my 850 runs like a slug!

[joseleary]

My 1982 GS850L is running very slow. It has since I bought it about 4k miles ago. It is just coming up on 12k miles. Around town it feels fine, but on the freeway it gets passed by everything. It feels like it should have a 6th gear. Everyone I know who's had an 850 has said the same about theirs too. At about 70 mph it feels like it's giving me all I'm going to get. Is their something i can do to give it a little more noodle, or is the GS850 just a pokey bike?
Thanks. -Joe

[Big T]

Rev it up!

Anything up to 8,000 rpm is fair game

[tkent02]

9,000 or 10,000 won't hurt it either.

If it doesn't move very quickly up to it's top speed well over 100mph there is a problem with it.

Should be 120 something tops, maybe 130 for an 850?

Can't remember, but it's up in that range.

[twr1776]

#3 Today, 11:48 AM tkent02 If it doesn't move very quickly up to it's top speed well over 100mph there is a problem with it.

I agree with tkent. Have you done any maintenance to it? If you are still running the OEM boots, o-rings, etc., or have any intake or exhaust side air leaks it will not run properly. At 70 mph you should be at approx 5K which is the starting point for the motor to "wake up" and really start to pull hard. Check your plugs to see if you are running lean which is a sure indicator you have the air leaks. The 850 will happily run above 5K all day every day for years.

[Steve]

I agree with all the maintenance suggestions, they will really wake it up.

To show it's possible, here is a picture that my wife took over my shoulder just a couple of weeks ago on my '80 850:


We spent most of Sunday afternoon keeping mriddle, on his 750ES, TheCafeKid, on his 1100ES and RageZro, on his ZRX1200 in our sights at the Red River Rally.




.

[rustybronco]

Before the base gasket gave out on the '82, I had it pretty near 70 MPH on a two lane road on the way to work one morning. yep those 850's sure like to run and get up to speed quite quickly!











oh, by the way, that pretty near 70 MPH was in second gear...

[joseleary]

Thank you guys. It kind of feels like it's running more rich than lean. I'm thinking the carbs could use a little cleaning. I'm just glad to know that 70mph is not all it's got on a good day.

[SqDancerLynn1]

Don't let it concern you, My 850 regularly sees 8k + rpm And that is getting around 100 MPH when in 5th gear

[BassCliff]

Greetings and Salutations!!

Hi Mr. joseleary,

You'll find lots of GS850G lovin' on my website. Your "mega-welcome" will tell you how to take care of it. Let's get started.

I just stopped by to welcome you to the forum in my own, special way.

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

[oldgsfan]

When I first got my 850 a couple of years back, I wasn't used to the high-revving sound, now that I've grown accustomed to it, I regularly hit well 90 mph just on my morning commute.

My 850 can haul ass, pass just about anything on the road if need be, and ride all day long. I'm sure once you go through the BassCliff list of maintenance and improvements, you'll see a real improvement in your bike's performance.

[joseleary]

Thank you so much for all the info in the mega welcome. It looks like I've got a busy week in the garage. That's good news, I've needed a little wrench and relaxation session!