Suzuki RM80X Part 2 - Small Matters!

Jeff’s 1981 RM80X might be small, but it has a huge heart. This month the bike is stripped bare and the frame repainted ready for assembly.

- Jeff Ware

G’day! I’ve made some good progress on my RM80X since last issue. It’s mid-winter here as I write this up and cold (for us Aussies anyway), so shed time has been mostly on weekends and the warmer nights.

So far, so good: I’m happy with progress. I have completely stripped the bike down to the frame and listed all of the parts I need to complete the resto of this little air-cooled screamer. I just can’t wait to fire it up and ride it. I remember the light-switch powerband and I’m sure it’ll still launch on to one wheel despite me weighing three times more than I did when I was 12 years old!

The other day I went to a giant hardware store and I bought one of those aluminium fold-out all-purpose workbenches, used to stand on to paint and so forth. I reckon it is the perfect size for the resto bench for the 80 and it is very portable, meaning over the coming months I can easily move the project aside between work stints.