Motorcycle Mechanic Self Training Program

Hey folks!
So I've loved motorcycles all my life, from the first time I rode a 250cc dirtbike in gradeschool to the honda 125 street my brother turned into a mountain climbing torque monster , to the cruisers and Harleys my buddies ride.


Problem is, I could never afford my own, be it street or dirt. Well I decided instead of buying a bike, I'd build my own. I went about cruising the back country roads looking for frames, forks, wheels, anything in a junk heap I could get for cheap. I found a few deals, but I wanted to go REALLY cheap, none of this 200 to 400$ I was being asked for rusted out heaps that didn't run. Luck be a lady I ran across this on my way home one day:

1982 Suzuki GS750TZ

Now rolling up on ramshackle properties in the middle of the country isn't advisable, it can get you in trouble sometimes, as I've found out in my youth. This time it paid off though, as I picked this bike up for $50! Not very much rust, the frame is in perfect condition, tank is dented but doesn't leak, has all the lights and electrical is mostly functional (starter, taillights, left turn so far.) I'm calling this one a deal!

Now I'm no mechanic, but I know there are a few things I have to do to get this bad boy running again. First off, gotta get the repair manual, which I just got in the mail today! Usually I go with Chilton or Haynes manuals for any vehicle I have, but this time the only one I could find was the Clymer manual, which is apparently the source for all your ATV and motorcycle manuals.

Being the impatient sort that I am I decided that I would do what I could while I waited for my manual. Got a a used battery for just over 16$ (I'm going as cheap as possible for this bike) and brought it home. It wouldn't fit in the battery box, so I did a little "custom" work and smacked the hell out of the box with a hammer, bent it with pliers, and now the battery fits.

Once I had the battery hooked up I could test the electrical, what I found was that it was in decent condition, especially the ignition, which is the only part I care about until I get the bike running. One thing that I was wondering though, where do I put the key? I found out while stripping the bike:

Key=phillips lol

So that made me laugh. Anyways, I decided to strip some gear off to make the block more accessible so here's my "after" pics:

So that's my project bike, hopefully soon to be my main form of transportation, So I'll be keeping you up to date on that as progress......progresses!