1982 GS1100GL redux

[Charmed]

My uncle here in CO is getting up in years and went to a Harley trike, so he was nice enough to gift me his GS. It wasn't my style, and didn't run that great, but I knew I could work with it! Pulled everything apart, cleaned everything up, tuned/adjusted and came out with a bike that runs great and that I really enjoy riding. :ride

 

[Charmed]

Redux

 

[SFMCjohn]

Wow! new life for a classic bike! :hail

 

[Charmed]

Wow! new life for a classic bike! :hail

Thanks! :thumbup

 

[Johndicezx9]

That’s a very cool clean-up job! :thumbup

It’s really hard to kill some of those old GS Suzukis. :laughing

(Nice to see you posting, too.)

 

[Charmed]

That’s a very cool clean-up job! :thumbup

It’s really hard to kill some of those old GS Suzukis. :laughing

(Nice to see you posting, too.)

Thanks, John. Figure I oughtta once in a while The amazing thing about this bike was the mileage...23,250.

 

[SFMCjohn]

Thanks, John. Figure I oughtta once in a while The amazing thing about this bike was the mileage...23,250.

love those GSs ... had a couple friends who were fishermen
back east and took their money in '82 and purchased a pair
of GS and rode out cross-country to visit me in Ventura ...
bikes were just beasts ... big stories of going wfo on the way ...
guess we were all twenty-one years old ... afm199

your GS looks like it would do well in a bike show ... :thumbup

 

[Charmed]

love those GSs ... had a couple friends who were fishermen
back east and took their money in '82 and purchased a pair
of GS and rode out cross-country to visit me in Ventura ...
bikes were just beasts ... big stories of going wfo on the way ...
guess we were all twenty-one years old ... afm199

your GS looks like it would do well in a bike show ... :thumbup

It's neat/cool, but not show quality. I'm also not done :teeth I'd like to make a couple other significant customizations, not touching the motor of course. I see the 80-81 GS1000Gs (also shaft drive) have a 17" rear wheel. I'd really like to know if that would bolt up, because they're ALL over eBay. Putting it on 17s would be the last geometry change I would make (a little lift in the rear, and drop in the front would nicely flatten out it's lines), and open up my tire choices.

 

[Johndicezx9]

Go the other way and put an old GS750e 16” front wheel, and then enjoy the ride. :thumbup

 

[Charmed]

Go the other way and put an old GS750e 16” front wheel, and then enjoy the ride. :thumbup

:laughing That's another way to go! And an 18" on the rear. I can do a high boy of sorts :laughing

 

[Johndicezx9]

:laughing Certainly don’t see many of those....

 

[motomania2007]

Had a buddy back in the 80s that had what I think was a GS650G. Might have been bigger, not sure. I do remember it was a good match to my '82 650 Seca, but it weighed more. Still a fun bike.

 

[Grissom]

Wow that turned out really nice!
:thumbup

 

[EastBayDave]

Very nice ride. :thumbup

Little elbow grease & show it. Lots of older folks would like to see it I'm sure.

 

[auntiebling]

well, it's no goldwing, but it's pretty!

 

[Charmed]

Wow that turned out really nice!
:thumbup

Thank you!:thumbup

Very nice ride. :thumbup

Little elbow grease & show it. Lots of older folks would like to see it I'm sure.

You're probably right. I'll keep my eyes open.

well, it's no goldwing, but it's pretty!

:laughing Yeah, bummer!

 

[Blankpage]

When I was in high school I had a GS1000. Those old Suzuki's were prone to have zener diode failure issues.

I wouldn't change a thing. I'd keep the old bars, seat, and wheels.
I like those old Japanese 4 cyl cruisers if for nothing more than remembering my teenage years. Great for cruising around town or straight down the highway but they handle like shit

 

[Johndicezx9]

When I was in high school I had a GS1000. Those old Suzuki's were prone to have zener diode failure issues.

I wouldn't change a thing. I'd keep the old bars, seat, and wheels.
I like those old Japanese 4 cyl cruisers if for nothing more than remembering my teenage years. Great for cruising around town or straight down the highway but they handle like shit

But back then, so did the sprotbiles...

 

[Charmed]

When I was in high school I had a GS1000. Those old Suzuki's were prone to have zener diode failure issues.

I wouldn't change a thing. I'd keep the old bars, seat, and wheels.
I like those old Japanese 4 cyl cruisers if for nothing more than remembering my teenage years. Great for cruising around town or straight down the highway but they handle like shit

Different strokes. I thought it looked awful in it's factory form...especially with that backrest on there:barf I put stickier tires on it, sintered pads, dropped the triples down 2 inches, put spacers at the bottom of the fork tubes to help firm up the suspension, changed to 20w oil, and I find it handles pretty well now:thumbup I rip it across the peak to peak hwy here in CO, riding it like a sporty standard :ride

 

[Blankpage]

Its an old motorcycle that was never meant to be a sportbike or handle modern sticky rubber. Don't overdo it or that frame might wobble itself into a pretzel.
They have good low end torque even by today's standards so its good at what its meant to be.
With the mods you've made I'd add a steering damper just for insurance. Its will reduce tankslappers but that bike will still wallow through the sweepers.