Airbox examination

 Airbox is in good condition probably due to the fact that the air filter was nice and oily

 

  Rubber is all in good condition.

 

 Side panels need to be re-chromed.

 It looks to me like the air filter was not seating properly.  This may have come adrift when the bike was in transport at some stage. 

Foam seal needs replacing.  From what I have learned on the fabulous GS Resources Website (http://www.thegsresources.com/) is that the bike will only run really well if the airbox has no leaks.  I will need to pay attention here.

Carburettor

With the fairly simple removal of the airbox completed I decided it was time to crack on and get a major component off the old beast.  So the carbs were next.  It was quite straight forward.  Used plenty of WD40 to get the rubber manifolds slippery and slackened the retaining rings off.  My biggest problem was unattaching the throttle cable and the choke cables.

 Choke cable is attached to the top of carb 2 (from the right).  I tried at first to take off the retaining bracket which meant removing the forward screws on the carb top.  Only managed to get one of these off.  The other one stripped the cross threaded head.  Had to hacksaw a cut in it to get it off but in the process discovered that the choke cable nipple would pull through the angled metal sheath so in the end the removal of this bracket was not necessary!

 Choke cable sheath bracket.

 Took of the top of this carb.  Looks OK.  Rubber is good.

 Corrosion is quite bad on the bodies but I am hoping the elctro sonic cleaning will sort this out.

 I think this is a non standard fuel filter.

 Butterflies are OK.  This is the worst one but it is not corroded just discoloured.

 Throttle linkages.

 Nicely corroded link bar - but I think it will come good.

 Float bowls are a bit dire and the drain plug is one of the worst corroded items on the bike.

 Throttle idle speed adjuster is pretty grim.  Not sure if I will be able to resuscitate this.

 Carb tops are pretty rubbish but I have seen worse.

 Inlet manifolds show some signs of corrosion but it is not major and I am not concerned.  It looks like there has not been too much moisture getting into the engine despite being left outside (mostly uncovered) for 10 years in rainy UK.

These end cap thingies have had it.

Air box removal

 Remove retaining bolts left and right hand side

 Removed airbox side cover RHS

 

 Loosen rubber retaining clips

Remove breather tube

Service and Repair Manual

 My mum bought me this manual when we had the bike shipped from Canada to the UK in 1996 (when I was 39).  It shows a very shiny GS850 G on the cover.  The book originally did the GS850s, GS1000s and GS1100s up to 1982 and then they put in a supplementary chapter at the end to cover the 1983 models.  This includes my GS1100 G (D) which has the air assisted front forks and the air rear suspension units.  It also has a engine painted black.  Not really to my liking.  I like the shiny one above (click on the photo to get a closer look).  The manual was published in 1994 (ninth edition).

 

This is what she wrote when she gave it to me.  Nice memory (Dad died years ago.  Mum died October 2011 in Texas) of what she and Dad did with the bike traveling around the USA and where it has been in Canada.  I think I have their travel diaries somewhere in a storage container.  I will post them one day.  I feel like the project has a lot to do with Mum and Dad.  How sentimental we get in our old age.

Hydraulic brake parts

 And they are even showing the prices.  Looks like $300 for the lot.  Wow this project is going to be costly. Can they really be in stock?  I will find out soon.

 This shows the parts I need.  See:

http://www.boulevardsuzuki.com/fiche_section_detail.asp

  The lens that shows the brake fluid level is cracked and spongy.  No idea where I am ever going to get one of these.  Oh yes I do!

Rear break reservoir won't come off.  Another new part?  I can probably find something that will do for this part.

Rear brake cylinder - probably seized.

A naked rear end

 Things are slowly beginning to fall off.

 Not much left at the back now.

 Exposed frame tubes showing signs of surface rust.  Definitely going to have a powder coating treatment.

Electrical box from battery holder

 I don't know what this is yet.  It was attached to the battery holder with plastic cable ties that do not look like original fittings.

 Something electrical for sure (I hate electrics - give me engine bits any day)

 I guess this is the part number.

Air box air intake funnel

 There are critters living in here.

 Not in good condition.  Hope I can use it again.