how to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse for under $10

[DR]

The sow's ear...


and the silk purse..well, kinda..much more pleasing to the eye at least

$4 for sandpaper, $6 for paint, about 20 hours of rooting around detailing...easy peasy!
just need to hunt up an airbox, sideplates and seatcover at a later date when more
funding becomes available pics below of before state.

[Canam370]

Doc, is the seat cover velour or terry towelling?

[DR]

Terry towelling of course mate! When it gets really hot you can whip it off and wipe the sweat from your brow or alternatively you can use it wipe your greasy mitts on when doing trackside adjustments. Much more purposefull than a regular boring old vinyl cover don't you think 

[KB171]

Crikey  thats a cheap face lift Doc, very neat 

[Canam370]

Practical indeed Doc. However Black might have been the colour of choice to be truly utilitarian.....Blue just shows the grease stains terribly and does date badly! One does what one can with $10 I suppose..... 

[DR]

  sadly the bike isn't going to stay like this. Well, it is for the short term but I've priced the side covers as they're available new, the seat cover I want done in a dark blue 'vinyl' with a small yellow 'SUZUKI' insignia stenciled across the back. The front guard is a little 'wrong' not bad but it doesn't look quite right from my perspective. Original front guards for this and the '82 Z model are scarce as so this one stays for now. I've a pair of nice alloy rims to be laced up. I don't know how this bike ended up with N model wheels I've enough parts in stock for a complete engine rebuild and lastly I'd like to find a more suitable pair of rear shocks

then, seeing as later this year I may finally have room to display 'all' of my toys, I plan to put it in the line up with the 10 or so mini orphans I somehow seem to have collected

[LWC82PE]

I reckon it would look better if you take the spring covers off the shocks and paint the springs a colour and not have them chrome.

[firko]

Doc...how do you find the time and motovation to pump these cool bikes out with such regularity? What do you reckon I send you up a Honcho, a boot full of parts and a few bob to start off for your first commission? I'd like to restore Honcho#2 as a pitbike but I've got too much stuff on the boil to get to it this decade?

[Davey Crocket]

Just bring em on the trailer to cd7 Mark, he only lives a K or so from the highway by the Nudgee track on the way. I'm sure Doc will do them over his winter "break" for you and then you can pick em up on the way back from CD8.

[DR]

Leith , I reckon the shocks probably came off a hog as the spring rate is out of this world!! I was going to whip off the black covers as you suggested but the old tyre levers in the spring to compress it didn't even budge it 1mm on the softest setting. I use this method on all my shocks but never have I felt springs like them!

Firko, I don't know how either if I thought I could work it as income I would but even with this little 80 you can figure in over 20 hrs labour.  Even if that labour was only 20 an hour then all of a sudden it's not so favorable to anyone except for myself I really think you need to be somewhat impatient also

Davey, I be looking forward to winter already, to steal someones cliche, it's a  bloody jungle out there!

[Snowy 76]

Doc, I have a airbox off a rm80x, it`s yours if you want it.

[DR]

  Snowy you bet I'd like it! When the previous owner (Cyclone Sully in Emerald) had this bike he and I were both chasing an airbox for it for a while and couldn't find bugger all locally so this is a small miracle! I'll gladly pay you for the box and your trouble and many many thanks! PM on the way

[Loydee]

Looks great, whats the best paint for a gloss on the engine cases and the pipe? If I use VHT spray paint just ends up as dull as Saturday night TV    javascript:void(0);

[DR]

Loydee, the engine cases are satin black not gloss. They look gloss because the bike was wet

[Marc.com]

Looks great, whats the best paint for a gloss on the engine cases and the pipe? If I use VHT spray paint just ends up as dull as Saturday night TV    javascript:void(0);

I use Yamaha case paint from Wako paints, it is exact match, but not sure you can get it in OZ. VHT high temp would be hideous.