1st Build GT LTS Full Suspension/Shift Kit

[Wild Bill]

This will be my 1st moto bike build, the bike Im starting with is a GT LTS I picked up off Ebay and it just got here. After assembling it, I did some cable lubing and shifter tuning, then took it out for the first test ride without the engine just to test it out. Wow! beautiful riding bike! very plush suspension but still seams to have the beef for some hard trail riding and maybe even some jumping. I will take it out for a more punishing ride after the engine arrives, I want to be here when the FEDEX guy shows up.

The shift kit, and tuned pipe showed up yesterday and the Dax F80 engine should be here today.

Heres a couple pics before the engine install, the fuel tank in the second photo is off of a 1993 Suzuki JR 50, Im not sure if im gonna use it but I prolly will, it looks bigger in the pic than in real life.

I will keep this build updated, thanks for looking.

Bill

 

[NunyaBidness]

I think you're going to have a lot of fun with that bike, motor or not. Full suspension on a bicycle is a lot of fun. I'm excited for you. And am anxiously awaiting progress pics.

 

[Wild Bill]

Thanks Nunya, Im not new to full suspension bikes, just ones with an engine....lol

I have a Mountain Cycle San Andreas and a Haro f/s bikes but you cant fit an engine on either of those.

I used to race BMX int the late '70s for Shimano with Bobby Encinas so blastin around and jumping stuff brings back old memories...... and aches and pains.

 

[young grease monkey]

If you plan to jump it, I suggest stronger engine mounts than stock. Very nice bike, this will be interesting.

 

[Wild Bill]

Thanks Grease Monkey, it will be a trial and error process, Im sure there will be some broken and tweeked stuff along the way. I dont plan any big jumps with it though.

 

[wheelbender6]

In, my opinion, those GT LTS bikes are about the best rear suspension bikes to motorize (with a frame mounted engine). You get a convention triangle frame for engine mounting and the suspension linkage reduces changes in chain tightness.

 

[Wild Bill]

I agree Wheelbender, after looking thru tons of full suspension frames it rare to find one with an open front triangle and enuff room for the engine. After a much harder ride on the bike Im even more impressed with the suspension!

The only drawback is the fact that its an old bike and suspension parts are hard to find, also from what I have read the rear suspension has a problem of squeeking (which mine thankfully doesnt have yet) and requires frequent disassembly of the rear pivots and relubing them. I will see if thats the case or not. There is a bearing kit that eliminates the problem (if it is a problem) but its waaaayyyyy pricey!

 

[Wild Bill]

The engine showed up last night, I am test fitting the pipe and Im pretty sure I am going with an up pipe. Where its at now is a slight thigh problem, and I am trying to decide if I am gonna shorten the long header pipe (the black header). That would get the pipe lower and away from the upper thigh area, and it just seems that its really long anyway.

What do some of the experts think, if I cut down the header length by a couple inches or more will I lose too much low end power? Its really long, I have the 45 degree elbow plus I added another one, and I have the full length straight copper tube that came in the kit.

I would go with a down pipe but I ride over logs and rocks and stuff and it seems too likely to hit something down there.

Edit: The front fender came but the rear seems to be lost or sumthin....the new wheels/disc brakes are suppossed to be here today.

 

[Easy Rider]

You're going to love this biike with or without a motor. I retired my old LTS and now I have it as a regular bike that will soon be converted to an electric.
The frame is stronger than it looks. I remember pushing my thumb on the lower cross bar and it would flex. The frame never cracked even with my morni on it.
Have fun.

 

[Easy Rider]

The only drawback is the fact that its an old bike and suspension parts are hard to find, also from what I have read the rear suspension has a problem of squeeking (which mine thankfully doesnt have yet) and requires frequent disassembly of the rear pivots and relubing them. I will see if thats the case or not. There is a bearing kit that eliminates the problem (if it is a problem) but its waaaayyyyy pricey!

Years ago I bought a bushing kit for my old LTS because I thought it would be hard to find these parts. To this day, I've never took my rear suspension apart and used the bushing kit. Its still in my tool box.

 

[Wild Bill]

Thanks Easy Rider, thats good to hear, after riding a while without an engine I can tell this is gonna be huge fun!

 

[Wild Bill]

Well I made the front tank mount and installed the rear fender (the rear fender is pretty cool looking but I got to find one in yellow! tho the team suzuki bike had yellow front/ black rear fenders). I made a rolled up cardboard mock up to simulate the pipe and went for a test ride with the tank and pipe mock up to see if it was gonna be a problem for leg clearance, I think Im gonna shorten the header pipe so the top of the tuned pipe is even with the bottom of the top tube of the frame. At that mounting point it seems like its no problem so Im gonna go with that.

If heat is a problem I will make some asbestos pants.

The gas tank is fairly narrow and isnt even close to being a leg clearance issue.I got some strange looks from people as I rode around on a bike with a gas tank on it but no engine.....lol
Its strange but the gas tank from a side view in pictures looks bigger than in person, unless the pic is taken from any other angle.

I still havent assembled the shift kit yet or installed the engine, when I ordered my stuff from SBP I forgot to order the large tube engine mount and I dont want to fabricate any thing else right now so I have to wait a few days, that gives me time to tinker with other stuff on it like putting on the new wheels/disc brakes and ride it a few more times without the engine.

 

[Wild Bill]

First smoke and first ride today!!! I am very happy with my first build so far.

Fired up on the 3rd try but flamed out because I was going too slow and didnt get the clutch in in time. Once it fired up I rode around in the back yard doing figure 8's then went out front on the street. I shifted a few times and went up the hill my street is on, its pretty steep but 2nd gear was no problem.

I went with the stock pipe for now since Im just breaking in the engine and running 20:1 so power doesnt matter yet and it gives me more time to decide exactly how and where Im gonna mount the SBP pipe.

I put on the new wheels/disc brakes after the first ride and it stops great. The second ride was my little dirt farm road/trail daily ride, I still havent hit high gear yet or sustained any speed but I did a steep dirt road in first gear and had to help by pedaling. I did some slow manuevering around some trees, hit the berm on the trail and even the ski jump but I didnt get any air yet.

Then it happened.........I ran out of gas. I didnt put much in just in case there was a leak and didnt figure I would go far but I couldnt help myself!

I had to pedal about 3/4 mile to get back home, I was wondering how hard these things would be to pedal since theres so many chains, and sprockets, not to mention you have to pedal thru the clutch even tho its pulled in it adds to the drag. It wasnt to bad to pedal engine off but I wouldnt want to go too far.

Overall so far this thing is great! Smoooooooth ride!

 

[young grease monkey]

great first build! you might want to raise the gearing ratio because it will never be able to wind out in 7th gear. have you thought about doing any internal engine mods? there are some that actually increase the life of the engine, such as sanding the port edges to keep the rings from catching and wearing out too fast. Porting can increase power and efficiency, and i dont think anybody would advise you not to upgrade the bearings. with such a nice bike, it would be a shame to have the motor sh!ting on you all the time.

 

[kylepeterson]

great looking build, and a very nice bike to start with.


when you get a few more rides in, please update us with your impressions, especially the high-torque and low speed stuff on this machine.

i'm looking to build something like a high-speed-trials bike (30mph tops), or a very very low speed dual-sport bike, depending on definitions. we do some grueling rides around here, and a trials bike might be just what i want. ;-)

 

[Wild Bill]

Thanks Grease Monkey and Kyle, @Grease Monkey, Im sure I will buy a second engine to do engine work on. I used to race karts and I did my own engine work so Im familiar with the 2 stroke tricks. For now I want to finish the pipe mount and finish breaking in the engine, I dont want to hassle with the primary chain(left side) adjustment ordeal again for a while....lol.

@ Kyle I will continue updates and even make a couple videos when I get around to it.

 

[Wild Bill]

I had a chain wad up on a short test ride yesterday. I keep having both chains on the jack shaft loosen up after even a short ride the right side chain jumped off in some rough terrain and jammed up the main bike drive chain to the rear. All the mounts are tight but both chains just keep loosening up to the same point so I am gonna make a couple chain tensioners using some 11 tooth sprocket/ bearings I ordered from Bike Berry.

I did learn that the chain wont jump off in rough stuff if you let off the gas and hold in the clutch but wheres the fun in that? lol

That gives me time to mount the pipe and make the tensioner brackets while I wait for the sprockets to get here.

 

[Wild Bill]

I got the SBP pipe mounted and even though I am running 20:1 for break in I did notice a power increase. I went up the hill I live on in 3rd gear where the stock pipe was 2nd gear, in 3rd it was still picking up RPMs and was maxed out just before the top of the hill and its a fairly steep hill!

I still havent made the chain tensioner yet since the sprockets arent here yet but I went for a test ride anyway and had the chain come off again in some rough terrain. ARRRRRRG! But at least this time it didnt destroy another chain.

I also noticed more power on the top end and hit the highest speed I have hit yet... no speedometer since the digital one I have is wacked out by the ignition, I wonder if a resistor plug would solve that. I have a 1/4 scale RC sprint car that has a weed wacker and it will get radio interference if you dont run a resistor plug in it.

I also made a video of the ride I will post in a while. Heres pics of the pipe install....

 

[Wild Bill]

Heres a video I made, its the first time I have tried to make a video and I need to find a way to keep the camera from bouncing. Im just going slow in the rough stuff but later in the clip I get up in the gears a little...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2VXi2mwvZc&list=UUp2zIoY4JB6KWvEWedGWidg&index=1

 

[timboellner]

Cool video.

Brings back memories of the first time (and last) time I dropped acid back in the 1970's.

Thanks for the head rush