My 2002 GSX250 project

[DrDarkMatter]

So we bought this used 2002 GSX 250 (thanks Dragon for the advice and help mate), the bike has been sitting for something going on 2 years. The guy had the bike for 8 years, its got a Wellington Motorcycle sticker on the plate so I guess we got it there, maybe from new? no idea, but since its been sitting and its fairly near the ocean its got some issues with sea salt corrosion and rust.

Nothing overly dramatic having been found at this stage but it need attention.

I should give you some history now I guess. Both my wife and I are petrol heads, my wife is a registered certified mechanic, and we own our owe mechanical garage business (maps-nz.co.nz)

We LOVE MR2's we have 5 of them at the moment, we drive them and race them and restore them. So when we get a new vehicle we like to "bring it up to our standards" the GSX will be no different, but its a first for us for a bike project, so its a journey or discovery and adventure :).

My darling wife is fanatical about perfection when it comes to vehicles, its drives me crazy sometimes, so I can only work with her for so long and I need to go do something else. lol

I was surprised but she jumped both feet into this journey, I thought she was going to leave me too it from the sounds she was making but now she is all over the bike. I will help where I can but I know when to back away lol and when to help after all the projects we have done in the past.

So the journey begins.............

comments, suggestions, crits, gratefully accepted


Part 1


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QEA7iK6AvA&feature=share&list=UUazKYJviLmeSmLk_UDhKK5Q

[ducatilover]

:sunny: Pedantic mechanics? My favourite people, let's start a club

Looking forward to seeing some excellent detail work

[DrDarkMatter]

Part 2

http://youtu.be/YghkFs4cKxE

[DrDarkMatter]

:sunny: Pedantic mechanics? My favourite people, let's start a club

Looking forward to seeing some excellent detail work


lol ya I love them to when they are working ON my stuff, not so fun when you are working WITH them lol

[Dragon]

Just a heads up you cant fibreglass the plastic fairings they need plastic welding

Ive got about 60m of fibreglass mat at my dads if you want to give it a go however :p

[ducatilover]

Just a heads up you cant fibreglass the plastic fairings they need plastic welding

Ive got about 60m of fibreglass mat at my dads if you want to give it a go however :p

Just use the right resin, normal/general stuff won't adhere for very long SMC will. :yes:

[Dragon]

Just use the right resin, normal/general stuff won't adhere for very long SMC will. :yes:

Ah I stand corrected the guys I talked to about it claimed it had to be plastic welded

[ducatilover]

Ah I stand corrected the guys I talked to about it claimed it had to be plastic welded

I plastic weld where I can purely because it's tidier :yes: but both ways work well

[DrDarkMatter]

thanks guys, this is just the kind of help and feed back we were hoping hoping for!!! :sunny::woohoo:

[DrDarkMatter]

Part 3

http://youtu.be/Yhkfk3l0uHc

[hayd3n]

great work guys and ohh read my sig

[swtfa]

great work guys and ohh read my sig

Re sig - Bummer, Dunedin is just a little too far :(

[DrDarkMatter]

great work guys and ohh read my sig


thank you!! :)

wicked about the sig, we will need you ;)

[DrDarkMatter]

part 4

carb removal

http://youtu.be/ihiiqOQ5Fb0

[hayd3n]

only a courier away :)

[DrDarkMatter]

us farting around doin...........stuff on the bike lol

part 5

http://youtu.be/hZbnygacjMg

[Dragon]

Tires will be potentally hard if they have been siting for awhile so might pay to check them as well

[DrDarkMatter]

Tires will be potentally hard if they have been siting for awhile so might pay to check them as well

good point mate, will do :)

aiming for a WOF next Satuday Feb 16, then hopefully a ride!!!!!!!

some where groovy :P


ok sorry that was a bit corny lol:facepalm:

[DrDarkMatter]

Day 2 Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0CjmVULGkg&feature=share&list=UUazKYJviLmeSmLk_UDhKK5Q

[Dragon]

good point mate, will do :)

aiming for a WOF next Satuday Feb 16, then hopefully a ride!!!!!!!

some where groovy :P


ok sorry that was a bit corny lol:facepalm:

Let me know Ill be keen for a ride :)

[DrDarkMatter]

you will be the first to know Dragon :D

Day 2 Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pU_IzSMOFU&feature=share&list=UUazKYJviLmeSmLk_UDhKK5Q

[quickbuck]

Tires will be potentally hard if they have been siting for awhile so might pay to check them as well

The IRC's they came with were really hard anyway.........

Anyhow, good luck with the project.
My advise would be to find where they hid the weight and remove it.

Apparently when the bike was designed it was a lightweight nimble little beast.
Then they released it, and some genius decided to stop it getting blown all over the road they should make it weigh 185kg!
This meant the little 23 hp motor (might be slightly more) really had a hard time pushing it along....

Great little bikes, I bought the other half one when they were brand new.
It meant she could jump straight on my CBR and find it wasn't too heavy.... just that she had to get used to 4 times the power!!
To be fair there would be no way she would ever rev my 600 anywhere near 10000 rpm in first anyway....

We did the Brass Monkey with it, and rode it all over the place.
Sold it due to changing circumstances.

[DrDarkMatter]

The IRC's they came with were really hard anyway.........

Anyhow, good luck with the project.
My advise would be to find where they hid the weight and remove it.

Apparently when the bike was designed it was a lightweight nimble little beast.
Then they released it, and some genius decided to stop it getting blown all over the road they should make it weigh 185kg!
This meant the little 23 hp motor (might be slightly more) really had a hard time pushing it along....

Great little bikes, I bought the other half one when they were brand new.
It meant she could jump straight on my CBR and find it wasn't too heavy.... just that she had to get used to 4 times the power!!
To be fair there would be no way she would ever rev my 600 anywhere near 10000 rpm in first anyway....

We did the Brass Monkey with it, and rode it all over the place.
Sold it due to changing circumstances.


Thanks very much Quick, nice reply, Appearently these bikes were made in China, NOT Japan. We found this out when the guys we were talking to about parts went to look for parts (non-Suzuki parts).


well the Bike looks like this, so I dont know where they would hide weight, we have not found any

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[quickbuck]

Thanks very much Quick, nice reply, Appearently these bikes were made in China, NOT Japan. We found this out when the guys we were talking to about parts went to look for parts (non-Suzuki parts).


well the Bike looks like this, so I dont know where they would hide weight, we have not found any

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I think the muffler alone would be 10kg.... I know the original can for my Ninja is a solid beast that I stub my toe on if I leave it laying in the wrong place in the shed.
Look at the handle bars too, they will be a couple as well... and the luggage rails.

Yes, China would be right. Many of the smaller bikes are... or other countries.
Nothing really wrong with that, they build so many, and actually know how to build smaller bikes that last in some terrible conditions.

Anyhow, looks like a great little project.

[DrDarkMatter]

Anyhow, looks like a great little project.


cool reply and thank you, we will look at this, as far as the part of your reply above, funny thing is it was not intended to be a project, we were going to just make sure it was safe and change fluids lol

but once my wife sinks her teeth into something like this, I have found its best let her at it and not fight it lol

so I am the video blogger and helper lol lol

I will definitely look at those parts mate, thank you!

tomorrow is surface rust day.

[quickbuck]

cool reply and thank you, we will look at this, as far as the part of your reply above, funny thing is it was not intended to be a project, we were going to just make sure it was safe and change fluids lol

but once my wife sinks her teeth into something like this, I have found its best let her at it and not fight it lol

so I am the video blogger and helper lol lol

I will definitely look at those parts mate, thank you!

tomorrow is surface rust day.
I know nothing is really intended to be a project... but once you start digging .... ;)
And never fight the wife when she is on a mission ;)

Yup, there will be more places to loose weight on the bike too... Just can't remember where now, it had been a few years (like 9!)

[ducatilover]

Weight?

It's a 30 something year old engine and I'm pretty certain ti's a twin spar steel chassis? It's just half a GS500e with a pretty frock. So, slam GS motor in, have a frock that goes well!

It's surprising how quickly the weight adds up, my ZZR/ZX was a claimed 195 or 198, it's been weighed at 175ish dry now :woohoo: cheaper than chasing power

[DrDarkMatter]

I know nothing is really intended to be a project... but once you start digging .... ;)
And never fight the wife when she is on a mission ;)

Yup, there will be more places to loose weight on the bike too... Just can't remember where now, it had been a few years (like 9!)

:rofl::eek5:

[DrDarkMatter]

Day 2 Part 3

http://youtu.be/IxnXgZ6y3LM

[DrDarkMatter]

Day 2 Part 4

http://youtu.be/udIeUvxnArc

[DrDarkMatter]

Day 3 Part 1

slow day today, didnt get a lot done, just one of those days, wife was a bit cranky early in the day to so I just stayed away lol

forks, purple disk and cleaning today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKYdhyl07o0&feature=share&list=UUazKYJviLmeSmLk_UDhKK5Q

[ducatilover]

Love the fast progress :yes:

[DrDarkMatter]

Love the fast progress :yes:


lol I want to be riding next Saturday!! and commuting the next Monday....

dying to go for a ride lol

plan is to get warrant next Friday and rego that afternoon and ride ALL day Saturday lol

[ducatilover]

:Punk: Well it's a super simple bike to be cleaning up
Are you going to do the fork seals? If so, pyramidparts in NZ can supply seals, they're pretty fast delivery and great price. Haven't had any issues with the products they've supplied me.
Their seal kits even come with little tubes of rubber grease, handy stuff

[DrDarkMatter]

:Are you going to do the fork seals? If so, pyramidparts in NZ can supply seals, they're pretty fast delivery and great price. Haven't had any issues with the products they've supplied me.
Their seal kits even come with little tubes of rubber grease, handy stuff

Funny you should mention that , we were going to do them, but the local bike guys said they were fine, but we DID want to replace the fork oil and we dont know if we need to remove the seals to do that. We need to find out how to remove the oil and that will tell us if we are going to do seals. if we can get the oil out and not do seals, we wont at this time as they are fine, per the bike shop in PBay.

[ducatilover]

Two normal ways to remove oil, you may have a drain bolt on the side at the bottom near the axle.
Or you have to remove the top cap, and if you have the forks out you might as well put new seals and retaining clips in, cheap and easy

Seal kit should be about $15 plus postage
:yes:

[DrDarkMatter]

cool thanks mate, thats what we though about draining them,

these nuts on the top are the only ones we have found on the forks

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we are going to have to figure out a way to hold the top tube still though to keep it from turning while we get the nut off though.

[carburator]

cool thanks mate, thats what we though about draining them,

these nuts on the top are the only ones we have found on the forks

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we are going to have to figure out a way to hold the top tube still though to keep it from turning while we get the nut off though.

for a car mechanic you would think its simple, leave the fork in the triple tree and crack
it.. then remove from the triple tree..

[DrDarkMatter]

for a car mechanic you would think its simple, leave the fork in the triple tree and crack
it.. then remove from the triple tree..

oh ffs, I did not think if that, shows why I am not the mechanic, I asked the question here before I talked to the wife (who is the mechanic) about it, if I has done the opposite I am sure it never would have come up.

[DrDarkMatter]

Quiet day today.

Day 2 Part 1

Fairing cleaning and broken bits

http://youtu.be/kPVGln61TMs

[ducatilover]

for a car mechanic you would think its simple, leave the fork in the triple tree and crack
it.. then remove from the triple tree..

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

That's gold guys

[DrDarkMatter]

lol I could have give him the full long explanation but why bother...

[Dragon]

lol I want to be riding next Saturday!! and commuting the next Monday....

dying to go for a ride lol

plan is to get warrant next Friday and rego that afternoon and ride ALL day Saturday lol

if I'm not to hungover I am keen for a ride potentially paekoreki the haywoods and rimatukas if your keen to jump.into the deep end haha

[DrDarkMatter]

if I'm not to hungover I am keen for a ride potentially paekoreki the haywoods and rimatukas if your keen to jump.into the deep end haha


hell ya! lol

[DrDarkMatter]

fluids arrived today

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[DrDarkMatter]

Hi all, I have not been able to Vblog this or really update with any new stuff as I have been at work all week and I cant video obviously.

here are some update pictures,

all the painting is now done, so the bike got purple disked and mastercoated and painted and clear coated.

its looking awesome if I do say so my self, my wife has done a great job.

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[DrDarkMatter]

more...

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she even painted the pipes lol lol :banana::eek:

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shiny

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[Dragon]

so ready for the weekend?

[DrDarkMatter]

lol still on schedule, the bike should fire up tomorrow night, WOF is scheduled for Friday morning, REGO is it passes, then I am legal, got my new license in the mail today. I do need to Kapiti and get this Saturday morning.

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but ya man, still on schedule, as long as it fires up Thursday night and passed a WOF we are good to go!!.

[DrDarkMatter]

ITS RUNNING!!

we are a go for warrant tomorrow morning!!

videos coming as the upload

[DrDarkMatter]

Day 5 Part 1

http://youtu.be/ngWAWutw6HQ

[DrDarkMatter]

Day 5 Part 2

Firing it up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuXzfGIZ9pE&feature=share&list=UUazKYJviLmeSmLk_UDhKK5Q

[DrDarkMatter]

WAHOO got a WOF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :banana::eek::clap:

[insomnia01]

where in the bay are you ?

[DrDarkMatter]

where in the bay are you ?

Elizabeth st...

[DrDarkMatter]

ALL LEGAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ready to ROLL!!!! :banana::eek::headbang::scooter:

[ducatilover]

:niceone: Well done mate!

[DrDarkMatter]

thank you, Duc, will will have to get up your way one of these days so we can catch up, and I havent forgotten about the AW11 stuff

[DrDarkMatter]

Had a nice first weekend of riding, didnt go for any long long rides just a lot of little ones, 20 30 Km ones, great fun!!!!!

I love the back road cruising, I was driving though parapaumu beach and I smelled all the little cafe's bacon cooking lol lol

gota love the bike for that "outdoor" feeling