Photo Shoot

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to have a local enthusiast snap a few shots of the Suzuki at one of the local indoor skateparks. She then put them up on her website as an article about me and my built. As you have all seen through this website a step by step (pretty much) process of my build. Check out Motolady's website and like her page.

Also, Bike it pretty much done. In this photo shoot, bike ran like crap. I ordered a new rectifier/regulator and a new tail light and got the guy running so good that it now purrrrrrrs....

http://themotolady.com/post/45888695554/isaiah-pannier-1979-gs425e-cafe-racer

Thank you

99%

This motorcycle is 99% complete. It is close. This past week I ordered a new rectifier/regulator for the bike and got it shipped in 3 days. Super stoked because that made it so I could fix it this weekend and see if the regulator would solve all the problems. Well almost all the issues. My points were a little too gapped so I had one cylinder running hot and one cold. Checked the points and closed the gaps a bit to more specified number. Fired up and ran with a very good response to the throttle touch.

The only problem I have ran into is the lights are flickering when idling and will actually shut off while riding at a higher throttle but will come back on when idling just with a flicker.

Sooo the bike is running perfect. I jump on and take off... Holy shit does this little 425 have some kick. I was very surprised actually a few times cause when I turned around I just hit it and almost lost a bit of control.... To be honest, not use to that much power. After tinkering with how responsive it actually is and how much kick it has, John Cooper and I rode some of the town and I frickin missed riding so much!!!

Last thing to fix is the flickering lights but otherwise it is finally done!! 1 year later. Now to help my friend with his wiring harness and get his bike running.

#oldbikeissues

Today we got down and dirty and found a few things out. 1. Shifter seals are not easy to get out. 2. You have to have a lot of patience when cleaning an old engine. 3. My rectifier was the issue all along.

1. I had haggled around with the shifter seal before but didn't get anywhere. Knowing that was my main engine leak and really only one left after changing the head gasket. The shifter seal has been replaced after attempt 2 and about 1 hour each time. I had to shred every bit of rubber off the seal and finally got my needle noses around it enough to pull it out, clean up the area, and get the new one in.

2. Noticing a lot of gas residue stains on the motor from when my pet cock leaked, I ended up taking some 1000 grit sand paper, and polishing the engine up a bit. It takes a long time to get that thing clean. I wasn't able to (because of my aching old man back) sand and clean up all of it, but I did have a can of brake cleaner to help me with the rest of the cleaning. I really don't have to much to clean up, I am just short on time when I actually do work on it.

3. Rectifier is done for. After reading a few articles and doing a few tests, my rectifier is running at 29 volts into the lights. No wonder they blew. So I did end up getting my replacement lights to install, but have to purchase a new rectifier before I end up installing them. So more $$ is needed.

I did also raise the rear springs so hopefully I don't have to move the whole skateboard fender. If the bike still rubs, then I will have to move my skateboard fender. Got some ideas for that.

Few pictures. Shifter seal, side of bike without seat, and wiring cluster eff that probably only makes sense to me. Hopefully will be ordering the rectifier soon. Will update as soon as possible.

See you soon! About 95% finished.

About 90% Complete

First of all, I would like to thank you all for viewing this blog. It isn't much but 1000 views have now been achieved. Thank you!

It is nearing the end of February and I would say about 90% is done on this Suzuki. A few weeks ago there was The One Show put on here in Portland Oregon. It was a great event and got a ton of inspiration to get this bike finished in the coming month. The event was almost 2 weeks ago. 2 nights before the event I was messing around with the bike and figure out why I wasn't getting spark, a very simple reason and I feel a bit dumber now that I learned what I did wrong. With every first build there is mistakes, with every first rewire on a bike there is going to be mistakes maybe like not hooking up a few wires correctly. Well it pays to play that game with the motorcycle. I fortunately got some wires corrected and it fired right up when I filled the gas tank up, it unfortunately blew all of my lights when I did that so I had to purchase a new headlight and tail light for the bike. But more importantly the bike runs. I decided the morning of the one show to go take it for a spin to maybe meet up with the local rokcers group for some coffee and break fast. Luckily enough I had my buddy john with me on his bike to be my backup in case something went wrong, and it did. I did cut out another skateboard up and use it as my wiring retainer under the seat.

After trying to take it for a spin to the coffee shop, it started spitting and sputtering and just overall not firing correctly. Felt behind both exhausts and sure enough one was very strong flow the other not so much. I spat and sputtered all the way home with no headlight or tail light, but lucky enough John was rolling behind me and we got it there safe. One home, I took off my points cover and sure enough one of the points actually came in screwed and fell off. All the parts retained in the casing so I just had to put it all back together and gap the points correctly. After fiddling with the points I was able to get it running very strong on both cylinders. I have been going back in and checking the points to make sure they are staying together.

I messed around with the wiring some more to figure out what the heck is going on with the lights blowing and I still haven't figured out the issue in my wiring but do know the output to the lights is way to high and might have a bad regulator. I am going to switch a few suspect wires around and see if that lower the output to the lights and blow some dummy lights, rather than my brand new headlight and tail light.

One other issue I ran into is my clearance for the back wheel is just to close to my skateboard fender so I need to either raise the board up, or raise my springs a notch so I have no issues with that. It is just rubbing at every possible bump. I have an idea if I need to raise the board up, if in fact raising the rear springs doesn't work. Won't know until I try and luckily it isn't detrimental to how the bike runs but how it rides.

One last fix was my petcock, it is no longer leaking so the stain I have on my engine case will stay clean once I clean it one last time. In did realize in forgot to change out my shifter seal, so it is leaking a tiny bit and that seal is on order to be replaced.

Things left to do-
Clean up the engine a bit
Figure out the wiring and blowing the lights
Shifter seal
Raise rear end issue
Replacement clutch lever is in the mail
Make sure this thing is running up to par before taking it farther than a few blocks for fear of breaking down.
Clean up the wiring retainer under my seat
2-1 Exhaust by Little Horse

Next post will be full of fun stuff, stay tuned for the photo shoot I was able to do with the moto lady.

And I am back

After a long break of not having any time and absolutely no money to work on this bike, the spring is creeping closer and I am jonsing to finish the product. Started school this past fall and when taking winter break, we had this holiday filled with presents... I got a harbor freight gift card and spend every penny on a rotary tool to clean up the engine. While I am waiting for some money and parts to arrive in the following weeks, I will be starting fall term, working my 47+ hour weeks, spending time with the wife and daughter and squeezing in some skateboarding and motorcycle cleaning. Talk about busy.

So as we come back with my rotary tool I have been wire spindeling my aluminum caps and engine casing and then buffing them to make them clean up real well. As you can see in these photos I have done a bit of it and the engine with the nice brown streaks is the dirty engine as it sits.

I have been talking with a fellow rocker about making me a 2-1 exhaust as well as getting rid of that battery eliminator and going with a small battery to make my lights work as the bike runs. I am excited to start kicking this off ever since my kick start broke in the fall.

All hands on deck, let's finish this bitch and make it ride!

Set Back

So it looks as if set back is the name of the game on this Motorcycle. But hey, everything can't go your way. While making a lot of progress on some of the bike, I have lost progress on some of the bike. Seems as if the wiring harness is giving me trouble. I am not able to get a spark, but I think I have figured that out. I would be able to tell if I figured it out if..... My kick start didn't eat the threads up and fall off. So new kick start is in the works. Also realizing I am going to need to re jet these carbs due to my pod filters and cut exhaust, I had just ordered a re jet kit for performance so I don't blow a hole in my piston which I for sure do not want. I ordered the kit from http://www.6sigmajetkit.com/ and that should be in the mail soon to get. Just have to get the kick too and I am set to work on it again.


I have a serious deadline and that is September 7th (Birthday) when the RockersNW crew will be heading up to Vashon island for a moto show for the weekend. Nicely enough Tony Sonik Miyamoto has offered to let me ride one of his bikes if mine wasn't ready by that time, but hopefully that wont be the case. I really want to get this thing going. 

Wish me the best of luck and getting this thing going and if your in the Portland area and want to help me out, I would be lucky enough to have your help and supply some beer in exchange for some knowledge. 

Wiring Harness and Left To Do

I had a good long chance to complete a lot of tedious parts on the bike. One being the wiring harness. From all my tests I ran this should do the trick. I won't know fully if it will work until I fire the bike up due to running a battery eliminator, I don't have a current unless the bike is running and generating the electricity to the harness. From making several diagrams and testing with a power wheels battery it should and I will say should to many times, work. One big issue I did run into was the tail light I had purchased was a Tail, brake, turn signals and plate light all in one. Unfortunately the turn signals and plate light don't work on it. So I only got running and brake light out of it. So I will need to purchase some new signals and wire them in when I do get them. Looks like hand signals will be appropriate until then. 

As you can see the harness is crammed under the seat. I was able to fit everything under there, I will just be getting a small aluminum plate to cover that all up and protect it. You can also my key dangling, that's because I have to mount it next to the other power switch. I was also fighting with this random set of wires coming from the side of the engine but got that hammered out yesterday realizing I am going ghost as far as shifting, there was no need for those wires.

The last picture is of the what is almost complete bike. So close!

Left to do on the bike you ask?
Well I'll tell ya:
Stick air filters on (Coming in today)
Get the gas line from the petcock to carbs
Put Gas in
Put oil in
Make the baffles for the exhaust so it isn't to loud.
Sync Carbs
Buy a plug for the tach hole

I am most worried about the carbs due to cutting 12" off of the exhaust, and running pod filters. So we will find out as soon as I get those other parts finished.

I want to ride now.

Stay tuned