Since I was stationed in Germany with no bike in hand, I spent a lot of time ordering motorcycle catalogs from the U.S. and looking at parts. I was trying to plan ahead and have parts ready to install on my new ride when I got home. I ended up mail-ordering parts from Competition Accessories before going on leave.
Original receipt and parts list from 1992. 
The GSXR with new header paint and parts in June, 1992. After prepping her from the long storage and getting her out on the road, I realized that this bike ran just as hard as I remembered. I also realized that running race fuel all of the time due to the high-compression was expensive. I actually got pulled over for speeding the first night I had her back on the street. Luckily, my military ID got me out of a ticket. I installed most of the ordered parts including the Lockhart flourescent orange windscreen, clear headlight cover and Russell braided steel brake and clutch lines. After a few hundred miles of riding in the home state, I reluctantly winterized the bike and put it into storage before returning to Germany.
Riding the 750 in the Colorado mountains while on leave in 1992. 
With a blue Ducati 750 Paso at Clement Park June 1992. In Spring 1993, I was reassigned back to the States at Fort Jackson, S.C. I really needed a vehicle, so my dad shipped her out to me. During the summer of 1993, I finally installed the Progressive fork springs in the front from the 1992 parts order. Big difference there. It was during my travels that I wound up finding International Cycle Salvage in Columbia, S.C. I made friends with the guys working there, and was offered a part-time job at ICS later that fall. It sure helped me later on when ordering parts.
International Cycle Salvage 
Standing tall and looking good before then engine blew, Fort Jackson spring 1993. 
Blasting around in Columbia, S.C. I wound up crashing the bike in June 1993 when I hit some pea gravel on a switchback in rural S.C. at around 60 MPH. I wasn't hurt thanks to my TT racing leathers, but the bike took a couple of hits. I broke the windscreen, front brake lines and right side cover. Luckily, I didn't have the lower on, so it did not get damaged. She sprayed oil out of that broken side cover all the way home but luckily I didnt damage anything. I added a clear Lockhart screen, new right mid-panel, Yoshimura heavy-duty side covers and Fastline racing brake lines to fix her up.
Staged and ready at Carolina Dragway July, 1993. I won this round against that 1989 Ninja 750. While I was at ICS, my co-workers and I put together an ad-hoc Drag Race team and hit the Thursday Night drags for a couple of months. It was a good time, but it cost me a lot of beer to keep my crew driving out with me to the strip every week.
After pulling off the damaged head October, 1993. I was smiling, but not really too happy here. It was not going to be cheap to repair this one. I rode quite a bit the next couple of months. Then in October, I swallowed a valve in the #2 cylinder. I later learned that Ken's mechanic had the wrong valve guides installed, causing a valve to float, then get snapped off by the piston. This motor had between 6,000 and 7,000 of HARD miles on it by then. I did all of the routine maintenance on it, but didn't do any valve adjustments nor check clearances before it broke. I had to learn the hard way, but looking back, that might not have prevented the failure.
Vance and Hines receipt. Parts still on the bike in 2020. Since I was working at ICS by then, the owner let me store and work on her there and keep her out of the elements. I decided to do a complete revamp of the entire engine. Since I worked at the dealer, I got all of my parts at 10% over cost, so I was able to get everything I needed at a reasonable price.
Some Yoshimura goodies as well. Parts list included: Wiseco 771 Piston Kit S&S oversize steel valves (complete set) Web Cams w/Roadracing Lift Tsubaki cam chain APE heavy-duty racing valve springs APE heavy-duty cylinder studs APE heavy duty cylinder nuts APE Clutch safety switch cover APE Manual Cam Chain tensioner APE degreeable cam sprockets Pingel Racing Fuel Valve Oil Pump/Oil Lines Vance and Hines Power Pak Barnett clutch + heavy duty springs Accel coils + wires Factory heavy-duty shift spring kit Sprocket Specialties Aluminum sprockets Tsubaki 530 Racing Chain Metzeler MEZ2 Radials Wheel bearings front and rear EBC Race Compund pads 
Some of the new parts. All the vendors taking my money. With all of the parts together, I was totally stoked to get this thing up and running again. |