1982 GSX250 Owner from Aus.

[jimmyleonard]

Hey guys!

Young bloke from Melbourne, Australia. Recently acquired a 1982 GSX250. Was running fine until I decided to fiddle with things - now it's not.

Looking forward to getting it running again though and hopefully I'll learn a thing or two from members who actually know what they're doing!


Cheers,
Jimmy

[Brendan W]

Hi Jimmy and welcome to the GSR.
This in case you haven't yet found it http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/
If it's not too personal a question , what were you fiddling with ?

[Guest]

Welcome from sunny Brisvegas Jimmy! Plenty of pointers here to help you on your way... search is your friend otherwise ask away.

[jimmyleonard]

Hi Jimmy and welcome to the GSR.
This in case you haven't yet found it http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/
If it's not too personal a question , what were you fiddling with ?

Hi Brendan,

Thanks for the welcome and the link I've had a good look through bikecliff's website - it's got some handy info!
Not too personal (wasn't fiddling with myself ). I took the fuel tank off in order to clean it up and spray it and when I put it back on, the electrics wouldn't work. I'd obviously jiggled some wires around and being a 30 year old wiring harness, it was in a sad state of affairs so I figured it was shorting out somewhere. I stripped all the electrics and just finished rewiring the bike but now it's not idling properly. Won't seem to run without the choke on. It starts alright with the choke on but as soon as I turn it off, it sputters out and dies unless I rev the throttle. I figure it's a carby problem like clogged jets so I'll give them a good clean and see if that fixes it.

What are you riding?

Cheers,
Jimmy

[jimmyleonard]

Welcome from sunny Brisvegas Jimmy! Plenty of pointers here to help you on your way... search is your friend otherwise ask away.

Hey Pete!

Good ol' Brisvegas ey - nice and hot up there? Thanks for the welcome mate I've had a good look around and there seems to be a lot of handy info so I'm looking forward to delving deeper into the archives

Cheers,
Jimmy

[Brendan W]

Hi Brendan,

Thanks for the welcome and the link I've had a good look through bikecliff's website - it's got some handy info!
Not too personal (wasn't fiddling with myself ). I took the fuel tank off in order to clean it up and spray it and when I put it back on, the electrics wouldn't work. I'd obviously jiggled some wires around and being a 30 year old wiring harness, it was in a sad state of affairs so I figured it was shorting out somewhere. I stripped all the electrics and just finished rewiring the bike but now it's not idling properly. Won't seem to run without the choke on. It starts alright with the choke on but as soon as I turn it off, it sputters out and dies unless I rev the throttle. I figure it's a carby problem like clogged jets so I'll give them a good clean and see if that fixes it.

What are you riding?

Cheers,
Jimmy

Carbs probably could do with a clean but............... Until the electrics are sorted you can end up chasing phantom imagined issues with other things. Work through the harness checking voltage at key points such as the coil plugs ( which could be part of your running issue after the tank came off), the headlight plug, the ignition switch, the kill switch, the fuses.
A bike that age will need kill switch cleaned, ignition switch cleaned and the fusebox. This can give you back voltage that was preventing clean starting and causing misfiring.
This is my ride

[Guest]

Hey Pete!

Good ol' Brisvegas ey - nice and hot up there? Thanks for the welcome mate I've had a good look around and there seems to be a lot of handy info so I'm looking forward to delving deeper into the archives

Cheers,
Jimmy

Yeah mate warm indeed! Working in the garage at 7:30pm last night and the sweat was running off in streams... gotta get this Kat under way though

[Guest]

ooh that's a nice 850 you have there.

[Guest]

Hi Jimmy. I am from Melbourne too! Cheers.

[jimmyleonard]

Carbs probably could do with a clean but............... Until the electrics are sorted you can end up chasing phantom imagined issues with other things. Work through the harness checking voltage at key points such as the coil plugs ( which could be part of your running issue after the tank came off), the headlight plug, the ignition switch, the kill switch, the fuses.
A bike that age will need kill switch cleaned, ignition switch cleaned and the fusebox. This can give you back voltage that was preventing clean starting and causing misfiring.
This is my ride

Thanks Brendan! That's what I've done so far - I completely rewired the bike; replaced the old glass in-line fuse with a blade in-line fuse, replaced all the wires and connectors, swapped out keyed ignition for a toggle switch, replaced the starter switch and replaced all of the other hand controls with my own series of buttons and switches. I haven't tested the voltage since I rewired it all but it was running so that was a start I'm new to the wiring game so I was learning as I went - thankfully after a day of reading and tracing wires, it now doesn't seem too difficult and I managed to get it working. Next step is finding out why it won't idle properly. First thing I'll do is test the voltage, then I'll have a look at cleaning those carbs and go from there. I appreciate all the help Brendan!

Love your bike! It's so clean - very jealous!

[jimmyleonard]

Yeah mate warm indeed! Working in the garage at 7:30pm last night and the sweat was running off in streams... gotta get this Kat under way though

That sounds horrible but I'm sure you're used to it up there We've got a forecast of 41 today - already way too hot to be alive. No idea how you crazy Queenslanders do it! Just had a look at your Kat thread - love the old pictures of when it was new and freshly painted

[jimmyleonard]

Hi Jimmy. I am from Melbourne too! Cheers.

A fellow Mexican! Thanks for the welcome Joe!

[Brendan W]

Love your bike! It's so clean - very jealous!

The camera lies. When that pic was taken she was losing a litre of oil every 400 miles through the headgasket and stem seals. See the spot on the floor below the generator cover. I finally took action when my right boot slipped on the floor at a crossroads.
The fairing was for a 6" headlight so it's gone, waiting for a proper size replacement.
I could take a leaf from your book. What did you use for the left bar switches ? Mine are a mess.

[Guest]

That sounds horrible but I'm sure you're used to it up there We've got a forecast of 41 today - already way too hot to be alive. No idea how you crazy Queenslanders do it! Just had a look at your Kat thread - love the old pictures of when it was new and freshly painted

The difference is the humidity, you guys get nice and dry hot weather down there and that's soooo much easier to work in! Being born and bred up here I guess I'm just used to it...

Hmmm must be someone else's Kat that was all shiny and new, mine's being built up from bits and pieces around the place