New GS650 Owner in Knoxville, TN

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  • GermanGS
    • Feb 2026
    #1

    New GS650 Owner in Knoxville, TN

    Hello all,

    Just wanted to introduce myself. Name's Jon, I've been riding and racing bike for years, and I've been building/rebuilding them for a while now as well.

    I recently purchased an '83 GS650L, got a good deal on her, she is pretty clean and runs decently well for an 80 year old bike with 32k miles on her.

    I am a tall slender fella, so I had to do away with the standard pull-back bars right away to even be able to ride it comfortably. So I threw on some old Renthals I had laying around.

    My hopes are to make her into a sort of scrambler/tracker/adventure touring style bike for the everyday.

    The only pressing things she needs is maybe a new lithium battery with more CCA, some updated front springs (Sonic Springs most likely), and a good cleaning.

    Thanks!

    Here are a few from when I first purchased her:



    And a few after the Renthals were installed (the grips in the photo have also been replaced with some gray motox grips):
    I also lost the "touring" foot pegs on the engine guards.

    Tags: None
    • tom203
      Forum Guru
      Past Site Supporter
      • Aug 2010
      • 8925
      • Norway,Maine
      #2
      Welcome, always nice to see 650 shafties alive and running. You're probably too tall for the L, but so what!
      The standard 14 amp-hr battery is fine, mine starts instantly with a 5 year old AGM. Have a look at typical issues in this thread...
      GSR Greeting
      http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/images/GSR_Greeting.html
      1981 gs650L

      "We are all born ignorant, but you have to work hard to stay stupid" Ben Franklin

        Comment

        • dorkburger
          Forum LongTimer
          Past Site Supporter
          • Jan 2013
          • 10771
          • Stupid Freehold Boro NJ
          #3
          Welcome. Looks like a clean cycle. Enjoy.
          sigpic
          When consulting the magic 8 ball for advice, one must first ask it "will your answers be accurate?"

          Glen
          -85 1150 es - Plus size supermodel.
          -Rusty old scooter.
          Other things I like to photograph.....instagram.com/gs_junkie
          https://www.instagram.com/glen_brenner/
          https://www.flickr.com/photos/152267...7713345317771/

            Comment

            • GermanGS
              #4
              Thanks for the link Tom, I'll make sure to use it. I may be a little tall for it, but with the renthals, it is actually pretty comfortable. I grew up on sports bikes and dirt bikes, so the riding position is pretty similar.

                Comment

                • BigD_83
                  Forum Sage
                  Past Site Supporter
                  • May 2011
                  • 4872
                  • Vancouver
                  #5
                  I think Kerrfunk is going to be envious after seeing this beautiful relic in someone else's garage, and not all that far away from him, either
                  '83 GS650G
                  '83 GS550es (didn't like the colours in the 80's, but they've grown on me)

                    Comment

                    • justin
                      #6
                      congrats nice bike, i also have an 83 650gl with 95000km and still going strong . im interested in the scrambler tracker idea as i like to ride my bike everywhere . they are pretty bullet proof and can take a beating the only downfall is the small gas tank i think and could possibly do with a little more power

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