A hiccup.

Have you ever tried to fix something, and when you start working on it, you keep finding things wrong? Well... this is a perfect example.

One of my main concerns about the GS is that the bike is an old bike. From what I've learned, my bike is actually considered a vintage bike, even though it was built in 1982. That said, I wanted to make sure that the tank is sound and clean. When I got the bike, I took a quick peek inside the tank and saw some rust, and I knew quickly that it needed to get taken care of.

I did some research and after talking to a bunch of folks about it, I decided to get this 3 step cleaning and sealing kit from KBS Coatings.



This would ensure that the tank is clean, rust free and sealed from getting rusty ever again (or so the company claims). All for about 30 bucks from Amazon.

So this past weekend, I took the tank off the bike, and took the petcock and float system (for the fuel gauge) off to start the cleaning and sealing process. I used duct tape, as per the directions, to seal the holes on the tank.

Aqua Clean was the first step. Its supposed to get the gummy stuff of the metal and really clean the inside of the tank to get it ready for the rust removing/inhibiting process. I mixed 1 part Aqua Clean to 1 part hot water and poured it in the tank. I sloshed it around for a good while and left it to soak over night.

The next morning, I drained the tank and washed it out real well with soapy water. During the draining I noticed chunks of rust was pouring out and some rust debris as well. This got me thinking... before I go with the next two process, I should go ahead and strip the paint to prep it for when I paint the tank, and I wanted to dig deeper and see what the condition of the metal actually is. So I took the tank to my friend Steve's shop to get it sandblasted. Steve has been very accommodating and has proven to be a valuable resource for me during this whole process thus far.

Sandblasting took the paint off and showed me some things I really was not looking forward to seeing... tiny little pin holes on the bottom of the tank. The rust had gotten so bad that it had eaten through the metal. The good part is that they are tiny. Steve took a look at it and found other weak spots from the rust, but they are still tiny. A total of 7 tiny holes.

This sparked more research on how to patch the holes in the tank. There's welding, brazing, JB-weld, putty, Bondo and the list goes on. I really don't feel like welding or brazing the tank since it involves fire... on the tank that has had gasoline in it. I can blow myself up some other time.... like never. JB-Weld just seems like a hack job.

Being that I'm sealing the tank anyway, the decision I've come to is to use a fiberglass patch over the holes, then use the tank sealant. The sealant will act as a liner for the tank so it should not leak. We'll see how it goes. If it doesn't work... a new tank will be on the horizon. About 200 bucks brand new, but at least it will be rust free from the start. =)

GZ

New bars. Hang on to something.

As per my last post, I mentioned that my roommate was kind enough to dock my rent by a $100 so that I could order some parts for the bike that he really wanted to see on there. Of course, I"m not gonna complain. Anything to see something new on the GS.

I also got the new air filters in a couple of days ago. One for each carb. I ordered them along with the new handle bars. I tried installing it one night after class, but the further along I got into it, the more I realized that it was gonna take some more planning than just slapping them on the carbs. I'll tackle that when I get a better sense of everything.

Anyway, the handle bars came in a few days later...today. I really do get a kick of waiting for a UPS, FedEx, or USPS package at work, which is where I get stuff delivered. Its like Christmas all over again and I don't have to wait til midnight or morning to open the presents.

After work, I couldn't wait to see how the bike will look with the new handle bars and bar end mirrors. The bars are Clubman style, very typical for Cafe Racer bikes. Its goingto give the bike a more aggressive look to it.

Here are the before photos of the bike with the old handle bars. As you can see, its plain Jane and the mirrors are fairly large. The ride style is very conventional.. in other words, boring.



After a few modifications to a couple of the parts and some rerouting of wires to accommodate the length of the bars, I was able to successfully install the new bars.





Before I installed the handle bars, I wasn't sure I was going to like how large the gauges were and how high they stick up from the bike. Looking at it now, I don't mind so much. I'd still like to see them in chrome.

GZ