New (to me) 1978 GS1000. Trying to get it running (Madison, WI)

[noveg]

Hi,
I just got a 1978 GS1000 with a title, and am very excited.

The bike runs, I was able to ride it home, but there are some big flaws.

I would appreciate any help with any of these problems.

Here is the bike:

Album: http://imgur.com/a/jGLss

Problems:

1. The previous owner threw out the airbox and air filter box!
2. Only exhaust pipes 3 & 4 get hot, so I'm not sure if cylinders 1 & 2 are firing
3. The seat cover is ripped (the foam is in good condition)
4. The tires are old
5. The non-oem tank has some rust and I'm not sure the petcock is working, so I have to run it on pri or res.
6. Turn signals don't work (missing front left turn signal, broke off)
7. Speedometer, odometer, and fuel gauge don't work
8. Oil pressure light flickers on and off

Can anyone help with any of these problems? I would really appreciate it!

So far, I covered the carbs with a scotchbrite pad and some rag to reduce the amount of air getting in.

Thank you,

- Noveg

[uk gs nut]

Hi noveg, and welcome. Looks like your in need of some maintenance, follow the tutorials on here and you will be fine. Look for a oem airbox and filter housing they run better with them fitted.

[noveg]

Thank you!

I thinkplace step one is check cylinders 1 & 2 for spark
Step 2 is check the petcock for fuel flow
Step 3 is remove the carbs and clean them.

Are there certain tutorials or an order that you would recommend?

[rustybronco]

Step one would be to tally up all the parts she'll need then decide on a plan of attack.

[850GT_Rider]

Not sure about your skill level or experience with 36-year old equipment, but pay heed to words of wisdom from our own Mr Nessism.

Top Ten Newbie Mistakes

1A) (NEW) Trying to diagnose running problems on a bike with an unknown maintenance history is an exercise in futility until a baseline is established through proper maintenance. Things like clean carbs, properly adjusted valves, sealed intake system (airbox, carb boots), a clean gas tank (no rust), and a properly functioning petcock are 100% mandatory for the bike to run properly. It's best to perform all the bikes maintenance when you first get the bike, and then if problems show up you will know what the problem is not.

1B) Incomplete carb cleaning. A proper carb cleaning requires a full tear down, soaking the parts in carb dip, and reassembly with fresh O-rings (cycleorings.com). Pilot jets, choke tubes, and pilot circuit passages in particular need a proper cleaning before the bike will run right. Even if the bike seems to run right, if the O-rings are original they are sure to be hard and brittle thus problems could be right around the corner. This is a link to a carb tutorial that you may find useful... http://www.mtsac.edu/~cliff/storage/gs/Mikuni_BS-CV_Carburetor_Rebuild_Tutorial.pdf

2) Not replacing the intake boot O-rings. The classic "hanging idle" (or idle speed that increases on it's own as the bike warms up) is often traced to this simple fix since air gets sucked past the old O-rings and into the engine causing a lean condition. Most GS bikes have these O-ring, but not the 2nd generation 750 or 1100E family. While you are at it, make sure the entire airbox system is 100% sealed, since drawing false air into the system will increase running temperatures and make the bike run poorly.

3) Not adjusting the valves. The valves tighten with mileage, and once all the clearance is gone the valves hang open and burn. Not good. If you wait for your bike to misbehave before performing this critical maintenance, you may damage the engine. If your valves have no clearance, you will need a thin checking shim in order to properly calculate the needed shims for your engine.

4) Trying to run the bike without the airbox...or installing pods, or a header, w/o rejetting. The air/fuel ratio will be drastically lean, which will not only cause running problems, but likely damage the engine too by causing it to run hot. Installing a free flowing exhaust will likewise change the jetting requirements, but not as drastically as pods.

5) Ordering "carb kits" full of inferior aftermarket jets. A new O-ring kit from cycleorings.com is all that's necessary most of the time. Get some new float bowl gaskets and pilot jet plugs if necessary from a place like Z1 Enterprises to supplement the O-ring kit.

6) Trying to clean out the brake system full of brown gunky fluid by flushing the system. If the fluid is dark and brown the only way to clean the system is a full tear down and clean out otherwise chunks will remain behind in the system. While your at it the old rubber brake lines should be changed. Suzuki call for replacing the lines every 2 years, so if your bike still has the originals you are 28 years overdue. The old lines will lead to spongy brake lever feel and contaminate the fresh fluid you just installed.

7) Waiting for the charging system to fail, instead of cleaning up the old wiring. Many a battery have been boiled dry after the grounds corrode. Running a dedicated ground to the battery, or a solid frame attachment point, is strongly advised. Suzuki also botched the stator wiring by routing one leg up to the now discontinued head lamp switch. This needless wire path often overheats and damages the harness in the process. Do yourself a favor and rewire your charging system: run the stator wires directly into the R/R, make sure your R/R has a solid battery or frame ground point, and run the positive (power) R/R output either straight to the battery (with 20A fuse in-line) or though the regular fuse block after you check for resistance in the circuit and repair as needed.

8) Using the wrong oil and/or gasoline. Auto oils have less zinc and phosphorus (high pressure additives) than they used to since the EPA has mandated reductions to protect catalytic converters. Motorcycle oils are fine but expensive, and even motorcycle oil has reduced additives these days. Diesel engine oil is cheap and contains lots of high pressure additives appropriate for our engines. Shell Rotella oil is even certified for use with wet clutches if that makes you more comfortable, although just about any diesel oil is fine. As for fuel, Suzuki calls for use of Regular gas. Using Premium provides no positive benefits for your bike and is more expensive.

9) Search out the information about your upcoming wrenching tasks before going off unprepared and possibly damaging something. Search using "Advanced Search" and then click "Titles Only" to quickly hone in on the topic at hand. Almost every possible question a newbie could ask have already been answered. For example: there are tons of threads on how to avoid broken exhaust bolts and float posts. Sadly, most newbies learn these tricks AFTER they damage their bike.

10) Buying a 30 year old motorcycle because it was cheap without any mechanical knowledge and no interest in learning. Paying a shop to work on your 30 year old motorcycle is not advised unless you have lots of money to spend and know for a fact that they are trustworthy.

When you know what parts you're going to need - post up under "Parts Wanted" Might just find one of us has it, instead of buying new or rolling the Ebay dice.

And welcome to the Asylum!

[ShadowFocus603]

Is that a Skunk with an L tank? Keep TKent away from this thread or he'll have a heart attack lol.

[Big T]

Thank you!

Are there certain tutorials or an order that you would recommend?

Welcome aboard and, if you have the money, patience and a bit if skill, you'll be riding the great roads of the Driftless area this summer

Most of your questions are answered here

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=196338

The tutorials are all on Cliff's site, plus a downloadable factory service manual

That bike looks like it will suffer from Previous Owners Syndrome by the photos and your description

However, it is a 78 E model aka Skunk and you can find many examples on this site

[Vmass]

That does look like a skunk with an L tank!

If the air box for your bike is the same as a 79 Cooley........I can probably help you out with that.

The bike doesn't look too bad. If you get it to run without sinking too much money into it, it might be worth while to seek out a skunk tank!!

[chuck hahn]

Same airbox and filter Rich.

[chuck hahn]

Good news is that Pit replica has the OEM exact copy seat cover. Be sure to let them know you need the 1978 GS1000E STEPPED SEAT cover.

What you have there is a 78 Gs 1000E. Find a skunk take that has the indent like the rear tail cowl has and youre on your way to having a bike that was built that one year only as far as the indented tank and tail cowl goes.

[chuck hahn]

Hers is the factory service manual...

http://www.mtsac.edu/~cliff/storage/gs/GS1000_C-E-S-L_Manual.pdf

[Vmass]

Same airbox and filter Rich.

Good. I have both boxes. So, give me a shout if you can use them and we can figure out a deal.

[noveg]

Wow, wow, wow!
Thank you all for such a warm and informative welcome! I'm floored.

I've looked at the links and your comments. Thank you.

Tonight after work I took my cylinder 1 spark plug out and found it was fouled, so that explains why it wasn't firing. I cleaned it and got it working again. I expect cylinder 2 will be the same, but will have to figure out if I have a wrench that can fit in there to find out.

vMass, thank you. You've got a pm.

So now that I've read the links everyone provided, I have a concern and a question I would appreciate help with:
1) concern: when I ran it last night I noticed a clear liquid boiling from a horizontal seam in the engine, and found only 2 cylinders were running, after several minutes of idling (which I now know not to do). I'm scared about this liquid boiling out of the seam near the carbs.
2) question: how do I adjust the valves, I notice it is in a lot of the advice, but what is it & how to do it?

Thank you again,

Noveg

[SVSooke]

Click here for your link to BassCliff's site.Has a treasure trove of information including how to do the valves.

[Vmass]

Noveg, I did not receive your pm. I think you may need a certain number of posts before that is accessible to you.