I've wanted a first gen oil head GS for a while now and now I have one. It is rough and has been ridden hard and put away wet but it runs better than it has a right to. My plan is to play around with it over the winter and then decide if it's a keeper in the spring. She's been around the block a few times so it's good that I picked her up cheap.
Picked up a beater
- Thread starter Ausfahrt
- Start date
Those boxers can rack up the miles! In high school a couple of friends' dad had a couple of hundred thousand in one. It started to burn oil so he did an in frame ring job on it in their carport one winter while I was hanging out at their house. He was still riding it a decade later.
Looks like it will keep your feet warm in the fall. ;-)
Love the exhaust Y-pipe.
What year?
What are the black pouch-like things below the seat? There's one on either side.
Also, what's the black cylindrical thing ~2" x 7"- between the seat and the rear wheel?
What year?
What are the black pouch-like things below the seat? There's one on either side.
Also, what's the black cylindrical thing ~2" x 7"- between the seat and the rear wheel?
Thats a pretty sexy stalk repair on the turn signal.
I'd be concerned on the final drive maintenance and condition.
Nice project though.
I'd be concerned on the final drive maintenance and condition.
Nice project though.
1996.
The pouches are small packing vessels that the previous owner added. The black cylinder is a rusty old charcoal canister that is amazingly still there after all the miles and many owners of this bike.
Ha...The R1100S was the only bike I considered buying.
I admired one and word got out that I was looking.
A coworker had a friend who owned one which had been in storage ~3 years.
The likelihood that I'd only ride seasonally (read: perennial beginner), led me to decline.
I admired one and word got out that I was looking.
A coworker had a friend who owned one which had been in storage ~3 years.
The likelihood that I'd only ride seasonally (read: perennial beginner), led me to decline.
Well, as long as you can still get any important parts for it, have fun with it. Ebay has always been a source of parts for my bikes, you should be able to get any bits and pieces there. Getting a repair manual might be helpful in case there's something you haven't messed around with. I'd look for a sidecar for it, this way you can take it out in the snow.,,,
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- Aug 18, 2025
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- 564
saw this on marketplace thought it looked like a good deal..I should offer $1500..my daughter and her husband live in bozeman so they could check it out...much prefer spoked wheels on GS's
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2339537439817784/?ref=browse_tab&referral_code=marketplace_general&referral_story_type=general_listing&tracking={"qid":"-8058744096715623059","mf_story_key":"8934701144551707684","top_level_post_id":"8934701144551707684","commerce_rank_obj":"{\"target_id\":8934701144551707684,\"target_type\":6,\"primary_position\":0,\"ranking_signature\":8110432134456647799,\"ranking_request_id\":3425228297795746168,\"commerce_channel\":501,\"value\":7.4658202858177e-5,\"upsell_type\":129,\"candidate_retrieval_source_map\":{\"25230725129884299\":3186,\"24998952603106752\":3001,\"9757542901013174\":3547,\"24346655394958638\":3547,\"32447946058129613\":5025,\"24209306538751815\":5025},\"grouping_info\":null}"}
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2339537439817784/?ref=browse_tab&referral_code=marketplace_general&referral_story_type=general_listing&tracking={"qid":"-8058744096715623059","mf_story_key":"8934701144551707684","top_level_post_id":"8934701144551707684","commerce_rank_obj":"{\"target_id\":8934701144551707684,\"target_type\":6,\"primary_position\":0,\"ranking_signature\":8110432134456647799,\"ranking_request_id\":3425228297795746168,\"commerce_channel\":501,\"value\":7.4658202858177e-5,\"upsell_type\":129,\"candidate_retrieval_source_map\":{\"25230725129884299\":3186,\"24998952603106752\":3001,\"9757542901013174\":3547,\"24346655394958638\":3547,\"32447946058129613\":5025,\"24209306538751815\":5025},\"grouping_info\":null}"}
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- Aug 18, 2025
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- 564
I can see some tell tale signs to the contrary but hey it is an adventure bike and it happens...
Now that I have had a little time to mess with my new project it definitely needs some love. The first thing that I wanted to address was the cocked front end. The biked tracks true so I don't think that the frame is bent but it looked like this from the front.
After playing around a bit with my pry bar and a ratchet strap...
It looks like this...
Not perfect but a lot better. Here are a few more pictures that show just how rough this 30 year old bike with lots of miles really is.
If I can get this bike roadworthy on the cheap then I may keep it as a backup for my '07 GSA and for my son to ride when he visits us. This will be a budget project because even though I like the bike, I can't justify putting a lot of money into it.
After playing around a bit with my pry bar and a ratchet strap...
It looks like this...
Not perfect but a lot better. Here are a few more pictures that show just how rough this 30 year old bike with lots of miles really is.
If I can get this bike roadworthy on the cheap then I may keep it as a backup for my '07 GSA and for my son to ride when he visits us. This will be a budget project because even though I like the bike, I can't justify putting a lot of money into it.
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One word: TANK 
The bike has a wicked lean on the side stand.
So I removed the kickstand and it has a bend that I have not been able to straighten out with my shop vise and pipe. I'll need to get back to this.
The air filter looks new but a mouse or two may have munched on it a bit. I blew it out with compressed air and put it back in. Good enough for this old girl.
Amazingly, the charcoal canister was still on the bike. Until now.
So I removed the kickstand and it has a bend that I have not been able to straighten out with my shop vise and pipe. I'll need to get back to this.
The air filter looks new but a mouse or two may have munched on it a bit. I blew it out with compressed air and put it back in. Good enough for this old girl.
Amazingly, the charcoal canister was still on the bike. Until now.
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