Looking for gs owners in Iowa

[Guest]

I'm new here. I'm looking for someone close to Charles city, Iowa that can show me how to go about adjusting valves. I'd be willing to ride to you if not too far. I've got a 1979 gs850 with 17000 miles on her. Thanks!

[kerrfunk]

Welcome! I no longer live in Iowa but I used to be down the road in Clear Lake, worked in Mason.
Good luck!

[Trentin]

Thanks kerrfunk! Ya mason city and Clear lake are just a hop skip and a jump away. Hoping to find someone nearby to give me a hand. Thanks anyways man!

[rapidray]

Trippivot!!! Where you at these days? Michigan or colder, or still Iowa???

[Wingsconsin]

Did you ever find anybody to help with this ?
I am making a trip to central Nebraska next weekend and could drive past your place on the way -
Thursday during the late morning - I suppose you would be working - or maybe Sunday mid-afternoon -
Do you have the tools ? And some shims ? It will be impossible to know what you need because you don't know what you have already.
Start by inventorying the shims in the bike, and measuring clearance -
Great tutorials found here -->> http://gsarchive.bwringer.com/
Specifically for shims find the valve adjustment for 8 valve link
You CAN do this yourself by following the tutorial but I understand it is more witchcraft than science ;
alchemy and black magic seem to go well with older motorcycles?

[zuluwiz]

Keep in mind the bike has to sit for at least 12 hours before you start measuring, to make sure it's totally cold and the measurements are accurate. So don't ride the day of the check.

Oh, and Wingsman, don't forget Zen, as well as the witchcraft and other stuff.

[Wingsconsin]

Too late -- My trip has passed...
Iowa was nice to go across .

[nejeff]

Too late -- My trip has passed...
Iowa was nice to go across .

What were you doing in central Nebraska Wing? Lets be realistic, Iowa's not that much fun Been to Des Moines twice this summer and drove through it once on the way to Minneapolis...I can take it or leave it

[Wingsconsin]

What were you doing in central Nebraska Wing? Lets be realistic, Iowa's not that much fun Been to Des Moines twice this summer and drove through it once on the way to Minneapolis...I can take it or leave it

The Great Plains Rally in Grand Island (St Libory actually) -

And the bike night at Bosselmans Truck stop on Friday night -

And to visit Kansas (center of the US marker) and Taylor Ne. - Home of the wooden people (look it up)

Highway 30 across Iowa was fine - a small town every 30 miles -- and long stretches of straight and ..(Fast )

I should've stopped by and said hello

[Trentin]

Well the bike is running fine right now. I just read that every 4000 miles this should be checked and I have no idea what I'm doing. No I don't have the tools and no I don't have any shims either. I appreciate the offer and your time! I just want to know how to do it so when it does come time I'm ready.

[Wingsconsin]

Well the bike is running fine right now. I just read that every 4000 miles this should be checked and I have no idea what I'm doing. No I don't have the tools and no I don't have any shims either. I appreciate the offer and your time! I just want to know how to do it so when it does come time I'm ready.

I would take some time to read the process and get 'familiar' with it.
Some time in the near future you will have to inventory your current shims, and find the tolerance at this point.
That will give you some idea of what shims you may need to have in the future -
ex: you have a 2.40 shim in an intake - you will not need anything large than 2.35 for the change (for that spot)
You might be able to move some around and not need to buy any - But if you KNOW that all your existing shims are 2.40 or smaller - Why buy a 2.45 or 2.50?
That's what I have done anyway - I know my current shims & inventory - I have a few in inventory that are not of any use to me now-- (2.60-3/ 2.50)

[Trentin]

Thanks so much for the info. I really appreciate it! When is a good time to check this? I've read every 4000 is that legit?

[Steve]

If you have recently acquired the bike, the time is NOW.

After that, every 3-4000 miles, as they stabilize, you can stretch out the interval a bit.

Be sure to check the invitation in my signature.

.

[nejeff]

The Great Plains Rally in Grand Island (St Libory actually) -

And the bike night at Bosselmans Truck stop on Friday night -

And to visit Kansas (center of the US marker) and Taylor Ne. - Home of the wooden people (look it up)

Highway 30 across Iowa was fine - a small town every 30 miles -- and long stretches of straight and ..(Fast )

I should've stopped by and said hello

Well you should have at least waved as you went by!

I take it the Great Plains Rally is some kind of Goldwing event. Interesting about Taylor, NE, had never heard of the "wooden people"

The ONLY way to go through Iowa is FAST.

[alke46]

Well you should have at least waved as you went by!

I take it the Great Plains Rally is some kind of Goldwing event. Interesting about Taylor, NE, had never heard of the "wooden people"

The ONLY way to go through Iowa is FAST.

Yes I agree, however on US 30 in Iowa the speed limit is posted at 55mph. Hard to go too fast through the state. Ask me how I know this. Been stopped quite a few times where the State Troopers are using aircraft to check speed.