My first bike.. what a heap! (Pics & Videos)

[HolePocket]

Hi all, having always been a petrol head my particular love of cars went out the window when 12 months ago I moved to work in the square mile. Currently I own a completely rebuilt Triumph Spitfire 1500 running 108hp at the wheels, finished in Aston Martin british racing green (metallic) and have a project BMW 2002 Turbo from 1973.

So I bought my first proper bike today, a 1988 Suzuki GSXR 400 GK73A, imported 1996. Been riding a 125 for 2 months. My errors so far:
- Ebay purchase
- Didn't view
- Didn't check insurance
- Didn't check typical faults

Bike was £700 with 9 months MOT, (went through without advisories) although I suspect this was because the MOT was sold by a garage trying to get rid of the bike.

Picked it up from Cambridge, the guy who owned it was a student - I've just stumbled across this on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57V4goqRQhI

I turn up and the carbs are off, upon putting them back on it won't fire - surprise! We finally get it running but not well enough to test ride.

Things I notice:
- Paint work is awful
- Missing loads of securing bolts
- Sounds like it's blowing badly
- Wouldn't idle less than 5K and would shut off

I buy the bike for £600 with two securing locks, cover and well.. a lot of hope.

I get back to London and see Ray at Care1 in Kensington, has a very good reputation. They spend an hour stripping the bike, bad points:
- 8-12mm bolts used all over bike
- Most panel securing pieces snapped off
- Bottom of radiator is like dust when you touch it
- Bike being dropped on something as header clearly has had a hit
- Where downpipes meet massive crack
- top left header pipe has been bodged (for no apparent reason), no rust but a HUGE hole)
- LH indicator doesn't work (wiring clearly bodged)
- Rear brake light not working
- Horn not working (same bodged wiring)
- Paint work scratched to buggery
- Purple rims (horrible colour)
- Forks are pitted so will need replacing as nothing will seal them properly
- rear brake not working
- rear brake disc needs replacing
- no wing mirrors

Good points
- with carb adjustment bike idles and revs well
- gears are all smooth
- new battleaxe tyres
- front brake good
- seats in good condition
- no oil leaks (other than forks)
- compression, spark and carbs are good condition
- Remus Grand Prix exhaust (original)

Zipvan (Cambridge - Midday):
https://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i223/VWMK1Polo/5f8ec1af.jpg

Garage (London - 4pm):
https://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i223/VWMK1Polo/777ce994.jpg

Garage (London - 4:30):
https://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i223/VWMK1Polo/31c85bd7.jpg

Video After Carb adjustment:
https://s73.photobucket.com/albums/i223/VWMK1Polo/?action=view¤t=3b5b82bf.mp4

Random hole discovery (no rust):
https://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i223/VWMK1Polo/b7858b1b.jpg

In the next 4 weeks the bike is going to have:
- A full mechanical & electrical check
- New header fitted, with twin exhausts not just single (either keep Remus or change entirely not sure)
- New radiator, front forks, wing mirrors and an original front mud guard
- Polished chassis
- Full respray in Ferrari Rosso Red
- Original decals in white with silver detailing
- rims shot blasted, powder coated and painted same colour as silver detailing

There goes this months bonus! Hope to use all your experience and wisdom to the best of my advantage, love to hear your thoughts!

[jasond]

not sure about silver wheels - white powder coated wheels on a red bike look ace. They do on my Red White & Blue CBR400RR. Good luck mate!
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1st bike Suzuki EN 125-2 (to break me in) Current bike Honda CBR 400 RR

[HolePocket]

Yeh that's what the guy recommended, I'll have a think!

[jasond]

just keep the pics coming....
____________________
1st bike Suzuki EN 125-2 (to break me in) Current bike Honda CBR 400 RR

[Pete.]

You're obviously full of enthusiasm, so I won't tell you what MY thoughts are on it. I would have took my £600 and walked I'm afraid.
____________________
a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[HolePocket]

Poor excuses for buying the bike:
- I'm terrible with money, in that I enjoy spending it to much
- The cost of having a professional respray/rebuild done on an old car makes this look like pocket money

I know it was a waste of money but I don't really care, looking forward to when it's finished

[_matt]

Im guessing the repairs to it will be at least another £400 on top of the £600 you paid.

I as well would've taken the cash and walked, because there's plenty of working bikes for that price.

Still, you've got a nice project bike there! Good luck with it.
On the plus side, it is very pretty to look at
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1990 Yamaha XV 535 (Alive Again!) / 2007 Jinlun Texan 125-11 (formerly 2k3, wrong details, now going rusty in the back garden )

[Nope.]

Hate to break it to you, but I paid less for a bike with 12 months MOT, 5 months tax without any issues that I could test ride.

I've pretty much rebuilt most of mine now, it's also got a replacement engine after I managed to somehow seize the original (god knows how).

You can (or at least, you could when I last checked) get brand new stainless manifolds on ebay for about £150.

If other parts of your bike are rusty, check your rear subframe. They tend to rust through and then if you get a pillion on the back your in trouble. Not hard to get too, just whip off the rear fairing and take a look.

I have a polished frame, so long as you keep up with the autosol then I think it looks great

https://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/262575_2358516641650_6900753_n.jpg

https://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/216526_2078053150238_2183697_n.jpg

https://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/561077_3688460129406_1501570352_n.jpg

Once you get it going properly and get it on the road, so long as you keep it maintained then they are great bikes. Have fun on it and keep us updated
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Former: Derbi GP1 50, Sachs XTC 125, Suzuki GSXR 400 GK73A, Kawasaki ZX7R, Suzuki DR250, Yamaha RD350
Current: 2011 Yamaha XT660Z Ténéré, 2003 Yamaha YZR-R1 5PW (In Build), 2009 Kawasaki ZZR1400

[nisp]

WOW! I was a watcher on ebay, makes me feel alot better about the price of the fzr I bought instead

I like the bit in the listing where it says;

"There are however a few niggles, it just needs some TLC."

and

"I tried to be as honest as I can be."
____________________
Suzuki TS 50 1999 Honda CB 125 t2 1981 Yamaha XJ 600 s Diversion Honda cx 500 MZ ETZ 250 1985 Yamaha FZR 400 1981 Suzuki TS 185 1984 Triumph bonneville 790 2001 MZ TS250 1979 Suzuki sv 650 1999 KTM exc RFS 450 2007 Hercules mx 125 1976

[HolePocket]

The chap seems rather naive about bikes, he seemed to believe the original remus exhaust is worth £500 second hand

Thanks for your comments, I gave him a call to discuss my complaint on the state of the bike and he said he knew about the headers which he didn't make me aware of, got another £150 transferred back and left him positive feedback.

Lovely bike, like the polished frame - does it take long?

[HolePocket]

will a downpipe from a GK76A fit a GK73A?

[Nope.]

[MarJay]

Like your enthusiasm, but you got done.
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Robby]

From what I've read of those, neither the engine, electrics, or carbs were particularly reliable, more so if the bike has been standing for a while.

You may find you've taken on what will be a very expensive project, to end up with the worst of the 400cc sportsbikes. I don't have nice things to say about the best of the 400cc sportsbikes when it comes to riding them, particularly around London.

If you're planning on having a new paint job done and having the mechanical work done by a garage, don't be surprised if you end up with a bill for about £2.5k.

[MarJay]

Just to add insult to injury, last year I bought a slightly shabby but mechanically good FZR400RR for £675. Spent about £100 on it and now I use it as a trackbike.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[HolePocket]

[Kaneda]

[cromwell]

[HolePocket]

Cromwell, that would have been more sensible but I've got it now and I like the 400.

Estimate came back:
- £80 to recore the radiator
- £250 for labour
- £230 for new chrome header
- £130 for rear disc, pads and rear seat lock kit
- £30 for new mirrors
- £600 for respray, including powder coated wheels and frame
- £70 new stansions

£2K for to get the bike into very good nick (including buying it).

header, rear disc, pads and mirrors and stansions although not sure where to get the rear seat lock kit from?

[P.]

So the estimate can buy my Thundercat or buy my bandit and get a new engine in there..

Thats a lot of money for such an old unreliable bike..

[jasond]

surely a lot of that you can fit yourself & save on labour?
____________________
1st bike Suzuki EN 125-2 (to break me in) Current bike Honda CBR 400 RR

[HolePocket]

Yeh I may well take on board most of this myself, tempted to do the paint work as well having done it before.

[MarJay]

The first thing that comes to mind here is the old phrase "More money than sense."

Usually when people take on bikes such as this, they want to do the work themselves and have the sense of satisfaction you get from producing a decent bike out of an old heap.

What I've never seen before, is someone pay over the odds for an old shitter, and then throw a load of money at a dealer to fix it... Especially for a bike that will be worth about £1000 at the end.

Now, as I've been writing that, there has been a little voice in my head saying "RD350..". My RD350 was bought for £500, and I've spent a fair bit on it, but I've been working on it myself and I glean enjoyment from that. What I'm not going to do is send it to a place to have a nut and bolt restoration done, which is what it sounds like you want to do...

Also, the RD is more of a 'cult' bike than an ancient GSXR400 is. If you were doing an LC, or a Slabside GSXR750, or an RC30 or a KH250 then I could understand it... but there ARE relatively decent GSXR400's out there, and yours isn't even the best version of that...

But, hey ho. Its your money and if you want to get into biking by doing this then fine, but don't expect to have any enthusiasm or passion for bikes at the end of it. Especially when you'll drop it or crash in the first six months and it'll totally break your heart.
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[nisp]

really hope yor not going to spend ~2k on it , I Know its a first bike and all but I doubt it has been very well looked after (engine wize) and will end up needing a engine overhaull the second time out.
What does that thing red line at 14-15K.

As it happens when I was looking for a 400 there is gixxer 400 in Aberdeen for 'almost' half what you would spend to get this one done up.
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Suzuki TS 50 1999 Honda CB 125 t2 1981 Yamaha XJ 600 s Diversion Honda cx 500 MZ ETZ 250 1985 Yamaha FZR 400 1981 Suzuki TS 185 1984 Triumph bonneville 790 2001 MZ TS250 1979 Suzuki sv 650 1999 KTM exc RFS 450 2007 Hercules mx 125 1976

[EazyDuz]

you should have donated the money to charity.
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To shreds you say? Tss tss tss