Newbie has a few questions

**BassCliff** · 03-30-2010, 12:02 AM

Greetings and Salutations!!

Hi Mr. chuck c,

Welcome! I'm not one of the "gurus" around here, but I'll share my thoughts.

#1. Gunk in the choke circuit of the carbs? Time to clean them properly? Or maybe try some Sea Foam?

#2. Shifter Seal Replacement <<<Click for more info.

#3. When was the last time you changed your oil? What oil are you using? Perhaps your cable needs adjusting. Perhaps the clutch plates need inspection.

If there's anything you'd like to know about the Suzuki GS model bikes, and most others actually, you've come to the right place. There's a lot of knowledge and experience here in the community. Come on in and let me say "HOoooowwwDY!"....

Here is your very own magical, mystical, mythical, mind-expanding "mega-welcome". Please take notice of the "Top 10 Common Issues", the Carb Rebuild Series, and the Stator Papers. Now let me roll out the welcome mat for you...

Please click here for your mega-welcome, chock full of tips, suggestions, links to vendors, and other information. Then feel free to visit my little BikeCliff website where I've been collecting the wisdom of this generous community. Don't forget, we like pictures! Not you, your bike!

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

**davidduarte** · 03-30-2010, 12:50 AM

I've had a 1980 GS450 for several years now, and I'm finally getting around to doing some much needed work on it. A friend of mine helped me take the carbs apart and clean them out. It's not nearly as hard as you might think. It certainly helped that he has a parts cleaner, and also an air compressor so we could blow it out. It's amazing how much gunk will build up in there over 30 years. I would try using Spectro to see if that helps the shifting. Sometimes the GS bikes are a little hard to shift when they are cold; after they warm up they're usually pretty slick. Good luck with your new steed

**davidduarte** · 03-30-2010, 12:52 AM

oh, and BTW, I found the chain guard, and other things like a front brake switch on bikebandit.com. There are other places you can find these parts at though. If you're an AMA member you get a discount at Bike Bandit, and they have the microfiche online so you can look at exploded views of the various parts of the bike, and order what you need. Very cool. You can also get a Haynes manual for free, I don't have the exact link, but you should be able to find it in your Megawelcome.

**chuck c** · 03-30-2010, 09:09 AM

Thanks for the link on replacing the shifter seal, I can handle that!

Re: oil, I've only had the bike for 2 weeks and only topped it off with castrol. I want to know what you guys are using so I can change it. I will check the clutch adjustment, I didn't think of that.

As for these carbs, I don't want to tear them down just yet. They are different from what I know and would like to save that for the Fall because I want to ride it now! If I mess up or need parts there could be a long delay getting it back on the road. Other than the choke, it runs fine. Not risking it.

I did give it a Sea Foam treatment which helped clear out the Winter Crud Monsters, but the choke passages might still be blocked. I might try continued SF doses and run with the choke slightly open so a little can get through that circuit.

**GS ace** · 03-30-2010, 09:53 AM

Oil

I've used Castrol GTX 20w50 for as long as I can remember. I run it in all of my motorcycles, with the exception of a few non-Suzukis that have synthetics.

**Skateguy50** · 03-30-2010, 10:19 AM

just in case you didnt know, the biggest thing with the oil is to make sure it is NOT "energy conserving" on the little circle label. If you put some of that in I would change it out just to be safe.

**teddux** · 03-30-2010, 11:34 AM

Originally posted by chuck c

Thanks for the link on replacing the shifter seal, I can handle that!

On the 425, you have to split the case i think even for the clutch push rod, 450: I have to take my clutch plate off to see...

Originally posted by chuck c

As for these carbs, I don't want to tear them down just yet.

Try just removing the intake "plate" and see what happens, maybe your jets are finally eroded.

**teddux** · 03-30-2010, 11:49 AM

Originally posted by BassCliff

Welcome! I'm not one of the "gurus" around here

LMAO!
FTW!
Modesty is NOT a Sin.

**davidduarte** · 03-30-2010, 12:23 PM

Sea Foam is great stuff! A few years ago, I took my bike out after the winter. Previously I had always used Sta-bil to stabilize the gas. The problem I had was that I had to rev the hell out of the engine to get going from a stop, otherwise it would bog down on me. Once I was moving it was fine. I ran Techron in the tank, then tried Sea Foam. That helped some, but what really helped a lot was taking the tank off, and injecting Sea Foam directly into the carbs, and running the engine. I shut it down, pumped in some more Sea Foam, then let it sit for 3 days. It took me a while to get it started after that, something like 20 tries, but it was like a whole new bike after that. I just hope that after I get the rust out of the tank and get everything back on, it will just run *fingers crossed*

**teddux** · 03-30-2010, 04:17 PM

Originally posted by davidduarte

Sea Foam is great stuff! A few years ago, I took my bike out after the winter. Previously I had always used Sta-bil to stabilize the gas. The problem I had was that I had to rev the hell out of the engine to get going from a stop, otherwise it would bog down on me. Once I was moving it was fine. I ran Techron in the tank, then tried Sea Foam. That helped some, but what really helped a lot was taking the tank off, and injecting Sea Foam directly into the carbs, and running the engine. I shut it down, pumped in some more Sea Foam, then let it sit for 3 days. It took me a while to get it started after that, something like 20 tries, but it was like a whole new bike after that. I just hope that after I get the rust out of the tank and get everything back on, it will just run *fingers crossed*

Damn, you need to post more crap to move up from "Junior", FTW!!!

**davidduarte** · 03-30-2010, 05:04 PM

Originally posted by teddux

Damn, you need to post more crap to move up from "Junior", FTW!!!

How many posts do I need for that?

Here's one more anyway.

**teddux** · 03-30-2010, 05:11 PM

Originally posted by davidduarte

How many posts do I need for that?

Here's one more anyway.

I dunno, but it's a start, here, answer this 2 times:
)()&*)(*^&&*%$^&$*(_+(+_|)|+(+*()*&^&*^%%^#$$%#%)* )(*!!!

**chuck c** · 03-30-2010, 05:50 PM

Where is this intake plate? How would I tell is my jets are eroded? I need more info!

Originally posted by teddux

Try just removing the intake "plate" and see what happens, maybe your jets are finally eroded.

**chuck c** · 03-30-2010, 05:52 PM

Even tho it calls for 10W-40? The thicker oil doesn't affect it?

Originally posted by GS ace

I've used Castrol GTX 20w50 for as long as I can remember. I run it in all of my motorcycles, with the exception of a few non-Suzukis that have synthetics.

Newbie has a few questions

Newbie has a few questions

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