Stu's GS450/500 Cafe/Fighter

[7Zark7]

This is the start of my project. I bought it as a complete basket case. It was a bare frame and a bunch of boxes of parts.
But the price was right and it has a clean title.

The plan is to put an SRAD frontend and an SV650 swingarm on it with the requisit wheels. And I will be putting a GS500 motor and full wiring harness in it.

I made the seat and I'll be making my own exhaust as well as several other parts.

[7Zark7]

Well, it turns out I can't use a GS500 motor in this frame without running into some problems with the exhaust headers. They come out straight from the head on a GS500 which puts them right into the downtubes.

That's ok because I've got engines a plenty (long story)
I've got two good GS500 motors, one GS500 motor with rod knock and one good GS450 motor.
So the plan is to pull the bad GS500 motor and the GS450 motor apart and make a frankenstein motor. GS450 bottom end, GS500 barrels and a GS450 head. New rings and gaskets and I should be good to go.
I wonder how hard it would be to retrofit a GS400 kickstarter :-)

I should have more pictures to post up this weekend.

[7Zark7]

I got some more done on the 450 and I also have some engine parts on order. I guess 500 just wasn't going to be enough so here is the plan for the motor.

GS500 cases and crank
GS500 barrels bored to accept GR650 pistons (77mm instead of the GS500s 74mm)
GR650 head and cams.

This will give me 52x... somethng bigger than 500, at least :-)
A better flowing head and higher lift cams.
Plus I will still have the angled exhaust ports.

HUGE thanks to dgyver on this and the GSTwins board for all of the great info on the motor options.

I'll still be using the stock GS500 carbs until I can afford some flatslides.


As for the rest of the bike, I was able to get the front end and the swingarm mounted.

Frontend is and SRAD with a knurled SV stem pressed in. Bolts right up. I just need to figure out some steering stops.

Swingarm was a little more tricky. I had a full inch taken out of the pivot point (1/2 on each side)
Then I had to have some bushings made to fit the ID of the bearings and the OD of the GS450 pivot bolt. All I have to do now is build some points to mount the monoshock.

I will also need ot take some material off of the sprocket carrier so the sprocket will line up and not hit the frame.

I haven't decided how high I want the rear.

[7Zark7]

Slow progress. I've got the rear suspension almost done. It's all tacked together and I have to finish welding it. I keep forgetting to bring my camera to the shop so I don't have any pictures of that.

But I did start making my license plate and tailight bracket. Here's what I've got so far.


I still need to cut the sides a little more to get a better curve on them.
Then I can make the other part of the bracket and weld it all together.

[7Zark7]

Brought my camera to the shop and took some pictures of the rear suspension.

[7Zark7]

Sorry, no new pictures. But I got some material yesterday. Some small, medium and large steel tube. I'll be making my own clip-ons, rearsets and headlight brackets.

Wish me luck.

[7Zark7]

First update in quite a while.
I work on the bikes out of two different garages. Mine and my cousins.
One has no heat, the other has no electricity (for now) So I haven't really been able to do anything with the bike.
It warmed up a bit today so I got my ass out there to make some parts. Well, not parts but a jig to make the clip-ons.

Jig is going to be aluminum. Once my cousin gets electricity I'll be able to weld it together.

Then I can start making my clip-ons. (why am I not just buying a set?)

[7Zark7]

I haven't decided if I'm going to use this frontend or stick with the SRAD. If I stick with the SRAD, I'm going to disassemble them and have the uppers anodized gold or blue (I think) and the lowers anodized black.

Either way, this is the wheel I'm going with. off of a 00+ Sportster.

[7Zark7]

Finally made some more progress on this. I didn't like how the right side shock mount was so i revised it to be more like the other side.








Finished all of the welding. Now I just need to cut off a few more tabs and grind everything smooth and then it can go out for paint or PC.

[7Zark7]

This is the front end I've decided on.






Cut out an electronics tray out of some aluminum and got some Dzus fasteners.



Ready to be welded.



Will sit flush with the rear bar once it's complete. I'll paint it with some bedliner or something.