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New GS1000G Owner in Oregon

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    New GS1000G Owner in Oregon

    Hi folks. Excited to find you.

    Me: Grew up riding dirt bikes and 3 wheelers. First road bike was an 82 GS300L, and I feel pretty horrible in hindsight about the way I treated that bike. I didn’t know anything about maintenance, so I got something like 2,000 miles out of the old thing before it just stopped trying to please me anymore. Then a 2004 Kawi Vulcan 500, which was kind of an awesome little cruiser. I put around 7k on that I think. In 2007 I bought a brand new (gasp) Yamaha FZ6, and I have to give Yamaha credit – owning that bike for 9 years was an amazing experience. Did all the maintenance myself, got 52,000 trouble free miles out of it commuting to work around Boston and blasting to VT. Bike would keep pulling hard well north of 100, and would easily get high 40s mpg. Sold it when we moved west, to Hood River Oregon, thinking “I’ll just get another bike right away….”

    Fast forward 2 and a half sad, moto-free years, and my wife surprised me with this.

    KBRY8225P by gordopuggy, on Flickr

    KBRY8229P by gordopuggy, on Flickr

    ’81, 1 owner, 27k miles. Aftermarket seat (obviously), some engine crash bars, and those awesome old Shoei side bags, but basically bone stock. Long term plan is to mate it to a sidecar, so I can take the Mrs and the daughter with me at one time. They’re very into it. Meanwhile I’ve been getting to know it, taken my daughter to school 3 times, blasted around the orchards here a bit, short interstate stints.

    THE GOOD: Almost everything is good. Bike fires up pretty easy with choke, idles steady and smooth, pulls like a demon, sounds amazing. This motor is … I didn’t expect it to be SO good. Transmission is perfect, brakes feel fine, all lights work except the #5 gear indicator light. Those Shinko tires don’t look old, and while I don’t trust the brand, they feel fine.

    THE BAD: I get oil in the air box when I do short cold rides. I’ve talked to a cousin who works on bikes a lot (translation: Harley owner of several decades), and he thinks it’s oil getting past the rings, but nothing to be alarmed at. Given that my airbox gaskets on both sides are cracked (I took them off to inspect), oil is seeping out the left side on kickstand and pooling lightly on the engine. We’re talking about a thimble of oil, not a shot glass. I’d like that to stop, but not if it means a full top end job.

    #2
    You should get your wife a bouquet of flowers, sir Enjoy your new bike!
    1980 GS1100E

    Comment


      #3
      Welcome! I come up your way at least once a year to visit my son across the river. Great place! Very nice bike. I have it's slightly bigger brother the 1100g. Your oil problems are most likely something you can over come. I hope you plan on wrenching on it yourself.
      sigpic
      83 GS1100g
      2006 Triumph Sprint ST 1050

      Ohhhh!........Torque sweet Temptress.........always whispering.... a murmuring Siren

      Comment


        #4
        Welcome! What a great post, and a nice suprise by your wife. Birthday, or just because?

        My wife sort of gave me my 850G as a birthday gift a few years ago.

        Shinko are really pretty good tires, if they're not old.
        Roger

        Current rides
        1983 GS 850G
        2003 FJR 1300A
        Gone but not forgotten 1985 Rebel 250, 1991 XT225, 2004 KLR650, 1981 GS850G, 1982 GS1100GL, 2002 DL1000, 2005 KLR650, 2003 KLX400

        Comment


          #5
          Yet another welcome from a fellow shafty rider.

          Originally posted by KillRamsey View Post
          Those Shinko tires don’t look old, and while I don’t trust the brand, they feel fine.
          Easy enough to check their age. Look for the DOT number on the sidewall. There should be an area at the end with four digits. Those digits are the week number and the year. Example: if you see "4316", that would be the 43rd week of 2016, or about the end of October. It is preferred that they are less than 4 or 5 years old, especially if you don't know their history, but don't worry about "the brand", they are very good tires. They just happen to be very inexpensive, but are very good tires. The Shinko 712 that you have and its slightly heavier-duty sibling, Shinko 230 Tour Master are generally well-liked here. They don't last as long as some others, but they have remarkable handling for their price, and they are remarkably consistent all the way to the wear indicators. Other tires (especially the cheap ones) tend to turn evil as they wear, Shinkos don't.

          .
          sigpic
          mine: 2000 Honda GoldWing GL1500SE and 1980 GS850G'K' "Junior"
          hers: 1982 GS850GL - "Angel" and 1969 Suzuki T250 Scrambler
          #1 son: 1986 Yamaha Venture Royale 1300 and 1982 GS650GL "Rat Bagger"
          #2 son: 1980 GS1000G
          Family Portrait
          Siblings and Spouses
          Mom's first ride
          Want a copy of my valve adjust spreadsheet for your 2-valve per cylinder engine? Send me an e-mail request (not a PM)
          (Click on my username in the upper-left corner for e-mail info.)

          Comment


            #6
            All very good to know!

            Also, I didn't mention it, but the long term plan is to put a side car on this thing. I wanted something with enough motor and brakes to do it, and ideally black (since most of the Ural or Steibs etc out there are gloss black). Now that I'm getting used to the height and weight of this old thing, I'm beginning to be a little sad about that. This thing boogies through corners respectably! I do miss the FZ6's suspension sometimes.

            Comment


              #7
              Also, a few more pics. Only been riding it for about 2 weeks now. It magically shrinks a little every time I ride, which is nice.

              KBRY8304P by gordopuggy, on Flickr

              Delivery Day.
              KBRY8218 by gordopuggy, on Flickr

              Comment


                #8
                Welcome aboard. Great bike you’ve got there. Put some Sonic straight rate springs up front, emulators too if you’re wanting the best and some Icon shocks in the back and you’ll be amazed at the cornering ability. It looks like someone had a Vetter fairing up front at some point as your headlight isn’t stock, easy enough to find on here if your interested. Great pictures keep them coming.
                Rob
                1983 1100ES, 98' ST1100, 02' DR-Z400E and a few other 'bits and pieces'
                Are you on the GSR Google Earth Map yet? http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...d.php?t=170533

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by azr View Post
                  Welcome aboard. Great bike you’ve got there. Put some Sonic straight rate springs up front, emulators too if you’re wanting the best and some Icon shocks in the back and you’ll be amazed at the cornering ability. It looks like someone had a Vetter fairing up front at some point as your headlight isn’t stock, easy enough to find on here if your interested. Great pictures keep them coming.
                  Iiiinteresting. I didn't realize the light wasn't stock! I'm fine with its appearance. Haven't actually ridden this thing in the dark yet to see how well it works. But it does run.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Welcome from Vernonia. Your oil leak is probably the gasket under the oil sending unit. When they leak it runs down through the drain hole in the starter housing and looks like it comes from the shift lever, give it a check. Will be attaching a Ural sidecar to my 83 1100 G soon for a trip in July, I am 5'9" and my grandson who is going with me is 6'4" and may be 6'7 by then at the rate he is growing so he gets the sidecar.

                    Very good roads up this way.

                    V
                    Gustov
                    80 GS 1100 LT, 83 1100 G "Scruffy"
                    81 GS 1000 G
                    79 GS 850 G
                    81 GS 850 L
                    83 GS 550 ES, 85 GS 550 ES
                    80 GS 550 L
                    86 450 Rebel, 70CL 70, Yamaha TTR125
                    2002 Honda 919
                    2004 Ural Gear up

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Great looking bike!

                      Welcome. For some reason...chrome headlights seem to be the choice in swapping headlights.

                      My "T" came with a chrome headlight but the stock headlight is not chrome.

                      Great story about your acquiring this bike. My wife would not have taken that route...you are fortunate.

                      Thanks for beautiful pics!


                      Ed
                      Last edited by GSXR7ED; 04-05-2019, 09:01 AM.
                      GS750TZ V&H/4-1, Progressive Shocks, Rebuilt MC/braided line, Tarozzi Stabilizer[Seq#2312]
                      GS750TZ Parts Bike [Seq#6036]
                      GSX-R750Y (Sold)

                      my opinion shouldn't be taken as gospel or in any way that would lead you to believe otherwise (30Sep2021)
                      Originally posted by GSXR7ED
                      Forums are pretty much unrecognizable conversations; simply because it's a smorgasbord of feedback...from people we don't know. It's not too difficult to ignore the things that need to be bypassed.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Your wife has excellent taste in motorcycles.
                        Expecting the Spanish Inquisition
                        1981 GS850G: the Ratzuki
                        1981 GS1100E

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by gustovh View Post
                          Welcome from Vernonia. Your oil leak is probably the gasket under the oil sending unit. When they leak it runs down through the drain hole in the starter housing and looks like it comes from the shift lever, give it a check. Will be attaching a Ural sidecar to my 83 1100 G soon for a trip in July, I am 5'9" and my grandson who is going with me is 6'4" and may be 6'7 by then at the rate he is growing so he gets the sidecar.

                          Very good roads up this way.

                          V
                          I've biked through there! We bike a lot. You're right, it's gorgeous.

                          I pulled the airbox covers off, and found that it's leaking from there. When the bike is cold, and does a short ride, it seems to seep past the rings and get sucked into the airbox. When the motor's hot, no issue, no drip. I assume this means an eventual ring job, but nothing pressing.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by zuluwiz View Post
                            Your wife has excellent taste in motorcycles.
                            Technicality: I found the bike, forwarded it to her for her input. She went behind my back, emailed seller, said "ignore my husband's email inquiries, I'm surprising him with it." Sure enough, I wrote the guy twice and never heard back. Then my birthday dinner came around, and she and the 9 yr old girl handed me a hand-drawn card with a motorcycle drawing in it...

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Most likely valve seals for your leak. What is your compression?

                              V
                              Originally posted by KillRamsey View Post
                              I've biked through there! We bike a lot. You're right, it's gorgeous.

                              I pulled the airbox covers off, and found that it's leaking from there. When the bike is cold, and does a short ride, it seems to seep past the rings and get sucked into the airbox. When the motor's hot, no issue, no drip. I assume this means an eventual ring job, but nothing pressing.
                              Gustov
                              80 GS 1100 LT, 83 1100 G "Scruffy"
                              81 GS 1000 G
                              79 GS 850 G
                              81 GS 850 L
                              83 GS 550 ES, 85 GS 550 ES
                              80 GS 550 L
                              86 450 Rebel, 70CL 70, Yamaha TTR125
                              2002 Honda 919
                              2004 Ural Gear up

                              Comment

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