GS Road Trip Reliability? 2000 Miles or more?

[Buffalo Bill]

Hey GS riders, I'd like to hear your stories about reliability and fails during your long distance 2000 miles plus, road trips.
GS bikes only, single road trips only. Long term ownership reviews and local rides not relevant.
It would be very useful to people preparing to use their GS bike on long road trip adventures to have a short list of spares.
Thanks a bunch!
BiL

 

[Cipher]

Mine has only died three times on the road all due to reg rect
oh and once for a broken clutch cable but i speed shoifted my way home running stop signs
plus 800 miles was longest trip but its a wee bike and hard on the butt and super annoying to fill up ever 120 mile or so

 

[RichDesmond]

Well, it was a long time ago (1983) but I rode a '79 GS1000E from Albuquerque to New Jersey and back. About 2000 miles each way. No "bike prep" to speak of, although I'm sure I did an oil change before I left. Bungeed a duffel bag to the rear rack and a backpack to the tank (I couldn't afford a real tank bag) and off I went. No spares, no credit cards, a few hundred dollars in my wallet. Worked out fine.

 

[Nessism]

The bike itself will be reliable if the person preparing it does their job. Said another way, you can't blame a 40 year old bike for poor reliability if the maintenance is not all done. Things like cleaning all the electrical connectors, fresh seals in the petcock and carbs, lubrication of cables and bearings, etc. Sadly, many people don't do preventive maintenance until their bikes starts to misbehave but you can't blame the bike for that.

 

[bccap]

I've only done a couple of trips that length but didn't have any issues.... The only major issue I ever had was when the bike was new with only 500 km on it. It blew up, and I mean blew up. The connecting rod was hanging outside the block. Apparently someone didn't tighten one of the rod bolts at the factory.... According to the Suzuki rep I'm the only one that has ever happened to.....

 

[salty_monk]

I have ridden GS's from Los Angeles to Eureka & almost to La Paz Mexico in the other direction. For years I did a trip (sometimes taking two of my gS's) every summer that was anywhere from 1500 to 2500 miles. Apart from the odd oil top up & a weird fuse box failure once I've never had any issues....

I carry cables (in the headlight bucket) and some spare bolts, clamps, a bit of tubing, some posi-tite connectors, a small electrical meter & some tape, fix it all leak stop stuff and usually a tube or flat kit & a small pump. All the basic tools and some tire levers.

I generally leave a box of spare parts out "easy access" in the garage so that a phone call to my wife could potentially result in a Fedex next day....

As Ed says = prep it well (in general for me this means change the oil & make sure I have enough tire... it's always well prepped) & you'll have no real issues.

Where are you riding?

 

[Sandy]

The bike itself will be reliable if the person preparing it does their job. Said another way, you can't blame a 40 year old bike for poor reliability if the maintenance is not all done. Things like cleaning all the electrical connectors, fresh seals in the petcock and carbs, lubrication of cables and bearings, etc. Sadly, many people don't do preventive maintenance until their bikes starts to misbehave but you can't blame the bike for that.

I've done many trips over the years and usually all over 2,000 miles. The bike doesn't get ridden much locally anymore so I rarely have the luxury of breaking down close to home so staying on top of it really matter to me. Like Ed says, do the job and keep on top of maintenance and repairs and these GS's will treat you well. I've never had any of my bikes fail while on a trip. Back in the day people toured all over the place on these things ...no reason to still not do it. Even with the 750 which I put back on the road after replacing a bunch of stuff because it sat for 17 years and after a couple of hundred miles took on it a 1,500 mile trip. These bikes really aren't that complicated.

 

[storm 64]

I did a 6,000 mile ride out west in 2017. I was riding my 1979 GS 1000e. I had two minor problems. First, it blew the main fuse. Popped a new fuse in, no more problems. I figured the bike got upset watching me have a icecream cone and decided to blow the fuse. Second problem, the speedometer gear on the front wheel stripped out going across Nebraska. Thankfully, ol buddy Larry let me use his for the rest of my trip. Other than them couple of things the motorcycle didn't skip a beat. I did have the motorcycle in rebuilt condition. Wheel bearings, clutch, sprockets... Would I do it again on a vintage motorcycle? You bet, it was one of the most fun trips I took on a motorcycle. Riding the older motorcycle was a ice breaker for conversation, I chatted with the most interesting people along the way.

 

[Grimly]

Hmm... road trip.
Well, the bikes are a lot older than they were when I did the big miles on them, but sure, if I had a recently-built engine I'd have no hesitation in taking each of them out for another 150,000 mile spin.
All that ever went wrong on long trips were the occasional faulty connection, or short up by the headstock (vital to check that area for wear). A one-time throttle cable breakage (handily, on the push-pull '79 carbs, the other cable could be swapped over) and another one-time clutch cable. Generally, I found that problems that were likely to arise on the road could be forestalled by careful scrutiny at the weekend.
Even the Achilles Heel of the base gasket leak never happened all-at-once, there was always plenty of warning that it was there and getting worse, but it was a slow process.
A GS with modern electrics on the charging system and cleaned secure connections all over should go quite happily for a projected road trip of 2000 miles. Heck, I was regularly doing that twice a month, even with the older set-up.

 

[alke46]

Man, it must be winter time for this thread to get started. Several years ago I had an 82 850 that I rode all over the place. At that time, I didn't know any internet forums existed -- oh, they didn't. This was pre internet, only problem I ever had was the stator went South while on a trip from Omaha to Salt Lake city and on to Phoenix. I don't remember any R/R issues but it surely was the cause, even though it was never checked or replaced.

 

[Big T]

While I've been on a number of long trips on my GS 1000, the last being to Sandy's rally, I will remind long timers of Shiraz drum.

He rode a semi prepared 850 from Montana past the Arctic Circle, back down the West Coast to Tierra del Diego and back to Argentina, where it melted down.

When he stopped by, I rode the 850 around. It was horribly overloaded and undersprung. It was updated in CA.

So, he went 9,000 (?) Miles with only a few problems on his under prepared 850.

 

[Buffalo Bill]

My longest trip was only to a BC Rally and back. Mostly haven't got time for a 10 day trip.
I need a road trip soon. Considering a few ideas including riding my GS south scouting US Grant's battles.
The bike only needs a valve job, and a detailed prep. as suggested.
Another idea is trailer my GSX to Alabama for an early spring track day.
Thanks!

 

[Steve]

You wanted successes AND failures? :-k

Last year, three of us attempted a little ride. Planned for about 7000 miles. About 600 miles in (in Iowa), we blew the ignitor on Mrs. Steve's bike. I rode about 400 miles to borrow one that was offered to us. Turned out it did not match, so we loaded up into a U-Haul truck to go home for repairs. The kid's bike was still working well, so he rode to Texas to visit friends. He came back home the following week, and the three of us took off again, but headed east. We did the length of Skyline Drive, Blue Ridge Parkway, Deal's Gap, then stayed on two-lane roads for the return home. That loop was about 1700 miles. Except for the interlude in the truck, that totals 2300 miles, but the kid did an additional 2000 or so.

Failures? Mrs. Steve's ignitor. My bike developed a base gasket leak. A few small problems with farkles, but nothing major.

Successes? Good time together as a family. A sense of adventure, taking off on three nearly-40-year-old bikes. Reliving some memories of past trips on BRP.

Would we do it again? Yep, it's already in the plans, but we might be doing New England next year, instead.

.

 

[LAB3]

Last year I did 8k miles after leaving home the weekend before Memorial Day. Dealt with a broken clutch cable at the Bedford rally and a toasted regulator later that summer along with chasing gremlins due to not quite having my carbs as clean as they should have been. All three of those issues where prep related, a punctured front tire was really the only unforeseen problem.

This year I left April 25th and have covered close to 16k miles. Replaced the chain and sprockets about a month in which I should have dealt with over the winter as well as a front tire which also should have been replaced as well. A broken master link was a bit of an embarrassment since I should have been packing another. Replaced my rear tire at 9k miles, had the seal where the clutch actuator pin goes into the case give out and my center stand broke which was welded back together. My stator went out about a month ago which I didn't think would happen with the SH775 installed.

I'm carrying a LOT of weight in tools, the three tire irons and 29mm socket for the front sprocket being probably half of it. Parts wise it's just some electrical crimps, a couple of spark plugs, valve cover gasket and a master link. There's a small baggie of screws, nuts, washers and bolts, a tube of RTV, electrical tape, zip ties, tube patch kit and good old duct tape just in case.

 

[trevor]

I have ridden my 1980 GS1000S to California and back twice in the last three years. Close to 4000 miles round trip. No issues other than this year I had a faulty spark plug cap crossing the Golden Gate Bridge...lol...found a bike shop just miles from the other side of the bridge and replaced the cap.
I have ridden my new BMW on the same trip...but you can't replace the feeling of riding a classic motorcycle across the country.
Just don't forget your credit card!

 

[Buffalo Bill]

Last year I did 8k miles after leaving home the weekend before Memorial Day. Dealt with a broken clutch cable at the Bedford rally and a toasted regulator later that summer along with chasing gremlins due to not quite having my carbs as clean as they should have been. All three of those issues where prep related, a punctured front tire was really the only unforeseen problem.

This year I left April 25th and have covered close to 16k miles. Replaced the chain and sprockets about a month in which I should have dealt with over the winter as well as a front tire which also should have been replaced as well. A broken master link was a bit of an embarrassment since I should have been packing another. Replaced my rear tire at 9k miles, had the seal where the clutch actuator pin goes into the case give out and my center stand broke which was welded back together. My stator went out about a month ago which I didn't think would happen with the SH775 installed.

I'm carrying a LOT of weight in tools, the three tire irons and 29mm socket for the front sprocket being probably half of it. Parts wise it's just some electrical crimps, a couple of spark plugs, valve cover gasket and a master link. There's a small baggie of screws, nuts, washers and bolts, a tube of RTV, electrical tape, zip ties, tube patch kit and good old duct tape just in case.

We've seen pics of your bike loaded, nothing left behind right? :encouragement:

 

[Buffalo Bill]

While I've been on a number of long trips on my GS 1000, the last being to Sandy's rally, I will remind long timers of Shiraz drum.

He rode a semi prepared 850 from Montana past the Arctic Circle, back down the West Coast to Tierra del Diego and back to Argentina, where it melted down.

When he stopped by, I rode the 850 around. It was horribly overloaded and undersprung. It was updated in CA.

So, he went 9,000 (?) Miles with only a few problems on his under prepared 850.

I remember that thread. It turned into an epic story. The ride up to the Arctic circle just to photo a road sign, "Because it's there".

 

[Jedz123]

I did a couple +1000 mile weekends with my 81 GS750L in the before time... IT overheated and also had R&R failure...
That was the first and last season I tried to tour on my GS750L and quickly bought my Bandit 1200 for the next year. Have been on bikes that are younger than me for touring since.

 

[bwringer]

Thinking back over many GS rallies where we ride long distances to get there and then ride the absolute wee out of the bikes on the twisty roads... leaving out crash damage, here's what stands out to me:

- There have been many stator meltdowns and electrical issues. I and a few others usually bring a spare GS stator and usable Honda R/R with me (two or three stator types cover almost all GS models), and there have been several parking lot stator and R/R replacements. One guy in Wisconsin made it back to the hotel and was making arrangements for a trailer rescue when the crowd basically hijacked his bike over his protests, replaced the stator, and fixed several bad connections. That was pretty funny; he was starting to get really embarrassed and annoyed, and everyone just sort of ignored him and fixed the bike anyway. I don't think he really believed that some stranger would just happen to have the correct part and that we could and would actually fix it in the parking lot.

- A few sudden oil leaks from valve cover gaskets or bolts that came adrift.

- I've seen way too many ancient tires in truly frightening condition. Yeek.

- A few bad or broken clutch cables, often accompanied or caused by worn-out levers. Usually there's a way to cobble up some sort of functional replacement.

- I once walked up to a perfect stranger in a remote area of Wisconsin to inform him that a bolt was missing from one of the front calipers on his GS. (I have this weird ability to subconsciously spot broken stuff.) He started to panic a bit because there was no cell signal, but I rummaged in my tool kit and soon produced and installed a replacement, and checked the other fasteners. Something similar has happened several times. Not many people carry a selection of spare fasteners in their tool kits, but my little collection has been called into action many times.

- Speaking of which, there have been many incidents of missing caliper bolts, axle nuts, fork bolts, etc. stemming from hurried pre-rally tire replacements. New tires are great, but triple-check that everything's there and torqued, wouldya?

- There have been a few folks who showed up with broken or unprepared bikes hoping for advice and assistance. I don't think anyone really minded the people who showed up with a GS on a trailer and seeking advice. It gives us something to do in the evenings, and you have a plan for getting home, etc. However, it's honestly pretty annoying when someone makes zero effort to prepare, rides to the rally on a dying bike, then hopes the collective will somehow be able to patch his bike up enough to get back home.

- On a related note, when someone at a rally magically produces and installs the part your GS needs to continue and get home, don't assume it's a donation. Someone has just saved you a hell of a lot of time, trouble, and cash -- ask how much and pay them for the part and then some without squawking. This sort misunderstanding is thankfully quite rare, but it's popped up a few times.

- In the early years of GS rallies, a lot of people were terrified of doing valve clearance checks and cleaning carbs, so lots of bikes were very hard to start when cold. Ten or fifteen minutes before we planned to leave, people would go out and crank and crank and crank and crank, then leave the bike on choke to warm up for ten minutes or so before departure, leaving a hydrocarbon haze hanging over the parking lot. I would make a point of walking up to my bike about 30 seconds before blastoff and giving the starter button a quick stern glance to demonstrate how a GS is supposed to start instantly and how long warmups aren't needed. That's gotten a lot better over the years, since "did you check valve clearances" is always just about the first answer to any engine question... peer pressure can be a good thing!

- For many of us, let's spare a few thoughts for dearly departed "Painter Dave" and his delightfully dilapidated machines. Somehow he always got there and mostly got home again on the most clapped-out rolling disasters we've ever seen. I've never seen anyone so adept at riding that knife edge of mechanical disaster.

- We've had two incidents of someone arriving at a rally on a dying or dead bike then buying a brand new bike at a nearby dealer and riding home on that.

 

[Griffin]

A few years ago, I took a fairly long trip on my 1980 GS1000G to visit a bunch of old friends and family I hadn't seen in person for years. I left Indiana and travelled northwest through Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and both Dakotas. I came back through Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois.

Here she was before I left, with 29,600ish miles on her:



I returned home eight days later with just a tick over 33,000 miles on the clock. I changed oil and filter in the Twin Cities. Other than topping off oil every once in a while, no other things were done to it. By the end of the trip, the seat foam was totally broken down though, and the last leg from Rockford, IL to home was brutal on my tailbone and hips.


IF (as others here have noted) all the maintenance is up to date, and everything has been inspected/cleaned/lubed, I would have no issues with riding one of these bikes for a multi-thousand mile trip.

I routinely put in over a thousand miles at one of our 3-4 day rallies, including the there and back part, and have been doing that for the past 13 years. Only a couple times have I had an issue. There is obviously a good support system at a rally, so I generally don't do all the preparatory work (cleaning wiring connections, lubing/replacing cables, etc...) that I would do for a long solo or two-up trip.

Give me a week to prepare a GS or KZ for a trip, and I'll ride it to California without much concern.