thetony
member
Reged: 12/02/2009
Posts: 164
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A mate has possibly won a watch here, a family friend has offered him an old '93 GSX1100f that's been laying in his garage for far too long.The bloke just wants rid of it... It is an absolute bargain - so much so I think it's defo gonna be snapped up (£350 I know I know) So Does anyone have any specific details to be checking out, I'm well confident about the usual stuff, but this big old beast was well before my time and i'm clueless as to it's weaknesses and suspect areas.
Thanks in advance folks for me picking the collective... Even if the tyres/drivetrain/every bush-bearing-fastener is shagged from a long lay-up, it's still a heap of bike for the cash and the overall condition is good for the age and 20k miles. Going to check it tomorrow evening.
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KwH
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 11/11/2006
Posts: 1896
Loc: Carmarthen, Dyfed
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A mate of mine had one of those when it was new, long before I was ever into bikes. According to him at the time it was big, fast, comfortable, heavy and ate consumables (and rear suspension linkages). Personally, I remember the v.kewl electric windscreen!
It ended up being stolen by kids who turned it into a field bike :-o. It was found banana shaped and upside down, abandoned deep in the woods - my mate speculated that somebody had tried jumping it and that it had all gone a bit Pete Tong...
Every fastener, bearing and seal will be shagged, it's the nature of the beast at this age. However, the engine should be completely indestructible (Hello? Detuned GSXR1100 lump? Last forever!).
However, being a UK model, it is probably restricted - I remember something about the carb tops, but I could be talking bollocks. It should be an easy fix, though...
Modern rubber and pad compounds (and a good all round fettle) should give the old beast a new lease of life... from what I'm told, the only thing holding it back when it was launched was the ridiculous pricing!
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Ken Haylock
http://www.cix.co.uk/~kwh
"Ride what you like, how you like, as often as you like; but always take responsibilty for your actions." - Anonymous Zen Guru
"Obviously all I'll care about is if it's good for wheelies (i.e. fluffs up my meagre skills), and what free gift they give on the launch." - Anonymous Moto-Journalism Guru
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thetony
member
Reged: 12/02/2009
Posts: 164
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Thanks Ken. The deal was done (with relish) last night. £375 in the end, but we should have had muskets and masks on... I was expecting it to look like it had been at the bottom of the Clyde for some time, not the case. 18000miles odd, fresh tyres a thousand miles before it's retirement. Leaky fork-seals, solid chain, parked under some pine trees so a bit sticky and faded, blown over in high winds result in missing lh mirror and snapped footrest hanger. Wants its carbs balanced and gutted out, the usual service and fresh fluids should see it sweet again. Only concern brake wise is where the pads have sat on the discs, which have plenty meat left under some surface rust, but a bit of elbow grease and maybe a wee skim should sort.
My mate has just passed his test. I taught him to ride, at the 747 hanger, on a blade I had so it might work as a first bike for a little while (ridiculous as it sounds?) but more than likely will serve as a little project to show him the ropes and make a killing on as a trade-in against a smaller, more modern, better first serious bike (possibe swap for an early TRX already in the pipeline, what a golden goose this is turning into). Mate in question took me to see it in his mk11 golf fitted with audi S3 motor (converted by himself, what a tool - the car, not him). If ever I have been worried about a mate getting into bikes, this is the one giving the most concern! Too much is never enough etc... gonna be a fun summer with a new maniac to play with (and show the ropes).
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KwH
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 11/11/2006
Posts: 1896
Loc: Carmarthen, Dyfed
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Quote:
Thanks Ken. The deal was done (with relish) last night. £375 in the end, but we should have had muskets and masks on... I was expecting it to look like it had been at the bottom of the Clyde for some time, not the case. 18000miles odd, fresh tyres a thousand miles before it's retirement. Leaky fork-seals, solid chain, parked under some pine trees so a bit sticky and faded, blown over in high winds result in missing lh mirror and snapped footrest hanger. Wants its carbs balanced and gutted out, the usual service and fresh fluids should see it sweet again. Only concern brake wise is where the pads have sat on the discs, which have plenty meat left under some surface rust, but a bit of elbow grease and maybe a wee skim should sort.
That sounds potentially like an absolutely stonking bargain to end all bargains, provided the engine isn't cattled. The shock will be shagged as well as the fork seals, unless you believe in miracles, and frankly, forget those tyres - it doesn't matter if they were fresh on the day before it was laid up, tyres from 15 years ago weren't half as good as tyres are today, in fact they may even be crossplies, and 15 years of sunlight and heating and weather plus sitting in one place with the bike sat on them and probably flat with it will have done them a power of no good. Don't even risk it! Also, inspect every bearing, seal and fastener on the bike, be prepared to lube anything that can be lubed and replace anything knackered, seized or corroded. Things like cush drive rubbers may also have perished and turned rock-hard so also worth a check. Change brake fluid and be prepared to change all the brake seals at a minimum. Those disks will probably clean up nicely, unless the rust has gone deep enough to pit them, but once you have cleaned the disks up, replace all the pads. Again, modern compounds are nicer and you'll be starting with a known quantity. Expect the chain and sprockets to be toast, obviously. When you are done you will have an insanely cheap if insanely heavy Autobahnstormer.
In fact, I was completely with you and thought you had had a blinding result right up until...
Quote:
My mate has just passed his test. I taught him to ride, at the 747 hanger, on a blade I had so it might work as a first bike for a little while (ridiculous as it sounds?) but more than likely will serve as a little project to show him the ropes and make a killing on as a trade-in against a smaller, more modern, better first serious bike (possibe swap for an early TRX already in the pipeline, what a golden goose this is turning into). Mate in question took me to see it in his mk11 golf fitted with audi S3 motor (converted by himself, what a tool - the car, not him). If ever I have been worried about a mate getting into bikes, this is the one giving the most concern! Too much is never enough etc... gonna be a fun summer with a new maniac to play with (and show the ropes).
I really wouldn't do that (i.e. make it a first bike for him). This is entirely the wrong bike to be handing to a rank novice with impulse control issues. The chassis is very 80's, the bike weighs a metric shitload, is quite tall and very top heavy with it & if it isn't restricted it makes 136bhp (with arm-wrenching torque), which was probably more than an 80's Sports Tourer could easily cope with when it it was new and freshly built, never mind after up to 15 years parked up in somebody's drive....
I think the best hope you have that your mate won't make a very big and painful hole in the scenery on this bike is if he stalls it at a traffic light and has his legged snapped in four places when it topples over on him !
Seriously, buy it off him yourself and do it up yourself as a xheap-as-chips comfy two-up touring blaster. He needs a GPz500 or an SV650, or even a TRX since you mention it, not a GSX1100, IMHO!
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Ken Haylock
http://www.cix.co.uk/~kwh
"Ride what you like, how you like, as often as you like; but always take responsibilty for your actions." - Anonymous Zen Guru
"Obviously all I'll care about is if it's good for wheelies (i.e. fluffs up my meagre skills), and what free gift they give on the launch." - Anonymous Moto-Journalism Guru
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thetony
member
Reged: 12/02/2009
Posts: 164
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Again, cheers Ken. I definately agree about disregarding this thing as anyones first bike, looking at the skinny little back tyre and weedy looking brakes coupled with that 136bhp motor is a recipe for disaster. The 'financial golden goose' is going to get a budget of £600 lavished on it along with plenty elbow grease to get it up to a level of the few I've seen on ebay/bike trader, sell the barge privately and get a good fun starter bike (but a slightly ballsy one) for the guy. Common sense must prevail to some degree, I'm glad you stressed the bike is so dated and I guess I'm lucky to have came into biking after skinny shite tyres/brakes developed along with weight loss in the past decade or so. A good point well made Mr Ken.
Has got me thinking though, about peoples generic suggestions for first bikes. I commonly rave about sv650s to anyone who asks my opinion. Proven now after some have taken said advice to be either a ''bloody terrifying rocket ship'' or ''i'll be trading up asap, it's gutless''. Some of my mates have cut their teeth in peformance cars, driven hard for many years and have, as such, a greater understanding of machine control and better road sense. I'm confident some of these guys/gals will do well on a bike, quickly and safely. Similarly there are others who give major concern, damn right - stick them on a cb5oo/er6(trying to think of the most dull thing i've ridden) and wait for the ambulance. I suppose what i'm saying is that yes there are bikes that are a genuine bad idea for a novice to touch, and this gsx is probably one of them, but there are exceptions, new riders who can easily be trusted on a bike usually deemed beyond the capabilities of a new rider. No?
It also reminded me of when I got my hands on a GSXR1100. A slingshot that I had posters of up on my wall as a wee lad. They say you shouldn't meet your heroes, dissapointment etc... Too bloody right! The old thing was terrible. I was truely gutted and didn't have it long. I wonder if I'll ever meet Chuck Norris and thing he's a big decrepit girls blouse?
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KwH
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 11/11/2006
Posts: 1896
Loc: Carmarthen, Dyfed
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I realise I never asked you the most important question of all...
...when you hook jump leads up to it, does the electric screen still go up and down? :-D
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Ken Haylock
http://www.cix.co.uk/~kwh
"Ride what you like, how you like, as often as you like; but always take responsibilty for your actions." - Anonymous Zen Guru
"Obviously all I'll care about is if it's good for wheelies (i.e. fluffs up my meagre skills), and what free gift they give on the launch." - Anonymous Moto-Journalism Guru
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chappers
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 31/12/2006
Posts: 6701
Loc: Mind your own business
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Quote:
I realise I never asked you the most important question of all...
...when you hook jump leads up to it, does the electric screen still go up and down? :-D
Jump leads.
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Say what you think and think what you say.
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thetony
member
Reged: 12/02/2009
Posts: 164
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Hell yeah! The 'active aerodynamics' are still operational, First thing We checked! Progress report is: Cleaning up very nicely, A worrying gear selection issue has been cured with a wee clutch bleed...thank fuck! Fluid changed and all is well. With the fairing off it looks like it should have renthals fitted, gixxer running gear transplanted and a Simpson bandit laying around. This may seriously be an option if he bins it on a cheeky test ride...
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KwH
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 11/11/2006
Posts: 1896
Loc: Carmarthen, Dyfed
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Quote:
Hell yeah! The 'active aerodynamics' are still operational, First thing We checked! Progress report is: Cleaning up very nicely, A worrying gear selection issue has been cured with a wee clutch bleed...thank fuck! Fluid changed and all is well. With the fairing off it looks like it should have renthals fitted, gixxer running gear transplanted and a Simpson bandit laying around. This may seriously be an option if he bins it on a cheeky test ride...
Brilliant! Project update now?
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Ken Haylock
http://www.cix.co.uk/~kwh
"Ride what you like, how you like, as often as you like; but always take responsibilty for your actions." - Anonymous Zen Guru
"Obviously all I'll care about is if it's good for wheelies (i.e. fluffs up my meagre skills), and what free gift they give on the launch." - Anonymous Moto-Journalism Guru
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thetony
member
Reged: 12/02/2009
Posts: 164
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Mate came down to show me it last week, chuffed to bits... Rode it straight down my steep driveway, jumped off and let me have a quick go. Lesson number one for him was to bloody think about where he parks in future, fuck me that's one lump of a bike! Took the two of us to get it back onto the road - reminded me of when you first get a bike and still park as if you have a reverse gear... He really has done a fantastic job on the old brute, it looks clean as a whistle. He spent about a grand all in on the thing, including insuring,taxing and testing it and has really been clocking up the miles getting his confidence up on the old hyper-barge. It's a pleasure to hear his stories and honest observations of life in the fastlane on 2 wheels. The most expensive repair was a brand new mirror... second hand stock is nonexistent so he had to bite the bullet and cough up £120 quid odd on the thing! I shit you not! When I took It for a little run round the block the thing that sticks in my mind was the bizarre riding position, how long and low it was and very top heavy- like you mentioned - it was certainly an experience, mostly unpleasant! I'll get him to send me a pic of it doing something interesting, as there is no point of looking at the ugly,antiquated creature in normality...
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KwH
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 11/11/2006
Posts: 1896
Loc: Carmarthen, Dyfed
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Quote:
Mate came down to show me it last week, chuffed to bits...
Excellent! Still a little nervous about a novice having that as a first bike...
Quote:
Rode it straight down my steep driveway, jumped off and let me have a quick go. Lesson number one for him was to bloody think about where he parks in future, fuck me that's one lump of a bike!
D'oh!!
Mind you, that's the kind of thing I'm worried about. Except that most mistakes he might make won't be quite as painless....
Quote:
I'll get him to send me a pic of it doing something interesting, as there is no point of looking at the ugly,antiquated creature in normality...
It has a purpose even now. That purpose is as a bike for touring Europe on, two-up with the missus on board, for peanuts (proper touring iron costs several thousand quid these days, even when it's clapped out, and this heap^H^H^H^H fine classic cost less than a good night out!). As main transport and an introduction to bikes he'd be better off on a ratty old GPz500, all ways up. Save him from himself and take it off his hands before he stuffs it into something and writes it off.
PS: The mirror appears to be worth more than the bike 
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Ken Haylock
http://www.cix.co.uk/~kwh
"Ride what you like, how you like, as often as you like; but always take responsibilty for your actions." - Anonymous Zen Guru
"Obviously all I'll care about is if it's good for wheelies (i.e. fluffs up my meagre skills), and what free gift they give on the launch." - Anonymous Moto-Journalism Guru
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