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82 1100 GK timing advance?

  • Thread starter Thread starter fat_sac
  • Start date Start date
F

fat_sac

Guest
I've searched but didn't find a whole lot. Can anyone quickly walk through the timing advance on an 82 1100? The bike sounds a little flat and I wouldn't mind giving it a little more pep.
 
If you want "pep", then get yourself a GS1100E or GS1150E, etc. The shafty GS1100GK is for mild-mannered touring, not for "pep". Fool with it, and you'll lose whatever stability and reliability it came with. My own GS1100GK has 120,000 miles on it, and running great, because I don't fool with it or try to turn it into something it isn't.
 
Grandpa said:
If you want "pep", then get yourself a GS1100E or GS1150E, etc. The shafty GS1100GK is for mild-mannered touring, not for "pep". Fool with it, and you'll lose whatever stability and reliability it came with. My own GS1100GK has 120,000 miles on it, and running great, because I don't fool with it or try to turn it into something it isn't.
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Don't bash me because I want to add a few degrees of timing. I asked how to do it, not how you treat YOUR bike.
 
Grandpa said:
If you want "pep", then get yourself a GS1100E or GS1150E, etc. The shafty GS1100GK is for mild-mannered touring, not for "pep". Fool with it, and you'll lose whatever stability and reliability it came with. My own GS1100GK has 120,000 miles on it, and running great, because I don't fool with it or try to turn it into something it isn't.
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Don't bash me because I want to add a few degrees of timing. I asked how to do it, not how you treat YOUR bike.
 
I'm not bashing you, boy! It's just that you have the wrong platform on which to build more performance.

As far as I'm concerned, you may go ahead and waste your time, money, and energy in making a GK do what it wasn't intended to do.
 
Grandpa said:
I'm not bashing you, boy! It's just that you have the wrong platform on which to build more performance.

As far as I'm concerned, you may go ahead and waste your time, money, and energy in making a GK do what it wasn't intended to do.
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Your boy remark doesn't bother me. You have no idea who I am or what I do. If you had read the first post you would seen that I said nothing about hot rodding the GK. I simply asked about advancing the timing a few degrees. I'm just doing a little tune up and would like a little help, not some geriatric old man preaching to me about timing. So if you would sir, please take your bored old ass and move on.
 
Go waste all the time you like, fat sac. I've warned you that you're better off leaving the GK alone.

Your insults are quite complimentary, though, boy! Thanks!
 
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You would have to slot the plate the signal generators are mounted on to adjust timing. Once you do that you will probably have to tweak your jetting.
 
Billy Ricks said:
You would have to slot the plate the signal generators are mounted on to adjust timing. Once you do that you will probably have to tweak your jetting.
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Thank you. With the new pipes and pods on I'm going to have to adjust the jetting anyway. Do you move clockwise or counterclockwise to advance?
 
Probably be happier just running a Dyna ignition if they make one for your bike. Throw on a couple of newer coils and it will make your spark much stronger and be easier than trying to just add a degree or two.

Just my thoughts, don't have any other advice to give on the subject.
 
Grandpa said:
I'm not bashing you, boy! It's just that you have the wrong platform on which to build more performance.

As far as I'm concerned, you may go ahead and waste your time, money, and energy in making a GK do what it wasn't intended to do.
Click to expand...


l have to step in here and show some support for this poster, grampa you`re out of line and embarrasing yourself.Any bike can benefit from correct set-up,it`s a post about timing his bike for fksakes.Post in the other forums if you want to tell us how your old and wise ways have allowed you to pile the miles on your bike.lf we all behaved like you this forum would be a ****pile.
 
Thanks guys. I might look in to a new ignition. For right now though I'm still buttoning up the exhaust and front brakes. The brakes were toast when I got this thing so we haven't been road ready for a while.
 
fat_sac said:
Do you move clockwise or counterclockwise to advance?
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Looking at the ignition plate, the engine rotates clockwise, so you'd slot the holes so you can move the plate counterclockwise to advance. You may need to make a few other modifications to the ignition plate to get it to rotate -- I can't remember offhand if there are other tabs or flats in there that would keep it from moving. This would be relatively harmless, and it would be easy enough to move things back to stock if needed.

Dyna makes an nifty programmable electronic ignition that would allow you to tinker all you want with advances and advance curves. It's a wee bit spendy, but if you're replacing the ignition and coils anyway, what's a couple hundred more bucks? You're selling lots of those Fat Sacs, right?
http://z1enterprises.com/detail.aspx?ID=1981

You'd also likely need to start using premium gas, too -- once nice little benefit of the 8 valve engines out in the backwoods is that they don't need premium gas when everything is mostly stock. Most riders don't mind buying premium, though.

All umbrage-taking and unwanted curmudgeonly advice aside, Grandpa does have a point -- as crude as the stock system of advance is, the potential benefits of advancing timing are very small unless the engine has been heavily modified in other ways.

However, it's your bike and your money -- tinker away if it makes you happy, watch out for pinging, and let us know what you find out.
 
bwringer said:
All umbrage-taking and unwanted curmudgeonly advice aside......
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I've had to refer to the shop manual several times, but this is the first time I've been tempted to go get a dictionary.......:-D
 
the bikes are set up with a very modest advance profile for several reasons and Optimizing the timing and carb settings is just good mechanics,plain and simple.This is the Performance Mods section isn`t it? l really can`t believe people trying to talk you out of tuning your bike here,especially in this particular forum. Don`t change the stock settings? they are a guide,nothing more in my opinion and a good tuner takes it from there and brings out the best the bike has.Do enough tuning and you`ll find that "one setting for all" is a compromise and often there is horsepower still on the table. l find the same true of chassis tuning,the bikes are spit off the assembly line with a basic set-up and a good tuner will use that as a starting point. Good luck tuning your bike,you can`t go wrong getting it set up right.
 
Grandpa does have a point -- as crude as the stock system of advance is, the potential benefits of advancing timing are very small unless the engine has been heavily modified in other ways.

Exactly my point. This bike obviously needs a lot of work, and the owner would be far better off paying attention to the basics, rather than fooling with the timing. Get it road-ready first, then think about changing things around, which, in my opinion, isn't worth the time or trouble. This is a contrarian view, different from what the rest of you (other than bwringer) may think. Modifying a GS1100E is one thing; modifying a GS1100GK is ridiculous.

I don't care what any of you think of me. I tell it like it is, the way I see it. I'm not retracting anything I've written. I'm off this thread for good, having said what I'm glad I said.
 
Move your plate opposite of engine rotation to advance and with rotation to retard. The best way to check is to check your timing at full advance (with the flyweights on full extend) and put a timing gun on it. I own an adjustable timing gun and that's what I used to set my 750 when I converted over to a complete Dyna system. I had to set each pair of cylinders seperately because I ripped everything apart. I'm out half a degree between 1/3 and 2/4 but it runs fine and I'm not getting any vibrations or anything. I can dig out a manual and give you the complete skinny on tha adjustments if you like. It doesn't need much moving to get 3 or 4 degrees out of it.
 
I have a manual for the basics but this exercise was just that of fine tuning. I'll look into the Dyna adjustable in the future but for now I just wanted to see what a small advance would do for how its set up. Its not totally stock and I really don't understand the fuss. Just because it doesn't have a chain means I can't fine tune it? Anyway, thanks to those of you who helped me. I'll post the results after I tinker a way for a short while. I have always run premium in all my bikes even though some don't need it and it could be a waste of money. So, after the tuning it will still get the expensive gas.
 
fat_sac said:
I have a manual for the basics but this exercise was just that of fine tuning. I'll look into the Dyna adjustable in the future but for now I just wanted to see what a small advance would do for how its set up. Its not totally stock and I really don't understand the fuss. Just because it doesn't have a chain means I can't fine tune it? Anyway, thanks to those of you who helped me. I'll post the results after I tinker a way for a short while. I have always run premium in all my bikes even though some don't need it and it could be a waste of money. So, after the tuning it will still get the expensive gas.
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Grandpa has a point, but you did post this in the performance forum.
I guess that performance is subjective! For some, it is a simple matter of optimal tuning of a near stock configuration. For others, it's being the fastest SOB in the class, at all cost.
I too have a shaftie. I know it has its performance limitations because of extra weight via the shaft drive and a minor handling disadvantang compared to chain drive, because of the diff weight and it's offset position. I acccept that and have countered by over boring and raising the CR along with fitting a programmable electronic advance to the bike.
My bike still won't blow away an 1150, but is exciting, reliable and extremely comfortable over long distances, even in it's naked condition.
If you want to modify/tune your shaftie, go for it and have some fun.
 
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