Oppo, Help Me Decide!

"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
06/12/2019 at 12:08 • Filed to: Two Wheels Good

I’ve owned my Suzuki GS 850G for nearly a year now and it’s one of those bikes I just want to hold onto for a while. It’s just an awesome all rounder, sounds great, and is in perfect mechanical shape. Once I do the front forks the darn thing will be one of the most mechanically perfect vehicles I own.

But for all this time, I’ve never been sure about its looks. Just about everything on this bike but the wheels looks heavily worn. A lot of people just said “leave it alone, it shows character and tells the bike’s story. It’s natural patina!”. And sure, I guess nicks, blemishes and faded paint can tell a story. Unfortunately for me I don’t know anything about this bike’s past, so the whole “character” and “story” bits are lost on me.

It doesn’t look too bad from the left, where the tank’s paint is remarkably solid and really only the plastic bits are worn.

But the right side was clearly partially resprayed by someone who didn’t bother to color match.

The bike isn’t an eyesore by any means and people seem to give it a lot of street cred for looking this rough but running so well.

I’ve off and on considered doing that “night special” idea I had with the Rebel on this bike. Paint the engine and pipes black (like my Goldwing’s), then do the tank and plastic panels in white with a pink racing stripe. Paired with a flatter seat, I think it’d look pretty cool! I’d leave the wheels alone and at most do temporary plasti-dip wheel jobs for events (white and pink would work great with sky blue (trans colors) wheels for the Pride parade this bike may be in at the end of the month).

But part of me just wants to leave it alone because the bike runs so darn well and the paint is merely cosmetic. Why fix what’s not broken? Besides, I already have a project in the form of Ranger rust fixes!

What would you do, Oppo?

And for your time, have this Google Street View car I followed behind this morning. ;)

DISCUSSION (27)

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Mercedes Streeter
06/12/2019 at 12:15

Wait a sec, what’s that Yamaha enduro looking thing? A DT?

Mercedes Streeter > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
06/12/2019 at 12:17

1972 Yamaha DT 175. I basically consider it to be my Grom. lol Front tire got all dry rotted so it’s parked until I get a new one in.

bob and john > Mercedes Streeter
06/12/2019 at 12:19

do not paint the motor and shit black. it never looks good.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Mercedes Streeter
06/12/2019 at 12:19

Noice. There’s a DT175 for sale near me, little bit of surface rust, no grips on the handlebars, no front brake (might just be missing the handle for dirt purposes), makes compression, doesn’t fire. $250. I’m... considering it.

How easy is it to work on? Would you talk me out of or talk me into buying one?

Discerning > Mercedes Streeter
06/12/2019 at 12:21

Do what you want to do. Your plan sounds like it would turn out nice. If that sounds more appealing then go for it.

If it sounds like more work than fun then maybe pass on it. But it sounds like it could be fun to me

Mercedes Streeter > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
06/12/2019 at 12:22

Really easy, provided bolts aren’t rusted to oblivion!

I wouldn’t ever talk someone out of a two stroke, especially one better than a 90 or 100. :D

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Mercedes Streeter
06/12/2019 at 12:24

So the question is... DT175 or a Tomos Bullet?

Mercedes Streeter > Discerning
06/12/2019 at 12:25

Sounds like a reasonable opinion! With the assistance of my friend it could be done really quickly and cheaply, so work was never an issue. I actually considered painting it as my winter project, but since I was never able to get off the fence on the idea I let it pass. lol

Mercedes Streeter > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
06/12/2019 at 12:28

Depends on what you’re looking for. A DT175 is a highway legal bike and could keep up with most traffic. The Tomos will come with the near-cult level modding community, but you’ll basically be a powered bicycle with the top speed near that of a Chinese scooter.

ETA: And of course, the DT175 will also be a decently capable offroader, too.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Mercedes Streeter
06/12/2019 at 12:31

I’m not planning to take it on the highway, whatever I buy, at least for a while. I got my bike endorsement last summer but never got around to buying a bike. I probably won’t go the Tomos route because I want to shift.

Mercedes Streeter > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
06/12/2019 at 12:34

Makes sense. If it’s cheap, I’d say go for the DT175! Mine is another “forever bike”. It’s just so fun to ride and there isn’t much to break on these things.

bob and john > Mercedes Streeter
06/12/2019 at 12:38

dump them all but the CBR F3. ride that for a bit.

Mercedes Streeter > bob and john
06/12/2019 at 12:40

Ha, not gonna happen. You’ll have to pry that Goldwing, GS, and DT175 out of my cold dead hands.

I mean, don’t you also have multiple bikes, dude? Edit : Come to think of it, lately most of your comments to me are negative in some way. :( D o I bother you or something?

bob and john > Mercedes Streeter
06/12/2019 at 12:52

most of which just showed up.

and I mainly ride the daytona. CBF if I want to take a passenger or luggage.

250 RR is show special bike.
VFR is not yet built to spec
yellow daytona is track only.
SV is on kijiji looking for a buyer.

also, I have a garage in which to keep them. and 1 car. not 6 bikes and 4 cars.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Mercedes Streeter
06/12/2019 at 12:53

I know nothing of 2 strokes, so if nothing else it'll be a fun learning experience!

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > Mercedes Streeter
06/12/2019 at 13:19

Fine steel wool. A friend was selling his GL11 00 Aspencade a few years ago for $1850. He was concerned about the looks and was willing to drop it to $1500 if people complained about the looks. I spent an afternoon cleaning and polishing all the metal bits and all of a sudden he thought he was asking too little. The first person that looked at it tried to talk him down but he stuck to his guns and got the full asking price.

Shiny metal, of which there is much on a classic bike, can really divert the eyes away from any paint flaws. Polish and wax the metal and you won’t notice the paint issues as much.

450X_FTW > Mercedes Streeter
06/12/2019 at 13:53

When in doubt, cafe it. Just be ready for a lot of headaches if you try to do too much like I did. This one took 5 years to complete

Kinja'd!!!

Mercedes Streeter > bob and john
06/12/2019 at 13:55

All of my current ones (5) save for the CBR and the U7E are last year’s bikes with both the Goldwing and GS coming up on a year of ownership and several thousand miles of riding. It’s been 3 months since I bought a bike, then I sold the money pits, sold the Chinesium, and believe it or not but I actually like things as they are right now. I have a bike for any kind of riding I want to do and everything runs and rides.

I do have a garage for all the bikes but that garage is 10 miles away so a bit inconvenient when it comes to daily ridden stuff. So the dailys and/or current projects are at home under covers.

So yeah, aside from marginally more money in my pocket I don’t see anything I’d like from going down to just 1.

Mercedes Streeter > 450X_FTW
06/12/2019 at 14:21

5 years!?!? I don’t wanna know what takes 5 years but at least your end result looks gorgeous!

Nah, I don’t want to cafe this one.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Mercedes Streeter
06/12/2019 at 16:16

If it was me, I would leave it as-is and drive it as-is.

But then again, I’m a cheapskate who doesn’t spend money on cosmetic stuff for his vehicles.

sn4cktimes > Mercedes Streeter
06/12/2019 at 16:53

I’m a fan of really light bikes. Anything over 350lbs is pretty much off my list forever now. Once I started riding my 350 Husky Enduro I don’t think I could go back to anything much bulkier. Even with the inconvenience of a 36” high seat, dirt bike vibrations (tires and single thumper motor), and awful seat. But I mostly ride in the city with it and have only done a few long distance hauls on it. It sounds like you rack some miles. So I’d keep whatever you like for town rides, and something for longer rides. Or one of the smaller bikes, and one of the middle ground bikes like the Suzuki that does both kinda well.

Decay buys too many beaters > Mercedes Streeter
06/12/2019 at 17:14

I say skip the paint, get some metal poli sh and go to town, you’d be amazed as how much oxidation that can remove. That or just leave it and ride it (coming from a person who’s idea of cleaning bikes is riding through the rain)

Decay buys too many beaters > bob and john
06/12/2019 at 17:15

Ew no.
If anything the GS is the most rounded thing in the stable.

450X_FTW > Mercedes Streeter
06/13/2019 at 07:22

I tried to do too much with too little knowledge. Mainly the wiring system (I tried to replace the gauges with new modern ones, then the controls for switches on the bars and I ended up causing way more issues than solving them). Now I know for my next build to not mess with the electrical part of it.

shop-teacher > Mercedes Streeter
06/13/2019 at 09:37

Wait until the day when you have your own real garage.

Mercedes Streeter > shop-teacher
06/13/2019 at 10:42

Shhhh...at this point my dream home is just an old car dealership with a shower and a passable kitchen. lol

shop-teacher > Mercedes Streeter
06/14/2019 at 00:51

This would also work.

Or an old Fire Station.