gl1000 modernising

[pidjones]

I had a '79 for about two years and loved it. I had gone through the carbs, brakes, forks, and wiring connectors cleaning and renewing as necessary. Loved it for local runs. As I remember, a PO had installed a lesser-known electronic ignition, and I changed it out for standard points after using it as a test mule for a TFI ignition. I remember that I did have to replace the reg/rec as it was allowing charging voltage to go way too high, which damaged my TFI set. I only sold the bike because there were just too many bikes to store.

I suggest the belts, oil, brake fluid, carbs and points - then ride it this summer to see what else it needs. Oh, and don't ride on tires old enough to vote!

[gregforesi]

I suffer from "CRS" disease and from what I can remember - there was a rubber O-ring behind the sight glass and I believe I reused it. The dime fit close but not quite and I had to fit it to size by working on the OD a little bit. I believe I used JB Weld to keep it in place but I might have used clear epoxy as I don't see any black sloppage around the dime. The repair has held up for 10 years and it looks like it will go another 10.

I can't see the level of course, but I can easily see the pad wear. I had a rear cylinder hang a few years ago and so the rear fluid was flushed and replaced then. I did the front when I went from the clubman bars to the drag bars as I had to remove the master anyway. The sight glass was never "right" anyway because of the angle that the master cylinder sits with either set of bars on the bike. The only way I can check the front fluid level is to remove the master from the bars. After that it's just two screws to pull the top.

[Rat]

Hope the new guy that asked is actually reading the assembled wisdom he wanted …

Gord

Hmmmm …

Gord

[Don R]

There is a lot of good advice above, some things I learned on my own but see listed here. On my 78 I did the 85 V65 front caliper swap with brackets from an 85 VT1100 and did the cam belt idler pulley swap with the Hyundai idlers also. My 79 had the 14mm china import master cylinder too.
I added a blade fuse holder with some silicone grease. It melted, left me sitting in the middle of an intersection and when I hurried to move the bike I got a hernia, don't do that. I went to the same parts store, they no longer sell that fuse holder, but I got a better one and used it.
It got a relay for the ignition voltage with a Dyna ignition and a pair of 1500 coils. I also found a Bosch headlight lens and an H4 bulb that works well. I'm sure there are better ones now.

Edit: I also used the Randakks rubber plenum and carb seals, I de-rusted a tank with muriatic acid and lined it with northern tank sealer, so far it hasn't failed. I also cleaned out the interior fuel lines with a piece of broken speedometer cable used as a roto-rooter. It took oxy-acetylene to loosen the frozen rear brake pedal pivot. New water pump and seals, hoses, thermostat, fan switch, most of which were done from tips learned here.
This thread might make a good sticky somewhere. Or not.

All of you guys and this site helped me getting the 79 I started with and then the 20 year sleeper back on the road. Thanks.

[Rat]

Hope the new guy that asked is actually reading the assembled wisdom he wanted …

Gord

Hmmmm …

Gord

I guess not … all you guys who helped out are awesome, the new guy ? … not so much

Gord

[redglbx]

Bot bait ???

[CYBORG]

[DUGG]

At least the guy got a discussion going. Not a bad thing I suppose.
I picked up a few ideas

[Rat]

True enough … still rude tho' …

Gord

[DUGG]

The older I’ve gotten the more I have realized that life is what happens while you’re making other plans.
Maybe this guy got hit by a bus, got laid off from work or who knows what.

But keeping with the thread of modernizing.
I’m looking for adjustable style levers for my 1100.
Thinking they might help improve the clutch pull. And they look kind of cool and modern.
I tried a set of MZS off Amazon
Seems like it did improve the clutch pull but I can’t get a proper adjust. Plus, they’re just too short.
The only ones I found specific for the 1100 are in Europe

IMG_8222.png

Any ideas or thoughts would be helpful and appreciated

[redglbx]

Be careful, whatever that means! I had a set of those (Chinese made) that worked fine for a while and then started to make my clutch slip badly on my 2014 Yamaha FJR , it had a hydraulically actuated clutch which is different than the GL’s.

I thought I fried the clutch and went through every aspect of the system and ended up just putting the factory levers back on it and it worked perfectly fine until I sold the bike. It was really weird and I ended up doing a full layout of both the factory levers vs the Chinese lever and never could point anything out. But it was repeatable, put the Chinese lever on, clutch slips badly, put the factory levers back on and everything works perfectly. They’re still in a box in the basement, should just scrap them. But they sure are pretty !