Refurbing the GS

Posh Pete

Posh Pete

Still got a pulse.
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Spring is on the horizon and, with thoughts of warmer days in the lock up, I'm mulling over doing a bit of a refurb on the paralever. This will involve a strip to the frame to allow plastic coating or re-painting, SS tubes and a new clutch to the engine and possibly a gearbox overhaul. Then there's the paint and the wheels and ... and ... and ...

Anyway, I expect it'll grow like Topsy but before I think about laying a spanner to it, I thought I'd seek hard won advice from them as have scarred knuckles doing the same! (And yes, I've had a look at a few threads in this section.)

Any thoughts gentlemen? I'll reciprocate by adding pics and further thoughts when I get around to the actual job.
 
Posh Pete said:
Spring is on the horizon and, with thoughts of warmer days in the lock up, I'm mulling over doing a bit of a refurb on the paralever. This will involve a strip to the frame to allow plastic coating or re-painting, SS tubes and a new clutch to the engine and possibly a gearbox overhaul. Then there's the paint and the wheels and ... and ... and ...

Anyway, I expect it'll grow like Topsy but before I think about laying a spanner to it, I thought I'd seek hard won advice from them as have scarred knuckles doing the same! (And yes, I've had a look at a few threads in this section.)

Any thoughts gentlemen? I'll reciprocate by adding pics and further thoughts when I get around to the actual job.
Click to expand...

Get Mikeyboy to do it!:D
 
Peter,

Experience says . . . It will take far longer than you think :rob.

Good luck with it (I'm up to my eyes in restoration work at the moment - not bikes - but workshop facilities are here if you need them).

Bob.
 
Whatever your budget is...double it. Then, double it again.
 
I agree with the others, it will be twice the time allowed and twice the budget but enjoyable and think of the entertainment for the rest of us.
 
Might be prudent to look at the final value of the bike before you start on cosmetic work - as costs can quickly get out of hand.

The restored bike has to be worth 10/12,000 quid before it makes sense, and in OZ Paralever bikes make half that, whether stock or Frankenbike.

You won't save as much as you might think doing it yourself, experienced rebuilders work much faster than you, get it right the first time and know the best specialists and suppliers who do the right thing first up and at the right price - around 25% of the cost of my first resto, a BSA B44, was spent on junk parts or redoing bad workmanship by so called specialists.
I won't mention which country the parts were sent from ---------!
And unless you can spend seven nights a week in the shed give yourself a bit more time, if you can only manage a couple around a year might do it!
Doubling the cost of your estimate is sound advice, as is tripling the amount that others claim to have spent.
 
Posh Pete said:
Spring is on the horizon and, with thoughts of warmer days in the lock up, I'm mulling over doing a bit of a refurb on the paralever. This will involve a strip to the frame to allow plastic coating or re-painting, SS tubes and a new clutch to the engine and possibly a gearbox overhaul. Then there's the paint and the wheels and ... and ... and ...

Anyway, I expect it'll grow like Topsy but before I think about laying a spanner to it, I thought I'd seek hard won advice from them as have scarred knuckles doing the same! (And yes, I've had a look at a few threads in this section.)

Any thoughts gentlemen? I'll reciprocate by adding pics and further thoughts when I get around to the actual job.
Click to expand...

Very important word - “the” :D

Don’t do the work there - transport the big components to your kitchen. You will have better flexible time working on it, and quick access to the beers in the fridge. :rob
 
I have restored a few simpler bikes - Jap 2 stroke classics in my time and whilst fun, at the time .....I have no desire to repeat
Now I buy the best that I can afford and just ride them
Resto (unless you’re doing it for some altruistic reason) are always a pain/cost more than buying a decent, original or restored one
Since I did mine 15+ years ago - costs have risen dramatically for all manner of things and people want an earth for usually junk used parts
Unless you have access to platers and powder coaters etc it costs a fortune - I did the rear subframe and side stand on my XR 400 last summer, at a painters and it was a £100
Rear rack and grab handle for a 1150 GS Adv was another £80-£100
A whole bike would have been a fortune

Just my take
 
Once your frame is looking peachy, you'll notice that your engine cases really need painting. When they're sorted and looking great, they'll make your fork legs look tatty. And your hubs........

A bike that has aged evenly can look better than one that's half and half, so I'd say be prepared for an all or nothing approach to the cosmetics. How bad is it at the moment?
 
My 2p - there’s a big difference between refurbishment and restoration. When you refurb a bike it’s to use and you have to be realistic about the odd tarnished part that is still 100% functional whereas restoration involves replacing or re-plating parts with a slightly flakey finish so others can admire your bike when you not riding it, or even making it too shiny to ride!

I really enjoy the hours spent in the shed getting a bike up to scratch to use it, I’m perfectly happy to live with a few bits of ‘patina’ but can’t abide rust.
 
The Other PaulG said:
Once your fame is looking peachy, you'll notice that your engine cases really need painting. When they're sorted and looking great, they'll make your fork legs look tatty. And your hubs........

A bike that has aged evenly can look better than one that's half and half, so I'd say be prepared for an all or nothing approach to the cosmetics. How bad is it at the moment?
Click to expand...

All true
 
ChasF said:
My 2p - there’s a big difference between refurbishment and restoration. When you refurb a bike it’s to use and you have to be realistic about the odd tarnished part that is still 100% functional whereas restoration involves replacing or re-plating parts with a slightly flakey finish so others can admire your bike when you not riding it, or even making it too shiny to ride!

I really enjoy the hours spent in the shed getting a bike up to scratch to use it, I’m perfectly happy to live with a few bits of ‘patina’ but can’t abide rust.
Click to expand...

Wise words

That is my take now - refurbishment and not restored

The bikes I restored in the past (DT175 MX, RD400c, TY175 Trials) were show winners but not able to be used without undoing all the work that I had put in, so totally pointless unless you were just displaying them

So I just sold them and now have good examples of older Jap bikes that can be ridden off-road and enjoyed

Similarly with the 1150’s - they are both in great condition but have a patina of wear .....without any corrosion....I cannot abide any rust either
 
Thanks all. I'm not considering a full resto, for all the reasons mentioned above. The worst part of the bike is the frame and getting at that for plastic coating will require a full strip into big lumps. I thought, while doing that, that I would do a few other things. We shall see! :D
 
Practical issues now starting to occur. What size is the hex for removing the paralever ? 25 - 26mm? (I assume it's a hex rather than a bi-hex?) I thought the one I used for my oilhead would do it but that's a far bigger beast! Also, can one remove the paralever in one rather than faff about removing the bevel box first?
 
So, the refurb has begun. I started today by moving the other bikes to a neighbour's lock up and doing a bit of tidying up in mine. Then drained the oil, removed the tank and the battery. Tomorrow, I will mostly be removing the battery tray and the pannier frames for plastic coating. After that, I'll pull the rear sub frame (already coated a couple of years ago), mudguard and the paralever. I'll post regular updates with pics which should be helpful to others considering the same job.

effc80cbef0e24aaf7293695b5c23b2d.jpg



4f1d4f1f908f36c6fd868a384d40c77f.jpg
 
Well that’s 3 hours this afternoon I won’t get back but the rear sub frame, mudguard and electrics came off in a oner. The final drive and paralever came away pretty easily and the battery tray too. Here’s the by products
d9e5365e835883ca1cd0d8773948dafd.jpg



Tomorrow's job is to start pulling the electrics (lots of photos!!!) and the rest of the exhaust system.
 
Watch those Indicator stalks if they are the rubber ones

I seem to recall No Longer available :(

Did you split the FD from the Swingarm?? :eek

If not it could be fun splitting them off the bike

Have Fun

P.S. Was the swingarm still kinda shiny ?? I remember cleaning all the schite off it from a leaking seal someone else was supposed to have fixed while charging TOP dollar!
 
DrFarkoff said:
Watch those Indicator stalks if they are the rubber ones

I seem to recall No Longer available :(

Did you split the FD from the Swingarm?? :eek

If not it could be fun splitting them off the bike

Have Fun

P.S. Was the swingarm still kinda shiny ?? I remember cleaning all the schite off it from a leaking seal someone else was supposed to have fixed while charging TOP dollar!
Click to expand...

Not planning to split the fd from the paralever, Jay. The aim is to keep things in as big lumps as possible and get to the frame. The paralever swing arm is pretty mucky underneath but clean muck iyswim. I'll be giving it a good clean once the frame is off to be powder coated.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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