1981 Suzuki GS450 Old-School Cafe Racer

From Boxes to Cafe Racer ... Not Too Shabby!

We picked-up this bike in boxes about 4 years ago and we were finally able to get her on the build schedule and bring her back to life!  The previous owner had completed all of the paint-work on the motor and frame (which was black) prior to putting her away for a bit.  Since his job was taking-up too much of his time, he decided to try and locate a good home for her - which is where we came in to the picture.  He seemed to be a sincere individual and really wanted to move his project on to a good home considering all of the time/work/money he had already invested.  He shared with us that he had his motorcycle mechanic (a local professional shop) go through the entire motor to confirm that both the top-end and bottom-end were in great shape prior to starting the work.  We took a chance and are very glad we did, the motor is awesome & runs flawlessly.  The previous owner was hoping to turn her in to a bobber, we thought she really needed to be a café racer – we hope you agree!    

We decided to go with a vintage Suzuki Road Racing theme (from the Kevin Schwantz years).  We chose a Ford Performance White with a GM Torch Red and 1/4" black pin striping under several coats of gloss clear (all PPG Colors/Clear) - we believe this combination is tough to beat and really catches one's attention!

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