$4,400
Akron, Ohio
Category
-
Engine
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Posted Over 1 Month
MAN YOU GOTTA HAVE A LITTLE FUN IN LIFE ONCE IN A WHILE! (Special thanks to client Kevin S for inspiring this conversion. He dreamed up how he wanted the bike to look and turned the nut-cases of Akron Suzuki Works loose on the project). This bike has done less than 1000 miles since it's conversion and reconditioning. You are essentially getting a heavy-duty GS1100G with some nice cosmetic upgrades plus nut and bolt level re-do of a very solid base machine. It is so much lighter and more nimble with the sport fairing. The best part from a buyer's standpoint is you are getting a very well-sorted out ride for this year and beyond. Most of the bikes we see offered this time of year need a lot of work to be reliable for that vacation trip or daily commute--try getting something worked on this time of year at your favorite shop. This one is ready to hop on and go somewhere! Several bidders enquired about the original luggage and rear box. Those parts are not available but I do have a nice set of Krauser Panniers and a rear box that could be fitted to this bike. The Krausers have keys and are removable just like the original GK bags. This Auction item GS1100GK was a full dresser, factory touring bike designed to compete with Honda's bagger-cruiser tanks in the early 80's. No offense to the baggers out there but it seems to me if you bolted two of those big boys together you'd wind up with your dad's Oldsmobile. There is a "before" photo included and one showing the body-works which were removed. (these parts are NOT included in the auction, they were sold as part of the project). The 'surgery' included removal of the panniers and rear box, a big honking fairing, one of Suzuki’s uglier seat efforts (and Suzuki made some duzies). Underneath all that plastic, there lay a very sturdy machine. Unusual for the day was the air-adjustable rear suspension (which was retained), solid front end with “G” geometry (rather than the kicked out “L” spec that didn’t aid handling), a best-in-industry shaft drive, decent 3-rotor brakes. The balance of the photos show how we did that. The project was fun for us here at Akron Suzuki Works since we got away from the constraints of restoration work to create a mildly customized take on an unusual donor platform. The client was pleased with the results and rode the bike last season but a move to garage-less new digs dictates a sale of the bike. We have the PA title ready to transfer to the new owner. NOTE ON PRICING: The buy-it-plus-build-it cost on this bike was about $7500. We are expecting a lot less but if somebody asks "what's the most your will take" I've got a number. I did set a reserve price on this one (well below $7500). I don't reveal reserve prices so please bid what you think is fair. We understand here that you, the market, decides what everything is worth and the client has to decide if he agrees. Bidders can rest assured that a GS from Akron Suzuki Works is going to be as well-sorted as you are likely to find out there. If your buddy tells you he "got one off Craig's list just like this one" you have my permission to give him a rabbit punch in the adam's apple. Here's how it all went down... The GK shed nearly 100 lbs by the time we deleted the body works and swapped the heavy, double-walled OE exhaust for the tidy V&H 4 into 1 piece (with standard baffle) which also provided a nice improvement to sound. It's loud enough to be heard in traffic but not make enemies in the neighborhood. The massive stock fairing was replaced with a vintage Greer sport fairing with a half-high windscreen which re-directs the air sufficiently to take the load off for all day interstate work while offering a weather protection for colder or (yikes) wetter conditions. We fabricated aluminum brackets to mount the fairing and turn signals and adapted the front harness to suit. A period round headlight from an 1100E was fitted using aftermarket stainless steel fork tube mounts. Original rear air suspension units were retained. The seat was cut down and re-profiled to match a small parcel rack-- we fabricated mounting brackets. The seat was finished with a custom leatherette cover. The GK got a thorough functional updating—carbs overhauled with choke circuits richened to improve cold starting. Pilots and mains were tweaked for the header; charging system re-wire and updated, new battery, forks overhauled with new seals and upgraded to 20 wt fork oil to slow dampening. Free sag set to right-on 24mm with about 13 psi of air over the new oil. The Continental tires still have good tread but are starting to show their age on the sidewalls. They could be run out for a few thousand miles if interstate cruising is your game but handling would gain from fresh rubber. We went with a high temp matt black engine paint and freshened up the side covers with new stickers and a strip and polish on the alloy covers. Painted body bits and pieces—stands, motor mounts, brake torque arm, etc. were removed and powder coated or repainted. A center stand ‘bumper’ was fabricated to keep the stand from bouncing against the exhaust. So, how does she run? Pretty sweet. Starts instantly even on cool mornings after sitting a week (thanks to some carb tweaking) pulls smoothly and evenly to red line, no engine or tranny noises, no crank whirring, clutch basket rattle, smooth shifting and period correct braking and cornering. Other reconditioning notes: --complete strip and refinish of tank, fender and all body plastic plus plastic.—the seat re-profiling lowered the passenger ‘hump’ but still provides comfortable lumbar support for the rider.--charging system got a new stator and all connectors were replaced (its spot on for both amperage and voltage)—mini signals replaced the stock blinker units which were built into the fairing and bags.--full fluid service including middle and final drive cases, oil/filter, brake fluid.--brakes flushed front and back, calipers repaired and pads replaced as required--all electrical (except fuel level indicator in tach) and mechanical functions verified to be working correctly--brake lamp switches, horn, signals, dash display, side stand down warning light, neutral light, gear selection indicator.--cases stripped of clear coat, polished—fuel petcock was rebuilt, new diaphragm (fuel flows when petcock senses vacuum so no worries about fuel leaks). Nit-pics--exhaust system is solid, sounds very nice, shows typical discoloring on the header pipes.--a few blems here and there in the mostly original frame paint—tach displays correctly but the fuel gage built into the tach doesn’t work. The fuel sender in the tank is working so it’s a matter of finding a replacement tach. The odometer works fine though, so just reset that at fill up and you’ll track fill ups fine. --front brakes are solid and progressive but put out a pretty good squeal at the end of a stop. I haven't heard this very often on GS brakes and I'm assuming it is related to not having been ridden much and will subside with use. ABOUT AKRON SUZUKI WORKSIf you are new to our auctions, we are a 2-bay GS-specialty shop. Our crew includes a mechanical engineer and a dealership trained Suzuki mechanic who has built and tuned just about everything GS. We have particular expertise in carb tuning and modification, suspension tuning, charging and electrical systems. It's been a while since we offered a bike on eBay as we frequently get calls to see "if we have any interesting GS' around". We usually do so a lot of our bikes never make it to auction. That's about to change, however, as we have at least 4 bikes which will be listed in the coming days including a GS1150, an '83 GS1100E, an 82 GS 1100G, and an '82 GS550 Katana. I have to get pics uploaded to our photo server. But first, let me tell you about this GK auction bike. There couldn't be many shops around with a nearly exclusive focus on GS bikes from ’80-’83. We do concourse Suzuki restorations for clients (see GS Resources website Aug 2010 Bike of the month) as well as repairs and upgrades and we often wind up taking bikes back in from clients as trades which we offer at auctions--which is the case with this bike. The bike has a clear PA title in or client’s name but we have the bike here in our shop in Akron, OH. I’m particularly careful to provide accurate descriptions as we have sent bikes and parts to Europe, Canada, South America and all over the US--I know buyers don’t like surprises. We offer 12 yrs of feedback as our best reference. We incorporate Suzuki factory service bulletins that have been issued over the years and incorporate a few tricks of our own to improve reliability, safety and performance. We prefer genuine Suzuki OE parts where available including filters and gaskets because they typically are better made, fit better and last longer. We select after-market parts based on experience with what works best. Regarding GS bikesIf you are new to the GS bikes they are quite durable and reliable and better after a few tweaks to the carburation and electrical systems that we do here. Suzuki used a roller bearing crank assembly with a low pressure/high volume oil pump making bottom end failures almost impossible (yeah, I know, anything can be over-revved). The CDI ignitions were maintenance free, shaft drives were quiet and durable, the handling and braking was above average then and up to todays requirements if the bike is set up and serviced correctly. Regarding Fuel and AdditivesRegular unleaded gas is fine as these remarkable engines had compression ratios below 10:1 yet still could deliver 50 mpg. I do recommend use of Red Line SI-1 Complete Fuel system cleaner (on the web at redlineoil.com) which helps keep the small diameter pilot jets and carb passages varnish free. I use a couple oz. each gas fill up. I tore down my own 50-k mile 1100G and the intake manifold and valves were spotless.Oil additives are un-necessary and some can damage the clutch fiber plates. Good quality motorcycle-specific 10-40 non-synthetic oil works fine. Regarding GS Electric SystemsIts my contention that the OE stators and rectifier/regulators were adequate--many of the bikes we work on still have their original stators and rectifier/regulators. The problems are often the result of the connections between components and deteriorating grounds. We replace the bayonette connectors with long-shank, double-crimped connectors which we then shrink wrap to prevent further problems. Please Note: Our prices will obviously be higher than most of the GS bikes you see on eBay. If you can do the work yourself described here, you don’t need us but I do have a loyal customer following of riders who mostly just want to ride and not worry about the details that we tend to here. I base the price largely on the amount of time and materials we have into the bikes. We do contract restorations or repairs for fussy clients and we’re frequently retained to inspect bikes for collectors. Contact me for particulars. Besides the current auction bike I have several 1983 GS1100E’s including a 6k mile, 1-owner, never seen rain example) a 10k GS1100 G and a 6k GS550 Katana which you’ll see on Ebay soon. However, a vintage bike is typically not going to be as reliable as a newer bike and if you are a stickler for cosmetic details you may not be happy with a bike that has some blems. Of course you know by now that any used vehicle is sold as-is/where-is without warrantee expressed or implied.
