The Ratzuki Project

[Pally McGee]

Greetings, everyone! My first post here in OSR. I hope I'm not intruding. I've posted a couple of these pics before in another forum and decided it wasn't the place, so I'm remaking the thread here. I’ve been a tad busy with all the things going on in my life, so I have to take little bites at everything just to keep everyone happy, including me. I submit for your approval my 1981 Suzuki GS850GL, and some pics of one of those tiny bites I did to it tonight after work. I plan to make it over into a rat-bike, and a rat she shall be, but I want her to be a nicely-running rat. I also want to give her some custom touches that will make her unique among the other vermin. Below is a pic of Ratzuki, with the ever-faithful Captain Nemo standing guard.



Side view here. The old girl has seen better days. 31,744 on the odo. Crappy, spent, bent, and busted air shocks. Bad seat. Oh yeah… time for some overhaulin!



Oh no! A torn driveshaft boot. No biggie. This will all be rebuilt and replaced before this old girl gets on the road again.



Here’s what she looks like now. Superbike bars (not sure I’ll keep them) and lying on the floor is a pair of new-used shocks I got from ebay for $4.99! I pulled off a lot of superficial crap and looks like I’ll be yanking more off soon.



Top view. Notice the wiring loom is out of the bike. I’ve never seen a more buggered wiring job in my entire life. The previous owner said he had many wiring problems and shorts and burned wiring. He was right! I’ll replace the whole loom with brand new 14 gauge control wiring… the good stuff!



Here is the object of my affection tonight. The old and crusty-rusty battery case. What a pos! I’ll remove the condenser and the relays and padding and run it through the bead blaster.



Holy smokes, that condenser didn’t want to come off. A little Zep Super-penetrant and a vise-grip pliers did the trick. Here it is in the blast cabinet, ready for a good cleaning.



…and here it is, all nice and descaled. I like to use glass beads on stuff like this. They just aren’t as aggressive as silicon carbide. Glass beading actually leaves some metal behind for you to work with!



Here we go. A nice coat of hammer-finish black rustoleum and we are good to go!



Hope you enjoyed my little bite off of the Ratzuki Project. My next post on this will be the fitting of a custom rear fender. g’night!

[Krautbikeman]

Nice job, Pally. As a victim of wiring gremlins, let me offer you my condolences in advance!

Good luck and keep us posted. I'd like to see pics of the Twinstar, too.

[mutineer]

Great post McGee.

[Mulekick]

Rock on Pally you Fookin' rat bike building freak of nature..................You even got a thumb up SourKraut........................

[Pally McGee]

Originally Posted by Mulekick

Rock on Pally you Fookin' rat bike building freak of nature..................You even got a thumb up SourKraut........................

Wow no shit, huh? I never thought that would happen. Well peeps change and so do I. I aim to please and make friends and have a good time here. I'm glad you guys liked my report. I'll ahev a ncie one coming up with the fender-thing. I have a 9-inch-wide fender I need to make into a 7-inch-wide fender. Should be fun, right?

[Loadedagain]

look out pebble beach. here comes pally.

[Slaniac]

Bass & Co Pale Ale Yeaaassssssssss. I heard Coors bought em out? Gotta go with the statement about making those parts look better than they were. Rat bike means Rat Bike, Pally.
Oh, and before I forget. FY.

[Pally McGee]

Originally Posted by Slaniac

Bass & Co Pale Ale Yeaaassssssssss. I heard Coors bought em out? Gotta go with the statement about making those parts look better than they were. Rat bike means Rat Bike, Pally.
Oh, and before I forget. FY.

Thanks, Slanno. I know what you guys mean in that the rat should look like a rat. I just couldn't agree more. You see, I have a plan. I want to make all the internals of the bike work really well, yet have it ratty on the outside. You'll see. Watch this thread as I develope it into a state of rat-ness. It'll be ratty, but a refined-sort of rattness. Do you see what I am trying to say? A ratbike has to have some point in which to de-evolve into a state of ratness. My attempt here is to bring the 850 back to a state of health, but allow the rest of it to become rat-like. I'm going to do perhaps a faux-finish of mud and goo and fungus on it once the vitals are ticking away nicely. Ever see those trucks in Busch Gardens? That's not real mud...

Oh btw, Slaniac...FY2, bro!

[norton73]

Ok, Pally, I'll give you another chance after all the problems in JM. The first post I saw from you was this one about the Ratsushi. Gave me hope that you are a Ok guy. then you bombed.
I used to work for a car dealer in the early 90s, and one of the other mechanics wanted to get a bike, and kept after me about what's faster? Ninja, Katana, Hurricanes, etc. This from a guy who had only ridden a 70s DT250 Yamaha in his backyard.
Once Terminator 2 came out, he rushed down to the HD dealer and ordered up a Fatboy. Although the bike wouldn't come in for 6-9 months, he had all the HD gear the next day, I don't think he wore anything other than HD stuff again. Sidewalk Commandos were what we used to call these guys.
Anyway, the to get to the point, one of the other mechanics got given a Suzuki just like yours. He had just bought a house (first) had a kid on the way, so money was tight, and he spent the winter fixxing it up. Pulled the moter, painted everything, rebuilt the top end, borrowed carb synch stuff from me, new fork tubes and seals, etc. Did one hell off a good job
Rode it proudly into work that spring, justly too. Mr HD, I've got a real bike, (soon) declared it a piece of shit, the only real bike is a HD, you need to go trade that POS now for a real bike while it's worth something.
This precipitated a fight between those of us non-HD owners and him. I told Mr HD that I thought the Suzuki and it's owner was a lot cooler than MR HD, because he actually built his bike, had a lot more reason for pride of ownership. Any idiot can run down to the store and buy a HD, only special people can build their own bike.
So, Pally, I realize this is long winded, but I hope you get my point. Do a good job on it, make us (and yourself) proud

[Chopperman]

Originally Posted by norton73

Ok, Pally, I'll give you another chance after all the problems in JM. The first post I saw from you was this one about the Ratsushi. Gave me hope that you are a Ok guy. then you bombed.
I used to work for a car dealer in the early 90s, and one of the other mechanics wanted to get a bike, and kept after me about what's faster? Ninja, Katana, Hurricanes, etc. This from a guy who had only ridden a 70s DT250 Yamaha in his backyard.
Once Terminator 2 came out, he rushed down to the HD dealer and ordered up a Fatboy. Although the bike wouldn't come in for 6-9 months, he had all the HD gear the next day, I don't think he wore anything other than HD stuff again. Sidewalk Commandos were what we used to call these guys.
Anyway, the to get to the point, one of the other mechanics got given a Suzuki just like yours. He had just bought a house (first) had a kid on the way, so money was tight, and he spent the winter fixxing it up. Pulled the moter, painted everything, rebuilt the top end, borrowed carb synch stuff from me, new fork tubes and seals, etc. Did one hell off a good job
Rode it proudly into work that spring, justly too. Mr HD, I've got a real bike, (soon) declared it a piece of shit, the only real bike is a HD, you need to go trade that POS now for a real bike while it's worth something.
This precipitated a fight between those of us non-HD owners and him. I told Mr HD that I thought the Suzuki and it's owner was a lot cooler than MR HD, because he actually built his bike, had a lot more reason for pride of ownership. Any idiot can run down to the store and buy a HD, only special people can build their own bike.
So, Pally, I realize this is long winded, but I hope you get my point. Do a good job on it, make us (and yourself) proud

Word, Mister Norton. Way Word.

[AnnieGS]

Bring out yer dead...and bring 'em back to life.

[FatChance]

I think there is a conceptual diflugacy going on here. You say you want a "rat bike", but you are doing a "restoration". Now, either is fine and a noble pursuit in themself, but don't do one and call it the other. You are removing, polishing, replacing, sand blasting, painting, rewiring, etc. everything that would contribute to it being a true "rat bike" had you left it alone, at least by all conventional definitions. Maybe you should make up a new name for what you are doing. It is your bike and your work, give the work a proper naming instead of bending someone else's.

However, whatever you do or end up calling it, keep the thread going. I've gone through this process many times over the years and it is fun watching someone else going through the blood, sweat, and tears.

[Pally McGee]

Thanks for the kind words, folks. It means a lot to hear them from you, especially. It's rainy here tonight. I think I'll do some welding on that fender and post it. Missus McGee has kickboxing tonight, so I think my time will be spent in the shop.

[Pally McGee]

Originally Posted by FatChance

I think there is a conceptual diflugacy going on here. You say you want a "rat bike", but you are doing a "restoration". Now, either is fine and a noble pursuit in themself, but don't do one and call it the other. You are removing, polishing, replacing, sand blasting, painting, rewiring, etc. everything that would contribute to it being a true "rat bike" had you left it alone, at least by all conventional definitions. Maybe you should make up a new name for what you are doing. It is your bike and your work, give the work a proper naming instead of bending someone else's.

However, whatever you do or end up calling it, keep the thread going. I've gone through this process many times over the years and it is fun watching someone else going through the blood, sweat, and tears.

Thanks, Slim. Stick around. I will keep this thread going. Now to adress your issue with me calling it a "ratbike"...

Its not going to be a ratbike in the sense of what we typically project a psychic image, no - it'll be a devolved rat that was restored to working status, then customized into something fun and rat-like. Thats the best way I can explain it right now, but the way I see the end result of this bike in my head, it'll be rat-nificently rat-like, but still rideable and looking kinda cool. Hang with me... you'll like what you see!

[Pally McGee]

Due to the mean-spirited bullying I have endured in JM, I will not be continuing this thread. This thread was made specifically for those very people I have tried very hard to impress and to fit in with. It's just not a match. A square peg kind of thing, and although I really want to continue with a nice build-up thread of my bike, I can't abide by the unpoliced sharktank of JM.

If any of you see me bumming around Ride Reports or Thumpers, say hello. Otherwise, have a good life.