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First time GS1000 owner

  • Thread starter Thread starter FLHGSRay
  • Start date Start date
FLHGSRay said:
Drove 75 miles this morning to look at an exhaust system that the salvage yard described as "pretty nice". Complete junk. Lots of dents and a couple of weld repairs. Not even the correct system, although it was from a 4 cyl Suzuki, so it may have fit. I'll never understand why a person would do that. Did he think I wouldn't look at it, and just hand him the money? No way to earn a repeat customer. Wanted $150 and I wouldn't have given $20.
Click to expand...


Happens all the time. One mans "perfect" isnt usually my "perfect".
I usually ask em if it's "show" quality then go from there.
 
I was only hoping for "better" than mine. Not about to pay big money to make it look worse. I think after I get the thing going, I'll look at aftermarket mufflers.
 
Believe it or not, I have never had an o-ring chain. PO said the chain was brand new, which seems to be the case. But it is extremely funky from sitting. Looks like he lubed it well and it has collected a thick layer of whatever. Should I just wipe it off and submerse it in chain oil for a while? Chain is off bike.
 
I'd just clean it with soap and water then relube it with the light lube of your choice just to keep it from rusting.
 
I wouldn't use soap, i'd just use a brush soaked in kerosine, etc and give it a light brush down to remove any clumps of gunk and then use an old rag and pull the chain through it by hand to get rid of anything the brush missed. Then give it a light spray to stop it rusting until you fit it to the bike.

The reasons i was against soap is I figure that soap may possibly stay in there and continually break down any oils that come in when you try to oil/lube it.
 
mike-s said:
I wouldn't use soap, i'd just use a brush soaked in kerosine, etc and give it a light brush down to remove any clumps of gunk and then use an old rag and pull the chain through it by hand to get rid of anything the brush missed. Then give it a light spray to stop it rusting until you fit it to the bike.

The reasons i was against soap is I figure that soap may possibly stay in there and continually break down any oils that come in when you try to oil/lube it.
Click to expand...


I wouldnt recommend using any type of harsh solvent on an o-ring chain. Might not be too good for the little seals.
 
Last edited:
New seal and o-ring in tach drive. Checked valves and recorded shim sizes. Had only 3 different sizes. 2.70, 2.75, & 2.80. Need to change 1. Got a valve at a tight .001 in. Gonna drop 1 shim size to a 2.75. Dealer will trade for my 2.80 when I pick up gaskets tomorrow. Bought tire irons and rim protectors and hand mounted the Battlaxs. Getting closer!
 
Valves are done, just need to put the cover on. Got new half-moons and an oem gasket. Carbs are ready to install, just need to clean the airbox. Wheels are ready to go back on. Got all new fuel and vacuum lines and a new petcock o-ring. Wish I could clean the beast while it's apart, but that will have to wait. I was always much better at making them run than making them look good, anyway. Still have to do the wire harness repairs. No biggie, just a few joints to solder after removing the Windjammer harness and accessory lighting. Headlight and front signals are the best looking part of this bike. PO put them in a box in 1979. Still might be a while, I have very little time to devote to this. Shooting for 1st week in August to fire her up.
 
PO said this tank is a replacement for the original that was damaged. It's blue because that was all he could find at the time. Tail is black with pinstripes. So, is this tank a different year or just a different color offered in '79? Thinking of doing a spray bomb paint job on it in black. Maybe flat black.
 
Steady progress on bike. Mounted new bars, reinstalled cam cover. Mounting carbs and air box tomorrow. Decided to order new cables and there seems to be a question about the throttle cables. Are they both the same part? They look exactly the same, but the dealer says he's showing two different part #s, one for pull and one for push. Getting close on this thing. Should be riding the first week of August. Also, can anyone suggest a good set of made-to-fit plug wires? Bike has Accel Super Coils and 8mm wires. They work ok, but the straight plug connectors stick out much too far. Needs 45s at the plugs.
 
Carbs and air box are back on. Ordered new throttle and clutch cables from Bike Bandit, should be here Mon/Tues. Having trouble finding plug wires I like. Would like angled caps at the plugs. Any suggestions are welcome. Bike has Accel coils. Not much left to do, solder a few wires, finish reinstalling headlight, reinstall top clamp and cables, reinstall front brake system, reinstall tank, reinstall chain and rear wheel. Probably should do a static timing. Start the beast and adjust the carbs, then do a carb sync and final ignition timing. Still shooting for 1st week of August. Kind of anxious to ride the thing, haven't been on a big 4 cylinder since about 1981.
 
Got new cables lubed and installed, having a little trouble with routing since I went with shorter bars. Wiring is sorted out, had to cut and resolder 5 wires after removing Windjammer harness. Glad the PO didn't actually cut or remove anything from the harness, just used those splices that cut into the wire. Top clamp is still loose, gonna take a torque wrench and go over the whole front end tomorrow, then reinstall front brakes.
 
What's my extra brown wire? Hooking up all the wiring around the headlight today and ended up with 1 brown wire from the main harness left over. It's a female connector. Looked at the wiring diagram and saw a brown wire to nowhere up front that runs straight back to the taillight. All my lights work including the self-cancelling turn signals! Haven't started it yet, but I did hit the starter button for a sec and it worked fine. So I don't think I'm missing anything. Tried with no success to post a pic of the diagram to show the wire. Dial-up sucks. But it's a brown wire from the main harness just before the plug to the ignition switch. Runs forward to nowhere and rearward to the taillight. (on the diagram).
 
Its a spare hot wire..it doesnt go anywhere...just tape it off and button everything up.
 
Yup...thats the dummy wire...guess you could use it for heated grips or a heated vest plug.
 
chuck hahn said:
Its a spare hot wire..it doesnt go anywhere...just tape it off and button everything up.
Click to expand...
Thanks! I figured it was something like that. Just about to fire this thing up. Wiring is all done, and stock headlight and turn signals have taken the place of the Windjammer. Still have to torque all the fasteners on the front end and remount the tank and seat. Put on the new grips. Check everything out again then fire the beast. Hopefully.
 
Great work!

BTW, that tank looks like a 1979.
 
FLHGSRay said:
PO said this tank is a replacement for the original that was damaged. It's blue because that was all he could find at the time. Tail is black with pinstripes. So, is this tank a different year or just a different color offered in '79? Thinking of doing a spray bomb paint job on it in black. Maybe flat black.
Click to expand...

Judging from what I can see in the picture, it appears to be a 1980 GS1000E tank because of the color and the pinstripes.

http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/motorcycle-details.aspx?id=6682
 
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