81 GPZ 550 cafe build

Loudhvx!! I owe it's smooth running all to you bro...thanks for all your help/advise with the carb jetting. Your TK page rocks!

Anyway, these forks are off a LTD 550. My GPZ didn't have useable front fork legs when I got her, and I got these forks off ebay. So as you know, they are a little longer than the stock GPZ forks to begin with. But I only bottom'd out once on my first ride due to the fact I had 0 lbs. of air pressure in them. So with a quick shot of air in each it's been good since.

@ Damarble, the rear fender is maybe a tiny bit little narrower than the front stock GPZ fender.

I'm glad the TK page helped.

That's interesting on the LTD forks. How did you get the dual calipers to line up with the brake disc?

The LTD uses a larger single disk, and the fork's caliper mounting points are in a different location from the gpz. This ends up with the calipers (and pads) not lining up with the disk on a gpz wheel.

I found out when someone sold me one LTD fork assembly as a gpz fork. The pads on that one side were not all the way on the disk.

I guess my point is, take a close look at your front pads and make sure they are entirely on the disk.

If not, you may have to switch over to the lower fork sections from a gpz, or possibly get two LTD disks on that wheel, but that will make it a lot heavier and un-sprung weight is the enemy.

I'm not sure if the gpz sliders will mate up with LTD fork legs, though. If you do it, make sure to replace the upper bushing when you replace the fork seals.

Oh my goodness, Loudhvx you are the master and you proved it once again. I had no idea. I just pu the wheel on bolted on the caliper's and have been riding it. I would never have noticed, I mean there is no shortage of stopping power up front what-so-ever. But the pic shows exactly what you said to look out for. Is it ok to just run it this way?

Heh, yeah, really I just learned the hard way. I never got my money back because I waited a couple years before using the fork.

In the long run the disk will have more wear on the outer portion.

In the short run, you might run the risk of the caliper piston getting cocked and binding up at some point.

It's hard to say what the negative effects really will be, but I get nervous with any chassis/brake related goofiness, since the motor is powerful enough to get you into trouble even with a perfect chassis.

Since this is only phase 1, and if you take it easy on the bike, you might get away with it as is until you come up with phase 2.

If you have the original forks, and the sliders are still good, it may be worth a try to see if you can swap sliders.

Otherwise, another option is to maybe get a pair of LTD disks, but that's heavy because they are bigger and thicker.

Another option is maybe a pair of disks from a 750 or 1100, where they would be a bigger diameter, but still thinner than an LTD 550 disk.

At one point, I think I had disks from a 750 and the diameter was too big, so I cut down about a 1/4". An extra 1/4" may be all you need. The larger disks bolted up perfectly to the 550 wheel.

The only issue there is that those bolts tat hold the disk on are not easy to get off. They can be a real bitch. Plan on soaking the heads with liquid wrench a day or so ahead of time, and tap lightly on the head of the bolt after spraying. Hopefully some will get in there and they won't strip out.

New Gaskets all around! Torn right down new piston rings and valve work in progress. Phase II started earlier than I had anticipated.

thanks!

Thats sick! Im glad you made a thread i was thinking wrench monkees the second I saw your profile pic.

Looks pretty good maybe just some cleanin up. what kind of battery do you use?

Thanks man! The battery is a cheap Parts Unlimited motocross sealed type. It's laying down in the tray under the seat. That's the first question people have been asking me when they see it. I agree it needs some cleaning up all around. Phase III as I call it.

Another cool pic.This was the "throw it together and ride" look back in May.

She looks a little different today.

So here we are the first Monday in November and decided today Phase 3 starts. After 4235 trouble free miles I started some disassembly and am stripping paint, cleaning up, and overall making it look finished. We shall see where this all takes me and the bike. You know how it is.....
tearing it down
still tearing it down
stripping some parts
cleaing up stripped parts

My buddy Ken let me borrow this bike lift! No garage project should be with out a bike lift. How have I done it all these years without one? Notice the rear hoop on the frame, I sprayed it Satin Nickel thinking I might do the whole frame that color....what do you think?

A few parts primed and painted.....