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Nicks GS450 punishing twin


TimShadboltfan27

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so we renewed the lease to our current flat for another year.. which means i have a shed for at least another 12 months. i thought i should probs fill it with another bike. I love my 250 but long road rides were so wounding at 90km/h at 8000rpm. I was looking for something more capable of long distances and with more cylinders. 

Along came this well travelled 1988 GS450. i took it for a ride and fell for it instantly. the twin cyls sound amazing even with stock mufflers, and goes hard in all 6 (you betcha - 6 fuckin gears m8) gears.

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i am a sucker for punishment and the bike comes with a bit of admin - a half-fucked heated grip setup, leaking clutch cover, and a checkered history. has been round the clock at least once - previous owner used it as his weapon of choice for 30 years for rallies and touring. one bonus was that it got hit by a car not long ago and fell into a tree - drivers insurance covered a full repaint of tank and side covers, and a brand new seat cover. other than that, it's been well loved and came with a fairly complete service record. 

plans? tidy it up of course, have some exhaust wrap to do the manky headers (probs get a 2 into 1 when funds allow), install a pair of throwing star mags with fresh pirellis and perhaps get a little silly on yahoo japan auctions....

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On 02/06/2019 at 21:07, kiwi808 said:

In the latest Beaded Wheels magazine there is an article on my dad’s GS450S that’s only travelled just over 3,000kms from new.

your mum must be a real handbreak eh

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Owning this thing has been very fun! On my first day of ownership i thought i'd go for a ride with some tractor and saddlebag enthusiasts down Central Hawkes Bay to the Patangata Tavern for a shandy and sharn.

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After fueling up, the battery died on me which i thought was odd. at least i had plenty of big hefty harley riders to give the only japanese bike in the group a push start. I quickly learned that these bikes do not like running with a dead flat battery. After a while it wouldnt even push start, which left me stranded somewhere on highway 50. thank god for AA plus!

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The previous owner had told me the bikes battery would go flat after a while if not riding it often, these old bikes tend to have pretty tired charging systems so didnt think much of it. Didn't realise it would shit the bed within a day of owning it...

Started with the regulator/rectifier. a quick diode test showed it was chooched. A second hand article was had from a wrecker in chch. The bike now held charge, but every time it started up it would blow the main fuse. 

I found some helpful info on the GS resource forum, which helped me diagnose a faulty stator. A common issue with these bikes, as they are tiny, dont get a lot of cooling from oil in the cases and are just generally shit. tracked down a local replacement. Its a Ricks Motorsport Electrics aftermarket jobby. the thing is super beefy and has like double the copper windings on it than the factory article. 

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Now just waiting for a gasket for the stator cover and can finally start getting some more miles on it! yay for old shit

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