Suzuki GS450 Cafe Racer Build: Tear Down

I got the bike up on the lift. In general, I plan to work on it from front to back. Today's work involved pulling the front wheel and forks off the GS450. The first challenge was to find a way to support the bike on the lift with the fork off. I strapped the rear wheel to the lift and used a jack to lift the bike up from the bottom of the engine. Adding a strap to each side of the bike kept it stable from tipping to either side. In case the jack started to lose pressure, a jack stand will keep it supported as a back up.

I needed to fix the leaking fork seals and prepare the front end for paint. The dust seals were being held together with electrical tape. I also plan to paint the front wheel. The fender and wheel came off easily. So did the forks. The most difficult part was removing the fork oil seals. I tried prying them up, but didn't make much progress until I heated them up. That loosened them up enough that using the open end of a wrench was able to free them from the fork leg. Next steps are to order parts, paint, and get a new tire on the front wheel.

I continued to remove parts from the bike. I'll be preparing some of the parts for powder coat. Some parts will just be cleaned up and others just won't be used.

I built a small stand to put the bike on. Then I could remove the jack that had been holding it up. I didn't like the idea of the bike being on the jack and I couldn't get jack stands under it. So it is now supported by the stand under the engine and frame. There are straps on each side to hold it steady and prevent it from falling over.

Parts pulled off today include: turn signals, tank, rear fender, tail light, carburetors, seat, instruments, front controls, rear shocks, and rear wheel. I labeled wires as I went just in case I reuse the existing wiring. Although I plan to update most or all of it.

I found a little wasp nest by the tail light as a bonus. It was also a bit easier to see a dent on the right side of the tank. There are other signs of damage on the right side from the foot peg and brake lever.

I intend to lift the front of the tank up on the finished build. Here is a before and potential after angle for when I remount it.

I also need to check out the clearance for when I order a new drag-style handlebar. There is limited space between the tank and turning to the bar to the stops so need to make sure there is room.

The instruments came off easily and marked those wires as well. As the upper fork yoke came off along with the controls it really started to open the front end up. This freed up the headlight brackets which I plan to get powder coated. To pull the back wheel off, I re-strapped the bike down to the support stand.

The majority of the wiring was removed. I came across some wire connections from the stator that were charred. I'll be replacing charging system components during the rebuild. Also removed the swingarm, chain, and rear mudguard.

Looking for more information?  Check out this article on components used in my cafe racer build.