Free GL1100 = Cafe project "ORANGE CRUSH BUILD"

[CrashDown]

Hey guys, so I'm a noobie here. My name is Matt, I'm a taurus, I like Pizza, Mac and Cheese and all natural Cola. Now that all the dumb stuff is out of the way, lte me get to the first post of my new project.

I just recently finished the paint on my San Jose Sharks themed 2010 Honda Sabre




I'm a painter by trade and can't just leave something stock. This brings me to the Goldwing. A neighbor of mine showed up at the house a few weeks ago and asked if I wanted a bike? A 1980 GL1100. it was her brother in laws, he passed away, the son didn't want it. I could ahve it for free. So i jumped on it. The kid said it runs, blown stator, but the bike needs work. Here's how it looked on the trailer when I got it to the house.



I couldnt decide what to do with it. bobber? Maybe just restore it and run it? But goin the Cafe route wom me over. I have a CL350 frame sitting waiting for me to cafe, but this is a complete bike! Easypeesy! Not.....

Ontop of the Stator being cooked, the starter is cooked. The fuse block from the battery to the startor is cooked. Battery is fried. When whoever put the Vetter fairing on installed it they hacked the wiring to the cluster. I was able to get it to kick over with starter fluid and bypassing the fuse block all together and it starts and purrs like a new bike for about 5 seconds. So i know she runs.

Okay I think. This is a complete overhaul. Everything is getting either rebuilt or replaced. So let the teardown begin!

Day1

All Fairings, fenders, saddlebags, false tank removed. She's missing both side covers, gonna need to find those. getting that Vetter fairing off was a pain.

Day2



Scrubbed down the while bike. Engine degreaser and simple green are your friends! The block should clean up real nice. The valve covers look good as does the timing belt cover. Instrument cluster removed. Probably gonna go with just a Speedo/tach on the reinstall and no light cluster. Airbox was remover. Intake manifold looks nice and clean, no debris or anything.

Now my frist question. I really dont want to run those Nitrogen filled front forks. Does anyone know off the top of their heads what updated front end will literally bolt onto the neck? I ahve a XS1100 front end i was going to use on the CL350 that is a direct bolt on to that frame. And would be really happy if it was a simple swap to the GL frame.


I started on the False tank today at work. I'll snap some pics of that and post up tomorrow.

-Matt

[HOTT]

Nice Paint Matt! Awesome layout.
Great find on the GL. Price was right.

[CrashDown]

Nice Paint Matt! Awesome layout.
Great find on the GL. Price was right.

Thanks dude. Peope from the marketing department of the Sharks have seen the bike and we're in talks about them using it for the Opening of the 12-13 season!

Hey, stupid question. Ive noticed guys running no timing chain cover on their bike. Would there be anything detremential to me venting my cover?

[sunnbobb]

Excellent price for sure. Now the fun begins. If you want to vent the cover, go for it. It is there to keep rocks and dust out of the belts. Perhaps you could place a backing that keeps that function...

[CrashDown]

Excellent price for sure. Now the fun begins. If you want to vent the cover, go for it. It is there to keep rocks and dust out of the belts. Perhaps you could place a backing that keeps that function...

Yea I was gonna do what the guys on the CL forums with their brake drum covers, where they vent and then have a fine mesh on the backside of the opening. Sweet. I'm just gonna vent where the cam cogs are.

[HOTT]

Would there be anything detremential to me venting my cover?

Nah...I always thought a little Swiss cheese action would look 'Cafe Cool' on the belt covers.
Go fer it!


Be careful the Shark folks don't raffle that baby off!!

[CrashDown]

Would there be anything detremential to me venting my cover?

Nah...I always thought a little Swiss cheese action would look 'Cafe Cool' on the belt covers.
Go fer it!


Be careful the Shark folks don't raffle that baby off!!

Lol.. Never. I love that bike. Turns heads and is like a caddy on the freeway! I actually pitched them the idea that if they could get Honda to Donate 3 Sabres to the Sharks Foundation, i'd do 3 different paint jobs on them and then they could raffle/auction them off. Who knows if that would happen though.

[Toehead]

Great price! Looks likes somebody polished some items, and I see they added a fork brace.

[brokentoe]

Welcome from Indy. Fantastic job on the Sharks theme bike. Thanks for sharing all the pictures of your GL build, and also your enthusiasm. Free bikes are great, they're the only kind I've ever had.

[CrashDown]

Okay. I decided to do the Faux Tank first. painted and all so I will have a visual representation of where i want to take the bike, and what the overall theme is gonna be. So I brought the tank up this morning... Dissasembled it and started grinding.


Tank broken down, washed, then the halfs reasembled, ground down and ready for fusing.


Shots of the front and rear after being fused together with 3M Superfast Adhesive and Evercoat KittyHair



I could only manage to work on it 2 hrs today. But before I left for home I got a coat of Evercoat Glazing Putty spread over the outer and inner joins on the front half of the Faux Tank.





I remover the front under brace to see how strong the bond is witht he Adhesive and Kittyhair. And it's strong. Wont have to worry about any cracking with the underbraces in there.

Tomorrow I'll repeat the same process on the rear section. Pictures will be posted.

The color scheme I'm gonna go for is a Sunburnt Orange metallic as the overall color. Side of the Faux tank, real tank and center section of the side covers are going to be a Cream color with black pinstriping seperating the two. It'll also be sporting the Gold Honda Wings decal on the tank sides.

I'm shooting to have the Faux tank in primer by friday and have the whole thing orange by next friday at the latest.

-Matt

[ole496]

Wow, this is a great thread, moving right along!

[Sagebrush]

The GL1100 forks are pretty sturdy and are air filled to about 20psi max. However instead of swapping the whole front end just get a set of progressive springs and you can forego the air if you wish. A fork brace is a must though. Still cheaper and easier than finding and modifying a front end from a different bike.

[bladredhead]

quick start, nice.

as far as forks go the thread about GL1200 triples + CBR600 forks might be of interest to you. i do not know off hand if gl1100 triples have the same diameter holes for the stanchions or not.

there is a guy out of ?newark? that advertises on CL and has lots of GL parts of various years if you need something. prices are pretty reasonable last i checked

[Rat]

Oh Jeez .... just what we need ..... some one who knows what he's doing.

Gord ( ) Jones

[hmratbam]

What Sagebrush said about the forks(you already have the brace) do a good rebuild on the brakes,put on stainless steel lines,maybe drill the discs and you will probably have all the brakes you need. There are some upgrades for the front master if you need more than what I said will give you.