Gettin' Naked

[Scratcher09]

A few months ago I bought an '82 Interstate with the intention of stripping the fairing, bags, luggage, guards, and extra lighting etc. This is going to be done on a shoestring budget. I have been meaning to start this thread for a while and have been taking some pics of my progress so now i'm going to bring it up to date. Here is a pic of when I first got her. Ran decent though idled rough.

[Scratcher09]

First order of business was to put this baby on a diet. I removed everything that I didn't need. Shed alot of pounds. I like the way she handles now.

[Scratcher09]

I temporarily adapted a headlight and bucket off a Virago just so I could get a feel for her on the road. Next task was the paint. I prepped, primed, base coated, shot a chameleon copper/green, and cleared. I used House of Color UC35 clear. It was developed for use on boats and bikes. It is very resistant to fuel and I always get good results. I will post some pics.

[Scratcher09]

After painting, I reassembled and added a tail light with integrated turn signals (IMHO most stock tail/signal lights are an eye soar). I also got ahold of a headlight and bucket off an old CB900 and ordered a pair of simple brackets for said headlight. I replaced the choke cable cuz the plastic neck was broken. Replaced the throttle pull cable which was fraying too. I changed plugs, oil and filter, flushed the coolant, replaced thermostat, and replaced radiator cap and hoses. Now the fun part. I pulled the carbs and tore 'em down to see what I'd find. They were not too dirty and the o rings etc. looked to be fairly recent. So I dipped them in an ultrasonic cleaner, polished the intakes and vac chambers, and reassembled. Replaced the fuel filter. I followed a how to by Roady. She fired right up. Noticed a leak so I removed them again to find a small o ring between plenum and carb 3 was cracked. I made my own out of gasket material and again fired right up. Leak solved. Idles great, runs good--definate improvement. Only glitch is at wide open throttle she pulls great till I get to about 6500 or 7000 rpm. There is a slight hesitation there. Its only there if I'm really gettin' on it. Have yet to synch with vac gauges ( I dont have adapters for theaded hole in intakes yet).

[Scratcher09]

By the way, that was my first attempt at polishing. Picked up a Delta buffer really cheap at a flea market. It came out pretty good. I wasn't trying to get it perfect.

[Scratcher09]

Went on a nine hour ride (several stops and lunch). Anyone heard of the Three Twisted Sisters in Texas? Great ride if you like the twistys. It was her maiden voyage and she did great.

[Scratcher09]

I think I'd like to significantly shorten the rear fender. Wish I would have thought of that before I painted.

[Scratcher09]

Today i decided to lose that butt-ugly seat. I went to an upholstery supply shop and bought some very firm foam and some marine grade vinyl. I wanted very firm foam because I am 5'6' and having a low seat will put the rest of my feet on the ground. I can't figure out any other way to lower the rear being that there is air shocks. Anyone have any ideas? Anyway, back to the fugly seat. I stripped off the cover and foam so I can reuse the pan.

[Scratcher09]

Then I started adding layers of foam to achieve the shape I was looking for. I used a sharp box cutter to get rough shape and then grinder with a sanding disk to finish it. I wanted to go more cafe style but I don't have a sewing machine so that rules out any sharp angles. Im trying to create a shape that I can cover without having to sew anything. I love the look of the Gunfighter but I dont think they make one for the GL1100 and if they did I couldn't afford it anyway. Materials cost me $25 to do this.

[Scratcher09]

I used a softer foam (stolen from an old office chair ) for the last layer cuz I thought it might be more comfortable for a passenger on long rides.

[Scratcher09]

Ready to stretch the vinyl over it but I ran out of adhesive spray so i will have to finish tomorrow.

[handyman1018]

Very nice!!!

I love that paint. Plan on doing the same thing to my seat in time so appreciate the build details. Keep it coming.

[Sagebrush]

That is a beautiful paint scheme on that ride. As far as the rear fender two lengths were made. A longer one for the Honda Interstates and a shorter length for the standard. You may be able to find the shorter one and just paint that and not have to ruin the job on your current fender.

[Scratcher09]

Thanks. I will look for a Standard fender. I didn't know they were shorter. That gives me an option.

[SW3DL1]

Thanks. I will look for a Standard fender. I didn't know they were shorter. That gives me an option.

I'm doing the same transformation, only an 82 Aspencade to an 82 Standard. I have the Aspey rear fender and an Interstate rear fender. Anyone know the diffrence, measurement wise, between the Standard fender and the others. Anyone have a picture of a Standard fender or a GL1100 with a Standard rear fender they could show us?