First Starts of 2019

"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
02/04/2019 at 13:05 • Filed to: wrenching

Surprisingly, I stopped riding in December once the snow started coming down hard. Riding became legit dangerous so I did the responsible thing and stopped. Looks like it may be time to break out the toys again soon!

First up, I finally got a look at the GSX1100G without ice and snow covering it. Yep, I never really got a good look at it before I got it as so much was obscured in snow and ice.

So I’ve read online, this particular red colour had an issue with the clearcoat on the tank peeling and the sun subsequently causing paint fade. Right now it actually has a really cool almost pearl look to it. So I think I’ll just seal the paint leave it as is.

The brake rotors certainly got a tad of rust being buried in 2ft of snow.

There’s a nice dent on the tank, though thankfully no crease and no missing paint...well, any more than was already missing, anyway.

Don’t worry about the puddle of oil, that actually came from the scooter when it was spilling milk out of its crank breather.

And in other news, I went out to my storage garage to get everything started and ready for riding. The GS850G started like I’ve been regularly riding it. (Ignore the fuel level, since the stand gives the bike a “gangster lean” the fuel gauge will read empty if it’s at less than half tank and sitting on the stand.)

The scooter started fine as did both smarts, and I did get the two stroke to run for about 30 seconds (tank was empty). I’ll start the Goldwing and try to start the GSX when I get home!

Next I’ll use the momentary warm weather to get the alternator in the cabrio unstuck again. The car is so close to being a daily, but little issues keep popping up.

Side note: Kinja didn’t eat my last post. Once I sobered up and lost the hangover I facepalmed myself hard and got rid of it.

DISCUSSION (8)

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Mercedes Streeter
02/04/2019 at 13:19

how’s the goldwing tho

I love that damn goldwing

Mercedes Streeter > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/04/2019 at 13:22

Absolute perfect. The PO’s resto is still holding up. Only issue I’m experiencing right now is that the old flasher unit it has is now actually dead, so I’ll need to replace it if I want to stop using hand signals for turns.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Mercedes Streeter
02/04/2019 at 13:24

Don’t let a $12-at-autozone part compromise your safety! Or, if you don’t want to fix it, feel free to ride it over to my house and just leave it here.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Mercedes Streeter
02/04/2019 at 13:25

Nice to see the factory exhaust still on the GSX . That’s usually the first thing that goes after the 2nd or 3rd owners get their mitts on a bike. A little steel wool should take that rust off the cans I think. How long since it last ran?

Mercedes Streeter > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
02/04/2019 at 13:37

Muahahaha! Oh yeah, I know it’s a $12 part. I haven’t ridden it since the first snow back in November (there’s a comically low amount of rust and I want to keep it that way) so I haven’t bothered getting around to it yet.

Mercedes Streeter > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom
02/04/2019 at 13:43

A few months since it was last started, a few additional months since it last rode (carbs need a cleaning)...2009 since it was last registered. The story goes that the person who owned it up to early 2018 just stopped riding it and left it outside. Then the guy I get it from picks it up, gets it running and riding, then forgets about it in his garage while he worked on other projects (guy has more bikes than me and about half of them are all in pieces).

Funny enough, even the guy I got it from expressed amazement that the factory exhaust is intact and in pretty good condition. I honestly thought the exhaust was brand new! lol

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Mercedes Streeter
02/04/2019 at 14:25

Roughly a million years ago (1988 A.D. ) I bought a Honda V65 Sabre that had sat in a dude’s garage for a long time. The scoot was mint, and had just over 1000 miles, but was too much bike for the guy I bought it from . After cranking it with jumpers for probably half an hour we got it started. Barely. I remember riding it home on two and sometimes three cylinders. I didn’t pull the carbs off ( having done so previously on my V65 Magna I knew it would be a PITA) so I drilled out the mixture screw plugs and took them out one at a time. With the engine running, each carb got a long squirt of carb cleaner . I did this probably three or four times over the course of a week until the gum finally cleared out. I hope you have the same luck .

Decay buys too many beaters > Mercedes Streeter
02/04/2019 at 15:22

Every time I come back here you’ve changed up the stable!

Also lol, got to love the 55mph speedos on motorbikes