G'Day Jerry, I'm glad you understood Cal's jibe, it must have been too subtle for my low IQ............
You're right, the "beauty" in the big GS BM's is how they work, not how they look. This one has been treated to a full "Staintune" (stainless) exhaust system, re-mapped computer and K&N filter, then was dyno-tuned for even more low to mid-range power, and it's a weapon on fast windy roads, it really must piss off the folks who've bought "sports tourers" when it rounds them up in their own territory.
I replaced the shocks at both ends with new Aussie Ikon's, they weren't cheap and I had a couple of issues installing them, but geez, what a difference, the bike doesn't "float" like it did before, with the adjustable damping set on the second position, it's very "planted" and reminds me of my old Ducati 900SS' "running on rails" cornering.
They were pretty expensive when new, but you can pick one up for less than the price of a nice CB750 nowadays, so there's no reason for anyone not to have one, and most have been looked after by their previous owners. They're excellent on dirt roads, but they're not enduro bikes, so their weight limits how far you take 'em into the bush. For me, it's great fun exploring roads that are off limits to most big road bikes. That's where I'll be going today, if the weather holds off.
I used a VintageCB750 wiring harness on Mike's K2, they didn't have a K2 harness in stock then, so I bought a later one with the square ignition plug, but it's fine, and made the task of rewiring the bike that much simpler. Mike bought new handlebar switches and of course all the new lights and blinkers came with new wires, so the only old wires used were from the alternator to the regulator/rectifier.
I'm hoping they'll be OK, I haven't finished the wiring yet, so I haven't checked to see if it's recharging the battery. I bought a cheap gel battery for it on eBay, and I must say I'm impressed, I don't think I can go back to "old school" batteries now, my Triumph Rocket III's battery is 9 years old in July, and still going strong! I bought the VintageCB750 wiring connectors and crimping tool too, and once you get the hang of the tool, it makes excellent connectors, way better than pissing around with solder or those horrible auto parts store crimp connectors.
Depending on how much you're worried about originality, I'd suggest using the K series wiring harness, handlebar switches etc, "length" won't be an issue, and you can hide your wiring inside your headlight, thus giving you the ability to throw away the stupid electrics box on the frame's downtubes, and install an oil cooler to keep that big 1000cc lump from overheating, if it gets hot enough in Colorado Springs?
Don't get too excited about that "Carb passage cleaner" mate, they're actually Oxy welder tip cleaners and only good for main jet and possibly slow jet cleaning, they don't have one small enough to undo the damage you did with your bead blaster. Get onto Hondaman and ask him if he has a fix, maybe ultrasonic cleaning might shake all those glass beads loose? Anyway, I better get some breakfast then get out on the road! Cheers, Terry.
