29 years waiting for a GPZ 900R
Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 12:29 pm
As an 18 yr old country kid with an XR200 - the release of this bike in 1984 was momentus. Not only did it change the way I looked at motorbikes but it changed the way I looked at life - I was going to save (ha!) to buy one of these goddesses and ride around Australia. The dreams of the young & the restless - of course instead I got a girlfriend (which meant car required), uni, jobs, cars, house, etc. etc. BTW I don't blame the girlfriend, especially as she is now my loving wife & mother to our two great tinlids AND she is OK with this project!
My 80's mechanical obsession has been somewhat satisfied with a:
So the wheels continue to turn, and I am now seriously looking to get myself this dream bike, but having worked with these cars previously I'm a little (top) gun-shy. Whilst I'm reasonably mechanically inclined (rebuilt the XR motor several times) I've read about the difficulty in replacing starter clutches, so it highlights that I know nothing to look out for when purchasing one of these bikes - or any bike for that matter.
I know it will need TLC, but I would greatly appreciate any pre-purchase tips & advise on the GPZ. Cheers, Adrian
My 80's mechanical obsession has been somewhat satisfied with a:
- - modified 1984 Toyota Supra - the only model I liked, 1:27.07 around Malalla (2500-3000 Class) and still miss it every day.....
- rebuild of 1981 Lotus Esprit Turbo - (dry sump) - an equisite piece of engineering, both in looks and performance. But hardly ever on the road, the cost of parts was astronomical, it almost sent me broke......love/hate memory that one.
So the wheels continue to turn, and I am now seriously looking to get myself this dream bike, but having worked with these cars previously I'm a little (top) gun-shy. Whilst I'm reasonably mechanically inclined (rebuilt the XR motor several times) I've read about the difficulty in replacing starter clutches, so it highlights that I know nothing to look out for when purchasing one of these bikes - or any bike for that matter.
I know it will need TLC, but I would greatly appreciate any pre-purchase tips & advise on the GPZ. Cheers, Adrian