Yep-ish. I think Sean is pretty creative. I do find people who make a middle man position for themselves doing something anybody else could do, annoying. His used bike business did not impress me. Greg is a kindred spirit, yo! OMG, Sean with a wrench in his hand is an emergency.
@@DoctorKamino It was very weird how he left Pennsylvania for Tennessee and was batching* about politics. He should have kept that to himself. IDK, but most folks don't just uproot their business and leave their workers in a lurch. I still like Sean. I think he 's creative with YT and a decent person. It seems like he has taken time to help build The Bearded Mechanic channel. I like his voice overs and passion for motorcycles. I was disappointed when YN parted ways with Spite. Yami does too many "beginner bike" videos, and his channel was better with Spite. It seemed like there was bad blood there.
@@DoctorKamino you're talking about James. He's the boss I think. That's why he never played on the low car side. He just wanted to tinker with the expensive parts and since he is the boss, nobody could say no to him. Even though it would be more interesting to switch sides and teammates every now and then
Sean definitely likes to push his views on people. Notice how while both Craig and Sean are church-going christians, Craig has not ONCE yet done a "verse of the day"?@@Troubleshooter-2.0
When I was a teen I delivered pizza to a military guy who didn't have the money for his pizza. He traded me a 1978 Gs1000 that didn't run for a pizza. It was left outside for a whole year while he was deployed. The only problem was the kill switch was corroded. I rode that bike all over the place until I was run over by an ambulance while sitting in traffic. This all happened back in 1987. Thank you for bringing this bike back from the brink!
The first bike I ever got running was a friends seized Puch scooter, in the late sixties. I was moving the piston up and down and eventually got it free in the bore using a lump hammer and a block of wood and plenty of penetrating oil just as my friends rather pompous brother walked past. He commented in a really snooty vioice "You'll never get that to work! " Needless to say 2 days later it was on the road and running really well. Since then I've always done my own repairs etc, including a number of 4cylinder rebuilds and they've always ran well. Such satisfaction when his brother saw it running and immediately walked away without commenting! It's immensely satisfying doing it yourself! Great video, thanks!
Ever since you started your channel and started saving old bikes iv been wanting to do the same. So I got a 1978 kawasaki kl250 for 400$. I'll be spending the winter fixing it up in my apartment. Just got it home last night and it's comeing completely apart. Going to clean all the rust and re paint everything. Engine has some mis matched bolts and a stripped oil drain. Good thing I'm a machinist. Will be repairing the drain hole and getting all new stainless hardware. So far iv been extreme lucky. It has all the compression and makes spark. The gas tank doesn't leak and is only a little rusty, the tires are in good shape with no dry rot. All it really needs is the front forks need rebuilding. Found a seal kit online. I have high hopes for this little kl250. Thanks for the inspiration Craig!
It really isn't difficult, fuel, air, spark. The older the engine the easier it is to figure out which isn't happening. Anybody with basic common sense can do what he does.
These are one of the strongest, most reliable, best bikes ive ever rode. Built llike tanks to last, i thrashed one around Adelaide then went to melbourne sidnet , Dubbo, blue mountains and 4 months riding it around. Great bikes. I loved the points carbs and simplicity of them.
I’m officially addicted to these videos. I love the banter back-and-forth. I can’t fix anything mechanical or electrical. Seeing how you walk through. The process of troubleshooting is so much fun. And then when you finally have everything working, the celebrations are awesome.
I've been doing it all my life he knows what he's doing and it is a hobby / I'm not going to let this thing whip me thing It's good to see there are some younger guys doing this but there are a couple out there that are hacks this dude's good
Craig, not sure if youll see this or not, but watching you pull these scrapped UJM’s has really inspired me to do the same. Ive fixed and rebuilt a handful of these style bikes and i NEVER get tired of watching you do the same. These 80’s era bikes have shaped the way the modern motorcycle market is today and they deserve to stick around!
This channel is amazing. I have about 30 old bikes that I’ve saved through the years, it’s the best hobby ever. Saving these things for future generations
In the 30 odd minutes that I watched this video, the number of likes went from like 15 to 409. Amazing. You seem to have had a lot of fun getting this running. I had fun watching you!
Craig and Dan are the dream team. Dan is the PERFECT straight man, a term used in comedy from Abbott and Costello in the 1930's, or so ? The straight man is the guy who works off the comedian to give it perspective to the viewer. Craig is a genius.
Super cool! 1981, GS650L. I was just 21, she was new. Rode that thing everywhere. The alternator was inside the case, bathed in hot oil. Went through a couple of those. But a trusty steed she was. Shaft drive and rear end antics when accelerating. Hard tires, but they lasted. Thanks for the memories. You do great work. Save the old iron. Those were the best of times.
Great engines - I had a 550, then an 850G and they are all but bulletproof. My 850 carried my son from Socal to Durango, up the 1000000 Dollar highway, back thru utah and home as recently as 2006 - still got her.
I had a 550 as well. 1975.. 3 cylinder 2 stroke. Got hot pretty fast in the Summer and would ping and knock like crazy. SOB to tune too, 3 separate sets of points.. one for each cylinder. Even the dealership had a hard time with it lol.
They got roller bearing cranks. He is right they could have nitrous injection, turbocharged etc and as long as the oil was kept up and not drop it wouldnt go bang even if you neglected oil filter and oil changes on time.
I snapped the shaft on my gs850, wheelying it, and eventually holed a piston as a result a split inlet rubber. But it was a great bike. Put mega miles on it all over europe
The little 550 is scary I still have a engine for one of those outside good compression I need to make a manifold and put like a single or a double carburetor on it
I rode one of these circa 1980. Back when I was still riding British twins and RD350’s. It was a revelation. They were genuinely quick and handled really well. Those direct slide carbs were the secret sauce, imo.
Craig, this is the content I really like. I get used bikes, not quite that rough, and bring them up to near stock. Enjoy watching your MO to get bikes running. It's like being a motorcycle detective and solving the non-running mystery. Well done.
I talked to a drag racer running a Suzuki at a local drag strip. He said the reason so many prefer these engines is because the bottom end is nearly indestructible. Others (Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda) don't hold up nearly as well under high horsepower. He then went on to win his class, LOL!
@@soggybottom3463yeah they used roller cranks and therefor got away with using very low pressure oil pumps. The high hp drag bikes typically had their cranks welded together for added strength (rather than just being pressed together)
Thanks for the story that gives me even more satisfaction of being one of the first persons in this area to have worked as a Suzuki shop that year it was a good year I gave 1750 invoice for my brand new one that year.
I just love watching these back over and over. The joy of the first start never gets old. I've just got a 99 Aprilia Pegaso 650 on the road after ten years stood idle after the sprag clutch went. It had no charging system or lights when running. A quick clean up of the electrical contacts and the grounds restored everything. This bike bought back memories of the GS850G I had. Bulletproof bike that sounded amazing with a 4-1. Keep em coming Craig.
I bought one of these in 1976, after running a GT 750 and the handling was superb in comparison a couple of years later traded up to a GS 1000, lovely machine, would not take much to get that bike pristine, amazing that you picked it up for $300
13:44 That exuberance! It’s like a resurrection moment. Craig is a very competent mechanic and yet that primal expulsion of joy from his lungs is when the spark of expectancy combusts into monoxide-laced reality! 🔥 ❤🎉
Really enjoyable to watch this. I had a 79 GS750L I bought brand new, LOVED that bike! Definitely one of the best bikes ever made, I really miss it, would buy another one if I could find one. Thanks guys!
Craig, I am ABSOLUTLY loving your channel!!! For me, this is what the hobby is all about !!! You don't need to spend 20 or 30 grand for a bike to have a blast!!! Keep up the great work !! P.S. you been to get some swag for sale!!
I enjoyed this vid, about eleven years ago I rescued an old Suzuki GS550 (whish I'd kept it). The main job on that was stripping the carbs, I would recommend you guys invest in a ultrasonic cleaner for future carb issues. I stripped mine back then and stuck them in the cleaner about four times and hey presto! I look forward to more of your vids! 😊
I had a SUZIKI GS 550 ES .a uk import ....best bike i ever owned lovely to ride easy to work on .....took me all over the uk and round europe .....cracking bike
My motorcycle guru taught me I should replace all the brass in every carb I take apart first thing. Only with OEM brass from the carb manufacturer. Mikuni brass in Mikunis, Kehin in Keihin, PWK in PWK etc... Jets, pilots, needles, emulsion tubes, and inlet needle and seat (Not Keyster kits!). The money it costs is worth not having to take them apart again and again, and you never know what monkey has been reaming the jets with whatever pointy thing was handy. You can spend half a day chasing a jetting issue because somebody was too lazy to get the right number and jammed a torch tip cleaner through them, or bought cheap kits with bogus needles and no numbers on them. Savages... I'd like to see more 2-stroke street bikes if you can find some. Love the channel! Excellent content!!
I bought one in a box .nothing on the frame , put the whole bike back together in 8 hrs ,and rode it ti my friends house , I paid 200 doll hairs for it in 1989. Did wheelies all day long. Live in cal. And rode to Oregon and back ran like a top. Great job my freind.
It's just a joy watching Dan and you. You guys are doing something right because my wife loves watching the channel and you even get almost full interest from my autistic daughter with ADHD from time to time (trust me, it's a compliment). Watching you use PBlaster gives me a migraine just from remembering that smell that always gives me a migraine. 🤒😆
Man, Craig, you got me all messed up now.. My first bike was a Suzuki GS850G.. hearing that bike rumble back to life was like music to my sad and tired ears.. a sound I will never let go of.. even when I am old in a wheelchair, I think the sound of a Japanese 8 valve, DOHC, in line 4 would probably still get me rattled up.. I think I will go look at the pics of my old bike now while I cry myself to sleep.. Congratulations on getting it started brother, like I say every time, you are a Jedi Master Mechanic.. lotsa respect..
I had various configurations of this bike... a 77 GS 750, a 78 GS 550 and 79 GS 1000.... also had a 91 Katana 1100. Have been searching for YEARS for an 82 GS 1150 E. Very durable engine design.
I’ve owned and restored a bunch of these GSes: 78 750E, 78 1000C, 81 650G 81 1100E 82 1100G. My favorites were the 1000C with the wire wheels and single front disc brake and the 750E. A bit less power than the big bores but it felt like a better “balanced” bike in a sense plus the rear tailpiece of the early 550/750 is the best looking of all. The 16 valve 1100E was obviously far and away the quickest
You are seriously one of my favorite content creators. You and Dan are great 👍 yall make me wanna buy every clapper bike in my immediate area and try to get them all running 😂
I'd forgotten how low the red line was on my old GS in 85, and now know it was as low as my 2007 Hyosung GT650 V twin is now, things have changed a fair bit since I bought my first bike at 12 in 79 which took me into the world of being broke from my wallet to my back 😆 I love watching your videos now I can't get into my sheds or garage so much. Keep the great videos rolling
Thing which excites me most is seeing a vintage scrap bike getting rebuild and back to life. You definitely know what you are doing and GOOD JOB !!!!! I own 1984 Royal Enfield and it’s my everyday commute, it’s always a pleasure riding RAW machine. I found this video by accident and I’ll definitely subscribe and follow your channel often.
This absolutely my favorite motorcycle channel. I own a 1979 Honda CBX1000 that a prior owner did a CB1000F mod--both front and rear tires/brakes, the head light, instrument panel and mini fairing. It has several minor issues currently that I was not at all motivated to deal with. Watching several of Craig's projects has revitalized me and my interest in tackling the issues is now at full intensity!!! Keep these videos coming!!!
Sir, I've been doing this same thing for about 40 years, and I must say it's an absolute joy watching someone else get just as excited about resurrecting old "junk" that I do. And here I thought there was was something wrong with me 😆. Keep putting out the great content, and I'll keep watching. Keep the shiny side up.
Great video thanks for sharing and thanks so much for taking me back 40 odd years. I had a 1978 GS550B which was that bike’s little brother. It was also a 4pot as well and was much the same layout. Absolutely loved that bike and did a lot of touring here in Australia with it. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
My first bike was a 1977 gs750. Bought when I was 18. Super fast with a wonderful air cooled sound. From what I’ve read was the fastest (1/4 mile) production bike in that vintage. I wrenched on it with my dad. Learned a lot of skills that have helped me with many other types of mechanics and shaped who I am today. One of my best period of memories and will always love that bike. After that I bought a brand new gsxr750 and put over 50k on it before doing sold as a ratty track bike.
The GS750 ran a high 12 stock, it was never gonna match a KZ900 in pure straight line speed (low 12s stock), but it was the fastest 750 and close enough in a straight line to the big Kaw while being a better overall package in terms of handling (stiffer frame, better more compliant suspension)
I was going to get a '79 GS750 but there was a black GS1000E sitting right beside it on the show room floor. The price was not that much more and I checked to see if I could get about $400.00 more on the loan. I could! The GS1000E is one of the best 1000cc bikes ever made. The 750 was awesome, I just wanted a little more beast.
Another great video. Moving from cars to bikes, there's a lot of little bike-specific stuff I've picked up from watching you that's already been translated to my own bikes and my dad's '81 Maxim. Keep up the good work, this is one of my favorite channels now and I look forward to the next video because whatever it is going to be, I'm sure it will be fun to watch and I might just learn some stuff too. 👍
UK here. I got to ride one of these for a day. Pretty cool. Although my own bike was a GS550 (I also had the GS550E model with CV carbs) with cast wheels and twin discs on the front and a disc on the rear. Lovely set of bikes to ride. No need to keep them in a power band. Just open the throttle and away they went. Very sure footed. I can't ever recall them ever stepping out of line going round bends, even when the rain was pouring down. Might be wrong but I seem to recall the 750 had 5 gears and the 550 had 6. And a pretty cool gear indicator as well. Most helpful.
My 1977 GS 750 was a beast back then. 61 rated HP was crazy back then. Those bikes were way underrated and easy to mod. Those were the good old days. ❤
You totally gave me the buzz to purchase an old 1984 honda vf500f interceptor from offer up for $400 with title. I replaced everything that was missing or broken and rewired all the bad electrical and rebuilt the carbs and cleaned the fuel system and tank! I now ride the Honda as my daily and what a great feeling just to ride it around my state! this year I will save and paint the bike and frame! Thanks for all the tips and videos and even more so the never quit mechanical challenging issues attitude!!!! Have a great day and keep on, keeping on!
Watching you drive that old Suzuki up next to the garage brought back some memories. These were some damn fine motorcycles. There has to be a High School around you that some kids would just go crazy to restore some of these old bikes you find. Fun video.
I had a ‘79 GS850G which I bought brand new in 1981 - what a beautiful piece of machinery. Those 8-valve Suzukis were so well engineered - as durable as a chunk of granite,steady handling and THE BEST seat ever put on a motorcycle…the seat seat that is (not that horrible king-queen thingy).
My first bike was a 1980 Suzuki GS750e. It had a 4 into1 exhaust, straight racing bars, and a re-jetted carb. That bike flew! I loved it. Watching this brought back sooooo many memories. The bike I learned on and got my license on.
I had the same bike back in the late seventies and one of the curious aspects of Japanese bikes of that time was that they had both kick and electric starters. As displacements went up and their faith in the reliability of the electric starters of the time increased the kick starter for street bikes went the way of the Dodo. Back then even when they were just a few years old it was rare to find a used bike that had a working electric starter; for this bike's electric starter to actually work 45 plus years later was fairly miraculous!
Your videos just popped up on me. I absolutely love your videos. To a guy that doesn't know much about motorcycles, but has always admired them, these are as good as "living vicariously" gets. Can't wait to see more.
This is just the inspiration I need to work on my old bike. I've got an '83 GS750ES that has been parked for 15+ years. Was running when parked but life got in the way. Needs carbs gone through, brakes rebuilt and likely work on the forks.
Currently rebuilding my GS750 ( 850 block) chop that I built in '85. We sold her to get the deposit up for our first house and bought it back about 8 years ago. Somebody had fitted a GSX moyor but having spend a couple of months working on GSX motors with shell bearing cranks, I went looking for my old engine. Got her back last year! Hard Tail at 60 years old! This could be fun! 🙂
these "will it run" videos give me something to look forward to and give me the ambition and realistic knowledge to manage my own projects. I appreciate your videos so much. Wouldnt have my 82 CB900F if you and others didnt have these kind of videos for us.
I have done this !!! DUDE !! Do one carb at a time , use guitar strings to clear, use compressed air to remove gunk i use gas or denatured alcohol, measure top down the factory hieghts with calipers and put back together, did this on a 1983 550 nighthawk , ran better than showroom, with 38000 miles, rode for 5 years no problems then sold for for 1800 when i bought for 800 17 years ago. did not replace any factory carb parts.
Never gets old bringing old back to new. Kind of restoring a 1987 Polaris trail boss right now. Just started watching this channel and definitely can handle this guy and wish I could have recorded all of my fixer uppers and kind of restorations…
I had no idea about this motor being used for drag bikes....and I do believe my buddy has one of these that's languishing in his garage now that he bought a Harley. Thank you Craig for giving me an evil plan for this summer's project. Also...thank you for the amazing content, you deserve all the success in the world!
Seriously Craig you are the man, I could watch you repair these old beauties all day. You explain what your doing every step of the way, which I love. I'm hoping to get my shed built one day soon so I can find a bike to work on, here in Australia there's so many of these bikes that are being neglected and lay to waste, dam shame. Keep up the great work mate, loving your work and the channel.
This is so cool, im 16 and live in the netherlands. I bought a Suzuki gsxr 600 1992. The fun thing about this bike is that it was only for the US and not the EU. So this thing is all the way from the US!! Hope to get this thing running soon and build a track bike!! Youre vids are really fun keep up the good work!
I have a 1983 Honda shadow 750 that I can’t wait to get to. It doesn’t run and it sat for 2yrs outside but I think I can get it to run again. This channel is giving me all the confidence I need to getter done!! ❤❤
29:00 bruh. That almost didn’t go so well. Don’t know if everyone caught it but when he sat down his bunjee cords holding the battery made contact with the tire and came loose. That’s what’s hitting the ground. I’m so glad one of those hooks didn’t get caught up in something and hurt him or the bike
Craig: I know I've posted this somewhere before but I can't remember if it was on one of your videos. The charging system on that era Suzukis is a fire looking for somewhere to start. If I can get it into words, it's something like this:- the yellow wire goes from the rectifier to the regulator for the ignition system. This one's okay but it's the only 12 volt output that's regulated the white-blue wire is an unregulated 12 volt line and relies on the battery being in good condition to keep it pulled down below 14.2 volts the white-green wire is an unregulated 45 to 60-volt AC feed. It goes up to the r/h switch and comes back as a white-red wire to the rectifier where it's rectified to 12-volts before being put out into the main harness again. No regulator - it relies on the lighting being on to pull it down to 14.2 volts the red wire direct from the rectifier to the battery is also a doozy - again no regulator - it charges the battery and relies on the battery being in good condition to again keep it pulled down below 14.2 volts Assume no permanent headlight on (have no idea when that was introduced in the US). Under daylight conditions the green-white wire is floating free with no voltage sink - result is excess heat in the rectifier. If the battery is a bit suspect, the red-white wire also starts dumping volts as heat. Final result - kiss goodbye to the rectifier, regulator and alternator. The immediate fix is to keep the headlight on and ensure the battery is always in good condition. The better fix is to mount a Honda CB-series (or similar) combined regulator-rectifier as follows:- the three yellow wires on the Honda unit are connected to the green-white, blue-white and yellow wires on the Suzuki alternator the red wire on the Honda unit goes to the Suzuki battery the green wire on the Honda unit goes to earth the black wire on the Honda unit goes to the pure orange wire on the Suzuki cut back and insulate the red-white and green-white wires in the main wiring harness. During the late Eighties and early Nineties I had in the region of eighteen GS-series Suzukis through my shed for that fix. Most had already blown the charging circuit; one had actually caught fire on the rectifier and as word got round, I did a few before they invited the fireworks to come and play. The downside was the local scrappers got wise to what I was up to and the price of s/h Honda CB reg/rec units started climbing... 😂 -Dai
What do you do about those rusted forks? I couldn't live with that. Not sure how to restore those. Maybe a plating shop could use reverse current to float away all the old chrome plating, then sand the steel through all the rust, then re-plate. Or maybe just sand the chrome off with a bench belt sander?
Well I own Suzuki GS750 from 1977 and and after this season it will need some work to be done like clutch adjustments or fix oil burning issues, and this video gave me idea how it looks from the inside moreover your content inspire me to even try to work on it on my own. Big thank you mate
One of the first things I always do when working on an old hasn't ran in decades machine,even before I spray the cylinders down with fogging oil,or diesel/auto tranny mix is to spray CRC electrical cleaner into the run,off switch while pressing it inwards and sliding it back and forth several times,and then jump on into sanding,cleaning the points,and testing the condenser with a multimeter..
I had 1 of these 78 gs750 5 speed. Fast bike. I tore the mufflers off an put shorty mufflers. Sounded great. All it needed was a good carb cleaning. Also velocity stacks on it too
I was a young guy working at a Suzuki shop and this is what I learned a lot on. One thing very important is to keep a good battery installed and not run them without it. The charging system will cook itself trying to charge that dead battery. Usually, a stater then regulator will die, very costly back then. and yes those needle and seats were a problem even when slightly used!
My first street-only bike was a 1977 Suzuki GS750. I had several 2 stroke dirt bikes and dual sport bikes. I paid $2100.00 sales tax included and rode it home. Great memories of a bike that never left me stranded.
I picked up a 1980 GS1000g and pretty much did all he did. But I moved slower. Rebuilt head/lapped valves, and new piston rings as compression was L to R 170/122/121/170.
Honestly, introducing Craig to the world may be the best thing Sean ever did for us.
Agreed! Tavarish brought us Jared, and Sean brought us Craig. It's really encouraging to see the mechanically inclined people come into their calling.
Yep-ish. I think Sean is pretty creative. I do find people who make a middle man position for themselves doing something anybody else could do, annoying. His used bike business did not impress me.
Greg is a kindred spirit, yo! OMG, Sean with a wrench in his hand is an emergency.
@@DoctorKamino It was very weird how he left Pennsylvania for Tennessee and was batching* about politics. He should have kept that to himself. IDK, but most folks don't just uproot their business and leave their workers in a lurch.
I still like Sean. I think he 's creative with YT and a decent person. It seems like he has taken time to help build The Bearded Mechanic channel. I like his voice overs and passion for motorcycles.
I was disappointed when YN parted ways with Spite. Yami does too many "beginner bike" videos, and his channel was better with Spite. It seemed like there was bad blood there.
@@DoctorKamino you're talking about James. He's the boss I think. That's why he never played on the low car side. He just wanted to tinker with the expensive parts and since he is the boss, nobody could say no to him. Even though it would be more interesting to switch sides and teammates every now and then
Sean definitely likes to push his views on people. Notice how while both Craig and Sean are church-going christians, Craig has not ONCE yet done a "verse of the day"?@@Troubleshooter-2.0
When I was a teen I delivered pizza to a military guy who didn't have the money for his pizza. He traded me a 1978 Gs1000 that didn't run for a pizza. It was left outside for a whole year while he was deployed. The only problem was the kill switch was corroded. I rode that bike all over the place until I was run over by an ambulance while sitting in traffic. This all happened back in 1987. Thank you for bringing this bike back from the brink!
Kind of ironic, getting run over by an ambulance.
And kinda fortuitous , if you're gonna be injured by a vehicle!? That's the optimal one.😅
I was born in 1987. That bike reincarnated as me. Hi.
Did they charge you for a ride in the ambulance?
@@DarkElfDiva Reminds me of Wacken Open Air 2005. (or 2006, I forgot)
Some drunken idiot falls over in front of an ambulance, gets killed.
The first bike I ever got running was a friends seized Puch scooter, in the late sixties. I was moving the piston up and down and eventually got it free in the bore using a lump hammer and a block of wood and plenty of penetrating oil just as my friends rather pompous brother walked past. He commented in a really snooty vioice "You'll never get that to work! " Needless to say 2 days later it was on the road and running really well. Since then I've always done my own repairs etc, including a number of 4cylinder rebuilds and they've always ran well. Such satisfaction when his brother saw it running and immediately walked away without commenting! It's immensely satisfying doing it yourself! Great video, thanks!
I love all old Puch s moped my favorite I have had many
Ever since you started your channel and started saving old bikes iv been wanting to do the same. So I got a 1978 kawasaki kl250 for 400$. I'll be spending the winter fixing it up in my apartment. Just got it home last night and it's comeing completely apart. Going to clean all the rust and re paint everything. Engine has some mis matched bolts and a stripped oil drain. Good thing I'm a machinist. Will be repairing the drain hole and getting all new stainless hardware. So far iv been extreme lucky. It has all the compression and makes spark. The gas tank doesn't leak and is only a little rusty, the tires are in good shape with no dry rot. All it really needs is the front forks need rebuilding. Found a seal kit online. I have high hopes for this little kl250. Thanks for the inspiration Craig!
how has it been? update!
This guy is a wizard when it comes to fixing motorcycles!
Apparently the roller brg bottom end on these was that robust that Suzuki used it in the 1000 gs as well I had the gsx 1100 great torquey engine
No, WD40 did the job ;)
That beard isn’t for nothin
It really isn't difficult, fuel, air, spark. The older the engine the easier it is to figure out which isn't happening. Anybody with basic common sense can do what he does.
Love the old GS models. Owned the 550 and the 850, both customised.
These are one of the strongest, most reliable, best bikes ive ever rode. Built llike tanks to last, i thrashed one around Adelaide then went to melbourne sidnet , Dubbo, blue mountains and 4 months riding it around. Great bikes. I loved the points carbs and simplicity of them.
I’m officially addicted to these videos. I love the banter back-and-forth. I can’t fix anything mechanical or electrical. Seeing how you walk through. The process of troubleshooting is so much fun. And then when you finally have everything working, the celebrations are awesome.
I've been doing it all my life he knows what he's doing and it is a hobby / I'm not going to let this thing whip me thing
It's good to see there are some younger guys doing this but there are a couple out there that are hacks this dude's good
Craig really is the kind of friend we all need to have. He seems to make the best of situations and also has an expanse of knowledge
Craig, not sure if youll see this or not, but watching you pull these scrapped UJM’s has really inspired me to do the same. Ive fixed and rebuilt a handful of these style bikes and i NEVER get tired of watching you do the same. These 80’s era bikes have shaped the way the modern motorcycle market is today and they deserve to stick around!
I would love to have an older bike. Actually, RD400 is a dream bike of mine. Not just for the speed, I really like that bike.
This channel is amazing. I have about 30 old bikes that I’ve saved through the years, it’s the best hobby ever. Saving these things for future generations
In the 30 odd minutes that I watched this video, the number of likes went from like 15 to 409. Amazing. You seem to have had a lot of fun getting this running. I had fun watching you!
ya i saw that to ..i thought my eyes were playing tricks on me lol😄
Since I started it went from 1K to 7.7K, that's insane but not surprising and well deserved 👍🏼
Craig and Dan are the dream team. Dan is the PERFECT straight man, a term used in comedy from Abbott and Costello in the 1930's, or so ? The straight man is the guy who works off the comedian to give it perspective to the viewer. Craig is a genius.
I owned a 1981 GS850G from almost new (1300 miles on the clock), rode it every day to work and weekend trips for 4 years, never let me down.
So cool !!! Congrats on that and you have good taste.
Ah yeah, the one with the shaft drive. Nice.
Great bikes
@@jfv65I do remember the newly o-ring chains on these bikes making a lot of noise
Super cool! 1981, GS650L. I was just 21, she was new. Rode that thing everywhere. The alternator was inside the case, bathed in hot oil. Went through a couple of those. But a trusty steed she was. Shaft drive and rear end antics when accelerating. Hard tires, but they lasted. Thanks for the memories. You do great work. Save the old iron. Those were the best of times.
Great engines - I had a 550, then an 850G and they are all but bulletproof. My 850 carried my son from Socal to Durango, up the 1000000 Dollar highway, back thru utah and home as recently as 2006 - still got her.
I had a 550 as well. 1975.. 3 cylinder 2 stroke. Got hot pretty fast in the Summer and would ping and knock like crazy. SOB to tune too, 3 separate sets of points.. one for each cylinder. Even the dealership had a hard time with it lol.
@@jack-1955I suspect he was talking about a GS550 the four stroke model related to the larger 750 in this video
They got roller bearing cranks. He is right they could have nitrous injection, turbocharged etc and as long as the oil was kept up and not drop it wouldnt go bang even if you neglected oil filter and oil changes on time.
I snapped the shaft on my gs850, wheelying it, and eventually holed a piston as a result a split inlet rubber. But it was a great bike. Put mega miles on it all over europe
The little 550 is scary I still have a engine for one of those outside good compression I need to make a manifold and put like a single or a double carburetor on it
Mechanics like Craig can make tons of money for themselves and any shop owners smart enough to hire him and let him do his thing YOU 🥊 ROCK CRAIG
Would be good to see a long term full restoration
Deffo.
Totally agree .
Restoration, restoration, restoration!!!
i want a collab with Ari from Revzilla. Craigs humor and charisma mixed with Ari's attention to detail and thoroughness would be EPIC
@@dandrawsandskates , great name, Revzilla. Have to have a look. 👍
I rode one of these circa 1980. Back when I was still riding British twins and RD350’s. It was a revelation. They were genuinely quick and handled really well. Those direct slide carbs were the secret sauce, imo.
Always a joy to watch you work sir! So many of the older bikes are unique too.
Craig, this is the content I really like. I get used bikes, not quite that rough, and bring them up to near stock. Enjoy watching your MO to get bikes running. It's like being a motorcycle detective and solving the non-running mystery. Well done.
I talked to a drag racer running a Suzuki at a local drag strip. He said the reason so many prefer these engines is because the bottom end is nearly indestructible. Others (Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda) don't hold up nearly as well under high horsepower. He then went on to win his class, LOL!
Jogging the old grey cells, I think Suzuki used two stroke big and small ends on some of their first four strokes...hence the longevity 👍👍
@@soggybottom3463yeah they used roller cranks and therefor got away with using very low pressure oil pumps. The high hp drag bikes typically had their cranks welded together for added strength (rather than just being pressed together)
Thanks for the story that gives me even more satisfaction of being one of the first persons in this area to have worked as a Suzuki shop that year it was a good year I gave 1750 invoice for my brand new one that year.
@@soggybottom3463yes the bottom end was ball bearing
@@gtemnykhexactly they would run at about 5:00 PSI which was normal
I just love watching these back over and over. The joy of the first start never gets old. I've just got a 99 Aprilia Pegaso 650 on the road after ten years stood idle after the sprag clutch went. It had no charging system or lights when running. A quick clean up of the electrical contacts and the grounds restored everything.
This bike bought back memories of the GS850G I had. Bulletproof bike that sounded amazing with a 4-1. Keep em coming Craig.
I bought one of these in 1976, after running a GT 750 and the handling was superb in comparison a couple of years later traded up to a GS 1000, lovely machine, would not take much to get that bike pristine, amazing that you picked it up for $300
13:44 That exuberance! It’s like a resurrection moment. Craig is a very competent mechanic and yet that primal expulsion of joy from his lungs is when the spark of expectancy combusts into monoxide-laced reality! 🔥 ❤🎉
Good work as always, would love to see a full restoration series on one of these old bikes.
Really enjoyable to watch this. I had a 79 GS750L I bought brand new, LOVED that bike! Definitely one of the best bikes ever made, I really miss it, would buy another one if I could find one. Thanks guys!
Craig, I am ABSOLUTLY loving your channel!!! For me, this is what the hobby is all about !!! You don't need to spend 20 or 30 grand for a bike to have a blast!!! Keep up the great work !! P.S. you been to get some swag for sale!!
I enjoyed this vid, about eleven years ago I rescued an old Suzuki GS550 (whish I'd kept it). The main job on that was stripping the carbs, I would recommend you guys invest in a ultrasonic cleaner for future carb issues. I stripped mine back then and stuck them in the cleaner about four times and hey presto! I look forward to more of your vids! 😊
The best part is not only the information & knowledge Craig has but the entertainment from these guys!
I had a SUZIKI GS 550 ES .a uk import ....best bike i ever owned lovely to ride easy to work on .....took me all over the uk and round europe .....cracking bike
Awesome! Your videos are fun, entertaining, and educational to watch. Love to see these old bikes come back to life. Bring back the UJM.
This is my 4 th video in row, i CAN'T STOP WATCHING! Great Content am addicted to this channel.
My motorcycle guru taught me I should replace all the brass in every carb I take apart first thing. Only with OEM brass from the carb manufacturer. Mikuni brass in Mikunis, Kehin in Keihin, PWK in PWK etc... Jets, pilots, needles, emulsion tubes, and inlet needle and seat (Not Keyster kits!). The money it costs is worth not having to take them apart again and again, and you never know what monkey has been reaming the jets with whatever pointy thing was handy. You can spend half a day chasing a jetting issue because somebody was too lazy to get the right number and jammed a torch tip cleaner through them, or bought cheap kits with bogus needles and no numbers on them. Savages... I'd like to see more 2-stroke street bikes if you can find some. Love the channel! Excellent content!!
Yes proper jetting got my 80 cb750f redlining at 11000 rpm.feels like a moped after owning a goldwing.
I bought one in a box .nothing on the frame , put the whole bike back together in 8 hrs ,and rode it ti my friends house , I paid 200 doll hairs for it in 1989. Did wheelies all day long. Live in cal. And rode to Oregon and back ran like a top. Great job my freind.
I use mothers metal polish on a Q tip chucked up in a drill to really clean those needle seats. Works everytime.
That is a great idea thanks for sharing!
This guy is brilliant! Great seeing old bikes brought back to life and saved from the scrap heap. 👍
I've always wished there were a Vice Grip Garage of the motorcycle world. You are fulfilling that wish, sir!
You Bleep-Blooped down below.
This is much better. A lot less annoying corny “folksy” jokes and words
I love how you tape the battery onto the seat just so you can ride it. Great video.
I love the channel, the down to earth nature and that you put your gear on when riding out on the road
I absolutely love your personality Craig, fun to watch you work you guys rock. Good Camara work Dan
It's just a joy watching Dan and you. You guys are doing something right because my wife loves watching the channel and you even get almost full interest from my autistic daughter with ADHD from time to time (trust me, it's a compliment).
Watching you use PBlaster gives me a migraine just from remembering that smell that always gives me a migraine. 🤒😆
Man, Craig, you got me all messed up now..
My first bike was a Suzuki GS850G.. hearing that bike rumble back to life was like music to my sad and tired ears.. a sound I will never let go of.. even when I am old in a wheelchair, I think the sound of a Japanese 8 valve, DOHC, in line 4 would probably still get me rattled up..
I think I will go look at the pics of my old bike now while I cry myself to sleep..
Congratulations on getting it started brother, like I say every time, you are a Jedi Master Mechanic.. lotsa respect..
I had various configurations of this bike... a 77 GS 750, a 78 GS 550 and 79 GS 1000.... also had a 91 Katana 1100. Have been searching for YEARS for an 82 GS 1150 E. Very durable engine design.
I’ve owned and restored a bunch of these GSes: 78 750E, 78 1000C, 81 650G 81 1100E 82 1100G. My favorites were the 1000C with the wire wheels and single front disc brake and the 750E. A bit less power than the big bores but it felt like a better “balanced” bike in a sense plus the rear tailpiece of the early 550/750 is the best looking of all. The 16 valve 1100E was obviously far and away the quickest
Great find! Great bike! Great save! Thanks for doing what you do.
Wow. So cool to see you guys bring back to life those old motorcycles! Big respect from Harley lover from Estonia.
I had the 550E in 1989, great machine. Always started easily, in cold, wet Britain. Would love the 750, so cool. Great bike, man.
Keep up the great work guys, love seeing these old bikes saved from the scrap heap. Need to do more of this myself if I can make room in the garage
when the machine turned on I had smile on my face!!!
I’ve just found this channel and I’m hooked. This is so informative, but soooo much fun to watch ❤
I love the era of UJMs. Great upright riding position. These still look modern to me. If I had a larger garage I would collect them!
You are seriously one of my favorite content creators. You and Dan are great 👍 yall make me wanna buy every clapper bike in my immediate area and try to get them all running 😂
I'd forgotten how low the red line was on my old GS in 85, and now know it was as low as my 2007 Hyosung GT650 V twin is now, things have changed a fair bit since I bought my first bike at 12 in 79 which took me into the world of being broke from my wallet to my back 😆
I love watching your videos now I can't get into my sheds or garage so much.
Keep the great videos rolling
Love these videos ! The gs750 and 1000 were fantastic, for the time they handled too !
Thing which excites me most is seeing a vintage scrap bike getting rebuild and back to life.
You definitely know what you are doing and GOOD JOB !!!!!
I own 1984 Royal Enfield and it’s my everyday commute, it’s always a pleasure riding RAW machine.
I found this video by accident and I’ll definitely subscribe and follow your channel often.
I love it, please fully restore this one ❤
This absolutely my favorite motorcycle channel. I own a 1979 Honda CBX1000 that a prior owner did a CB1000F mod--both front and rear tires/brakes, the head light, instrument panel and mini fairing. It has several minor issues currently that I was not at all motivated to deal with. Watching several of Craig's projects has revitalized me and my interest in tackling the issues is now at full intensity!!! Keep these videos coming!!!
Sir, I've been doing this same thing for about 40 years, and I must say it's an absolute joy watching someone else get just as excited about resurrecting old "junk" that I do. And here I thought there was was something wrong with me 😆. Keep putting out the great content, and I'll keep watching. Keep the shiny side up.
Great video thanks for sharing and thanks so much for taking me back 40 odd years. I had a 1978 GS550B which was that bike’s little brother. It was also a 4pot as well and was much the same layout. Absolutely loved that bike and did a lot of touring here in Australia with it. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
My first bike was a 1977 gs750. Bought when I was 18. Super fast with a wonderful air cooled sound. From what I’ve read was the fastest (1/4 mile) production bike in that vintage. I wrenched on it with my dad. Learned a lot of skills that have helped me with many other types of mechanics and shaped who I am today. One of my best period of memories and will always love that bike. After that I bought a brand new gsxr750 and put over 50k on it before doing sold as a ratty track bike.
The GS750 ran a high 12 stock, it was never gonna match a KZ900 in pure straight line speed (low 12s stock), but it was the fastest 750 and close enough in a straight line to the big Kaw while being a better overall package in terms of handling (stiffer frame, better more compliant suspension)
I was going to get a '79 GS750 but there was a black GS1000E sitting right beside it on the show room floor. The price was not that much more and I checked to see if I could get about $400.00 more on the loan. I could! The GS1000E is one of the best 1000cc bikes ever made. The 750 was awesome, I just wanted a little more beast.
Another great video. Moving from cars to bikes, there's a lot of little bike-specific stuff I've picked up from watching you that's already been translated to my own bikes and my dad's '81 Maxim. Keep up the good work, this is one of my favorite channels now and I look forward to the next video because whatever it is going to be, I'm sure it will be fun to watch and I might just learn some stuff too. 👍
UK here. I got to ride one of these for a day. Pretty cool. Although my own bike was a GS550 (I also had the GS550E model with CV carbs) with cast wheels and twin discs on the front and a disc on the rear. Lovely set of bikes to ride. No need to keep them in a power band. Just open the throttle and away they went. Very sure footed. I can't ever recall them ever stepping out of line going round bends, even when the rain was pouring down. Might be wrong but I seem to recall the 750 had 5 gears and the 550 had 6. And a pretty cool gear indicator as well. Most helpful.
I would love to see a restoration of this bike.
My 1977 GS 750 was a beast back then. 61 rated HP was crazy back then. Those bikes were way underrated and easy to mod. Those were the good old days. ❤
I’m confident that motorcycle will take you all the way to the crash site
2:40 I lusted after that exact bike when I was young. From the GS bikes on, Suzukis were unbreakable beasts. The best IMO.
My dad has a 1980 gs450l hes had since new. Its awesome seeing the different bikes you save and work on. Thanks for just being genuine!
You totally gave me the buzz to purchase an old 1984 honda vf500f interceptor from offer up for $400 with title. I replaced everything that was missing or broken and rewired all the bad electrical and rebuilt the carbs and cleaned the fuel system and tank! I now ride the Honda as my daily and what a great feeling just to ride it around my state! this year I will save and paint the bike and frame! Thanks for all the tips and videos and even more so the never quit mechanical challenging issues attitude!!!! Have a great day and keep on, keeping on!
Watching you drive that old Suzuki up next to the garage brought back some memories. These were some damn fine motorcycles. There has to be a High School around you that some kids would just go crazy to restore some of these old bikes you find. Fun video.
I had a ‘79 GS850G which I bought brand new in 1981 - what a beautiful piece of machinery.
Those 8-valve Suzukis were so well engineered - as durable as a chunk of granite,steady handling and THE BEST seat ever put on a motorcycle…the seat seat that is (not that horrible king-queen thingy).
My first bike was a 1980 Suzuki GS750e. It had a 4 into1 exhaust, straight racing bars, and a re-jetted carb. That bike flew! I loved it. Watching this brought back sooooo many memories. The bike I learned on and got my license on.
I bought a used 79 gs750 back in 80. Loved this bike up until it was stolen out of my garage. Great seeing you work on this same bike.
I had the same bike back in the late seventies and one of the curious aspects of Japanese bikes of that time was that they had both kick and electric starters. As displacements went up and their faith in the reliability of the electric starters of the time increased the kick starter for street bikes went the way of the Dodo. Back then even when they were just a few years old it was rare to find a used bike that had a working electric starter; for this bike's electric starter to actually work 45 plus years later was fairly miraculous!
Your videos just popped up on me. I absolutely love your videos. To a guy that doesn't know much about motorcycles, but has always admired them, these are as good as "living vicariously" gets. Can't wait to see more.
This is just the inspiration I need to work on my old bike. I've got an '83 GS750ES that has been parked for 15+ years. Was running when parked but life got in the way. Needs carbs gone through, brakes rebuilt and likely work on the forks.
Currently rebuilding my GS750 ( 850 block) chop that I built in '85. We sold her to get the deposit up for our first house and bought it back about 8 years ago. Somebody had fitted a GSX moyor but having spend a couple of months working on GSX motors with shell bearing cranks, I went looking for my old engine. Got her back last year! Hard Tail at 60 years old! This could be fun! 🙂
these "will it run" videos give me something to look forward to and give me the ambition and realistic knowledge to manage my own projects. I appreciate your videos so much. Wouldnt have my 82 CB900F if you and others didnt have these kind of videos for us.
I have done this !!! DUDE !! Do one carb at a time , use guitar strings to clear, use compressed air to remove gunk i use gas or denatured alcohol, measure top down the factory hieghts with calipers and put back together, did this on a 1983 550 nighthawk , ran better than showroom, with 38000 miles, rode for 5 years no problems then sold for for 1800 when i bought for 800 17 years ago. did not replace any factory carb parts.
I have saved many an old 4 cylinder GS Suzuki's. They are indestructible and run for ever. Great job Craig.
A seriously cool bike that deserves to be saved. If this became a long-term restoration series I'd definitely watch - and I'll bet I'm not alone.
Never gets old bringing old back to new. Kind of restoring a 1987 Polaris trail boss right now. Just started watching this channel and definitely can handle this guy and wish I could have recorded all of my fixer uppers and kind of restorations…
I had no idea about this motor being used for drag bikes....and I do believe my buddy has one of these that's languishing in his garage now that he bought a Harley. Thank you Craig for giving me an evil plan for this summer's project. Also...thank you for the amazing content, you deserve all the success in the world!
Seriously Craig you are the man, I could watch you repair these old beauties all day. You explain what your doing every step of the way, which I love. I'm hoping to get my shed built one day soon so I can find a bike to work on, here in Australia there's so many of these bikes that are being neglected and lay to waste, dam shame. Keep up the great work mate, loving your work and the channel.
I've had 8 Suzuki's. I love them, I'm loving this. I haven't had 1 of these. Now I want number 9.
This is so cool, im 16 and live in the netherlands. I bought a Suzuki gsxr 600 1992. The fun thing about this bike is that it was only for the US and not the EU. So this thing is all the way from the US!! Hope to get this thing running soon and build a track bike!! Youre vids are really fun keep up the good work!
I have a 1983 Honda shadow 750 that I can’t wait to get to. It doesn’t run and it sat for 2yrs outside but I think I can get it to run again. This channel is giving me all the confidence I need to getter done!! ❤❤
29:00 bruh. That almost didn’t go so well. Don’t know if everyone caught it but when he sat down his bunjee cords holding the battery made contact with the tire and came loose. That’s what’s hitting the ground. I’m so glad one of those hooks didn’t get caught up in something and hurt him or the bike
Craig and Dan really enjoying your content and videos. Really enjoy the banter between you two and Dan is hilarious. Keep them coming my man.
Craig: I know I've posted this somewhere before but I can't remember if it was on one of your videos. The charging system on that era Suzukis is a fire looking for somewhere to start. If I can get it into words, it's something like this:-
the yellow wire goes from the rectifier to the regulator for the ignition system. This one's okay but it's the only 12 volt output that's regulated
the white-blue wire is an unregulated 12 volt line and relies on the battery being in good condition to keep it pulled down below 14.2 volts
the white-green wire is an unregulated 45 to 60-volt AC feed. It goes up to the r/h switch and comes back as a white-red wire to the rectifier where it's rectified to 12-volts before being put out into the main harness again. No regulator - it relies on the lighting being on to pull it down to 14.2 volts
the red wire direct from the rectifier to the battery is also a doozy - again no regulator - it charges the battery and relies on the battery being in good condition to again keep it pulled down below 14.2 volts
Assume no permanent headlight on (have no idea when that was introduced in the US). Under daylight conditions the green-white wire is floating free with no voltage sink - result is excess heat in the rectifier. If the battery is a bit suspect, the red-white wire also starts dumping volts as heat. Final result - kiss goodbye to the rectifier, regulator and alternator. The immediate fix is to keep the headlight on and ensure the battery is always in good condition. The better fix is to mount a Honda CB-series (or similar) combined regulator-rectifier as follows:-
the three yellow wires on the Honda unit are connected to the green-white, blue-white and yellow wires on the Suzuki alternator
the red wire on the Honda unit goes to the Suzuki battery
the green wire on the Honda unit goes to earth
the black wire on the Honda unit goes to the pure orange wire on the Suzuki
cut back and insulate the red-white and green-white wires in the main wiring harness.
During the late Eighties and early Nineties I had in the region of eighteen GS-series Suzukis through my shed for that fix. Most had already blown the charging circuit; one had actually caught fire on the rectifier and as word got round, I did a few before they invited the fireworks to come and play. The downside was the local scrappers got wise to what I was up to and the price of s/h Honda CB reg/rec units started climbing... 😂
-Dai
“Triumph take note 🧐” brilliant 😂🤣😂🤙👏
Love watching Craig fix forgotten bikes and share the excitement with his every victory.
What do you do about those rusted forks? I couldn't live with that. Not sure how to restore those. Maybe a plating shop could use reverse current to float away all the old chrome plating, then sand the steel through all the rust, then re-plate. Or maybe just sand the chrome off with a bench belt sander?
Well I own Suzuki GS750 from 1977 and and after this season it will need some work to be done like clutch adjustments or fix oil burning issues, and this video gave me idea how it looks from the inside moreover your content inspire me to even try to work on it on my own. Big thank you mate
What should I look into if it only sparks the frost time but doesn’t keep sparking
One of the first things I always do when working on an old hasn't ran in decades machine,even before I spray the cylinders down with fogging oil,or diesel/auto tranny mix is to spray CRC electrical cleaner into the run,off switch while pressing it inwards and sliding it back and forth several times,and then jump on into sanding,cleaning the points,and testing the condenser with a multimeter..
I had 1 of these 78 gs750 5 speed. Fast bike. I tore the mufflers off an put shorty mufflers. Sounded great. All it needed was a good carb cleaning. Also velocity stacks on it too
I was a young guy working at a Suzuki shop and this is what I learned a lot on. One thing very important is to keep a good battery installed and not run them without it. The charging system will cook itself trying to charge that dead battery. Usually, a stater then regulator will die, very costly back then.
and yes those needle and seats were a problem even when slightly used!
25:09 exactly man thank you so much. It is the best feeling ever saving these
My first street-only bike was a 1977 Suzuki GS750. I had several 2 stroke dirt bikes and dual sport bikes. I paid $2100.00 sales tax included and rode it home. Great memories of a bike that never left me stranded.
I picked up a 1980 GS1000g and pretty much did all he did. But I moved slower. Rebuilt head/lapped valves, and new piston rings as compression was L to R 170/122/121/170.