They Called Them Superbikes...

[Nemosengineer]

Period correct suspension/chassis mods on a GS1000 Superbike, this bike has about 6 inches of rear travel. I find it odd that the swingarm is not wearing a truss considering all the bracing that has been added to the frame, the truss should be there...?, lots of stuff can happen to a 30 year old race bike. This frame modification adds more than 10 lbs to the weight of a factory frame.
The Morris mags are cool, the Lockheed caliper is nice also.
This frame mod owes it's existence to motocross racing circa 1973 thru 1975 as this is the exact frame mod that Maico pioneered on its works bikes in 1973. Shops all over So Cal were very busy butchering the frames motocross bikes during this period. What they don't tell you is this mod puts so much additional stress on the steering head area that considerable extra bracing/plate reinforcement is required to ward off the wiggles and to keep the steering head from snapping off the frame, this mod was very well understood by 1975 in the motocross community.



: Mike

[Nemosengineer]

1978 Gietl/Schuster BMW



Link to article:http://www.omnilex.com/public/bmw78/boomers.html

: Mike

[Nemosengineer]

1976 BMW Steve McLaughlin (Gietl / Buttler & Smith)



Link to article: http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/classics/bike.asp?id=41

: Mike

[Nemosengineer]

More stuff...



: Mike

[markk53]

Originally Posted by mdubya

This bike was the stylistic inspiration for my '82 Seca 550; cut down seat, Spec II rear sets and header, air box and side covers removed so you could see right through the bike. I had Marzocchi shocks, Progessive fork springs, and the the big upgrade from nylon! to brass swing arm bushings. Jetting was set up by Scotty Beach who went on to be crew chief for Kinko's Kawasaki and Harley's US Superbike effort. With the jetting and the ratty Spec II pipe, it could smoke a Ninja 600. Sportbikes were so cool in those days (early and mid 80's) because you had to build your own.

Those old superbikes were so great and so identifiable... I had a Nighthawk S that sort of had the same "hot rod" look about it. I had to sell it when laid off back in 94. A few years back I moved to the flat lands and started looking for a streetbike again and had the old Vetter, Kawasaki, Yoshimura, and Honda superbikes in mind. It was either a Nighthawk S, an early 80s standard 550-750 or a Zephyr. The 550 Zephyr showed up first and for good money. It already had all the good stuff there, having that old first gen superbike look I liked so much.

Then theres the seating and the way an old style bike like this works. Not hunched over nor setting sail with the pull backs... just a good seating position for about all types of riding. I'm just sorry I didn't get to see them actually racing, there was about an 8 year lull in my going to races that ended when I started selling bikes in 83. We did get to Pocono in 83 and Mid Ohio almost every year since. But that's about a year too late to see the original "diesels" as KR and EL started calling the superbikes after they went GP racing. I always wondered what they say now?

[markk53]

Originally Posted by Nemosengineer

1978 Gietl/Schuster BMW

Attachment 214452

Link to article:http://www.omnilex.com/public/bmw78/boomers.html

: Mike

Check out that anti-dive set up Udo used on that bike!

[markk53]

Originally Posted by Mr Head

I rescued this 1983 GPz 550 from a software engineer. I got it for free, and dumped nearer 2 grand into it for parts, and my labor to bring it back. The idea going in was a trackday toy and sometimes racebike. I got bored with the wobbling thing and sold it. I had upgraded the fork internals along with a complete rebuild at that end including wheel and steering bearings, brake pads and steel overbraided lines.
The motor was stock save for a re-jet and freshened cam chain, tensioner, new clutch, sprockets and drive chain. Sealing the thing all back up and getitng the carbs sorted took the longest.
A friend had offered me a Basani headed for free, that was in good shape. I considered it, but went with the stock for the looks.
The rear shock was custom from Works Performance. Swinging arm bearings/bushings, helped but it still flexed a lot with modern rubber sticking it to the road.
The tank was dented on all sides, but held fuel. Smaller Ducati turn signals looked a whole lot better.

That lack of wobble is the one really major benefit of having gotten the Zephyr rather than modifying an old bike. It's solid to start, just needing fork springs/fluid and shock rework/replacement. Then it's just old school fun on the street.

[David_Moen]

Ahhhh Westwood! Spent too much time there in my post, post-secondary edumication days! I still have my '84 GPz 750 out in the garage, slumbering under a cover waiting to be ridden again. It went around that track back in the late '80s very nicley as I recall!

[twotyred]

:http://www.omnilex.com/public/bmw78/boomers.html

I still have the original pages carefully cutout from the magazine sitting in a file case.

[Flanny]

OK - They;re not "Superbikes" but at the time, they were the closest we could get! I've also had the old GPz as well as a KZ550...those bikes were everywhere when I was a teenager.

Here was my '82 GPZ.




In the early 90's I bought a 550 Zephy for the nostalgia, and made a small project out of it...It turned-out well after binning the round headlight for square one, adding a fairing, and getting rid of all the chrome bits, rear fender and stuff. Kerker header, K&N Filter & jetting helped, and radial tires make a difference in the handling...obligatory Lawson stripes for the lengend!...



Fun fun!

[KAdriver]

We now return to the original subject matter......

This was from my attempt at Superbike racing back in 1981



1981 CB750F bored/ stroked to 1025cc the max limit then. Pre some of
the factory goodies. (dry sump & close ratio trans)


19" Morris wheel, Brembo brakes, 13" brake rotors (full floating)
Goodyear slicks. I figured if I wasn't fast enough, least I could brake later!!


This was with the dry sump kit installed. You had to fabricate your
own oil tank and no plans provided. This is where I learned about
fluid dynamics!! It held 8qts. We joked it was a total loss system,
just like my ignition!! 34mm Kehin carbs. Oil cooler not on the bike
in this shot due to crack in the inlet fitting.


Bassini pipe, 18" Morris wheel, notice the rear suspension upper mounts
moved forward. the rear frame was cut and raised up about 4" higher
than stock. Pic from just before I sold it. Out of ALL the bikes I've
owned, this is the only one I wish I still had.


Inside the cases, Crower rods, pistons from RC engineering, Crane cams,
Manley valves, springs and shim under bucket. Paying for most of this
out of my pocket the dry clutch kit was just a little to pricey for me.

[Flanny]

Originally Posted by KAdriver

We now return to the original subject matter......

Yeah - Sorry about the minir hijack...

To make amends...this is still my fave of 'em all




Still I'm pretty sure my Zephyr could kick your CBF's butt....






.

[jersey jim]

This guy has an awesome collection of old superbikes, my favorite is this ex-Shwantz GS700ES, probably because I had one as my second bike. I love the look of these bikes, one of the last old school tube framed superbikes before the GSXR's and such took over.

http://vintagesuperbike.com/photos/sbIOwn.html

[funhouse]

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=244174

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...ight=superbike

From Motorcycles II

I owned/restored a couple of these old bikes and have a lot of photos in my picasa site below........details about McLaughlin's bike in the links above.....Bruce

[7point62]

I love this thread!! Keep 'em coming.........