Last stupid question for a while I promise :)

[DarkOnyx]

Sorry for the onslaught of questions, but like I said, I am a DEFINITE newbie.

My GS850 GL engine idles in neutral at about 2000-2500 RPMS. As such, shifting into first is difficult, and was told might even damage the clutch over time.

I see the idle set screw on the left hand side, but it's difficult to reach because it's under the gas tank, something that I am FAR too inexperienced to remove. The top end of the screw is kind of stripped, making a bent screwdriver not all that helpful. I was thinking of buying some double bent pliers like these: http://ai.pricegrabber.com/pi/2/25/96/22596240_640.jpg

It also has a locknut underneath it. So am I correct in assuming that the procedure for adjusting the idle is to first release the locknut... adjust the RPMS to about 1100... and then secure the locknut?

Thanks for any advice, I don't want to screw anything up. (No pun intended).

[DarkOnyx]

Sorry for the onslaught of questions, but like I said, I am a DEFINITE newbie.

My GS850 GL engine idles in neutral at about 2000-2500 RPMS. As such, shifting into first is difficult, and was told might even damage the clutch over time.

I see the idle set screw on the left hand side, but it's difficult to reach because it's under the gas tank, something that I am FAR too inexperienced to remove. The top end of the screw is kind of stripped, making a bent screwdriver not all that helpful. I was thinking of buying some double bent pliers like these: http://ai.pricegrabber.com/pi/2/25/96/22596240_640.jpg

It also has a locknut underneath it. So am I correct in assuming that the procedure for adjusting the idle is to first release the locknut... adjust the RPMS to about 1100... and then secure the locknut?

Thanks for any advice, I don't want to screw anything up. (No pun intended).

Also, does anybody know what size that locknut is? I went through my Clymer's manual and all of my rachet attachments and none of them seem to adjust the locknut screw. It's a weird size.

[SPARKSS]

The only stupid questions are the one's never asked. If you have had to ask the same question 10 times then the answer wasn't all that hot now was it!

Are you sure there isn't a knob under the carbs which you can fairly easily reach to reset the curb idle, on your bike? What you described sounds much more like throttle cable attachment. Your target rpm "may" be a little low but typically you're looking for less than 2000 on these engines.

Sounds like you're having some fun there

[KEITH KRAUSE]

There shouldn't be any lock nut on the idle adjuster knob.
The knob is under spring tension only so you need only to turn the knob, unless someone's boogered up the whole thing. The throttle cable must be routed correctly and have the correct slack at the grip too. Turning the bars side to side will not significantly effect the the pull/return throttle action if the cable is correctly routed.
You say the bike idles at about 2,000/2,500 rpm's. This may be because the idle is simply set too high, but, if the bike idles at something closer to factory idle, say, 1,100 rpm's at start up/when cold but then the idle climbs much higher as it warms up, you have the classic intake leak.

[Nessism]

Idle speed control is the large knob showing here between carb #2 and #3 (near the bottom).



High idle speed is often a sign of a vacuum leak. Carb boot O-rings often leak.

[Steve]

I see the idle set screw on the left hand side, but it's difficult to reach because it's under the gas tank, something that I am FAR too inexperienced to remove.

Sounds like you found the sync adjuster between carbs 1&2.

Look at the picture Nessism posted above to find a good example of the idle speed adjuster.


.

[DarkOnyx]

Sounds like you found the sync adjuster between carbs 1&2.

Look at the picture Nessism posted above to find a good example of the idle speed adjuster.


.

AWESOME. Thanks again everyone for the responses!

[BassCliff]

Mr. DarkOnyx,

I'm sure your bike is a little different from mine, but not much. I can reach in from the left side of my bike and adjust the idle screw with my bare fingers, even with a hot motor. There's that much room. You'll see it sticking out a little from the line of bowls. You shouldn't need any tools. From the right side there's not enough room for me to reach in. The idle should be around 1050rpm, give or take a hundred.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[DarkOnyx]

Mr. DarkOnyx,

I'm sure your bike is a little different from mine, but not much. I can reach in from the left side of my bike and adjust the idle screw with my bare fingers, even with a hot motor. There's that much room. You'll see it sticking out a little from the line of bowls. You shouldn't need any tools. From the right side there's not enough room for me to reach in. The idle should be around 1050rpm, give or take a hundred.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

Very cool. Thanks a lot Cliff!

[DarkOnyx]

Very cool. Thanks a lot Cliff!

Found the idle set screw... adjusted it.... works great!

The only thing I noticed is that there's a little bit of a rattling sound coming from the carbs and there's a little (very little) smoke coming from the engine (but keep in mind I just came in off of riding for a while).

Everything o.k. with that? Did I do all right or did I damage something?

Thanks again.

[BassCliff]

Smoking stunts your growth!

Mr. DarkOnyx,

You did good.

Depending on where it's smoking, you must have some kind of leak somewhere. (How's that for a profound glimpse into the obvious?) Where is the smoke coming from? These classic bikes tend to leak around the tach cable connection at the top of the motor in the front. The tach seal will drip onto the exhaust pipes and smoke. The valve cover gasket can "weep" or "seep" oil out and it will smoke when the cylinders heat up. If you've got leaks in the air intake system (cracked boots, worn O-rings, etc) and the carbs are not tuned properly, you can get some smoke back out of the carbs. Is your breather hose connected properly?

Are you sure your carbs are rattling? The carb rack is not loose or anything, is it? My motor has a rustling, rattling sound that comes from the top end (cams, valves, etc).

It sounds like so far everything is pretty much going good. Just ride while you can.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[DarkOnyx]

Thanks for the response.

Yeah... you know... it probably is the cams... it's probably nothing. And the smoke does seem to come from the top end of the engine... and not all of the time. It's just now that I am starting to know just a tiny bit about the mechanics.... here is where I am the most dangerous! "Is this right?... is this o.k.?..... is this supposed to happen??" That's what I sound like to myself. The fact that I am clinically obsessive compulsive probably doesn't help.


I am due to get the bike tuned up next month or so, so I'll just make sure that the mechanic gives it a complete run down.

Thanks again.