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1997 GSXR 750. Blackheart.

104K views 274 replies 58 participants last post by  TURNIP 
#1 ·
Alrighty folks. I was planning on holding out with my build thread, knowing how much you all love a finished bike. However, in favor of constructive criticism I think I'll go ahead and put her up now. Plus, it'd be nice to actually contribute something. (Looking over a lot of the latest projects on here, it's funny how popular the CBR1k tail has gotten since I started this project last year)

Anyways! Enough stalling, here she is!

Last year I bought my first motorcycle from a friend of mine. A 1997 Suzuki GSXR750. The bike had been dumped a few times; the plastics were pretty rough, and combined with a flat black rattle-can paint job, it was apparent that some work was going to be needed.

Here she is the first day back;


To make it a more fun ride for the summer, I rattle-canned all of the plastics in the commonly available "Universal Black Metallic". I also painted the air ducts with a red-metallic anodized color, and purchased chrome stock "GSXR" decals for the fairings.

Here she is after the initial clean-up;


After a fun summer of riding, it was time for a project, and the motorcycle was the logical candidate. I've always been a fan of the streetfighters, but I'd never undertaken a so fabrication-intensive project before, so I was a little worried about all the work that would go into it, however... I've got the whole winter, so what the hey?

Any ways, I began with a few quick sketches and photochops of what I was thinking I'd like to accomplish. As of right now, the profile has changed quite a bit from the initial drawings, but that's the nature of any project like this, right?





With the general idea in place it was time to begin work. I began by stripping off all of the unnecessary fairings and removing the old bubble-butt subframe.





Already things are looking better! The next move was the tuck the bulky wiring harnesses from the left side of the bike in order to clean things up, and get them out of the way.

The original wiring harness;


Tucked to the right side of the tank. Wrapped in heat-reflective tape. When finally set, the tank will almost completely hide the wires.


Things are coming along nicely at this point. The next move was to cut the Pit-Eck muffler down from it's original length. It's a relatively simple process. I used a hack-saw to cut through the carbon fiber, and pop rivets to affix everything.

Considerably shorter than before;


Consistant with my original idea, I purchased a GSXR1000 headlight and welded up a bracket upon which it could sit.

The original mock-up of the headlight;


The bracket mocked-up;


The assembly is ready for mounting up, I think I've changed my mind however since initially, however, and currently the bike is sporting two 3 1/2" round lights mounted to the forks.

Headlight aside, I finally decided on the tail I wanted. Originally I was going to use the Suzuki GSF-1200 tail fairing. However, I finally settled on the more aggressive Honda CBR1000RR tail fairing. It's pointier and shorter. In addition, the sides of it offer plenty of room to tuck in my coolant bottle and rectifier.

Mocking the new tail up;


Obviously, in order to mount the new tail, I'm going to need a new subframe. The only option is to build a custom subframe to accommodate the Honda tail on the Suzuki frame.

The new subframe, welded up from steel stock;


Before going any farther I needed a compatible seat for the project. I opted for a 2001 GSXR600 seat. It's far more comfy than the 1997 seat, and looks better with the sharper angles of this new incarnation.

Mocking up the new seat;


To accommodate the battery, ECU, rectifier and fuses, I needed to build a tray to fit the new subframe.

I used paper to give me an idea of the dimensions;


The tray was built out of 22g sheet steel, bent and welded together.

Here it is with the battery and other components put in it for a test run;


The tray enameled black. I used velcro to affix everything in it. The upside; it's held solidly but I can easily take it out. And if I need to replace it I can just go to the store and get more. I used 3m Dual Lock to attach the rectifier on the outside of the tray. This stuff is tough! I am not worried at all about the rectifier falling off.


Here is me actually working on the bike; proof that I actually have a role in the build!


My custom Mountain Dew coolant canister; aluminum and sealed with epoxy and silicon:


My new undertail! The initial design mocked up using a "Beware of Dog" sign.


The new undertail. I dig the color.


New undertail along with a new CBR1000RR taillight.


New headlights; preliminary setup.


Far more compact than before. I like the 'no-bubble-butt' approach.



continued in next post...
 
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#2 ·
Finished slapping bondo on the tail; ready to be sanded and formed:


Finished sanding the tank (after A LOT of sandblasting, sanding, aircraft paint stripper, so on and so forth)


Got a little overzealous with the sander, and polished the tank. I'll be looking into doing some custom paint to compliment the polished look. Also, finished priming, painting and clearcoating the tail. The solo cowl needs to be stripped and done again. There is a bit of orange peel in it;


Put on my third (and hopefully final) headlamp. I'm a little dubious as to whether the light output will be adequate, but I guess we'll see.


As it sits as of 01/26/09. Cleaning everything up, and getting ready to shoot the frame, tank, and remove the swingarm for paint.


Look for more updates in the near future!

If you would like to view the full album, check it out here for many more pictures! http://s489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/killroy_14_2000/Streetfighter Build/

:shocker:
 
#3 ·
I initially posted this thread on WRXModders.com, so here are a few quotes from that thread with updates;

UPDATE 11/11/08

I took Black Heart out for a little ride today for the first time since the conversion to a streetfighter, just to get a feeling for the new way in which it rides. First of all; the seat is higher than the old seat, which I love! While I'm practically on my tiptoes (even though the bike is lowered and needs to be raised), the higher body position makes the bike feel far more agile and easier to maneuver, even though it's a pretty heavy bike.

Now for the problem. Rode the bike about a mile from my garage and everything is okay (glad I didn't get pulled over; no plate, no mirrors, no signals). All of a sudden she starts sputtering badly. Great. So I pull into the first parking lot I encounter which happens to be a Jehovah's Witness church. I pull in, and try to get it started again, to no avail. I call my girlfriend who is at my house and she comes out to get me. I'm a little nervous since the Jehovah's Witnesses around here are crazy (my apologies to any who may be on this forum). Just as she pulls in, the 'witness peeping toms roll into the parking lot. I push my bike into a dark corner so I can go home and get some tools. Still; I'm not too comfortable leaving it there. Who knows what they may do. It's only one guy in a pickup though; I don't think he could get my 400lbs 'fighter into the bed of his truck by himself. So we drive off and hurry back to the garage. This guy leaves the lot right behind us. I quickly grab some tools, jumpers and gas. When we get back the bike is untouched; I hurry my ass up and throw some more gas in it, then jumped it. Seemed to be okay. I'm a moron! First time to ever run out of gas! Sad Anyways, we got out of there quick as this same pickup and another car pull into the lot. I didn't want to hang around to see what they had plans of doing. Crazy people...

Anyways! The bike is alive! Runs kind of rough, rides well, but it needs a rebuild and an idle adjustment. If I let it sit it'll just die.
UPDATE 11/16/08

Took the 'fighter out for another quick ride today; I limited it to my block though and got a quick little video. I like the way the exhaust sounds. It fits the bike pretty well; though I may angle the muffler upwards a bit more. Anyways, here's a few quick vids. Taken complimentary of my girlfriend:

http://s489.photobucket.com/albums/...r Build/?action=view&current=100-0001_MVI.flv

http://s489.photobucket.com/albums/...r Build/?action=view&current=100-0003_MVI.flv

Can't wait for some new paint! Do Work!
So what can you expect in the future? Here is what we have planned;

Phase One;
repair the tail fairing
completely strip the paint off of the tank
build solo cowl for the space just behind the seat.
purchase late-model GSXR rearsets
trim the front wheel fairing to a more aggressive angle
send the front fairing, tail, and tank out for black paint
new fuel cap
new front and rear sprockets and 520 chain; all gold.
drag bars with risers
new brass-knuckle heel guards

Phase Two;
Engine rebuild
Paint engine black
Strip frame down, paint frame black
new GSXR1000 front forks; gold
clean swingarm and paint black
adjust exhaust
custom airbrushed tank; brass knuckles

Additional plans will be updates as they come.

Acknowledgments;
Thank you very much to;
My girlfriend for being so understanding about my project and my need to tinker thus far.
My buddy Ryan for his welding skills and help with fabrication work.
Thanks to the folks at www.gixxer.com and www.customfighters.com for the technical assistance and ideas for the build.
 
#7 ·
Lookin good man! Build progress is really coming along. Im glad you opted away from the dual round lights, ive never liked them mounted like that. Only way i think they look good is touching, or vertically. Otherwise, I think they look like some sort of bug.
 
#12 ·
Agreed! That tail sharpens the whole bike up a ton. I can't get enough of fabrication!

Glad you guys like the new lamps! It's definitely more complimentary of the bike. The old ones grew a bit on me a bit, but I just couldn't get past the "bug-eyes"

I masked and primed the frame and tank yesterday. Today it'll get the top-coat, and tomorrow the clear coat. I'll be getting some clear vinyl to lay over the pain and provide some additional protection (also, in lieu of a tank pad) for high traffic areas. Anyone have any ideas for good quality clear vinyl? I'm worried about it yellowing with age and heat.
 
#11 ·
lookin good man. and i also am glad you changed the headlight setup that was gross.
 
#13 ·
why you running the forks so low in the in the tripples, do you know that the srad had a really tight stearing rake anyhow compared to other gixers, its a tight stearing bike anyhow, you should lift it back to stock.
 
#14 ·
Beat you to the punch! I lowered the front end (and not the rear >D) shortly after I got it (for looks, gah; I know! Lesson learned :p ). I rode the shit out of it this summer. The damn thing gyrated terribly in turns, so I lifted the forks back up after I tore it down. If you look in the latest pics I brought it back to almost flush with the triples. It's an absolutely HUGE improvement.
 
#16 ·
I drilled my clamps and used Yamaha VIrago 1100 risers
 
#19 ·
I'm looking at slapping on a set of touring or drag bars (when I get the funds). I think I'll be milling up the risers myself. I still have to finish painting the frame today. I'm about half way through painting it flat black so far; don't know if I like it with the clear coat on top of it yet. I'll head out there for a wetsanding shortly.

KANE, actually your bike was the first SRAD streetfighter that I ever saw; one of the inspirations behind this project.

Thanks for the input folks! I really appreciate it! Hope to have some updates for you all tonight!
 
#22 ·
Haha, I'll see what I can do about getting that side-shot. I just finished shooting the other side of the frame, along with the tank, so I'll make sure that the next series of DW pics includes a profile.

I agree on the undertail. It has to go anyways; I don't think that that sign will hold up to any sort of beating. I have a set of LEDs to mount in the undertail for turnsignals whenever I figure out what it's final design will be.
 
#23 ·
UPDATE: 01/30/09

DID WORK!

Alright; so I finished up painting the frame today, along with the preliminary design for the tank. Ideally, what I'd like to do with the tank would be similar to this, using a sharpie, and my brother's talent at art.



Keeping that in mind, I may change the red anodized paint's pattern.

Anyways, here she is as of today;


The tank;


Quite black indeed!


That tail is pretty dusty; it's been sitting in the corner the last few days;


My "shop". In a disarray currently. Oh well.


I think I'll have to put together some p-shops of other potential tank designs. Looking at it now, I'm also not sure if I'm sold on the red. Anyways, as always; I'd appreciate your input on it (and certainly any p-shops that you may throw together ;) )

Hasta La Vista.
 
#25 ·
You all may be getting sick of it by now, but here are a few more! Threw the kickstand on and pushed it outside to take a look at it in the daylight. I love it! The tank will be a bit more glossy after the final paint, the forks and swingarm will be replaced with GSXR 1000 parts so by no means is this the final look. Anyways, here we go;





:shocker: now to tune it while I wait for new parts... tedious. If anyone has any hints on tuning a GSXR carbs spill 'em! :devil:
 
#28 ·
No problem! I appreciate the comment. I have a sheet-metal solo cowl which should clean up the gap a little bit (been having trouble painting it), and hopefully make it look a little more natural. We'll see how it works when I get it all done.

bwesky said:
dude that bike is so perfectly executed! i love the look of the tail, i cant help but assume that it has been cut shorter than stock, anywho good work. dont forget to post more pix, cant get anough of them!
Thank you very much! The tail is off of a CBR1000RR. I had to trim it quite a bit to get it to fit, and I removed the center support from it.

I'm re-painting the tank today (all black thus far), just got it stripped again. I have to figure out what I want to do with graphics still. I also have to figure out what to do with the exhaust. I'd like to do something pretty low profile. I was considering throwing some baffles in the pipes and having it exit beneath the bike.

Still waiting on a new swinger and forks. Can't wait for those refund checks! :p
 
#29 ·
UPDATE: 02/09/09

Did a bit of work over the past few days! I managed to toast my starter relay a few days ago, so I have a new one on order, along with a new starter. During the down-time though I pulled off the headers and cleaned them up. I shot them with gloss black VHT paint, and followed up by wrapping them with black header wrap.

After the clean-up, I decided that even with the cut muffler, I still had too much pipe... the answer? MORE CUTTING. I chopped the pipes off at the collectors, and welded 1 1/2" pipes in with slant cut tips. I also baffled them, so I'm hoping that there is enough back pressure to make this work.

Also, to provide my frame paint with additional protection, I got a roll of 3m rockblocker to apply to high traffic areas (i.e. where my legs will be). Kind of a pain to apply. I used soapy water to prevent it adhering before I could properly lay it down. Currently I'm waiting for the water to completely evaporate so that everything will stick properly. I'm not too great at laying down the clear stuff (inc. tint) so I hope it comes out well...

ANYWAYS. pics.





And the bike with the pipes installed:

 
#30 ·
I just skimmed through the whole post... your bike is looking really nice. But I think you should do the forks, handlebars, engine rebuild, sprockets + chain, and rearsets first. In that order... Then take care of all of the cosmetic stuff. Just my .02
 
#31 ·
Haha, would that I could! Money is tight right now, so I've just been taking care of the stuff that I can swing.

In regards to the engine re-build, I think that that may wait for a while. If the carbs are tuned up better, I think she'll run perfectly fine. I'd like to do a K3+ 1000 swap.

The bike already has the 520 conversion, -1 in the front, +2 in the back, though I would like to swap them up.

Future rearsets will be custom, so I have to finish up getting them milled before I can throw anything new on.

Thanks for input! Much appreciated! :D
 
#32 ·
UPDATE 02/10/09

Got a new starter in today! Put a new starter relay in too, and everything comes on! W00t! In light of this, I put the fuel pump back in and hooked it up and it primes just fine. One of my carbs was also sticking, so I pulled the cap off of the diaphragm and it looks like the spring in there wasn't seated correctly. Adjusted that and voila! No more sticking.

So tonight I'll be making a bracket for my gauges and tomorrow I may just see about starting this bad chicken up! CAN'T WAIT!!!

...then... tunin' time.
 
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