1980 GL1100 Bobber/Cafe build on a budget

[Fred Camper]

Both seat look great and wow what a lot of fab work in two months. Love the gatters too.

[guzzi]

Nice work! ...especially on a budget. How much do you think you have in it total?

[Jtdougherty]

Thanks for the feedback guys!

On the seat pan being metal, it had a tag on the bottom saying "Custom" something, so it must have been an aftermarket stock look seat. Glad it was metal though, cause it allowed me to change the shape of the edges by bending it/hitting it with a hammer.

[Fred Camper]

Huge bargain, but if you pay yourself 10 cents an hour then you may be at $1100 already.

But wait, restoration is our hobby. We pay for that so no hours can be included.

You have paid $934 for your hobby thus far, and the bike is free in the end.

[CYBORG]

i have to admire someone who keeps track of what they spend on their bike projects. i could never do that. to me it is what it is......whatever it is. but it looks like you are right on track for what you wanted to do.

[Jtdougherty]

What I didn't keep track of was how many hours I have into it, but it's alot!
But I'm not complaining, I love to have a project to work on, and this one has been lots of fun...!

Anyone have any suggestions for me on front brakes?
I can't get a hard brake lever...

There doesn't appear to be air in the lines when I bleed, but it's still REALLY soft. Like unsafe to ride soft front brakes.

[CYBORG]

go to a 14mm M/C should help that. and steel braided lines. also pads could be glazed

[young matt]

start with pads.

i spent over a week looking into aftermarket and stock replacement options for my front master cylinder. it was still weak after i got ss brake lines. just throw the money into new pads and see where it takes you. it took me a while to figure out that 1/2 used front brake pads are actually all dead pads.

that being said, with my standard replacement ebc pads i nearly do stopies. (stock mc '82, ss brake lines, new pads).

[young matt]

by the way, nice machine you got there! also, you got that thing together quick! way to go my friend!

[Jtdougherty]

Thanks guys, I'll try new pads, but would that affect the soft lever?
The lever was really hard before I rebuilt the caliper...with the same pads.

Now sitting at a stop, I can pull the lever all the way to the grip.
It acts like there is a ton of air in the lines and no pressure at all?

[Fred Camper]

You are running a splitter up front, and they are excellent at trapping air. Roady has mentioned holding the lever to the bar overnight with the steering turned to put the master up high and the splitter at an angle. But you need SS brake hoses anyway, and if you get two instead of three it costs less. You run both hoses up to the master cylinder and use a double banjo bolt. But everything effects everything and then you loose your brake light switch. So that drives you to buy a 14 mm master cylinder with an integral switch like this one;

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-FRONT-BRAKE ... 410wt_1378

These are out there for specific bikes, but many are the same. You need one that is 14mm and for a double caliper system and says "hole for mirror 10x1.25 mm right hand thread pitch and brakelight switch, FIT 7/8" handlebars". You need to be the only bidder to make it affordable. And enough are out there that you should be able to find one closing soon with no bids.

or this one;
http://www.randakks.com/Brake%20Parts.htm

Both are good choices.

[guzzi]

As it stands now, I’m in the bike $934.

Wow, that's quite a bike for less than a grand. Thanks for the list of expenses.

As to your brakes, might try pushing fluid up from the bleed nipple. Use a piece of hose and a big syringe.

[Jtdougherty]

Fred - thanks for the links and advice on the MC! Looks like the right thing to do is just order one of the CB ones...

Guzzi - I tried pushing fluid up with the cup from the mighty vac and compressed air, unfortunately it didn't help. And on the expense list, hopefully it will help someone out there. I posted them because as I went to build mine, I saw things I wanted to do in other peoples posts, but never knew if they were affordable or not.

[sunnbobb]

LIKE!

[CharlieP]

neato torpedo