[Emdy]

I bought this 82 GL500 off craigslist for a couple hundred dollars which the previous owner was trying to convert into a bob thing but had been flummoxed by trying to rebuild the front brake, gave up and bought a sportster.

Anyway I've got the front brake working and started on some subframe modifications, removing rattle can paint, trying to source a new gas tank, monoshock and figure out what this thing is gonna look like.

My last project was this k100 which is my current daily commuter.


original condition when I purchased

Current state

my working bike

I know chopping up bikes doesn't sit well with some folks. But neither of these bikes in the condition I received them was worth considering restoring to original.

 

[sacruickshank]

While I prefer keeping them original, if someone else already did the damage beyond repair then I would have no qualms with further chopping.

Gas tanks for the GL are hard to source..

 

[bahn88]

If you are planning to hold onto these bikes then there is little justified criticism of mods.....imho

 

[richnct]

I agree, what I or perhaps others express as disapproval of severe mods is really just my personal preference for maintaining originality. Biased by nostalgia in some cases 😁. And flavored with age? 😆

 

[Sidecar Bob]

Its not the changes themselves that I object to but changes made for the sake of style at the expense of function. It may be too late for your GL500 but the best advice anyone can give you about customizing any vehicle is to get it safe & reliable in more or less original condition and use it for a while before you start making any changes so it can tell you what changes it needs to make it do what you want/need better. That approach almost always results in something you actually want to keep and use but making changes based on style or on what someone else (who may or may not really understand how the changes affect the way it works) has done often results in a piece of expensive yard art that you can't stand sitting on for more than a few minutes and might even be dangerous.

BTW: Welcome to the forum. Please add your location to your profile so that you don't have to remember to tell us every time and we don't have to keep asking when you forget (see Forum Settings link in my signature).

And welcome to the world of antique vehicle ownership (they own us, not the other way around). Issues caused by the Previous Owner's attempt at customization aside, your bike is about 4 decades old and may or may not have had all of the maintenance necessary to keep it safe & reliable so it is highly recommended to download the Factory Shop Manual for your model (available through the CX Wiki - link in my signature) and go through all of the service procedures, regardless of whether your bike has reached the specified mileage.
I also recommend looking on all rubber parts with suspicion because rubber does not age gracefully. Check the date codes on your tires and replace them if they are over 5 years old no matter how good they look & feel (old rubber simply cannot flow around the irregularities in the asphalt well enough to grip, especially if it is cool or wet). It looks like your bike still has the original rubber brake line, which should have been replaced every 2 or 3 fluid changes (= 5 or 6 years) so a stainless braided one should be high on your list of upgrades (they last practically forever and double the life of the fluid). And don't forget things like the rad hoses and the boot between the engine and swingarm (they can crack on the bottom where you don't see it).

 

[MOTORCYCLEiD]

Welcome to the forum @Emdy!
Good luck with your project.

 

[CXPHREAK]

Post a build thread in the mods and custom {build threads} board so that we can see your work.

Disparagement of mods not permitted there.