What have I done?

[plotski]

I just bought a 1978 gs1000 today and it died on me four times on the way home(about 10 miles) each time it fires right back up after sitting for about 5 minutes then runs fine for 2-3 miles then dies again.The guy I bought it from just had the carbs cleaned and set,but doing some checking when I got the bike home I found that the charging system doesnt seem to be working over 3-4k rpm.......did I just buy myself a basketcase????? Some one please tell me what to do now.

[Guest]

I bet the petcock is bad.
Classic fuel starvation symptoms.
If it runs it ain't no basket case.

[plotski]

would the petcocok alone cause this issue there is a fuel leak at the petcock....but the guy i bought the bike from said it was no big deal....if so can anyone recomend a good place to find used parts?

[Nessism]

Do a search on "basscliff" and find his Mega Welcome - tons of parts sources available for these bikes, both OEM and aftermarket.

Regarding your bike, it's 30 years old. Learn to work on it and it will reward you.

[Guest]

would the petcocok alone cause this issue there is a fuel leak at the petcock....but the guy i bought the bike from said it was no big deal....if so can anyone recomend a good place to find used parts?

The petcock is a big deal. It supplies the carbs with gas.

[plotski]

Sorry I paniced.......this site seems like it may have great potential as an information resource....point of interest though,this is not by any means my first bike or even my first gs,as a matter of fact my "baby"is a 25 yr old honda that I have done a full frame up restoration on.I have bought and rebuilt many garage leaners and backyard relics in my day,and tthis bike fits in the "bikes I have always wanted" catergory.When i initially started researching the problem I was experiencing ALL of the information I was able to find indicated that utter electrical failure is a common thing in the old gs models(yes this was before I found this site)and it does seem to be an electrical issue rather than a fuel issue(although I will replace the petcock just to be sure)and I will search your suggestion and thanks for the info.

[Nessism]

Sorry I paniced.......this site seems like it may have great potential as an information resource....

Correction, this site IS a great information resource.

[SqDancerLynn1]

Could be many things. I would check the fuel line for kinks, Check the petcock operation. Check the gas cap vent.. GS1000 is a great bike you did not go wrong buying it... Take an extra spark plug When it quits Check to see if it still has spark

[Guest]

You'll have a vacuum line from #3 carb to your petcock(still can't come to terms with"petcock" it's a fuel tap).Try running with the FUEL TAP turned to PRIME and see if your problem goes away.If so,a kit will sort you out.Don't forget to turn your fuel off when you stop the bike.NO GS is a basket case!!Persvere and you'll end up with a very usable classic that will be the envy of most other bike riders.Cheers,Simon.

[BassCliff]

Greetings and salutations!

Hi Mr. plotski,

It's not hard to get the electrics working on these classic bikes. Clean all the connections and grounds, perhaps a new stator-r/r-battery and you won't have to worry for a while. Check out The Stator Papers (link below) to really get to know the charging system. No need to search for the mega-welcome. Here's your very own!


Let it be known that on this day you are cordially and formally welcomed to the GSR Forum as a Junior Member in good standing with all the rights and privileges thereof. Further let it be known that your good standing can be improved with pictures (not you, your bike)!

Perhaps you've already seen these, but I like to remind all the new members. In addition to the carb rebuild series, I recommend visiting the In The Garage section via the GSR Homepage and check out the Stator Papers. There's also a lot of great information in the Old Q&A section. I have some documentation on my little BikeCliff website to help get you familiar with doing routine maintenance tasks (note that it is 850G-specific but many tasks are common to all GS bikes). Other "user contributed" informational sites include those of Mr. bwringer, Mr. tfb and Mr. robertbarr. And if your bike uses shims for valve adjustments, send an email to Mr. Steve requesting a copy of his Excel spreadsheet that helps you keep track of clearances, shim sizes and other service work.

These are some edited quotes from one of our dear beloved gurus, Mr. bwringer, with ideas on basic needs (depending on initial condition), parts, and accessories.
***********Quoted from Mr. bwringer************
Every GS850 (and most other models) has (or had) a set of well-known issues that MUST be addressed before you have a solid baseline for further troubleshooting. It's a vintage bike, and it's quite common (as in, every single GS850 I have had contact with) that there are multiple problems that have crept up and slowly gotten worse over the years. It's not like a newer vehicle, where there's generally one problem at a time.

These common issues are:

1. Intake O-rings (install NEW OEM or Viton only - common nitrile O-rings will quickly deteriorate from heat)
2. Intake Boots (install NEW -- these cannot be repaired)
3. Valve clearances (more important than most people think)
4. Carb/airbox boots
5. Airbox sealing
6. Air filter sealing
7. Petcock (install a NEW one)
8. On '79 models, install new points or Dyna electronic ignition (or at least verify that the old points are working correctly)
9. On all models, it's fairly common to have problems with the spark plug caps. These are $3 or $4 each, and often worth replacing if you're keeping the stock coils/wires.
10. Stock exhaust with NO leaks or holes -- good seals at the head and at the junctions underneath.
***********************************
Carburetor maintenance:

Replace the intake boot o-rings, and possibly the intake boots. Here's the procedure:

http://bwringer.com/gs/intakeorings.html

Here's an overview of what happens with this particular problem:

http://cycleorings.com/intake.html

You'll also want to examine the boots between the carbs and the airbox. There's a good chance these are OK, but check them over.
And finally, if things still aren't exactly right, you'll want to order a set of o-rings for BS carbs from the GS owner's best friend, Robert Barr:

http://cycleorings.com

Once you receive these rare rings of delight, then you'll want to thoroughly clean and rebuild your carburetors. Here are step-by-step instructions that make this simple:
http://thegsresources.com/gs_carbrebuild.htm

***************************************
OEM Parts/Online Fiches:

I would definitely double and triple the recommendations to use Cycle Recycle II and Z1 Enterprises as much as possible. These guys are priceless resources. Z1 tends to have slightly better prices, CRC2 has a wider range of goodies available. If you're near Indy and can bring in an old part to match, CRC2 has a vast inventory of used parts.
http://denniskirk.com - Put in your bike model and see what they have.
http://oldbikebarn.com - seems to be slowly regaining a decent reputation, but it's still caveat emptor. They don't have anything you can't get elsewhere at a better price anyway.
http://www.babbittsonline.com/ - Decent parts prices. Spendy shipping. Don't give you part numbers at all. Useful cross-reference if you obtain a part number elsewhere. Efficient service.
http://bikebandit.com - Fastest. Middlin' prices. Uses their own parts numbering system to obfuscate price comparisons -- can be very confusing for large orders. Cheapest shipping, so total cost usually isn't too bad.
http://flatoutmotorcycles.com - Slow. Cheapest parts prices, crazy shipping costs. Don't expect progress updates or much communication. Real Suzuki part numbers.
http://alpha-sports.com - Exorbitant parts prices. Different type of fiche interface that's quite useful at times, especially with superceded part numbers. Real parts numbers. Shipping cost and speed unknown due to insane, unholy pricing.

Stainless Bolts, Viton o-rings, metric taps, dies, assorted hard-to-find supplies and materials, etc:

http://mcmaster.com - Fast, cheap shipping, good prices. No order minimum, but many items like bolts come in packs of 25 or 50. Excellent resource.
http://motorcycleseatcovers.com - Great quality, perfect fit (on original seat foam), and available for pretty much every bike ever made. Avoid the textured vinyl -- it's perforated.
http://newenough.com - You DO have riding gear, don't you? Great clearances, always outstanding prices and impeccable service.
***************End Quote**********************
Additional parts/info links:

GSR Forum member Mr. duaneage has great used upgraded Honda regulator/rectifiers for our bikes. Send him a PM.
New electrical parts:
http://stores.ebay.com/RMSTATOR or http://www.rmstator.com/

http://www.ricksmotorsportelectrics.com/index.php

http://www.electrosport.com/

For valve cover and breather cover gaskets, I recommend Real Gaskets (reusable silicon):

http://www.realgaskets.com

Carolina Cycle
http://www.carolinacycle.com
Ron Ayers Motorsports
http://www.ronayers.com
MR Cycles
http://www.mrcycles.com
Moto Grid

http://www.motogrid.com

Salvage/Used

http://www.ricepaddymotorcycles.com

http://www.ozpowersports.com/

If all else fails, try this:

http://www.used-motorcycle-parts.org/

Used bike buying checklists:

http://www.amadirectlink.com/roadride/Riderresc/checklist.asp

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html

Lots of good info/pictures here:
http://www.suzukicycles.org

http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/Motorcycle_Wiki

http://www.bikepics.com
Basic motorcycle maintenance/repair:
http://www.dansmc.com/mc_repaircourse.htm
Online Clymer manuals:
http://search.ebscohost.com/ Click on "Small Engine Repair" then "Motorcycles". User=library, password=library. Note: This link may not work if you are on a school campus.

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed of your progress. There's lots of good folk with good experience here.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
(The unofficial GSR greeter)

Click here to visit BikeCliff's website.