GS aftermarket parts that actually worked post here

[Markofalltrades]

As several old hands on this forum have stated OEM parts are your best choice. Sometimes the parts aren't available and you can't rebuild the part. Some of us do not have a large disposable income or a not so forgiving wife. In my case all the above applies plus I am thick in the head and have to spend probably the same amount as the exorbitant OEM GS prices for a single part purchased 5 times until I find a cheap quality part. (CHICOM) So far in my experience the newbie guide and advise of the veteran members has been spot on.

That said there are some Amazon parts that work well after you have sifted through the trash. Please post here if you have found a cheaper alternative to the OEM priced stuff.

I will start with Air filter PODs for my 1980 GS550E:
Name brand Air pods for four carbs are about 150$ or more for the top of the line. Aftermarket are under 20$ for four.
I had a hard time finding quality air filter pods. The ones I did find I could not afford. The aftermarket filters all ripped, leaked, restricted airflow or simply wouldn't fit. After purchasing 4 different flavors of cheap filters I came across one brand that was 18$ for four and fit perfectly and did not rip. (And it also provided the correct air flow for my jetted carbs.) The reason the after market Air pods all rip and do not work is they are almost ALL to long. The compression needed to make them fit destroys them. I said almost... the ones I purchased from Amazon are perfect for a Mukini CV carb. Its really about the length and ability to provide enough airflow. Here is the specs you need if you​ do go cheap. (Affordable) The box says GOAMOTORS on it but I am sure there must be other brands of this size. This is just what I stumbled across and they are working perfectly :

I will repost if they end up giving me issues in the future.

Follow up:
*****These do work great. They are cheap but also easy to mess up as they are very a tight fit on 1 and 4. For now they work.**********

 

[Grimly]

Problem with the no-name or other unknown brands on ebay and Amazon is they are very fly-by-night.
You might find something decent but when you want more, they're gone.

 

[rphillips]

So many things are no longer available, ie. master cyl. and caliper fix'in stuff

 

[Shin-Ken 1074]

You have brought up an interesting subject and an issue that many have had to deal with, sometimes successfully and at other times with disappointing results. At times I have used aftermarket parts and although they did the job the quality was far from an OEM part and of course this is often reflected in the price. In my experience I have found that a gently used OEM part is a better option than a new aftermarket part in most cases and these days I try to find good used OEM Suzuki parts before going down the aftermarket path.

Yep, sadly the supply of OEM parts for our mostly 45 plus year old GS Suzi's are getting pretty thin on the ground and the parts that are left can at times be expensive, even used parts are not always cheap these days. Like many here who have owned GS's for many years I have a few OEM parts in boxes waiting for their day in the Sun. However, my recent Katana project build highlighted the less than stellar OEM parts availability for the original 1981 1100 Katana, Some of the parts NLA here in Australia are master cylinder kits, caliper boot, seal and piston kits, 34mm CV carb parts and some of the electrical magic boxes. As the Katana project was not going to be a restoration having period correct OEM parts really wasn't the issue, the issue was I wanted to use good quality Suzuki parts that have a reputation for reliability as well as using Suzuki parts to future proof the project, I want to keep the project Katana going for as long as I can.

I understand that using OEM period correct parts have their place and how (some) owners take pride in keeping their machines in tip top shape. For my build using and adapting Suzuki parts from other models that resulted in a safe and reliable machine and using OEM Suzuki parts that are still available was the goal.

This is the good news bad news part of the problem. The good news: Going through the Suzuki Australia parts list I found models with parts that are still in the system and could be used for the project. Front and rear brake calipers, front and rear master cylinders and carbs have been adapted from 2004 model Suzuki's, they work very well and all parts were still available here at the time of the build, 2023.

The bad news: The parts from later Suzuki models were not plug and play and required many hours of tinkering, designing templates, making brackets, machining and modifying some parts was the order of the day. The end result was having parts that look like they should be there and are supported by Suzuki and with a bit of luck will keep the Kat on the road for many years to come.

Excluding the new reg/rec in the pic, the front and rear brakes, masters, carbs and almost all the parts used in the build were used items I bought from various places. However, the calipers, masters and carbs were stripped and fitted with new OEM kits from Suzuki so they are now functioning like new parts.

This way around the parts supply issue isn't a fix for everyone as there is still a level of expense and a lot of work involved to graft 20 year old OEM parts onto a 45 year old machine that was not designed to be fitted with 2004 parts. I am only suggesting that it could be an option for some owners.

Cheers.

Kat at Karts by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


Carbf4 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


Reg Rec b by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


DW front by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


caliper by Max Mutarn, on FlickrDW front by Max Mutarn, on Flickr


Rear brake 4 by Max Mutarn, on Flickr

 

[salty_monk]

For pods for Mikuni’s the best aftermarket option is Ape. I wouldn’t want those ones from Amazon… I suspect they won’t last long. Ape is about as good as K&N.

 

[Nessism]

The problem with many chinesium pods is that they block the air inlet ports on the carbs inlet. Also, some are restrictive, and others are porous, and don't filter the air for crap. I just don't see the point. As salty says, get the APE pods, they are not that expensive, yet quality. I don't think they sell anything appropriate for the early 550, though.

 

[oldGSfan]

Aftermarket seat covers from Thailand are impressive for the $. The GS1100E weak point where 99% of them rip apart is addressed with a well-stitched seam. I got a CB750 and GS1000E cover as well, very good pattern, quality vinyl, etc. I'd say better than stock. All that for about $75

 

[Markofalltrades]

If there are good PODs for the 1980 550e Mukini CV Carb that fit please send a link. I just can't find any.

 

[salty_monk]

I'd rather have a Uni pod than a cheap Chinesium one... Do they do one with the right throat size?

 

[Markofalltrades]

I tried ordering. Thanks for the part research Nessism they are all out of stock worldwide. There are just no name brand pods out there anymore that fit. The type I posted initially will probably work if I re-jet to a smaller jet size. (The pods that fit give less air) There are Chicom pods for the right throat size (50-55mm) but they probably do block the air inlet hole. I tried drilling the rubber but now I think I have small rubber dust in my carb... time to clean again. Honestly for a 1980 GS 550e CV Carb go back to the OEM air box filter and avoid pods.

 

[oldGSfan]

Seems this is a pod thread. I tried!