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What's going on? I hope everyone is enjoying this nice weather holiday weekend.
I need a bit of help. I'm having trouble deciding on which bike GS850G I should add to my life. Whenever I get into something that I haven't been into before I research the snot out of it. I've watched lots of YouTube videos on them, looked @ FB groups, and read online info. I keep getting some conflicting info about the 79 is better or the 82 is better. I read that the 79 has the better lower end built engine and you can add 80's components to the 79 to make it that much better with the beauty of the kickstart. I've also found that the engines are the same in all GS850 lineups and the new versions got better each year and that kickstart isn't a big deal to not have.
So let me tell you what I'm looking for and maybe this will help understand where I'm trying to go.
I'm coming from a Harley that I sold a few years back to get a family truckster. Wife and I doubled the size of our family in a year and the pickup wasn't going to cut it. Men normally do what's needed to keep the family whole. I've always like the 70's and 80's bikes. My mom had an 82 Kawasaki 750 in the same brown metallic color as the 82 280Z which she also had and I've always liked that bike. So fast forward to now I've been yearning to get back on a bike for a few years now. I guess you can say I'm going through a midlife @ the moment. Girls are in high school, we're talking about colleges, my youngest of the 4 just started kindergarten, and I'm thinking of making a career and house change for the family. So yeah I need some soliced. Well to help fuel my youthful desire my buddy recently gotten an 80's Yamaha 850. So my search started.
I was actually looking for an 80's Kawasaki 750 or bigger and looked @ Yamaha, Honda, than the Suzuki. I have pretty much settled on the Suzuki a couple of weeks ago and have been really trying to get a GS850 for about a month now. My buddy's bike has the electric and kickstart and that's something I was hoping to have. So that brings me to my dilemma.
I've already looked @ a 79 and an 82.
The 79 has about 40k miles on it. Is kickstart only (start was removed and hole plugged). I was told the top end of the engine was rebuilt about 36k. It has a 4-1 unknown pipe but Scrap Trap exhaust that I think sounds awesome. Looks like aftermarket bars. No vent hoses on the carbs so kind of dirty under it. Fins on the jugs has dirty oil on them. Tach has no fuel gauge and where it should be is covered with a block out sticker in the shape of the gauge. Bike isn't pretty and the body was spray painted over the badges and all. Wheels and lower front forks have been painted as well. Bike does not smoke. I have not had the chance to ride it. Bike starts in one kick. I like that fact that the bike has kickstart and the other thing is I was told it has a better lower engine. I would have to at least wet sand it and respray the body over the winter and clear it myself until I decide to pay for a pro paint job to look decent. I would like a fuel gauge which I started looking for to see how hard it was to locate one and the hour I spent looking it wasn't easy. Someday I would have to pull the wheels and have them fixed to look factory as I like that look. I would have to try and install a starter hoping there weren't any issues keeping the (previous, previous owner/ PPO) from doing so. I do kind of like the bike and know I could make it look better.
However, I was looking @ the 80's bikes until the 79 popped up. I found an 82 in one of the colors I like. It's pretty clean. Carbs rebuilt, new tires, 4-1 Vance and Hines exhaust which surprisingly sounds decent. New plugs, wires and electronic ignition. Has about 14k miles on it. Stock bars. Tach was making a noise so the cable was removed. Badges need to be replaced as they are discolored. I've read where many say that 82 was a good year for this model.
I know it sounds like the 82 should be a no brainer to a noob like myself. However, like I said I've heard conflicting info that the engines are different and many appear to favor the kickstart if needed. However, the 79 is 20 minutes from my home and the 82 is a half a day trip. The kicker is both are the same price as well. If they were side by side in front of me and the engines are the same all the way through I would chose the 82 no questions. I do like the round signal lights and the kick start. Is it possible to add the round signal lights to the 82? LoL, am I putting too much into the kickstart? I have already researched the option to add it to the 82 but it seemed like it was impractical to do so. I have seen a video of both starting and running. I even went and personally looked @ the 79. Going to look @ the 82 in the next day or so.
I plan to ride the bike on the back roads to enjoy the scenery and twisties where I can open it up on a long stretch, or possibly some two lane one way hwy travel. But I don't plan to do any 4 lanes of hwy travel like I 95 or anything. Also bike events and shows.
Could I get some advice here please? I don't mind traveling for something I want. Wife and I used to do that when we were younger for Jeep parts.
Thanks for taking the time to read this post. Hope it wasn't a waste on your part.
I need a bit of help. I'm having trouble deciding on which bike GS850G I should add to my life. Whenever I get into something that I haven't been into before I research the snot out of it. I've watched lots of YouTube videos on them, looked @ FB groups, and read online info. I keep getting some conflicting info about the 79 is better or the 82 is better. I read that the 79 has the better lower end built engine and you can add 80's components to the 79 to make it that much better with the beauty of the kickstart. I've also found that the engines are the same in all GS850 lineups and the new versions got better each year and that kickstart isn't a big deal to not have.
So let me tell you what I'm looking for and maybe this will help understand where I'm trying to go.
I'm coming from a Harley that I sold a few years back to get a family truckster. Wife and I doubled the size of our family in a year and the pickup wasn't going to cut it. Men normally do what's needed to keep the family whole. I've always like the 70's and 80's bikes. My mom had an 82 Kawasaki 750 in the same brown metallic color as the 82 280Z which she also had and I've always liked that bike. So fast forward to now I've been yearning to get back on a bike for a few years now. I guess you can say I'm going through a midlife @ the moment. Girls are in high school, we're talking about colleges, my youngest of the 4 just started kindergarten, and I'm thinking of making a career and house change for the family. So yeah I need some soliced. Well to help fuel my youthful desire my buddy recently gotten an 80's Yamaha 850. So my search started.
I was actually looking for an 80's Kawasaki 750 or bigger and looked @ Yamaha, Honda, than the Suzuki. I have pretty much settled on the Suzuki a couple of weeks ago and have been really trying to get a GS850 for about a month now. My buddy's bike has the electric and kickstart and that's something I was hoping to have. So that brings me to my dilemma.
I've already looked @ a 79 and an 82.
The 79 has about 40k miles on it. Is kickstart only (start was removed and hole plugged). I was told the top end of the engine was rebuilt about 36k. It has a 4-1 unknown pipe but Scrap Trap exhaust that I think sounds awesome. Looks like aftermarket bars. No vent hoses on the carbs so kind of dirty under it. Fins on the jugs has dirty oil on them. Tach has no fuel gauge and where it should be is covered with a block out sticker in the shape of the gauge. Bike isn't pretty and the body was spray painted over the badges and all. Wheels and lower front forks have been painted as well. Bike does not smoke. I have not had the chance to ride it. Bike starts in one kick. I like that fact that the bike has kickstart and the other thing is I was told it has a better lower engine. I would have to at least wet sand it and respray the body over the winter and clear it myself until I decide to pay for a pro paint job to look decent. I would like a fuel gauge which I started looking for to see how hard it was to locate one and the hour I spent looking it wasn't easy. Someday I would have to pull the wheels and have them fixed to look factory as I like that look. I would have to try and install a starter hoping there weren't any issues keeping the (previous, previous owner/ PPO) from doing so. I do kind of like the bike and know I could make it look better.
However, I was looking @ the 80's bikes until the 79 popped up. I found an 82 in one of the colors I like. It's pretty clean. Carbs rebuilt, new tires, 4-1 Vance and Hines exhaust which surprisingly sounds decent. New plugs, wires and electronic ignition. Has about 14k miles on it. Stock bars. Tach was making a noise so the cable was removed. Badges need to be replaced as they are discolored. I've read where many say that 82 was a good year for this model.
I know it sounds like the 82 should be a no brainer to a noob like myself. However, like I said I've heard conflicting info that the engines are different and many appear to favor the kickstart if needed. However, the 79 is 20 minutes from my home and the 82 is a half a day trip. The kicker is both are the same price as well. If they were side by side in front of me and the engines are the same all the way through I would chose the 82 no questions. I do like the round signal lights and the kick start. Is it possible to add the round signal lights to the 82? LoL, am I putting too much into the kickstart? I have already researched the option to add it to the 82 but it seemed like it was impractical to do so. I have seen a video of both starting and running. I even went and personally looked @ the 79. Going to look @ the 82 in the next day or so.
I plan to ride the bike on the back roads to enjoy the scenery and twisties where I can open it up on a long stretch, or possibly some two lane one way hwy travel. But I don't plan to do any 4 lanes of hwy travel like I 95 or anything. Also bike events and shows.
Could I get some advice here please? I don't mind traveling for something I want. Wife and I used to do that when we were younger for Jeep parts.
Thanks for taking the time to read this post. Hope it wasn't a waste on your part.
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