Trash or Treasure: '05 GSX-R750 The Final Verdict

[@kcirredjermaine]

I bought a K5 Suzuki GSX-R600 that had been sitting in a garage for 8 years about a year ago. It had 862 miles on it. I dumped the fuel and cleaned the rust out, built a new fuel pump for it, cleaned all fuel injectors and the fuel rail, changed the spark plugs, oil and coolant. Adjusted the idling. It currently has over 5000 miles on it now and i did all the work myself with no motorcycle repair experience. Just watched KZbin tutorials and read the factory manual. I also stripped the original color and repainted it myself. I paid $1750 for the motorcycle and put about $500 in parts and paint. It runs like new. Took it by a local mechanic to check it out and he offered me a job lol which i didn't take but he knew how much work i put into it and was impressed. I put maybe 3weeks total worth of labor into it. I plan on doing more to it soon but for now mine was a treasure to me.

[@catalystreactionsbw]

Absolutely fantastic comment of how you took the time to learn via resources available and have a go. A sincere tip of the hat to you Derrick!

[@Tyler-vu3ur]

this is a wet dream for me. awesome find man.

[@enricosabio5102]

Well done,you inspired me a lot ,👍👍👍

[@ChrisGuthrie]

So, just got a used 11' R1 with 13k miles.. New body work, clutch basket/clutch mod/clutch, cheap adjustable levers and an oil change and she runs great.... and now I can do a clutch in 20 mins being that I took it apart 45 times before figuring out how to lock in the basket in the grooves on the oil pump gear. But the satisfaction of it starting, running like a pissed off sabertooth tiger, and no yamaha clutch noise... priceless. Good job fellas... Mr Williams, you brave, brave man test riding on rollers... twice

[@victorgonza4528]

Excellent series, worth watching .

[@silversoozookee2839]

I say "treasure" 🥰 My 2005 750 is still rockin 😁

[@comfortablyunknown700]

Someone else mentioned it, but I was also thinking break stand switch. Maybe the screw is a little loose or a wire is tweaked. I had the same issue on a older bike. Only happened here and there. Drove me nuts searching for the cause. Really enjoyed this series. Very fun. Thank you guys.

[@ronengle9524]

I started a build on a 05 when COVID hit. Been following all these videos. Thanks guys for all the help

[@catalystreactionsbw]

How is the build going?

[@ronengle9524]

@@catalystreactionsbw everything is done except engine install. Oh and I have a rusty fuel tank to deal with. Your how to videos have helped a lot sir. Thank you very much

[@dxntblxnk4984]

Beautiful bike just picked one up about 4 months ago, gave it some love and she's starting to run great

[@SystemAdministrator1]

I look at used & forgotten bikes 🏍 as an inexpensive way to get riding, wrench🔧 experience, and slowly customize with upgrades

[@DaBronXMarksDaSpot]

If your hobby is working on bikes, and making old into new, then this project was well worth it. I learned so much from watching you work on this. My 05 zx6r sat in a shed for about 6 years without running. New battery, new fuel tank, fresh fuel, and some Sea Foam, and it fired right up and ran like a champ. Then let it get up to temp and change the oil, flush the radiator, flush and bleed the brakes, and the only sign that it sat for so long is the chipping frame paint and dust that I can't get to.

[@cblaster171]

Interesting series thank you Dave and Dave.

[@alanrodriguez7341]

Great 👍. The labor is correct. Your time is good 👍. Engine sounds good and it will get better while you service it soon. Al

[@EricBanner571]

Great series Dave. Personally, I would have done the compression test, valve adjustment, throttle sink, oil change at the start to make sure that the rest of the build was worth the effort. I also would have bought some nice second hand OEM blue / white fairings as this would have made the bike look mint. The Red and black fairings are, well, Meh.

[@mikef3300]

I still have my 2004 Suzuki GSXR750 and it runs as good today as the day I got it. It’s one of the most reliable motorcycles I’ve ever owned. It’s quick enough to satisfy my need for speed still after all these years and I still love the look of it. These days I ride my Ktm 690 enduro r more often than the GSXR because of its more comfortable riding position but I still throw a leg over it every now and then. Other than oil changes, a couple sets of chain and sprockets and the recall on the front brake master cylinder I’ve never had any issues with the bike. Its one of the few bikes I’ve owned that I have chosen to keep. Next year I’m gonna get a historic tag for it since it’ll be 20 years old.

[@catalystreactionsbw]

Great story Mike and thanks for sharing. There will always be a place for each of us where one bike will stay in our garage as it never fails us (when we maintain it correctly).

[@rideyourbike]

Congrats! You made it. God job. However i didn't see the JIS screwdrivers cost... Just jocking. Cheers

[@catalystreactionsbw]

Dave Williams, editor, replying here. Doh! $22. And totally worth it. Amazing how just that little profile change makes. After 40 years of ruining Japanese screws...

[@alanbrown5593]

The recompense is inbound.

[@geraldchristensen2826]

Mc Master- Carr (great place to shop, find them on line) has several JIS, and JISC (camera) individual screwdrivers and sets available. I'm not sure if the Japan Industrial Standards for fasteners are still being enforced. But they are excellent screwdrivers.

[@rideyourbike]

@@catalystreactionsbw Agreed. They are priceless and a must have in every japanese bike.

[@rideyourbike]

@@geraldchristensen2826 Great tip. Thanks.

[@grider8344]

Great stuff guys, it's always worth it to bring a bike back to life. And yes Suzuki is known for being bulletproof so I reckon you will get 10k miles. Ride safe.

[@krustysfunbodegas]

One of the best machines Suzuki has ever made.

[@zxspectum]

Great series. Got me watching your suspension videos again.

[@markwilson713]

the best and most informative videos I have found on youtube

[@4g6335r]

A little pricey but someone that goes this route will gain the knowledge as to how their motorcycle works and can perform their own maintenance. That’s priceless!... I also find this kind of work fun and rewarding.

[@felidawg9]

I bought 750 like 2 months ago with 19k miles and it’s runs so well! I’m still putting some work into it but it’s a gorgeous bike

[@greyanaroth]

Aw I love you guys. I totally feel you on the quest to bring it back to life. I used to do this with guitars. It's a LOT cheaper with guitars tbh 😂

[@bananabrooks3836]

Quiet exhaust, makes a welcome change.

[@troywee4774]

my labour charge for my bike(s) is free cos i love bikes!! hate working on my cars though ....... cheers.

[@danemx5]

Plz make more of these videos!

[@Gambo916]

Hello from South Wales, UK. Of course it was worth it........coz it's helped create interesting content for the channel! Looking forward to the hypersports tyre test!!

[@tonieveritt7045]

One of the best bikes around

[@BikesNThings]

I remember when the first video dropped with this bike. I love k5 GSXR's as much as anyone, but I knew this was going to be a tough one, but you guys were the right ones for the job. You've done a great job, but like all these older (hard to imagine the k5 is now an older bike), when they sit like that... well, you know better than most. The only way to look at this as a profitable venture is if you truly enjoy your time working on the bike. Anyway, nice to see it again. Bummer she quit like that, but at least it was in the driveway. PS, the backyard mechanic in me is begging you to hit that stator cover with some black spray paint :)

[@wnicklas]

Good job guys 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 Wasn't that cheap, but you brought it back to life 👍🏻

[@cookies7531]

awesome video guys

[@NishadAbdulkhader]

Atlast found a motorcycle magazine which has life into it. great work 👏 ..subscribed and awaiting more technical and maintenance vlogs.

[@michelbrown1060]

When you do it for yourself, it is mostly worth it . . .because YOU will ride it , and feel tyhe pride of the accomplishment. . .

[@catalystreactionsbw]

100% truthful and the pride is profound. A tip of the hat to you sir!

[@marcosgarcia11084]

Looks like an awesome road to ride.

[@russdanner2856]

GREAT build series. If you take out the REALLY common consumable stuff (tires, pads, oil) it was really efficient! Bummer keys were part of the deal. :-/

[@thorvelasco1467]

I think the bounce onto the driveway unseated the kickstand from the sensor causing engine shut off? Or not.

[@catalystreactionsbw]

Common fault with age as the spring gets softer.

[@shanemiddleton3506]

Sketchy spin Mr. Williams

[@dangerous8333]

Hmm... I'm not surprised it started. Why is everyone else?

[@clarkeboss1072]

Fax b i bout an 04 gsxr 1000 it sat for about 6 months wid gas in it and apart from the battery going bad that bik started so....

[@CNDUK-q8r]

Those GSX-R750 are very under-rated bikes - I say you've done a great thing bringing one back to life.

[@GGXjimmy]

best do a dyno run rather than compression. so hit and miss a compression check as to whether you get the true reading etc. I find a compression check more handy to see if each cylinder is equal. cut open an old filter lets you know a lot too. funny ive just been through this with my 2004 R1. It was worth it for me as i love the bike but totally financially stupid!!

[@cookies7531]

Hey Dave, as you mentioned, with the bike sitting unused for so many years the crank bearings most likely became dry, how do you pump oil around the system at very low rpm? (i.e. below idle) My thought is that pumping oil around the system at very low rpm would give the engine a layer of oil/protection to then start the bike.

[@ChrisGuthrie]

Shouldn't you just be able to spin the crank and the oil pump gets to work... maybe a non impact type wrench on a low speed high torque setting. Seems like it would be the easiest way to me

[@vphathom]

there are ways to do this. One is open the plug on the side of the casing where you put a oil pressure gauge to check oil pressure, and pump oil into that plug opening via a made up adapter, and also the other way is drop the clutch basket and use a drill and manually drive the oil pump until the oil presser light goes out , there was talk years ago about pre pressurizing your motor before you start it because most bearing ware was from start ups, so by using a pump to pressure your crank before starting would save the duration of crank bearings this was conceived in the race car industry 1980's

[@rewind60deglamc71]

You should look into the Spraymax 2k clear paint. It's a fully catalyzed paint that you spray from a rattle can, but it is fully UV, chemical, & gas resistant just like the clear on your car. Nice stuff and super glossy. I painted my trackbike with it and it turned out awesome. Eastwood has a version like it. I used their gloss black to paint the frame on my streetbike. It's also fully catalyzed and neither will crinkle and melt if you spill gas or brake fluid on it.

[@brianjacobsen5762]

Got 2 cans of that for my bike 94 gsx-r 750. That street fighter out. Has 2001 1200 bandit motor in it. Doing candy metal flake orange paint.

[@rewind60deglamc71]

@@brianjacobsen5762 wait till you use it...its awesome. It'll look like it was sprayed by a pro. 2-3 coats gives that deep wet look.

[@brianjacobsen5762]

@@rewind60deglamc71 I just sprayed the sliver metal flake. I forgot how big the tip on these got few runs. Had to hold the can 18" So I put it away before I screw it up. Everything sliver. Spray orange clear on nice 70 day. Should be coming up I need to ride this thing.

[@federicocao574]

Gorgeous bike u got there.

[@sevakhibkin6583]

Not sure if this helps but this used to happen to my 2004 sv650, the dying randomly, I never really tracked down why, but my theory is something was wrong with the kick stand switch, where it would sometimes decide that the kickstand is down when it wasn't and cut the ignition. I assume the gsx-r uses a similar part for the kick stand switch. I believe all I did was take the whole thing out, including the kick stand, cleaned out all the crud and reassembled, haven't had a problem since. Could also be that your kick stand spring is a little loose allowing it to bounce enough to remove pressure off the switch when u go over bumps.

[@catalystreactionsbw]

Thanks for sharing! That will help many riders all over the world.

[@Kels14B]

I got this exact bike I need help removing that front cowl im going to try it this week hopefully and i need new side fairings

[@clarkeboss1072]

Front fairing is easy just need to use your eyes brodie

[@code3ryder]

Might be a silly question, but why not do the compression test first? Then plugs/vavles/tb sync. Then bits and bobs?

[@code3ryder]

@@justdad53 That's one part of it (which I wasn't really thinking of). I was more thinking of doing all this work to have super low compression in a cylinder or two (or some other major issue). I am currently doing this exact same project on an '03 750 and worried about the engine work first. If that would have been toast, I would have parted the bike out.

[@catalystreactionsbw]

To see if a cylinder has any pressure. If not, then you already know you have a big job on your hands.

[@24james]

Japanese bikes are bullet proof....if taken care of well enough.💯🏍👍🏽🦾

[@pnwgreg300]

or apparently just left to rot LOL

[@Gibonz]

Hi Daves, have you done an in depth vid of the suspension setup on this, any tips, limitations of the stock forks/shock etc? I have a K5 600 and would love to see a vid on it Thanks!

[@catalystreactionsbw]

We included all the settings (street and track) for the Trash and Treasure series including oil weight and height to stop the forks bottoming out. Oil viscosity and age are critical for the forks and shock oil should be serviced every 8,000miles or 11,000kms Settings depend on type of use, climate and oil age, so they are very specific to each rider. This is why I created Remote Tuning to work with you and your bike as there is no magic generic setting.

[@Gibonz]

@@catalystreactionsbw Thank you! Which video has those settings? I will get the forks and shock serviced ASAP.

[@catalystreactionsbw]

@@Gibonz Street settings were:- fork preload was 3 lines showing, compression 1 turn out and rebound .75 out. Shock rider sag was 30mm, compression 1.25 turns out and rebound 1.75 turns out

[@Gibonz]

@@catalystreactionsbw thanks so much :)

[@foxtrot789]

GSXR's hate bumps i've come to the conclusion. Even with my kickstand bypassed the bike would die nearly every time I went over a large enough bump. I cleaned all the connections at the starter solenoid as well as cleaned all the fuses which were coated with crap.

[@vphathom]

did you check the tip over sensor they can be a pain in the butt, hitting a bump could trigger it to trip the motor off

[@videosbruno]

My 600 had this problem it was at the battery, the cable was getting cut.

[@pjmtts]

Did you add more gas for the second ride? I would guess yes and if so low fuel and bumps cause sloshing to cut fuel to save the pump.

[@catalystreactionsbw]

Dave Williams, editor, replying here. No fuel added and it hasn't died since. Bobbling kickstand is the likely culprit.

[@shkitch]

I'm curious: do you think that slide (just before the turn-in) was because of the bike or because of the road?

[@catalystreactionsbw]

Dave Williams, editor, replying here. Great question. You'll see a couple of dark stripes in the pavement as I brake and begin the turn. Here in the US they often do a thing called "chip and seal" instead of actual repaving where they lay down a slurry of "seal" and then spread "chips" of aggregate over the top, followed by a roller to smash the chips into the seal. Then they let traffic finish the job over the next weeks and months of driving over it. This dark strips are from the chip spreader doing an uneven job so they're smooth with very little grip. Think the bad front tire, the smooth stripe, and my shallow angle across it combined to produce the little slide.

[@shkitch]

@@catalystreactionsbw Thank you for the explanation! I noticed those stripes, and thought to myself that the truck driving in front of you might be the cause (leaking fluid?). In my part of the world, they use bitumen to fill the cracks in the road surface. They are not as wide as in your case, but slippery enough to cause a mid-corner surprise. I've got a feeling that sun and high temperatures in the summer only make the matter worse.

[@DmitriyPanasyuk]

Love my Japanese 2011 SE Pearl White Kawasaki Ninja 250r ( only 3k miles all by me except the first 20 ) I think next step is I'm gonna upgrade to a 2020 Yamaha MT-07 , any advice ?

[@captainaverage721]

Honda cb650r ?

[@larrymckenna3503]

im guessing electrical connection ?

[@dustdevil9614]

Woo hooo.... Exits

[@jonstrickland3934]

I swear I could hear a grinding sound. driving me nuts.lol nice bike

[@OCCUPIEDNATION]

3:04 Looks like you need to add a couple of clicks of compression. :-P :-D

[@bbarnett7667]

Kickstand kill switch might have gotten triggered on the bumps.

[@markomiettinen4106]

You forgot JAS screwdrivers from prices :D My first bike was K5 750 and it was great bike.

[@EricBanner571]

How is the old girl going now. Bike update video Dave.

[@catalystreactionsbw]

The GSXR is running very well as far as I know and moved with Dave Williams to Kansas. No video updates available now.

[@marktarascio4766]

This was a good build but the only comment I have is that compression check should have been the first thing to do not the last.

[@catalystreactionsbw]

Agreed. The lack of equipment at the onset stopped that happening so we forged ahead.

[@pratikbhetwal3670]

Hey Dave, can you review the new mt 09?

[@catalystreactionsbw]

When we see one! yes, absolutely

[@reidspeed77]

Gixer750 🔥ad an 88 oil,,mental, k5 tacho blur, engine keep on pulling and pulling,,and pulling,,kerker shorty,,thay are really really bonkers 👍yours cut out going in the drive cos the stand popped down,,

[@nikolaarandjelovic246]

I would say it's worth it... Yes, there's a k5 750 for like 6000 dollars but... Do you trust that oil is changed or you will change it just in case... Also, fork oil, are bearings are greased as you did on your bike... Maybe your gsxr will be even more pricier but you know that everything is done properly by yourself... So, when you are riding your k5 you will not think about what can go wrong because you inspected the whole bike and did proper service.

[@nikolaarandjelovic246]

Actually, i would pay more than real price for the bike if seller can provide videos of him servicing the bike like you did on your gsxr 😁

[@kidkrusher1996]

I have an 04 1k very similar bike.. seems like treasure.. low miles at 15k

[@worldhello1234]

@7:29 It is a sensible thing to do, especially after cheapskate tinkering. ^^ @11:23 If you do it in your free time, it makes sense that you don't consider labour as an equivalent of opportunity costs. @12:48 The difference is when you take care to get the most out of it. :) @13:23 Wouldn't you recognize it imediately if the engine was close to death? @14:18 Didn't it make more sense to buy an immaculate one from the "cracker list" and maybe swap the tires? ;)

[@shanemiddleton3506]

i like how it looks B)

[@sheridancowling6257]

I reckon the kickstand bounced down just enough to kill the engine.

[@Ladosligese]

engine will outlast everything else .. its a Suzuki .. Japanese dont break ! :D

[@vphathom]

i thank it was worth it look at the fun and you did it your self so you cant really count labor cost i know it was hypothetical but the labor of love is worth it i like it needs stickers OR graphics LOL

[@catalystreactionsbw]

Dave Williams, editor, replying here. Actually the labor is not hypothetical. Any time you do work yourself that you would/could have paid someone else to perform, you earned the money even tho none changed hands. It is real income. Some day we'll sell the bike at which point that income will become more visible. If people kept track of all the "free" labor they perform, they'd be stunned at how rich they are.

[@Nirfin]

I don't think you need a new clutch until it starts to slip

[@shedred1967]

Number 500 like! Yeah.

[@saulocpp]

I spent more than I wanted/should restoring a RF900 that I knew had had better days, but just found out bad surprises after I undressed it. Yes it was back to a very usable state but I can't justify that investment in my right mind now. I will never do that again. If you don't have DMT tools and skills, do yourself a favor and buy a bike in the shape you can trust. :)

[@catalystreactionsbw]

Thanks for your honesty Saulo. Sometimes we get lucky and other times it turns into a very long, time consuming and expensive process like the CR85 that I bought. So sir, I share your pain.

[@daddyyankeehonda]

Kickstand switch

[@DatOldeBiker]

So you didn't need to push the bike at all? lol. We've all been there. :>)

[@josephnovella3589]

Labor to work on your own bikes is always free... If your are/were in the bike "flipping" business... then price in your labor COST... $100/hr seams like a retail price.

[@catalystreactionsbw]

Dave Williams, editor, replying here. Right, that’s a great way to look at it because actually if you do something like this you ARE in the bike flipping business (you will sell it some day). It’s actually a lost economic/business principle; when you do something yourself which you could have paid someone else to do, you actually earned the wage even though no money changed hands. If you were keeping a set of books like everybody did back in olden times, you’d record your labor on something like this in your double entry book keeping ledger as income and the thing you fixed as a new asset. I have friends who “work” for modest wages at a regular job, but in fact earn six figures because they never pay others to do things they can do themselves. So they enjoy the physical prosperity of a six figure income without getting paid by an “employer.” And they reap that reward for half the effort/output. Take this gixxer for example. If you were to earn $6000 to buy a mint condition bike outright, you’d actually have to work for $9000 to keep $6000. You’ll lose at least 40% of your wages to taxation (State, Federal, Social Security, healthcare benefits, sales tax, etc etc). Labor is not free because we perform it ourselves regardless of how free it feels. At the very least everything has opportunity cost; all the other things you could be doing. Even my wife has opportunity cost; all the other women I could have married. If everybody kept track of all their “free” labor, they’d be stunned how much money their making.

[@worldhello1234]

@@catalystreactionsbw "Dave Williams, editor, replying here. Right, that’s a great way to look at it because actually if you do something like this you ARE in the bike flipping business (you will sell it some day). " No you aren't, because it is your free time. "It’s actually a lost economic/business principle; when you do something yourself which you could have paid someone else to do, you actually earned the wage even though no money changed hands." No, you don't, because you compare a hobby to a profession and opportunity costs don't equal opportunities, because someone might not be available.

[@ADobbin1]

100/hour labour? Man am I in the wrong business!!!!

[@burgersquid]

I'll bet the bike cut off from rolling over potholes in the driveway, one could have jostled the kickstand off the switch, cutting the engine.

[@catalystreactionsbw]

Dave Williams, editor, replying here. Agreed.

[@greyanaroth]

Luna: look I'm just here for the laughs. You can push your own bike. It smells funky anyway I wouldn't touch that with a barge pole ew

[@clarkeboss1072]

Lol @American chiwawa If only Luna could talk 😂

[@nickc7649]

He paid moss 4k wow! That’s a bargain!

[@catalystreactionsbw]

The original purchase price was very low if you back to the first video. That is what the budget ended up being - 4k. I did not charge for my labor or time and the parts were added to the total bill.

[@lold6130]

Handlebar is one word. Just saying!

[@tonykartracer8032]

I saw a video by those 2 motorcycle dudes, one name is Arie or something? Anyway, they bought an old cheap kinda junky 2007 Suzuki GSX-R 1000 and spanked a brand new Ducati Panigale V4 on a road course track by a hefty margin too, mind you. Yeah, Ducati is ovepriced and a joke... don't drink the kool-aid.

[@worldhello1234]

LMFAO, just because not everyone sporting an expensive bike is a badass rider means that something is overpriced, fanboy.

[@cblaster171]

I wish I earned $100 an hour. Rather pricey labour.

[@catalystreactionsbw]

Dave Williams, editor, replying here. No kidding. I just had some work done on my 07 GSXR1000 here in Northern California; electrical issues that required among other things a new stator magnet, blah blah blah. The labor was $100/hr which is why we billed it at that rate.

[@cblaster171]

@@catalystreactionsbw Thank you for all the awesome content Mr Williams. :)

[@catalystreactionsbw]

@@cblaster171 Williams again. It's an honor. thank you for watching.

[@atreyustratula]

So in other words.. no

[@danemx5]

First ride on shitty roller tires.....goes 90mph lmao

[@briancave3989]

I fucking love my k5 gsxr 600. Only paid 1500 usd for mine also.. I'll never sell this thing.