Progress

I spoke to Western Spares in Stoke today - can get a custom steering stem made up to fit the KTM forks to the GS. Should be fairly cheap too. Great news!

Day 3

The forks are off! The top set of bearings collapsed as the stem was withdrawn, but I kinda saw that coming! Cheers to Laurie for helping out and providing moral support!

New forks

Won a nice set of KTM 640 Adventure USD forks on eBay yesterday.
£100, and they'll only need a little modification to get them onto the GS. (1mm reduction in steering stem diameter with a lathe.)

Bargain!

Day 2

Another day of good weather, do I thought I'd crack on with the disassembly.

The rear subframe and tank were a bit of a trial - lots of seized bolts. But got them off eventually.

Got my first good look at the electrical system today. It isn't pretty.
I discovered that the previous owner had ripped out the ABS unit, cut off the plugs on the loom and stuffed all of the loose cables under the airbox. Explains the sporadic shorts and speedo malfunctions.

Time for a new non-ABS loom methinks...

Day 1

So, today it all started.

I dismantled the fairing, exhaust, rear box and headlight. Fairly simple so far, had to use a grinder to remove the exhaust bracket - but other than that, all was good.

The Project begins...

What better way to start than with a little history of both the bike and the rider?

My riding career began in September 2006, when I was given this lovely Suzuki EN125-2A for my 18th birthday. A really good start. Reliable, fairly nippy, cheap to run and very cheap to insure.

I rode for 7 months before taking and passing the A2 restricted motorcycle testand continued on the 125 until February 2008 when it changed ownership to my brother and I bought my first 'Big Bike' - a Jap import Suzuki GSF400 Bandit.

This was my first taste of real biking. A fast, loud and good looking machine that really turned heads and got my pulse racing.

In April 2009 my restricted licence was automatically upgraded to full and unrestricted. Of course, I wanted to go bigger and better, so a month or so later, I bought my first really big bike. A 1991 BMW R100GS with Paris Dakar tank and fairing.

The GS was a nightmare. The engine, carbs, electrical system and drivetrain were all completely useless. So, I sold it on to someone who had a little more time on his hands than me! 

Of course, I needed a bike, so I bought a KTM 640 LC4 Supermoto. This most fun I've ever had on 2 wheels! 

A real scream. Pulled like a train, looks good and sounded like rolling thunder.

In November 2011 I took on some Charity Work with Devon Freewheelers - a motorcycle charity that carry blood, medication and organs for the NHS. This necessitated having a bike that could travel reasonable distances whilst carrying luggage and not rendering me unable to walk whilst doing so.

So, I followed the yearnings that I'd had for another GS since shifting the R100 and part-ex'd the KTM for my rather used '01 F650GS Dakar from at dealership in London in December 2011.

I got a very reasonable price, but the reason for this would emerge later on...

After only a short time, I noticed problems. The Speedo was dodgy, bouncing around all over the place (worsened by switching on the heated grips). The Front Wheel was bent, the chain was knackered - (it broke on a ride to a charity event in Exeter), the engine cut out in wet conditions and the coolant system leaked. 

The Garage that sold me the bike were less than helpful, and my local BMW dealer quoted £2500 to fix all the problems. So I fixed it up myself for less than £200. Which was a result!

In March 2012 I acquired a 1998 Kawasaki ER5 for the princely sum of £120 from my step-uncle. Absolute bargain! I got it MOT'd and insured and the GS took her place in the garage ready for some work.

I began to disassemble the fairing and thought to myself 'Why don't I really make something of this bike? Why don't I rebuild it and set it up for some proper riding?'

That was it - it had begun!