Newby with GS850G

[romtang]

OK fairly newby to riding just bought a 80' gs850g with 49,000 miles.
I am the 3rd owner, The 2nd owner only owned it for 1 month. (He could not touch the ground) I went through the windjammer and found the owners manual. Ever oil change, brake service, charging issues, new tires, etc. has been recorded from the 1st oil change at 300 miles to the last oil change at 46,000 miles and everything in between.
Okay here is the question. (The hissing noise you get from compression when you remove a spark plug and turn it over) well that sound is barely detectable but is there when running. Fuel gauge does not work. (don't know why)
Every morning it takes 15 min to start the bike. It turns over and over and over. If I pull the choke it doesn't even sound like it will start. 2 seconds after I push the choke back in it begins to sound as if it will start. After 15 min of doing this it finally starts and stays running if I feather the throttle. After riding for awhile when the engine is really warmed up the bike idles very very high. (3.5-4k)
Was wondering if anyone knew answers to my Q's?
Thanks in advance....

[mark]

I assume your bike is stock with stock exhaust and airbox.

Anyway, the hissing sound is probably some sort of vacuum leak (you're "sucking air" so to speak). So you have to try to locate it.

It could be something simple. Make sure that your petcock vacuum line is hooked up. You have two lines running from your petcock to the carb. the vacuum line runs from the smaller nipple on your petcock to a fitting on the number 3 carb. Your gas line is the bigger line. If the vacuum line has been disconnected or is missing your bike won't start or run well and you'll get the hiss you can hear. Steady increase in idle is usually a lean condition (your idle adjustment could be way off of course).

If your vacuum line is O.K., check for leaks at your intake manifold and make sure your carb clamps (on both sides, front and back) are tight. If you can hear the hissing, you should be able to locate it. Spraying water with a spray bottle around the affected can help you locate the exact location. Loose spark plugs?

Turn the bike to "prime" when starting it and see if your bike starts easier. Also when you're using the choke to start the bike when it is cold, do NOT use the throttle until the bike starts.

That's a start anyway.....

Nebraska....cool. Where abouts?

[dpep]

Verify the choke cable is working correctly. When sitting on the bike look down on the left side at the carbs. When you pull the choke out you should see a small rod extend outward. Push the choke in it will return. If you have a problem with the cable, you can just pull the little rod out with your fingers.

Choke on, Kill switch to On, Key on, don't touch throttle. Push starter. Once it starts firing you can start blipping the throttle carefully to help it along.

[romtang]

Hey Mark - I'm from Hastings. How about you?

[mark]

Sort of in between Fairbury and Beatrice down along the Kansas border.

[rustybronco]

after you check what the others have told you take the chrome side covers off and check for foam under them sealing them to the air box ,then check to make sure the clamps on both sides of the carbs a tight (you don't have to CRANK them down) after that check for leaks between the head and the boots to the carbs by spraying them with wd-40 to check for air leaks when its warmed up (the o-rings will go bad after time) if you have an air leak the idle will go down, and the boots must have no cracks in them. you do have the stock air box don't you?

that is where i'd start.

sorry Mark, i didn't read all your post sorry for the double.

[romtang]

OK. The choke does work right. (at least when pulled out the small rod extends outward. Push the choke in it returns)

I did what you guys recommended:
"Choke on, Kill switch to On, Key on, don't touch throttle. Push starter. Once it starts firing you can start blipping the throttle carefully to help it along."
It would not even sound like it wanted to start with the choke out. Pushed choke back in and 15 min later or so the bike finally started and then idled very low.
Turning petcock to prime doesn't help also.

Ran it for 10 miles or so. It idles high (4k) If I let out on clutch a bit the rpm's drop back to normal idle range and stay there.(most of the time)

Both lines are hooked up on petcock.

Gonna check the other recommendations you guys offered.

[mark]

Once you finally start it and its warmed up, besides the high idle, does it run O.K. down the road? Does it backfire at all, flat spots, or does it run normally?

[Billyboy]

Welcome!

Must be awefully hard to run a bike that idles at 4000.

Did the bike sit for long? Carbs might be gummed.

[romtang]

Yes it does run fine. No flat spots, doesn't backfire. Untill it's warmed up you have to keep giving it gas or it'll die. If it dies it starts alot easier. The longer it runs the better it'll start. After a couple minutes of running you can turn it off and restart it with no problem.

Could it be a compression problem?

[dpep]

It would not even sound like it wanted to start with the choke out. Pushed choke back in and 15 min later or so the bike finally started and then idled very low.

I am a little unclear here. I know you are not cranking the bike solidly for 15 minutes. And I doubt you are you just leaving it sit for 15 minutes and then trying a restart. Describe, please, what transpires in that quarter hour.

[dpep]

I somehow missed the 4k idle point. Check to make sure there is slack in your throttle cable. Your cable could be adjusted too tight or misrouted and be holding your slides partially open; that would produce the set of symptoms you describe.

[romtang]

During the close to 15 min I spend trying to start the bike, I press the start button and hold for awhile then after no luck I pull the choke and press start button again. The bike's engine noise while starting now doesn't even sound like it's thinking of starting with the choke pulled even slightly. So I push the choke back in and press start again. Now the engine sounds as if at least it's thinking again about starting. I press start hold for few sec and let go. The engine sounds like anytime now it will start. Finally it sputters then dies. Sputter then dies. Sputters then dies. So when it begins to sputters I feather the throttle. After a few times of this it stays running. (If I give it gas) After the bike is warmed up it then idles high.
I will check the cable now

[romtang]

Okay this morning the battery didn't last long enough for me to get the bike started. I did the prime thing with no luck, choke with no luck.
Battery died.

Anyway home for lunch now. I tried to start the bike when I got home. Had chock off, petcock set to on and gave NO throttle. It started right up! (For about 5 secs) Now it acts just like it does every morning.
Okay gonna eat lunch and drive car to work.
H E L P.........
James

[mark]

O.K. once it warms up the bike runs good.

I'm wondering if you could re-set the idle once it warms up. You'll probably have to lift up the tank but there is a fairly large adjustment knob in the middle of the set of carbs.

See if you can lower it down to 1200 rpms or so.

I'm wondering if the idle is set so high that it nullifies the choke when you're trying to start the bike. Don could be right too, about your throttle cable not allowing the carbs to close all the way. Either problem might render your choke ineffective at start up.