1983 GS450l Won't Go Past 40 mph & Backfiring Through Carbs

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  • sorrentino100
    • Feb 2026

    #1

    1983 GS450l Won't Go Past 40 mph & Backfiring Through Carbs

    Any ideas on the cause?
  • Steve
    GS Whisperer
    • Jun 2005
    • 35925
    • southwest oHIo

    #2
    OK, it's nice that we know what bike we are discussing, but we are not quite clairvoyant enough to know the maintenance history or the conditions under which you are trying to do this.

    Yes, we have LOTS of ideas, but let's narrow down the symptoms a bit, then we can offer some ideas that might be rather close.

    .
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    mine: 2000 Honda GoldWing GL1500SE and 1980 GS850G'K' "Junior"
    hers: 1982 GS850GL - "Angel" and 1969 Suzuki T250 Scrambler
    #1 son: 1986 Yamaha Venture Royale 1300 and 1982 GS650GL "Rat Bagger"
    #2 son: 1980 GS1000G
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    Comment

    • sorrentino100

      #3
      I've had it a couple of years. It's been in the shed. It's a Suzuki 1983 GS 450L. It idled fine and started ok when I purchased it. I got it on the road a couple of weeks later and it has little power and won't go over 40 mph and will backfire through the carbs. That's all I can tell you.

      1983 Suzuki GS450L.

      Comment

      • Guest

        #4
        Based on the very minimal info provided, my top three things to check are mouse nest materials in the air box, corrosion in the fuel tank, corrosion in the mechanical advance mechanism. Let me know if I win something...

        Comment

        • sorrentino100

          #5
          Well, I took the seat off yesterday to check the air filter and it was full of mouse nest material. Filled to the rim. Cleaned it out. Charged the battery and got it running today. Runs on one cylinder only. Will idle only.

          Comment

          • Nessism
            Forum LongTimer
            GSResource Superstar
            Past Site Supporter
            Super Site Supporter
            • Mar 2006
            • 35789
            • Torrance, CA

            #6
            Please check the Newbie Mistakes thread linked in my signature to see if anything rings a bell...
            Ed

            To measure is to know.

            Mikuni O-ring Kits For Sale...https://www.thegsresources.com/_foru...ts#post1703182

            Top Newbie Mistakes thread...http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...d.php?t=171846

            Carb rebuild tutorial...https://gsarchive.bwringer.com/mtsac...d_Tutorial.pdf

            KZ750E Rebuild Thread...http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...0-Resurrection

            Comment

            • sam000lee
              Forum Mentor
              • Jun 2013
              • 884
              • MA

              #7
              1980/1981 GS450 - GS500 Cylinder + Piston Swap - "De-L'ed", custom seat, CB350 bits, 18" rear, etc.
              1977 GS550
              1977 GS750 - Cross country trip thread

              Comment

              • rekidiw

                #8
                not sure if you got this fixed or not but i had a similar issue when my petcock was allowing gas down both the fuel line and also the vacuum line connected to the left carb. it should not be coming out of the vacuum line if you pull it off and look. this creates such a rich symptom the bike intermittently runs on one cylinder (the right).

                Comment

                • Guest

                  #9
                  Valves/compression
                  Carbs
                  Fuel valve
                  Just a good start

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