I never thought the GB500 looked just quite right from the front... All the right elements were there but they just didn't seem to come together properly. The headlight is maybe a bit too big a...

The GB came with the original chain and sprockets when I bought it. The sprockets were in ok shape but the chain was 24 years old and had close to 10000 miles on it so I decided to change it out. It w...

I thought these were a good deal for $120.00... nice machined aluminum, sturdy fittings, quality fasteners. The package finally turned up and it only contained one mirror. There was no mistake... they...

The GB601 is finished.... for now. I gave it a wash and wax and detail and spent a bit of time riding it. It's a lot of fun and makes a great sound. It will definitely draw a crowd on bike nights. Can...

This is something I've done on almost every motorcycle I've owned: braided stainless brake lines. It's a cheap upgrade that's easy to install, gives a noticeable improvement in braking feel, and looks...

I got tired of pissing around with the round slide carb that came installed on the GB. It wasn't jetted properly, it didn't have the right cables, and it wasn't the right setup for this engine. I stil...

I bought a 41mm Mikuni flat slide carb kit which has a plunger choke right on the carb. That meant the cable choke and its handlebar mounted lever had to go. I picked up a salvage CBR1100XX switch blo...

On my first attempt to install the head I busted a bolt. The original ones were stretched and brittle. On the advice of a friend I bit the bullet and ordered new OEM bolts. This set me back about 2 we...

  New cylinder and piston bolted in with a generous amount of oil used to assemble....

I had a bit of free time today to mess around with the GB so I thought I'd tackle a relatively easy job. I bought the Barnett clutch springs when I got the piston kit and carb. They are a recommended...

I just got my cylinder back from Harley Davidson of Calgary with the new 101mm sleeve installed and honed. As soon as the cylinder head is finished it will all go back together..... hopefully soon!&n...

I posted earlier that one of the studs where the seat hinge bolts to the frame was broken off when I got the bike. I drilled it out, found a suitable bolt and tapped some threads into the hole. Probl...

With the cylinder off and a little time to spare before parts arrive, I took the opportunity to clean more of the carbon deposits from the front of the engine....

I've loudly sung the praises of Shorai LFX Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries in my VFR blog and elsewhere so it seemed automatic that I'd have one for my GB. Compared to the messy old vented...

I thought this would be a mild restoration, minor modding, lots of cleaning and adjusting but once I start I can't stop. Once the cam cover was off, I had to pull the head off and I couldn't resist pu...

The exhaust was a cinch so I summoned a bit of extra ambition and proceeded to install the performance cam shaft. What could have been completed in a couple of hours will now be drawn out over several...

I used a little gasoline and some rags to scrub the grime off the drive chain. The chain is in great shape but I hate a dirty chain....

My XR600R smog block-off kit arrived in the mail from XRsonly.com so I installed them along with the performance exhaust that came with the bike....

I've got the bowl off the carb and had a look for where my leak might be coming from. The floats are in good shape (and still plenty buoyant) and the float valve works smoothly. The gasket looks to be...

I started taking things apart today on the GB and I got more excited as I realized how easy this bike is to work on. I'm accustomed to working on sophisticated modern sportbikes so I revelled in the e...