Nice! the more R's the better LOL
Project Beginnings
I happened to have a 1992 750 in my garage that I haven’t ridden in 20 years. It’s been the subject of several aborted projects over the years.
Now if you’re reading this and thinking “exactly how does one just happen to have an oil boiler 750?” read on.
Many years ago I was stationed at Tyndall AIr Force Base, just outside Panama City, Florida. Across the street from the apartment complex where I lived, another military guy had a 1992 GSXR 600. He and I wound up meeting as we were the only Sportbike riders on our street.
He had a buddy who’d just crashed his 1992 750. He introduced me, and we worked out a deal for the bike. The forks were banana shaped and the front wheel had been pushed back into the oil cooler. Half the body work was smashed or missing.
A buddy of mine trucked it over to my apartment where it basically sat under a cover until I moved here to California. I replaced the forks with a set off of a 1995 750. Had a steering stem machined and replaced the steering head bearings.
With the front end back together, I repaired the upper and replaced the lower with a one piece Airtech lower. I found a carbon front fender from Lockhart-Phillips on clearance and that pretty much completed the body.
After that, I got a new left side engine cover, an aftermarket steering damper and lastly, fixed the huge dent in the left side of the tank. I got rid of the pink graphics at that time and got the tank lined before painting it.
Lastly, now that the engine ran and I could actually ride the bike, I added a stage 3 jet kit from Factory Pro (they’re sorta local) and UNI foam filter pods, and then a 5 degree V&H ignition advance. The bike came with a D&D slip on with the factory header.
I rode it in that configuration for a number of years. From around 1997 until 2001 when I was hit on the freeway by an inattentive college kid in a (wait for it)…….a Volvo. (Our UK members will understand the joke) I fixed the majority of the damage but life took a turn about then.
That is how I just happened to have a 1992 750 in my garage.
So there have been several attempts to restore the old GSXR to riding condition but none have ever been seen through to successful completion.
As a consequence of that turn in life, the old oil boiler sat in my garage for a decade. I actually started on it as project with my youngest son in 2012….but he lost interest so, I did too.
I started again in 2014 but again life took another turn, work on my degree displaced the project so it was again shuffled to a corner of the garage.
A couple of months back, I finally moved the old GSXR onto my bike bench to prep for a renewed effort on this project.
I already have a massive project in a 1993 Ducati 900SS that I am in the middle of but the old GSXR is next up. To that end, tonight I scored a second, though damaged tank for $150 on eBay.
![Automotive design Helmet Postal scale Font Automotive lighting]()
No time like the present to resume collecting the parts that will be needed to return the bike not just to riding condition but to make it a resto-mod of similar vintage that isn’t just plain black like it currently sits.
Consider this just a teaser….it’ll be some time before I’m done with the 900SS
Now if you’re reading this and thinking “exactly how does one just happen to have an oil boiler 750?” read on.
Many years ago I was stationed at Tyndall AIr Force Base, just outside Panama City, Florida. Across the street from the apartment complex where I lived, another military guy had a 1992 GSXR 600. He and I wound up meeting as we were the only Sportbike riders on our street.
He had a buddy who’d just crashed his 1992 750. He introduced me, and we worked out a deal for the bike. The forks were banana shaped and the front wheel had been pushed back into the oil cooler. Half the body work was smashed or missing.
A buddy of mine trucked it over to my apartment where it basically sat under a cover until I moved here to California. I replaced the forks with a set off of a 1995 750. Had a steering stem machined and replaced the steering head bearings.
With the front end back together, I repaired the upper and replaced the lower with a one piece Airtech lower. I found a carbon front fender from Lockhart-Phillips on clearance and that pretty much completed the body.
After that, I got a new left side engine cover, an aftermarket steering damper and lastly, fixed the huge dent in the left side of the tank. I got rid of the pink graphics at that time and got the tank lined before painting it.
Lastly, now that the engine ran and I could actually ride the bike, I added a stage 3 jet kit from Factory Pro (they’re sorta local) and UNI foam filter pods, and then a 5 degree V&H ignition advance. The bike came with a D&D slip on with the factory header.
I rode it in that configuration for a number of years. From around 1997 until 2001 when I was hit on the freeway by an inattentive college kid in a (wait for it)…….a Volvo. (Our UK members will understand the joke) I fixed the majority of the damage but life took a turn about then.
That is how I just happened to have a 1992 750 in my garage.
So there have been several attempts to restore the old GSXR to riding condition but none have ever been seen through to successful completion.
As a consequence of that turn in life, the old oil boiler sat in my garage for a decade. I actually started on it as project with my youngest son in 2012….but he lost interest so, I did too.
I started again in 2014 but again life took another turn, work on my degree displaced the project so it was again shuffled to a corner of the garage.
A couple of months back, I finally moved the old GSXR onto my bike bench to prep for a renewed effort on this project.
I already have a massive project in a 1993 Ducati 900SS that I am in the middle of but the old GSXR is next up. To that end, tonight I scored a second, though damaged tank for $150 on eBay.
No time like the present to resume collecting the parts that will be needed to return the bike not just to riding condition but to make it a resto-mod of similar vintage that isn’t just plain black like it currently sits.
Consider this just a teaser….it’ll be some time before I’m done with the 900SS
61 - 70 of 70 Posts
The ‘92 had the “kid on Ritalin” graphics rather than the more conservative (stand up to time better) graphics of the ‘91 and before. Mine looked like this new:
![]()
some find it “cool” in a 90s nostalgia kinda way but I found it hideous then, and still do. Note that when I bought it, most of the bodywork was trashed in an accident so I simply wanted it black. That and I wanted the last year for the oil boiler.
That was then….now after holding on to it all these years I want an ‘89 replica as to me, that was the best looking of the all the years of the double cradle framed oil boiler GSXRs.
This is the ‘91 MY graphics pattern:
![Tire Wheel Ice racing Automotive tire Vehicle]()
There was a white/red version of this as well as a black/gun metal version that had purple wheels. Last year the graphics were sane. Every year after this one the graphics were “bold new” and absolute garbage in comparison. At least until the 1996 came out.
some find it “cool” in a 90s nostalgia kinda way but I found it hideous then, and still do. Note that when I bought it, most of the bodywork was trashed in an accident so I simply wanted it black. That and I wanted the last year for the oil boiler.
That was then….now after holding on to it all these years I want an ‘89 replica as to me, that was the best looking of the all the years of the double cradle framed oil boiler GSXRs.
This is the ‘91 MY graphics pattern:
There was a white/red version of this as well as a black/gun metal version that had purple wheels. Last year the graphics were sane. Every year after this one the graphics were “bold new” and absolute garbage in comparison. At least until the 1996 came out.
Some progress. This morning was chilly, windy and overcast….not a good day for paint when you’re painting outside.
Still, I managed to wet sand with 1K grit and knock off all the over spray from the canned white pearl lacquer.
Found a corner of the yard where the wind seemed to be less intense and set up to spray there. Turned out to be the perfect spot as despite the wind trying to rip the car cover off my son’s truck, it was fairly calm in my “spot”.
Shot around 9 coats of the dark blue pearl. Not including a couple of tack coats. Lacquer flashes off rather quickly, but even more so in the sun and out of the wind.
Still, Imma let the paint cure for another week before I get down to wet sanding. This time will be
with 1200 grit while I get the masks done for the tank logos.
Anyway, here’s a couple pics of the color applied to the tank…after the mask has been removed:
![]()
![]()
Still, I managed to wet sand with 1K grit and knock off all the over spray from the canned white pearl lacquer.
Found a corner of the yard where the wind seemed to be less intense and set up to spray there. Turned out to be the perfect spot as despite the wind trying to rip the car cover off my son’s truck, it was fairly calm in my “spot”.
Shot around 9 coats of the dark blue pearl. Not including a couple of tack coats. Lacquer flashes off rather quickly, but even more so in the sun and out of the wind.
Still, Imma let the paint cure for another week before I get down to wet sanding. This time will be
with 1200 grit while I get the masks done for the tank logos.
Anyway, here’s a couple pics of the color applied to the tank…after the mask has been removed:
61 - 70 of 70 Posts
