working on my Bobber project...
 

Hi all!

Just joined the forum - what a great site. I bought my GZ 3 weeks ago in great shape with 11k miles on it from a craigslist ad - specifically to try my hand at creatin' a sweet old-school bobber type ride. :)

Got it home and started taking it apart. I used mountain bike handle bars for 'drag bars', a house gas vent cover from HomeDepot for air intake cover, and part of a golf-ball picker upper :roll: for the exhaust pipe. Plus rattle can paint...and a trailer tail light from Walmart :tongue:

Anyways, she looks awesome and rides excellent - i love the short bars too. People constantly think it's a bigger bike of some type...always asking "What is it?". And it's a completely stock GZ so it's dependable & economical to ride. I guess it's a "Commuter Bobber"... :retard:

I'll post more pics when I get time... You can see in this collage picture that i've gotten a lot more done.

Things I plan to do before selling it to finance a bigger bike bobber:
a) paint on wide white walls
b) find a different seat (more in the bobber style)

Have fun & enjoy!
mark

Re: working on my Bobber project...
 

WOW

Re: working on my Bobber project...
 

I dig it!

Re: working on my Bobber project...
 

Welcome.Very sharp.How did you do the flames?

Re: working on my Bobber project...
 

nice

Re: working on my Bobber project...
 

Looks good, great actually, certainly different, but a few questions - How legal is that without rear view mirrors, horn, turn signals? Does it have to be inspected where you live or what happens if a cop sees you? How's the new exhaust sound, what did you make it out of?, and I assume it didn't change much how it runs.

Re: working on my Bobber project...
 

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Re: working on my Bobber project...
 

Thanks for the kind remarks everyone :)

I am having a great time doing the project, especially being creative and resourceful with the parts & tools I have to work with. I'm working on a new seat now, instead of buying one. I bought some black vinyl material and already had the foam & duct tape & cardboard...still in the design phase for the moment.

I do agree with you kraznos - it's more of a bobber mini-bike, really. But it's half the cost of one of those Kikker 5150 Hardknocker bobber/choppers and I don't really trust those things - despite how cool they look. There is several around here for sale at $1700-2000 ! check 'em out here if you don't know what i'm talking about: http://www.oldschoolhardknock.com/index.html

Seeing those hardknockers (heehee) got me started down this road 3 or 4 years ago. But I like the fact that Suzuki makes good bikes and parts can be had easy enough - vs those hardknockers where you don't know what you're getting or how long it'll last - and they seem even MORE like a mini-bike to me...the new V-twin model looks awesome.

On to the questions -

How legal is that without rear view mirrors, horn, turn signals?
------- Not sure, don't really care. I know several Harley guys that have stripped down bikes too, so if I get a ticket - oh well. I have all the parts to put back on...

Does it have to be inspected where you live or what happens if a cop sees you?
------- I've rode past a couple cops - not been stopped yet. It's louder than hell :) :) :) so I try to coast easy past the fuzz. No inspections here in Colorado - unless you bring it in from out of state - then they do a VIN inspection when you get your title.

How's the new exhaust sound, what did you make it out of?
--------- as mentioned, It's loud - very satisfyingly so, in fact. Had several guys comment in a positive way on the cool sound. Yes - i've got no back pressure, so don't let off the gas to coast to a stop (pop-pop-pop-pop!) - still runs great. I didn't ride it enough in the stock configuration to know if it lost power or what the change did.

The exhaust is made from one of these my boss had lying around collecting dust at work (it must've been 15 years old or more): http://www.lakegolf.co.uk/ekmps/shops/b ... -135-p.jpg

I call it my "machine gun" exhaust - reminds me of some WWII gun sticking out of a fighter's wing...

The flames are a simple stencil of a single "flame" I cut in some stiff cardboard tracing canning jar lids for the circular elements. I can't draw round things by hand worth a damn.
Then I used some "Jade" satin paint and sprayed each flame on - one at a time. The stencil has 1" edges that stick up to catch most of the overspray that would otherwise land on what you're painting. Honestly I was going for a lighter touch with them - like the front fender, which I did last. But I really like them...

Well back to the seat build...you all enjoy the day!

-- Mark

Re: working on my Bobber project...
 

Just a few pics from recently....enjoy!

Re: working on my Bobber project...
 

Okay, I really like the exhaust in those last pictures. Looks very industrial.

Very nice job.