for $900(!) with only 3000 miles on it. It had a 4-1 exhaust that had to be removed every time I changed the oil, a twin bucket seat cover, and a lot of scuffs for only 3k, but the guy I bought it from swore that's all it had.
I moved 1500 miles in 1990, and I stored it in my (now ex-) bro-in-law's barn. I didn't find out until I went back for it in 1998 that he got bored with having it in the barn, and had parked it outside unprotected. So it got hailed on, snowed on, and everything else. When I got it back the tank was so rusted through that all it mostly was was paint. When I threw it away I crumpled it up in my hands. Honest. The saddle was filled with mouse turds, the guages were all busted up from hail storms. Except for the tail and the side covers (all still in good shape!) there wasn't much that was GPz except the engine and frame. So I started there.
I've always liked a big gas tank, and now that I live 100 miles past Nowhere, I wanted the biggest tank I could fit on the frame. I got a beat up GPz tank, but it was going to take a lot of work to be usable. Then I got to thinking about the KZ1300. 6.5 gallons! I bought one cheap off E-Bay, just to see what I could do with it. The GPz and the KZ13 mount differently, but I decided that if I cut the bottom off of the GPz tank, I could use it under the KZ13 tank. THen I started plunking away at the seat issue. TOWMBO basicly made it clear that I could spend $ on this project as long as there was a seat for her. That's when I knew that I was building a sport-tourer! However, I wanted to do three things:
#1. I didn't want to alter the GPz frame, 'cause I just might want to rebuild it into a GPz someday!
#2. Although I was planning on putting small bags (I found a set of police bags that will work), a back seat and a trunk, I also wanted to be able to take them all off, so I wanted bracketting that was relatively quick-release.
#3. I wanted a small-to-medium sized fairing, preferably a frame mount.
So, I started taking the bike apart, and scrounging parts. Here's what I've got:

The bare frame, with just thhe forks to tear down, the bottom of the motor with just about everything removed without splitting the cases (which I might do, 'cause I've got a timing chain to install)

A Vetter Windstar fairing, KZ1300 gas tank, 2 saddles (front is a Honda?, back is a ??) police bags, and some generic trunk, all of which were E-Bayed. THe front seat neads to have the pan modified so that it fits up against the tank better,and so the back seat fits up against it better, so I'm removing the seat cover and foam, and attacking it with saw and heat gun.
The gas tank is huge (ok, what did I expect?) so I need to remove the side pockets from inside the fairing, so they fit together.
Other than that, it's just fabbing up brackets.
The engine's fuel injection is getting a massive upgrade. I bored out the injector ports to accept Ford Mustang injectors, 'cause they're cheap and reliable. Almost all of the factory FI ductwork will be retired, and the system will be controlled by a MegaSquirt unit. The ignition will also get a complete makeover, controlled by the same MegaSquirt unit, and using a Dodge Neon coil pack.
I'm scheduled to take my wife on the bike's inaugural ride on April 23. So I'd better get busy, huh?

Post edited by: pstrbrc, at: 2007/09/11 13:28

That's awesome!

I hope you get it done on time

I'm not sure the injectors are going to survive the heat from being mounted that close to the combustion chamber in an air cooled aluminum head, I think a set of later GPz1100 or GSXR throttle bodies might be a better idea, you will need to install a TPS on the stock 81 1100 throttle bodies anyway.

And they are fairly cheap on eBay.

So you're the guy who snagged that tank! Looks great, hope it all goes together easily.

steell wrote:

I'm not sure the injectors are going to survive the heat from being mounted that close to the combustion chamber in an air cooled aluminum head, I think a set of later GPz1100 or GSXR throttle bodies might be a better idea, you will need to install a TPS on the stock 81 1100 throttle bodies anyway.

And they are fairly cheap on eBay.

You know, we've disagreed on this before, but I'm willing to listen. So, which gsxr tb's do I want?

wow you got a lot of work ahead of you but that deadline should keep you motivated.

It's not much progress, but here's where it is:

Yep, handlebars aren't right, don't have the caps tightened down.
Just ordered $60 worth of ss bolts from Bolt Depot to put all the stuff on, so while I'm waiting will finish up the engine top-end.
No rear shocks yet, 'cause I have to swap out the bushings from the stockers with a set of Harley air units. Seat pan still has to be modified to fit up against the tank better and follow the line of the frame rail better. About a bazillion other things, as well!!

definitely lookin' good.

pstrbrc wrote:

steell wrote:

I'm not sure the injectors are going to survive the heat from being mounted that close to the combustion chamber in an air cooled aluminum head, I think a set of later GPz1100 or GSXR throttle bodies might be a better idea, you will need to install a TPS on the stock 81 1100 throttle bodies anyway.

And they are fairly cheap on eBay.

You know, we've disagreed on this before, but I'm willing to listen. So, which gsxr tb's do I want?

Feel free to disagree, I don't mind a bit, I'm impressed when anyone actually reads what I write

It's just that the Ford injectors are mounted in an intake manifold that is bolted to a water cooled head, and they are going to be exposed to a lot more heat being attached directly to the head on your motor. A set of GPz1100 throttle bodies will bolt right on your motor, but you would have to seal the original injector holes, or use a different head.

But at least the Ford injectors should be readily available in parts stores if they do fry.

Post edited by: steell, at: 2007/03/07 21:50

OK, steel. Take this. I've found some small-cross-section high-temp o-rings (I wonder what the record is for hyphens in a sentence?) that will become what the injector seats on. So there will be NO head-to-injector (2 more!) contact at all. Bet it works!

KZ250LTD wrote:

Wow....that tank is huge :woohoo:

Lookin good so far

Ya like that tank? I'm going to call the bike Hammer. As in Bruce Ferguson's Hammer. As in BFH.:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :whistle: