Throttle Lag /w Aftermarket Coils

[GS550ED]

You can raise the needles if you need to by shimming. Plenty of info on the site about that. Do a search.

Just looked it up. I'm getting some washers to shim it up a little. Thanks for the suggestion!

[BassCliff]

Greetings and Salutations!!

Hi Mr. GS550ED,

Here's the deal. It ran in its stock form when it left the factory, right? Doesn't it make sense to put everything back stock (except for the coils), clean/fix it up, and go from there? I think so. If you start swapping jets and shimming needles right away without first getting it to a baseline, you may be chasing your tail and end up frustrated. It's all in your "mega-welcome".

Anyway, let me dump a TON if information on you and share some GS lovin'.

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", "Top 15 Tips For GS Happiness", the Carb Rebuild Series, and the Stator Papers. All of these tasks must be addressed in order to have a safe, reliable machine. 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.

And whatever you do, don't do these: Top 10 Newbie Mistakes

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Roger P.]

I've been rebuilding my 1983 GS550ED, and just finished cleaning and rebuilding my carburetors. I purchased and installed new Accel Super Coil ignition coils, and the install went smoothly. After I got the bike fired up, however, I noticed a lag in the throttle. I put on the throttle and it seems to sputter a little and not accelerate as much as I'm used to it doing. I checked and all of the cylinders are getting spark, and I dont have any sort of vacuum leak on the intake. I should include the fact that there was a warning on the coils that said that it may cause a "lean fuel condition" because of the "hotter spark", and needed larger jets on the carbs.

Do you think it's actually the coils causing the mixture to run lean, or could something else be wrong? This may be a big "duh", but I don't know what to do in this case. Can I get larger jets for the stock Mikuni carbs? Will I need bigger, better aftermarket carbs? Do they even make aftermarket carbs for the GS550E?

Are you sure you are not getting voltage leaking to ground through the wires? My new Dyna coils were putting out so much voltage they were arcing to the gas tank instead of the plugs. It was almost unrideable.

[GS550ED]

Hi Mr. GS550ED,

Here's the deal. It ran in its stock form when it left the factory, right? Doesn't it make sense to put everything back stock (except for the coils), clean/fix it up, and go from there? I think so. If you start swapping jets and shimming needles right away without first getting it to a baseline, you may be chasing your tail and end up frustrated. It's all in your "mega-welcome".

Anyway, let me dump a TON if information on you and share some GS lovin'.

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", "Top 15 Tips For GS Happiness", the Carb Rebuild Series, and the Stator Papers. All of these tasks must be addressed in order to have a safe, reliable machine. 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.

And whatever you do, don't do these: Top 10 Newbie Mistakes

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

Wow, that's quite a bit of info. I have like 5 tabs open reading all of it. Thanks a lot! And I just got my O-ring kit that I ordered last week. ANd you're right. I've been replacing almost everything with OEM Suzuki parts from BikeBandit. The only aftermarket parts I have are the ignition coils, which, don't get me wrong, run great (excellent quality boots, wires, and mounting kit too). But they have made the bike run a little leaner somehow, so I've upped the main jets by one size. I'm going to keep the needles at the normal level and try it out, if it's still lean, then I'll shim them.

In any case, I have a good bit of research to do from what you've given me. Thanks again!

[GS550ED]

Are you sure you are not getting voltage leaking to ground through the wires? My new Dyna coils were putting out so much voltage they were arcing to the gas tank instead of the plugs. It was almost unrideable.

That was a definite possibility in my mind so the way I mounted the coils I made it so they get a good clearance from the tank. I also put thin little adhesive rubber pads on the bottom of the tank where the coils might get close. It doesn't seem like I'm getting any arcing...just a really lean fuel problem.

[GS550ED]

Just an update to sort of close this question.

I put the new carbs in with 1-size-bigger jets and also replaced the intakes and intake O-rings, and after 2 hours of fiddling with the idle and the play in the throttle it began running like it had never run before. The throttle is SO much more responsive and doesn't lag whatsoever. Thanks for all the help guys, I really appreciate it.

[cowboyup3371]

Glad to hear you have it sorted. Now, get some riding in.