'86 Interceptor orphan rescue...beware bikes that arrive in bins!

Discussion in '1st & 2nd Generation 1983-1989' started by desktopdave, Jan 31, 2015.

  1. desktopdave

    desktopdave New Member

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    Those old bikes are great, and for $50 you can't go wrong. I have to agree that hunting/scrounging/learning is the best part of it. There are few pleasures in life more satisfying than coaxing some neglected orphan back to life. Is it that flavor-of-the-year matte metallic paint, or some 90s-tastic flecked faux finish countertop crap? Post some pics if so, LOL. I picked up an '83 V45 Sabre a while back that had been well seasoned with gunmetal hammerite, so I feel for you. Best of luck with the project, sounds like it's in good hands.

    I see the best of the 80s heading up in value, so the timing for starting up a vintage side business should be promising. The supply of decent old Jap bikes is dropping fast from attrition, accidents and (worst of all) chops/custom/streetfighters. Those of us that are old enough to have owned them new (cough, cough) have the financial means to purchase the survivors, right?
     
  2. 577nitroexpress

    577nitroexpress New Member

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    Below are some photos of what it was when I got it, and after I repaired and painted the body parts. Every part including the exhaust was painted with the lawn furniture textured paint. The funniest thing is the guy, in an effort to sell me the bike, actually said he thought the paint job was "really nice" and that Harley guys gave him the thumbs up on it when he road it. I about fell down from laughing.

    Other than the paint and some poor tuning, the bike is actually straight, and 100% original, which is why I had to save it. I'm sure some bone head would have chopped or "cafe'd" it, ugh. It pains me when I see these clowns take a true classic, and destroy them. Hey if they want to do that, use some dog bike nobody cares about like a Virago or Vision. Just my opinion.. :)
    The RZ350 is mine that I did a frame off restore on, built out with a full stage three tune. Just for grins.. :) The photos are the GPZ, the repaint of the parts, the RZ, and a much, much younger version of me on my "new" KZ550/GPZ conversion. I put the GPZ head and cams on it along with a Kerker. This pic I think is around 1986 I think.

    IMG_2432.jpg IMG_2440.jpg IMG_2736.jpg IMG_1327.jpg IMG_2434.jpg
     

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    Last edited: Feb 11, 2015
  3. desktopdave

    desktopdave New Member

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    Nicely done! I had to look those pictures over to even believe that is the same bike! It doesn't look like his paint job was badly done, but why cover up such a pretty machine with matte black? Ugh.

    Your pics of the RZ reminded me of my one (and only) test-drive of a 2-stroke. It was a 70s Kawasaki H1, a 500cc triple. I was just learning how to ride back in '91 or so. It was an unexpectedly fast bike with an unreal torque peak, despite sounding like an angry popcorn machine and being way out of tune. The odd powerband and my n00b riding skills made it quite a struggle for me. I passed on it and kept my '73 CB750 instead, didn't have the cash nor space for two bikes.

    Is that a Dodge pickup, a B210 and a Valiant in your attached pic? I knew a gal who had one of those until it dissolved. They were so common once upon a time - remember how many of them were on the roads back then?
     
  4. 577nitroexpress

    577nitroexpress New Member

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    Thats my KZ 550 in 1986 (I was 19) I think, and one of the reason I had to rescue this old GPZ. I loved that bike, it had such neutral handling, and looked cool. I put clubman bars on it, Kerker 4 into 1, K&N pods, GPZ head and cams, it just flew (for back then). My buddies and I would race up down the mountains in the Seattle area, the best was Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park. About 10 miles of nothing but switch backs. Get there early in the morning before the motorhomes and old people were on the roads. I raced it at SIR a couple times before switching to an RZ. I recently convinced my brother to buy an 1980 KZ550 that was in his area, it has low milage and pretty decent shape. He got it for $800.00 which is a steal. Since then he put a little money into and has been offered $3000.00 for it at a VJMC event in Charlotte. It's like you said, and I believe, these old classic jap bikes especially the air cooled fours, are going too really increase in value in the coming years. The 70's era two strokes are unbelievably expensive now, obtaining cult status, and the old air cooled fours are getting there now too. Basically anything that was raced by the factories in early eighties have been become good investments. CB900F, CB750F, KZ1000J/K, ELR, GS1000S, GPZ, CB1100F, etc...

    Yup, I learned to drive on that pickup, that B210 was my college commuter, and that Valiant was my brothers first car. With some snow tires on it we would take it up into mountains hunting! That thing repelled chicks! :)
     
    Last edited: Feb 11, 2015
  5. desktopdave

    desktopdave New Member

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    Things have been slow here with the weather, but I did manage to get a few more things done. First, I'm trying out the wintergreen oil trick on my carb boots. They're rock hard and useless as-is, so it's no big loss if this $20 chemistry experiment is a bust. If this is only a temporary fix, I'll repeat the process later. If it damages the boots, I'll replace them. But if it works out I'll have another economical resto trick up my sleeve. Why buy new, when used will do? New boots have gotten to be a little pricey too.

    I bought a quart of "Xylol" paint thinner (xylene & ethylbenzene) at my local Ace Hardware and 16oz of commercial grade wintergreen oil. I mixed them about 2:1 in a glass pickle jar, just enough to cover the four boots and breather hose. To sum things up, it worked as advertised.

    The wintergreen is VERY powerful - it made my whole garage smell minty fresh. I'd advise some personal protection if you're planning on trying this. Neoprene disposable gloves & eye protection are cheap. A VOC-rated chemical mask is a pretty good idea too. Wintergreen oil is a fairly strong painkiller at 15% strength (BenGay Ultra), but it's a pretty powerful liver toxin at full strength. Ethylbenzene can be pretty nasty too, especially if inhaled.

    I noted that temperature is a significant factor in the speed of this process. In near-freezing temperatures, it took nearly a week. Others have suggested that an overnight bath is all that's needed at 70 or 80 degrees. I didn't use full strength xylene either, so that could have slowed it down too. Given how flammable and aromatic these chemicals are, I preferred to work with them in cold temperatures. I wouldn't advise heating them at all. Let them take their time working into the rubber.

    Results are promising. The rubber has gotten to be, well, rubbery. They smell a lot like Pepto-Bismol too. :playful:
     
  6. VF1000Fe

    VF1000Fe New Member

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    I use 5 parts Xylene to 1 part Winter-Green-Oil, because the WGO was so pricey (4oz delivered was $18).
    I was surprised at how well it restores rubber, but I have to really watch it. Some soft rubber items only needed 20min.
    The Carb Boots took about 2hrs, but really came back like New and Soft.
    Others took 4 hours (room temp). Once I waited too long and the O-Ring ended up way too big,,.. but after letting it sit out for 2 weeks, it shrank back.
    I've also used this solution to "stretch" a Shifter Lever Ball Joint Rubber Cover, so it would slip ON without ripping (doubled in size, then shrank).
    The xylene Swells the rubber, the WGO soaks in, then the Xylene out gases, disappears.
    I always work with it outside.
    I would prefer a 2:1 ratio of Xylene:WGO, but the WGO is so hard to find up here,,..
    Good Luck
     
  7. desktopdave

    desktopdave New Member

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    Those are great tips, thanks! Seems like you're using stronger chemicals that I am. I'd be surprised if the wintergreen I ordered from Bulk Apothecary was very pure - I opted for the commercial grade. It was much cheaper - only US$12 for 16 fl. oz. delivered...the higher grade essential oil was almost $40. I'm hoping it's close enough to work.
     
  8. backon2

    backon2 New Member

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    I am keeping up with this thread, as I get back into motorcycle ownership, I have an old vf500 I recently acquired. Sure do love build threads and how-to a.
     
  9. desktopdave

    desktopdave New Member

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    Forgot to update this. The old Vif is gone. I'm back down to one single machine now, the '95 VFR.

    One is never enough...I'm bound to rescue another orphan one of these days.
     
  10. NormK

    NormK New Member

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    Ok so we got to the end of Feb and you were messing with carb boots, now we hear it has gone, what happened in the middle?
     
  11. desktopdave

    desktopdave New Member

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    :biggrin:

    I managed to rejuvenate the boots with wintergreen oil. The carbs were ready to go. I was considering a few new fairing panels...but then common sense caught up with me. Another project was demanding too much time and money...so after a hard look at the costs of rebuilding the '86, I decided to cut my losses. Up it went onto Craigslist...I got a fair offer...and delivered it to a new owner.
     
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