• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

81 GS 550L Carb Upgrade

  • Thread starter Thread starter rstuffle
  • Start date Start date
R

rstuffle

Guest
My 81 GS 550L has the stock Mikuni CV carbs. I would like to upgrade to a better platform of carb, but am unsure of what ones to put on it. Its a weekend rider, no racing.
 
Yep, for a weekend rider, it already has the best carbs.
icon_thumbsup.gif


If you are having problems with them, clean them and tune them, you will be surprised at the performance they can offer.

Just to give another perspective, the usual performance upgrade would be larger carbs. The carbs that are on your 550 are the same carbs that are used on the 850, so they are already capable of flowing plenty of air. :o

.
 
If you want a performance upgrade, bolt on a 675cc top end. More bang for the buck than anything else. But if you want a beter performance upgrade, trade it for a 550E.
 
tkent02 said:
Just out of curiosity, if it's a weekend rider, why the upgrade?
Click to expand...

Well, I am having troubles getting replacement parts for them and also the replacement components are getting costly... I figured with a newer intake setup, parts would be more readily available and less costly,
 
Steve said:
Yep, for a weekend rider, it already has the best carbs.
icon_thumbsup.gif


If you are having problems with them, clean them and tune them, you will be surprised at the performance they can offer.

Just to give another perspective, the usual performance upgrade would be larger carbs. The carbs that are on your 550 are the same carbs that are used on the 850, so they are already capable of flowing plenty of air. :o

.
Click to expand...

That being the case, how do I find out which parts are interchangeable between bikes. I have been a big GM gearhead, but am new to the motorcycle scene.
 
rstuffle said:
......but am new to the motorcycle scene.
Click to expand...
As Steve said, properly cleaned carbs will offer plenty of performance and as tkent02 hinted, you can go from there. A 650 makes 72 hp from about 41 cubic inch displacement- not shabby for any naturally aspirated motor.
 
The carbs on your bike are Mikuni BS32SS carbs and were used on MANY bikes of that era. You can use a resource like Babbitts Suzuki and see what parts are cross referenced from one year to the next. They have good parts fiches and most parts for the carbs are available for purchase right there but many places offer parts for those carbs as well. Agreed that the BS32SS carbs are as much "performance" as you would need with that engine.
 
I have been told, that if the carbs have been removed from the rails, it'll never run right again. I actually have to replace the #3. is there anything I should know?
 
JTGS850GL said:
Yep, (Que in BikeCliff's welcome greating)

Here's a link to BikeCliff's web site that contains links to MANY usable tutorials and service manuals including the CV carb rebuild manual.

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/

The carb rebuild tutorial is at:

http://www.mtsac.edu/~cliff/storage/gs/Mikuni_BS-CV_Carburetor_Rebuild_Tutorial.pdf

Your specific factory service manual is at:

http://www.mtsac.edu/~cliff/storage/gs/GS550_77-82_all.pdf

Hope that helps.
Click to expand...

Thank you!!!!!!!!!
This is just about everything I could need for my 550!!!!!!!
 
Also, I was thinking of opening up the baffles in the exhaust or changing the mufflers out. I would like it to sound a little louder than it is now. Any suggestions on brand or type.
 
Last edited:
I just came back to check progress on this thread and was about to offer some help, until I saw this:
rstuffle said:
Also, I was thinking of opening up the baffles in the exhaust or changing the mufflers out. I would like it to sound a little louder than it is now. Any suggestions on brand or type.
Click to expand...
Sorry, but that is where my help (and a few others') ends. We have a hard enough time with the non-motorcycling population, we don't need to aggravate them with more noise.

Yes, that is my opinion, but it is also shared by a few others. :o

.
 
I am not looking for the loud drag bike sound, I am looking for something that sounds a little more throaty.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top