My buddy's TL1000R basket case

fazer1sniper

fazer1sniper

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My friends TL1000R basket case. it's an 01 and and is pretty damn thrashed. When I offered to patch it up and paint it I got myself into a hell of a project. I look forward to picking some brains and getting some usefull advice on this rebuild and I'm open to sugestions. It clearly has alot of issues. One stupid problem is the lack of a horn. The switch is functional and has power, but I'll be damned if I can find the hot wire to the horn. Any wisdom out there on this?
 
I hope your buddy is okay and isn't in as bad a condition as his bike is. If you can pick up a service manual for the bike, it should have the wiring diagram in it to trace the color of the horn wire. Is there any plugs hanging down in front that aren't connected to anything?
 
I found the horn mount, directly in front of the upper radiator. BUT NO LEAD!
Gonna try and downdowd the pdf of the shop manual tomarrow. I've had the beast a couple weeks now and hitting it hard on weekends. I have done a ton of repairs and fabed some special parts. The owner bought the bike off a guy who had the bike left to him by the original owner, a rookie rider who didnt think it was cool to ride with a lid and full armor. He did'nt make it.:shame:... Anyway, I hope Ed has more common sence than her last rider. I'm all about this bike rolling out safe and reliable. And if it can look cool, all the better.
 
Wow, that is a sad story about the original owner, but all too common.

Keep us posted on the project. I just bought a project bike myself today. It's a '97 Yamaha YZF1000, but it's in much better shape than that TL ;)
 
This 01 Suzuki TL1000R V-Twin superbike is a powerfull bike. Not for a novice rider IMO. But we ain't exactly out there on a 250 Ninja. These bike only go as fast as our right wrists tell them to go. I know what pavement feels like & do all I can to keep that from happining again. But the last time was a deer. I had no chance. Lucky nuff that I was able to bitch about it later. I know that there are bikes on the market that can out perform the FZ1's that we ride, but I have told many riders, there is a fine line between a RESPONSIVE bike & one that is UNFORGIVING to a tiny mistake.
 
fazer1sniper said:
I found the horn mount, directly in front of the upper radiator. BUT NO LEAD!
Gonna try and downdowd the pdf of the shop manual tomarrow. I've had the beast a couple weeks now and hitting it hard on weekends. I have done a ton of repairs and fabed some special parts. The owner bought the bike off a guy who had the bike left to him by the original owner, a rookie rider who didnt think it was cool to ride with a lid and full armor. He did'nt make it.:shame:... Anyway, I hope Ed has more common sence than her last rider. I'm all about this bike rolling out safe and reliable. And if it can look cool, all the better.
Click to expand...

Any way. looking at the tank, before and after, your doing a great job.
Question, what kind of cost is going in to this bike, if you don't mind me asking.
 
Sigh... Ya had to ask. Let's just say, I'm taking a bath on this one. Barely 'nuff to cover supplies on this rebuild, not couting fabbing the undertail, gutting the pipes, remapping the Power Commander, building the vertical plate and the hours.... Ed is a good guy. Sold his Gixxer 1000 last year to get his wife a new car. I worked with him in juvinile where he was in corrections and I was banished there after SWAT. But there is a method to my maddness. He is a ranking guy in the largest Motorcycle Club in town. Mostly 1 liter sport bike riders with less then 'nuff experience to handle them. This means, lot's of busted up high dollar bikes.:sinister: I want this bike, after all these guys saw it before & after, come to me first.
 
I don't know -- maybe I should look for a career change -- instead of building with sticks and bricks I could remodel with paint/metal. I just don't have the time in large blocks to be able to dedicate myself to the endless hours (according to my wife) and a blink of an eye to me.

Looks good and waiting for the end reslult.

skills such as these may have members coming your way.....

Adam
 
I wonder what Suzuki was thinking when they designed the TLR. When you have a v-twin you're supposed to take advantage of that and make a narrow bike. Look at a Ducati and you know what I mean. But the TLR looks fatter than the GSXR's! Very strange.
 
The first thing I would check is the integrity of the front fork, frame, and swingarm alignment. If any of those three is out of whack, all the cosmetic stuff isn't going to be relevant. How do they look so far?
 
The bike did get mechanical work before I got it. With the exception of the electrical issues, it seems solid. I rode it 18 miles from his place to mine. Tracked well, no shake, I even manged to cut the chicken strips in half.
 
I hope your friend is ok. I am sure he is feeling down without his bike, however, you are a good friend and person to help him out like this. Good luck with the rebuild.
 
fazer1sniper said:
Sigh... Ya had to ask. Let's just say, I'm taking a bath on this one. Barely 'nuff to cover supplies on this rebuild, not couting fabbing the undertail, gutting the pipes, remapping the Power Commander, building the vertical plate and the hours.... Ed is a good guy. Sold his Gixxer 1000 last year to get his wife a new car. I worked with him in juvinile where he was in corrections and I was banished there after SWAT. But there is a method to my maddness. He is a ranking guy in the largest Motorcycle Club in town. Mostly 1 liter sport bike riders with less then 'nuff experience to handle them. This means, lot's of busted up high dollar bikes.:sinister: I want this bike, after all these guys saw it before & after, come to me first.
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LOL Sorry I had to ask, seems I have done a bit of body work on my bike and helmet. No where near the amount of work your taking on. I spent over $ 500. just for supplies to paint my bike my self. If I had to pay some one the bike would have stayed as is LOL. I just could not afford it at the time.

Any way, I know you are forking out $ and time on that bike. I'm sure it will pay off in the end, I just hope the other guys don't expect the same treatment as this guy.
 
Ideas?

Qustion for you guys: What cosmetic mods/fabs would you add to this build? I'm open on this cause it's not my type of bike. I just want to keep an open mind to whats hot right now.
 
fazer1sniper said:
Qustion for you guys: What cosmetic mods/fabs would you add to this build? I'm open on this cause it's not my type of bike. I just want to keep an open mind to whats hot right now.
Click to expand...


more to the point -- you interested in doing some Gen I lowers in a PPG color?

Maybe even a two-tone (that is if I can't find anyone to snag the ones I presently have FS:?

Adam
 
BroHay said:
more to the point -- you interested in doing some Gen I lowers in a PPG color?

Maybe even a two-tone (that is if I can't find anyone to snag the ones I presently have FS:?

Adam
Click to expand...

I'd love too, 'cept for 3 things.
1. Shipping would suck.
2. Ohio humidity hates good hard paint.
3. Naked bakes Rule!
 
If this was my project, and it isn't I think I'd go total Brit Hooligan Rat bike with it. Strip it bare, paint it black, put on Buell Lightening headlights and a superbike bar. Keep the project dirt cheap and use existing EOM parts on it from other mades if needed from salvage yards.

If it was an RC51 I'd consider making it like new but not the TL.
 
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