Bikers1 - Feature Bike JAY’S GSX 400 ET HARDTAIL

Bikers1 - Feature Bikes - Jay's GSX400 Hardtail

This bikes wee claim to fame goes way back to the first year of AWOL, Vol 1 No 7,

At the time it belonged to Gav, whose rather tasty Zed 650 was being featured.

The GSX then, was standard and was used as a back up bike until Gav decided to have it hardtailed by Andy at Cougar Customs.


The build was never completed and it was sold on. Passing through various owners hands over the years, then, a mate heard about the bike for sale through the usual grapevine and went to see it.


It was a bombsite and didn’t run. No tank, seat, mudguards, footpegs, sweet F.A. just a bundle of wires from arsehole to breakfast and a throttle.

After filling the carbs and fifteen minutes of Geordie stirring it’s wiring, it fired up, probably for the first time in six years.

Some money changed hands, he took it home used what he had lying around and got it back on the road.

He ran it for a year or so until some yahoo in a wig said “stop that you’re being silly”. See Bottom Of Page For Bike At This Stage

So it had to go, and “..to a good home” said Geordie,…he sold it to me.??. the mad fool.

 

The bike not being to my taste, I set too. Wearing my best smock and beret, I began to restyle.

OFF came the harley rear mudguard, apehangers, and the huge brit headlight. BIN went the ingenious 12mm threaded bar forwards with lots of nuts on. OUT came the front wheel. BLACK went the paint and LAUNCH went the dunstall silencer, which was uglier than Anne widdecome licking pish off a nettle.

A trailer mudguard was bought for a tenner and struts made from 25x5mm flat bar, as was the torque arm. Jota bars were set upon the yokes, and a small traily headlight nestled up front. An hour’s skip diving with my mate marty produced an s/s jaguar exhaust. Marty took his bit, I took mine and it slipped onto the 2 into 1 nice as you like. 20 quid saw a slashcut from a Virago 1100 finish the system.

The front wheel was replaced by (I believe) an early RG500 16” I had in the shed. This was used for several reasons.

A: Aesthetically it looked better. It balances out the rear 16” and gives the bike an improved stance.

B: Because I could. And

C: Most importantly, was that with the 19” the motor didn’t sit level.
Bikers1 - Feature Bikes - Jay's GSX400 Hardtail

 

Even with the 16” the front had to be dropped a further 30mm down the forks.
The brake discs were the same diameter. However they sat 2mm wider than the original. So with a bit of care and a square file the calliper mount was filed down 1mm and the same for the fork leg, sorted, nice n straight.

The GSX spindle was retained ‘cos the I.D. of the bearings is the same.

The GSX Speedo drive was used, but is deeper than the RG, so it was spaced internally using a washer, other wise the Speedo drive would be crushed when tightening up the spindle.


A Z1000 mudguard had new mounting holes drilled and popped in. The braided line was cut to a sensible length and mated to a GSXR 1100 master cylinder. Now the bike was more to my liking, except the wiring, which dangled from the seat base like a rectal prolapse, no battery box y’see. Anyhoo, I’ll take for a wee spin thinks I. Just to see how she’s running. Ten miles out the electrical tourettes beneath my seat shouted “fuck you” and ignited. After ripping the wires from the Reg/Rec I managed to get home using what power was left in the battery.

 

A new Reg/Rec was purchased and fitted but I couldn’t face the rest of the wiring task, so the bike was left alone for the winter until my mate Jay said he would take it of my hands, which was okay by me, as I needed the money.

In the time that Jay has had the chop, it hasn’t changed much only “Improved”, say’s Jay. Between us it’s been rewired front to back, a proper seat, not the strip of neoprene foam I had on it. Twin reflector spots up front, a decent elec/battery box and a new paint job, Smooth rite for the frame, British racing metallic for the tank

It wasn’t all plain sailing when Jay took possession, because it had lain all winter and then some, the fuel in the carbs had sugared. (Read Al’s section on “Petrol and its wily ways”)
Bikers1 - Feature Bikes - Jay's GSX400 Hardtail

I forget how many times the carbs were stripped and cleaned, but to no avail. The bike just wouldn’t run properly, 50mph was all she would do before banging and coughing. We replaced the bellmouths with filters, no joy!, we tried tights over the bellmouths, varying jet sizes, needle settings, we even shortened the exhaust pipe….no difference. Disheartened we gave up. Weeks later, a team of us were off to the Farmyard, and thoroughly enjoying ourselves when Jay returned from one of his many sorties amongst the trees and declared “I have met a man.”

“Er…Does your wife know?”

“Ohnono, I mean a man of great knowledge…”

“A messiah???” I quickly rose to my feet

“…an’ a gsx 400.”

“Oh wondrous days!” I sang, skipping gaily around the motorbikes “tralala.”

“Lo, and he hath given unto me pearls of the greatest wisdom.”

“Wisdom!! Tell me this wisdom. This, gospel according to Man.”

“Sell the fuckin’ thing they’re shite…

…I’m kidding. He said “Air” too much apparently…or …something.”

As Jay was answering the call of nature, he had stood perusing a line of bikes that were parked under the trees. Noticing a GSX400 he asked who the owner was, to wit a fellow strolled over and proclaimed proud ownership. A religious moment came over Jay and confessed all the woes of his bedevilled bike. “The answer is simple, my son” Said Man “’Tis ‘cos it sucks…

Bikers1 - Feature Bikes - Jay's GSX400 Hardtail

“??!!!!!!*..Hey, wait a…” Started Jay
…too much air.” Man told Jay that he had had the same problems with his, and that the solution was to balance the carbs, then find the optimum fuel/air mixture, using cloth over the carbs.” Man told Jay many other things but he’s forgotten what they were.
Now. We had already tried this; it made no difference, but let’s try it once more. No tights left, just a clarty old rag from the back of the shed, fold it over three or four times, pop ‘em on the carbs an’ take it for a test.


YA DANCER. (Must have been getting way too much air.)
Doncha just hate it when that happens.
Jay’s chop has run fine since then, future plans for the GSX are, a new paint job, widen the rear mud guard, revised switch gear and elec/battery box, a single seat, a set of slab yokes, when funds allow and plenty of stainless fasteners

SPEC SHEET

Front end: 16” RG500 & Speedo, with GSX400 Speedo drive.
GSX400 brake calliper, GSXR1100 Master
Cylinder
GSX400 Forks & Yokes. Z1000 Mudguard.
GSX1100 L&R Switchgear.
Tank: Harley sportstser.
Battery box: Marty& Jay, welded up by Les.
Seat: Marty.
Wiring: Mitch &Marty
Paint: Jay.
Footpegs: ZZR600 Gear change, EXUP 1000 Brake (modded
for drum brake).
Rear end: 16” XS400. Trailer mudguard, homemade Struts &
Torque arm. Unknown rear light.
Small stones and soldiers in the end can: Stewart (age 3)

.Words & Pics By MartyG
Bikers1 - Feature Bikes - Jay's GSX400 Hardtail Bikers1 - Feature Bikes - Jay's GSX400 Hardtail
Bikers1 - Feature Bikes - Jay's GSX400 Hardtail