GS1150ES in a Kaw garage

Hey guys!
I thought I posted a couple snaps of this slug earlier, but I don't have the e-savvy to find the post and continue it...so here are a few pics of the old thing.


The first pic is my bike in the current condition. The second (obviously much cooler bike) is what the old girl may turn into...if she keeps her spot in the garage.

-KR

This being the 'second picture' of the cool bike.

Since I don't know how to make multiple pics in a post, please bear with me.

A youthful member of the forum (who shall remain nameless) recently pestered me into divulging one of my weaknesses >> 80s Japanese liter-bikes...and in my case (well, my garage) in an un-finished condition with the 'final version' a clear image in my mind.
I'd blow this kid off, but this kid has tenacity, vision, drive, and the skills to pull it all off; combine this with a certain level of 'politeness' and 'respect' that seems to be avoiding his generation and ... well, I gotta post up, 'cause the kid is callin' me out.

This bike came to me via a former job that I had in a bike shop in LA (OutRider, now known as "Hammyboy's") in the 90s. A very long (and interesting) story, but I won't boar you with it; I snagged the bike for $200 and it was probably worth about that at the time.

When I got it the bike had so much black-dust on it that you literally couldn't tell what color it was from 50 or 60 feet away. It was bone stock except for the Maxi-X ("Nasty X") exhaust that was nearly rotted off.

I have a specific plan for the bike: first, see if it's going to be a keeper; next, if it is, install inverted front clip, and big matching rear wheel, paint...done. Not too complex.
So, here is what the short-term plan is: swap the stock suspension for second-gen gixxer suspension and then fire it up and make the 'keep it/sell it' evaluation.

So, what's been done so far:
> In swapping the stock suspension for the gixxer stuff I eBayed the stock stuff...which proved to be nearly worthless, but hey, it IS a Suzuki, whataya expect...:lol:
> The fuel cap had been smoked due to the bike being stolen three times, so I had my machinist weld-in a gixxer filler-cap.
> I just purchased a brand-new in the package gsxr front brake m/c which will be here soon, to replace the smoked version you see above.

> Braided steel lines from Russell all the way around.
> New Gustafsson windshield.
> Yoshimura exhaust system off 'dragbike.com'.
> (poorly) reupholstered seats.
> Stock 1150ES top-mount clip-ons bored out to accept the 2mm larger gsxr forks (tricky-sum-bitch, me!).

Hurdles and Lessons:

Along the way I learned that I'll purchase/install entire front clips in the future instead of piecing together all the parts that I THOUGHT I knew I needed. Basically I have a lot of gixxer crap laying around (who doesn't, right?) and I thought 'geez, I'll just go with that and pick up the few extra parts that I need'. This approach had me chasing parts all over eBay, GSresources, oldskoolsuzuki, customstreetfighters, dragbike and every other area that I ever knew of. In the long run, doing it this way cost me more than just installing a complete front and complete rear right from the start. NOTHING is 'bolt on'.

So, at the moment I'm waiting for a few funds to clear so that I can drop about $150 on the rear on a modification that will allow me to use a spacer that 'captures' the rear brake caliper; then it's elbow-grease, and some assembly-skills (albeit rusty ones) and it should go.

On a side note...this is the dirty-est bike that I have ever owned.
Once I get the thing to daily-driving status I'll decide if it stays. If it does I have a TL1000S front and rear to graft on and she gets her permanent spot. In the second pic I posted you can see how I envision the end product if she stays...albeit with the goofy ES fairing still in place...I sort of like that dorky fairing.
My concern is that all my reasearch indicates that the bikes are a bit 'buzzy'...we'll see if it's enough to vacate the garage or if it's more like 'personality'...I'll keep you posted.

So now, with this posting, hopefully Jordan won't pick on me until after school is out...oooops!...there it is, I've gone and let it out of the bag...silly me. :lol:
-KR