1981 suzuki jap scrap

by Ian
(Cincinnati,OH)

ITS ALIVE!!!!!!! Ron Burgundy runs. First off I should explain what I have done. I purchased a 1981 Suzuki gs 650 g(shaft drive) with a bent shift fork(#2) and all motor gaskets blown. It ran so I bought it for $500. A friend of mine had a 550 motor(chain drive) and suggested we swap motors and get a chain drive wheel. I found a gs chain drive wheel at the motorcycle grave yard for a hundred dollars. Then I found (on craigslist) a gsxr wheel for a hundred dollars. I went to buy the gsxr wheel and come to find out he also had gsxr forks front wheel clip ons calipers and fresh tires. I bought all that for $250.

Tossed the old motor to the floor and began fitting the (much lighter) 550 motor. 3 of the five mounting points fit. good enough for me mounted the motor. (also the 550 motor was tuned in and known to work well) it came with a mac 4-1 exhaust that fit nicely. wired it up splashed some oil in and it fired up.

The front forks fit good with sleeves and original bearings etc. The head light assembly brackets and all fit when I removed the rubber grommets. awesome! The gauges not so lucky. So I dug up some honda cb650? gauges made a custom bracket and magic again. (getting a speedo cable?) tach works. front brakes check. made a bracket to hang the original rear caliper to the axle and that was it there.

There was some grinding sawzalling and welding not mentioned. The frame also got some rattlecan black in the process. purchased $100 worth of random parts from the dealer and a slightly used hyabusa chain (another $100) and it runs.

Now I need a rear seat cowl, paint, front fender mounted, some reworking of a few wires a fuse ... new turn signal covers speedo cable..... and some open road.