Finally getting around to the 550/699 project....

[tkent02]

Pinging is less of a problem here in Colorado, but if it does I can get a stiffer advance spring or smaller weight or something.

 

[tkent02]

My kingdom for a petcock. Preferably one that works.

Edit: Found one in the box of petcock parts. Works fine once the O ring in the vacuum valve was replaced.
Just need some of those rubber coated washers for the mounting bolts….

 

[Toasty]

Any progress on the bike?

 

[tkent02]

No, didn't even look at it this month.

 

[tkent02]

April Update...

It runs and rides, everything mostly works.

Only one tiny oil leak around the oil filter, but thats all coming off anyway.

Compression is 102 - 100 - 105 - 108, pretty good considering where it was. (and still testing it at 6,000 ft) Idles smooth, although the carbs are still a little off, just using shop rags for air filters at the moment. No sign of any pinging or detonation, but it was quite cold out when I rode it.

Haven't ridden a 550 in a long time, I like it. Quick, light, nimble, and with the dual 650E brakes, stops very well.

May update coming... In May.

 

[Guest]

Good news Tom!

 

[tkent02]

Ok, K&N pods are on, have to fix the battery cable tomorrow, and give it one more once over for loose fasteners and such, and go out for a little day ride. I'll go at the crack of dawn, while the cops are still on their way to the donut shop. Not that I would ever do anything illegal or anything.....

 

[UncleMike]

If a motorcyclist speeds and there's no one around to see it, does he actually break the law?

 

[tkent02]

What law ?

 

[tkent02]

May Update....

There is no May Update. No parts came from G&S Suzuki, despite making the order very early in the month. No package, no emails, nothing except a lie about having shipped most of the stuff, and that only after I called them. All that happened was I rode it around the block a few times, dinked around with some wires, and pushed it in and out of the shop a few times to make room to work on a few other bikes.

Maybe my parts will arrive in time for the June Update.

Aparently G&S Suzuki now has too many customers, and is trying to "thin the herd".
It's working.

 

[loud et]

What a joke on your parts order. Pathetic business.
Any luck on the 1 over pistons? I saw 2 NOS ones on e bay last week for 25$ each iirc.

 

[tkent02]

No, this first one I'm just going to use the stock 650 stuff.

The second engine is the one that needs the bigger pistons, not sure what I'll use.

 

[tkent02]

June update:

Got some of the parts from G&S Suzuki, the ones ordered in early May.
Some of the parts.
That's about it for June. Too much really cool stuff getting in the way this month. Maybe I'll ride it around the block again.

 

[Guest]

Ummm... you ordered parts in early May and you're receiving *some* of them in mid-June???!!!

Man that's about 2 weeks longer than it takes me to order and receive stuff from Boulevard... and I've got an ocean in the way!

 

[Guest]

So no new work for almost a month? C'mon tkent02. I need you to finish this build as I'm contemplating the 650/550 mod myself now that my gsx600 swap looks like its not gonna work. Time to get to work!

 

[tkent02]

Just got home today, let's see what happens this month...
Got to go riding a little bit first.

 

[Chuck78]

I, too, have crates of GS650GZ engine parts on the shelves, as well a CBR1100XX 310mm rotor and Ninja twinpot caliper, and a 77 GS550B engine as a spare donor! Also funny that the engine ran terribly, and after doing two very oil-heavy wet compression tests, the compression in either #3 or maybe #4 came up from 75 to 105! Stuck valve I figured, or nasty valve seat from sitting open and rusting. She rode it for a year and a half before the compression got to the lowest limit that was rideable. EMGO pods, cracked muffler, stock jets... that was how the bike came into her hands, exhaust discolored from the severe lean condition, hmmm... I wonder what happened to the top end of the engine to cause it to lose compression????!!

Also, riding hers on the highway with a 130/90-16 rear tire's diameter puts the rpm's pretty high, I'm thinking 5500? Google search for Gearing Commander and input your tire size and check the rpm's. I upped my rear about 1 tooth equivalent and I'm at 5350 @ 70mph, that's my max for freeway cruising. the 550 gearing is already pretty up there.

Lastly, both engines had tranny problems. I suspect that since they stuffed 6 gears into a case of similar width to a 5 speed, the smaller parts don't hold up quite as well. original engine would get stuck in neutral, 78 GS550 engine gets stuck in first! I have heard that on the 550's, shifting 1st to second and accidentally not fully kicking the shifter up to second will cause the engine to slam the shift fork into gear and bend it. I am expecting to find some serious wear on the shifter linkage mechanisms as well when I tear one down. Regardless, I'm willing to deal with it in order to build a killer 6 speed kickstart 9.4:1 673cc screamer!

That bike is very nimble and so easy to turn in at any speed, rides nice, and just with glasspacks and pods and some heavy rejetting, it is FFFFAAAAAASSSSSTTTTTTTTT!!!!!! The 550 cams are really hot, very long valve opening duration, they take very well to pods/pipes/jets. The cams and the EMGO Dunstall straight through glasspacks however combine to make long highway rides that lend themselves to blasted eardrums... the sound on accelleration is AWESOME though. As you probably know, the 650 cams have a shorter valve opening timing but higher lift. Probably make at least the same power but with more efficiency. The 550 cams sound AWESOME with op0ened up exhaust though... tough call but I think I will try the 650 cams with the 550 cam sprockets swapped (650 cam sprockets wont work with the 550 crank's cam chain sprocket).

A long term project I look to take on will be a similar build for myself in a lighter nimble racer styled bike minus the cafe racer seat treatment, but for mine it will probably be my neighbor's impulse "wow that's cheap!" buy of a 79 GS425 12K miles $350 titled barn find, no spark, needs battery and tires... Wiseco 844 pistons (makes 10.25:1 449cc) or maybe some custom made 70 or 71mm pistons, or if I could find some GS850 +1.0mm oversize pistons... I think the compression ratio of the wiseco's would give more performance than the extra 1mm of bore on the 850's however. stripped down, clipons, spoked wheels, disc rear brake, GS1100E swingarm to lighten/stiffen and lengthen the rear to keep from doing too many accidental wheelies! About $1100-1200 project, fun loaner/city bike, and real fun in the twisties with the light weight!

Good luck with your $100 score, I really dig the 550's and the GS650E's...

 

[Chuck78]

Also, look up Boontown_Mike's (I think that's the correct spelling etc) GS550 673cc racer project build, h e is using some 1991-ish GSXR600 flatslide slingshot carbs that are very light and very responsive. I picked up a similar set of BST33's. The intake boot configuration is a bit tricky, have to mix and match boots to get the correct offset but it worked for him.

 

[tkent02]

July update, Nothing. Went riding. All month.

 

[tkent02]

August update, same as July, except this...
I found an old thread about a guy doing the 650 top end on a 550 but boring it and using the 750 pistons.... I had thought they wouldn't work because of the different combustion chamber shape. Now I can't find the old thread.
Has anyone heard of this being done? Succesfully?

Edit, here it is:

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=107520