Hayabuser

http://www.tlzone.net/forums/frequent-tl-mods/91366-pushrod-seal-fix.html

A TL1000S cable clutch swap fixes it for good.

Great bikes, I've had two including the yellow '99 that I still have.

Longer ride today, brakes are bedding in and are showing signs of slowing the bike down. Really nice machine to cruise around on, I like it!

Cool paint fade on the tank! Subtle, but custom.

Short ride today... ... brakes are horrible but it runs like a raped ape!

Installed a new clutch cable today (old one was a touch stiff), along with some new rubber grommets to hold the frame sidecovers on... don't want that freshly painted one (or the original one, for that matter) to abandon ship somewhere out on the road! Popped the seat on and wheeled the bike off of my workbench... it's finished! More or less.... Tires are still an issue as I always put fresh rubber on new acquisitions that I plan to keep... which is why I haven't pulled the trigger on them yet as I'm not sure if this GS is staying. I'll have to see if I enjoy the ride on a stock machine, I've never ridden any stock GS's besides my two Katana 1100's, and those are not your typical UJM's like the GS11 is. I need to take it out to snap some pictures for my insurance company so I should have a chance to get a feel for it when I do that. Stay tuned!

Back to OldSkool! Had the front fender and left frame cover painted (you'll remember that they were black) and picked them up this morning. Considering that they had no paint code to go off of, the match is really good. Apparently they use some hi-tech camera and computer that photographs an original piece (the right frame cover, in my case) and spits out a paint formula containing a mix of whatever colours and metallics/pearls the camera saw. Finally technology with a real purpose! I am quite pleased with the results... so pleased, I'm wondering if I should paint the rest of the bike! Nah, there's enough restored creampuffs around... I'm sticking with the patina. Anyway, some updated pics! I can't wait to wheel it out into the sun! Or more specifically, I can't wait to wheel(ie) it out onto the road!

Not surprisingly, the 600 sold on Monday for full asking ($850)... I had him down to $700... $700*, for this: Yes, I'm a little choked but that's life... just means that I have the funds for the next deal that comes along, wife permitting. Funny it was just a few posts ago that I said that she was cool with my affliction... this is what holidays do to normal people, be warned! * Just to make your heads explode, $700 Canadian is about £350.

At first I dismissed your idea, and now I have embraced it! Been attacking more black plastic parts with the Back to Black snake-oil, works a treat! Mechanically, the bike is ready to ride... ideally I would like to spoon new rubber on it and may get to it sooner than later, but am chomping at the bit for my first shake-down ride. Just waiting for my two painted parts to come back to complete it aesthetically, hoping they'll show up this week. Never tell your painter that there is "no rush"... even if it results in a lower price. I'm not actually in a rush but I really want to see the bike all buttoned up! I have left a lot of the patina, but opted to refinish some parts that I initially wasn't planning to. The rust on the headlight bucket kept staring at me, mocking me, so I ended up scuffing and shooting it semi-gloss black. Looks much better and doesn't really take away from the barn-freshness of the bike that I so adore. I am sure that I will get very tired of people asking me when I plan on painting it, and poo-pooing the fact that I have left the existing paint as-found but c'est la vie. You can't please everyone so you may as well please yourself... which reminds me, I need to clear my browser history before my wife logs on to the computer.

I didn't take any pics, kind of foolish actually... and quite unlike me. I could get some though, the seller is a friend and he lives nearby. The non-OldSkool project fell through today... a combination of the expensive upcoming holiday and a wife who completely lost her shit when I mentioned that I was going for it. Guess now I can talk about it, since it won't be joining my fleet... it was a 2000 GSXR600 Corona/Alstare Edition (factory!) with a blown engine. Bike is mint, and all I could think about was sliding an SRAD 750 engine into it but alas, it's not to be. Bullet dodged? Maybe, but those are really fun bikes to ride hard. Being me, of course, I'm now thinking how nice that 1150 engine would be in one of my current 1100's... but also being me, I could never part out a Suzuki that was not far from being road-worthy. I think I'll lay low over Christmas and see what I can sneak in to the garage once the stress has died down.

This is like having an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting at the Pub!

I like it! I don't even mind the long tail, something that you'll appreciate if you ever ride in the rain. My 80 GS11 has an abbreviated tail and it looks really cool, but the muddy skunk stripes up my back after a wet ride make me look pretty lame.

I found a mint one in Quebec through evilBay for $40... it would be painless since there'd be no exchange, duty, etc to deal with. Now having typed that, I did go to see the bike today and I'm on the fence about it. It's basically complete, has two sets of fairings (the originals are so-so and painted yellow with brown flames... brown flames! ) and would be a runner with a gas tank installed. Has Dyna ignition, Hon-duh reg/rec mod, Supertrapp exhaust and a Dynojet kit in the carbs. Bike is filthy as it's being stored in a temporary (and drafty) tarp shelter on dirt, next to a pile of firewood. Nothing has been living in it though, all wiring seems unchewed and the airbox is clean. The swingarm is a mess as promised, the owner admits that he was crazy to try to widen it and would not ride it once he was done with it... me neither! The bike was a daily rider for him until he played with the swingarm, it was then partially disassembled and parked. It would need the usual chain/sprockets, tires, fluids, and general TLC, plus a full paint job... it would also need whatever hardware he pilfered off of it for his other GS1150E replaced... So it needs a bunch of work to be perfect but I'm not sure that I want to take it on. The price of entry is great, but once it's sorted, I could be into it for more than it's worth, at least more than it's worth to me. I might feel differently if I didn't have another bike on my radar screen, for not much more than this 1150... the other bike being very desirable (to me, anyway) and only needing an engine replacement to be back to 99%. I won't mention what it is for fear of being banned, shunned and publicly shamed here as it's not Old Skool (yet) but it is a Suzuki. And carbed. And sporty. Argh, I've said too much already! What to do... first world problems.

My wife rides so she's cool with my affliction as long as the bills get paid. Going to check out the 1150 on Saturday, see what state it's in with my own eyes. I'm not really a fan of the full fairing EF but if it could be converted to a naked E easily enough, I could be swayed to take it under my wing and nurse it back to health.

Just this one when it was on my 80. And on the topic of projects... I was offered a GS1150EF (GSX1100EFE to you UK guys) today for, yes, another $500. Complete, in running condition but needs a new swingarm as the current owner went to town with a grinder on it trying to squeeze in a wider wheel... he was apparently unsuccessful. That's a cheap and available piece but I'm not sure that I need another mouth to feed right now, especially with the 83 still on the operating table. Once you start stockpiling future projects, you may as well just sign up for one of those "Hoarders" type TV shows! Still, an 1150 is a pretty cool ride... *sigh* ... I'm so weak.

Applied more black today.

Didn't get all 32 years of goo off of the bike but I think I got a couple of decades beat anyway. Need to get out the old toothbrushes and q-tips for the rest... can't wait! Did some refinishing on a couple of bits today, specifically the front mastercylinder cover, the four engine cylinder head end caps and the timing cover, all of which had been paint-stripped and polished at some point. Black is beautiful baby! Also discovered Back to Black which is a cleaner that restores the finish to faded and oxidized black plastics. My airbox ends were pretty white from UV exposure and this stuff had them shiny and black in no time. Went to town on the gauge cluster, mirrors, rear fender, indicators, airfilter box and any other black moulded plastic I could find. If it wasn't for the rust and the age-cracked paintwork, it could pass for a new bike! Well, not quite, but the stuff works as advertised. Time will tell if it all washes away the first time I'm out in the rain. Did I mention that black is beautiful, baby?

No pictures but I cleaned and lubed all of the calipers today, and flushed/bled the brake fluids. Like the fork oil, I couldn't really recognize what came out of the brake system... it was golden in colour but opaque like honey. Mmmmm, honey........ Happy to have that job done, fresh fluid and firm levers are wonderful things! Tomorrow I start cleaning 32 years of grunge off of the frame, wiring, carbs, airbox assembly, hoses, brackets, clips, connectors, battery box, etc...

Took some bits to the paintshop today to have them colour-matched to the bike (left side panel and front fender were black.. well the fender I picked up to replace the incorrect chrome one was black anyway)... while disassembling, I pulled off the tank as it was coated underneath with a 1/4 inch of goo that was constantly getting all over my hands whenever I poked around under it. Just another job on the long list I made when the bike arrived... ... anyway, now I can mess with the wiring and fuel lines that need messing with, and do some more deep cleaning in the depths of the bike. Should have this done by the time the paintwork is completed... maybe. You may notice that the front calipers are hanging in space... yup, they're on the list too. As is the rear one... among other things. It's really quite the list!

Changed the fork oil yesterday... not sure what it was that came out but it was pretty nasty.

You never know. A friend of mine got this bike for free and was planning on keeping it, but sold it on when I held the $500 in his face. Deals are still out there!

Since day one the twisted headlight ears and resultant swept-back and cock-eyed front indicators on my '83 bugged me... it took me awhile to find a straight set of mounts with the right patina for the bike but I finally scored a pair off of evilBay. Popped them on today. So much better! And as a bonus, the headlight points straight ahead now too. Win!

I did exactly that today! Also tossed on a new 530 chain and sprockets.

Just wondering what challenges I might face trying to install one of the last oil-cooled 1100 engines into a 1995 GSXR750... anyone done it? Cheers!