TimShadboltfan27 Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 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. 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.... 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post TimShadboltfan27 Posted June 2, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted June 2, 2019 hello darling, it's been a while. i was a bit tossed up on the last bike. it was high kms, pretty rough and i was hesitant to spend a bit of coin on it, so cut my losses and sold it. GS450s are probably one of my all time fave bikes, and i was stoked on the above one, but it wasnt no 450 sport. the bikini fairing, racing stripes, throwing star wheels, the pinnacle of motorcycle design. so i held out, waiting for one to come up for sale, and low and behold one lazy sunday afternoon this thing popped up on trademe. talked turkey with the guy, agreed on a price and today i went and grabbed it. my word its dreamy. they have a beautiful sound when you open it up and plenty of mid range torque, i wont be losing my licence anytime soon being a 450, but its performance is nothing to be ashamed of. I will be leaving it as is, and tidying a few things up. the carbs need a bit of attention as it takes a while to warm up, and there is a slight miss in the middle of the throttle, then the usual maintenance bits like brakes, tyres and chain etc. and just ride the fuckin thing. Its mean 12 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi808 Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLIZZO Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 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 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi808 Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 @TimShadboltfan27 life goals? 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimShadboltfan27 Posted June 29, 2019 Author Share Posted June 29, 2019 So dreamy! What a combo. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimShadboltfan27 Posted July 15, 2019 Author Share Posted July 15, 2019 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. 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! 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. Now just waiting for a gasket for the stator cover and can finally start getting some more miles on it! yay for old shit 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willdat? Posted November 2, 2019 Share Posted November 2, 2019 I see you're putting this fine machine up for sale Nick, such pine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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