There’s a special kind of satisfaction that comes from . Maybe it’s a sad plant you brought back to life during lockdown, or a kitten that showed up on your doorstep and now lives at your house. Better still, maybe it’s a sad bike you rescued during lockdown. The details may be different, but the mentality is the same: Find something that needs your help, then give it the care and attention it needs to become something amazing.  

If you think this sounds like a solid basis for motorcycle customization, you’d be right. In this video, you get to see a YouTuber who goes by the name DoctorMotorcycle pull a sad and unloved Suzuki GS400 back from the brink. Now, to be clear, we’ve seen much more abused bikes here, and we’re sure you have, too. Still, this GS400 was showing its age, until DoctorMotorcycle got his hands on it and went to work. 

First, he replaced the old, tired rubber with brand new, chunky tires and new tubes. Now, the sight and smell of new rubber properly mounted on a bike can be a bit of a pick-me-up on its own. In this case, however, it also came in handy because he mostly kept the engine in the frame as he worked on it. From there, you’ll see plenty of cutting, grinding, and welding as he rerouted the exhaust system to fit the new turbo into place.  

Along the way, there’s plenty of testing, as well as replacement of all the things that needed it on this bike. Everything from a shiny new carb, clutch pack, drive chain, steering head bearings, and a full fork rebuild are all just some of the things you’ll see as you watch. There is also, of course, creation of that sweet new saddle, as well as plenty of cosmetic refinements and paint. 

At one point, the Doctor needed some new brackets to fit the gauge pods he wanted to use on this build. Because it’s 2021, and 3D printers are awesome, he simply printed himself up exactly what he was looking for. No line, no waiting for parts, no fuss—and they perfectly suited the look he was going for. What’s not to love about living in the future, which is also apparently now? 

By the end, you get a brief glimpse of how it runs out in the Arizona desert. Thankfully, you also get to hear it as well. If you’d like to hear and see a longer running video, Doctor Motorcycle has conveniently posted one on his YouTube channel as a follow-up to this build video.  

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