GS1000 maintenance and idle questions...

[Anonymous]

I recently bought a '79 (maybe '78 ) GS1000 from my friends dad who was the original owner. The bike has 16k miles, was well taken care of, and seems to be in great condition.

I plan on putting at least a thousand miles on it this summer riding from Seattle to CWU over Snowqualmie pass. Since the bike is around 25 years old I figure things might have started to wear. I have already changed the oil and lubed the chain. Are there any problems these bikes are known for? Are there any components in the ignition that frequently fail?

I also have a question about the carbs. I believe they are 28mm mikuni's which I think are stock. The thing I am wondering about is the choke cable up by the handlebars has been disconnected, and the carbs have a choke lever on the left side. any ideas?

Lastly, the clutch makes a loud rattling sound if the rpms go much under 1500rpm, which is usually only when it's warming up. The sound does not go away when I pull in the clutch, and everything works great. I remember asking my friends dad about the sound and he said it had done it as long as he could remember, possibly since new. I'm not really worried about this, but I would kinda like to know what it is.

Also, does this bike need adaptors to hook up vacuum lines to sync the carbs?

Thanks

Jeff

 

[SqDancerLynn1]

As to the reliability I see no problem. The points ign is old style but very reliable. I haven't had my points cover off in over 4K miles. The choke is Ok, the earley GS1000 did have the choke lever on the side of the carbs. The engine noise could be normal cam chain noise
All of the GS engine are noisey to some extent
You can check the cam tensioner without too much trouble there is a write up in the tips? forum

Things to do
Replace/flush brake fluid
New battery if it is more than 3 years old
Check charging system, add extra ground wire from reg case to the (-) battery ground, clean/ repair electrical connections from the stator
New fork seals
New tires??
Check the petcock operation
Check valve adjustment
Lube cables
after all of this you should be set for a year of trouble free riding

 

[saaz]

I have a 78 GS1000 with 145,000 kms on it. I have had it since 1980.

You have a young one! I did not do anything to mine until 80,000 kms. Things to watch out for are cam chain tensioner working properly..I replaced mine early on as it was sticking. Take it aprt and lubricate it.

Other than than replace all the age related items (brake fluids, oils etc) as per Lyn's suggestions.

Other than that, I wish I had such a low mileage GS to start over again..now that I know what I now know!

The best advice I can give is change the oil often and when due, with modern oils. THis will ensure longer life. All the lectrical system info is on the site via he stator papers.

I still want to know how you yanks come up with near new GSs all the time..it frusttrates me!!!!

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info. Ill have to look over the electrical stuff.

What do you recomend for tires? The only tires I have priced recently were for my FZR and I figure those are more expensive, but I could be wrong.

saaz: when i first saw this bike in my friends dads garage and looked at the miles, i tried to buy it, but he wouldn't sell it. at one point i almost traded him a bronco for it, but again he decided to keep it. my opportunity to buy it came after he decided to take his own life, and his family did not have room for it. i love the bike, but i would trade it in a second for my friends dads life if i could. such is life though. *sigh*


Thanks for the info, you have given me the confidence i needed. I put 200 miles on my FZR last summer, it was 100 miles, 2hr break, then 100 miles back. It wasn't fun. I read where someone said the FZR makes a good sport-touring bike, i guess they've never ridden one for long. The GS feels like a couch in comparison. And all that torque...

Jeff

 

[bgk]

Jeff,

I have a 1979 GS1000L. Mine did not have a one-owner previous life like yours. Mine had multiple owners, 26k miles, at least one crash, and an unknown-to-me maintenance history when I acquired it last year.

Some people with GS's in general, and the larger-frame/engine GS's in particular (such as GS1000's) have had no problems or very few problems, and their bikes run fine for years and years, with nothing more than routine maintenance (oil and filter changes, new chain and sprockets, valve adjustments, etc.).

However, if the bike has been sitting for a while, you will almost definitely have to clean the carbs. This could be critical to your GS owning and riding experience. There's plenty of info on this GSR website to show you how to do it for free (or near free if you need O-rings or something). Or you could have a bike shop do it for maybe $200. Also check the valve clearances (or have a bike shop do it).

Also, the GS regulator/rectifier is notorious for taking out electrical systems, particularly for taking out stators and frying wires (see the Stator Papers). I recommend that at the very least, you buy and install an Electrex regulator/rectifier unit. Then, if you've got some extra money, and intend to keep you GS for a while, then follow with an Electrex stator, and then maybe upgrade your old points-style ignition to an electronic ignition. I did all these things (and a few other things you may not need to do, like rebuilding the front forks) and I took an old ratty bike, and turned it into a rock-solid, reliable and fun to ride motorcycle for not a whole lot of money.

Good luck!

 

[bgk]

P.S. The clutch sound you describe is almost certainly the clutch basket rattling. Most all the old GS bikes do this in their old age when they cold-start, and sometimes even when they're warm. Don't worry about it, your clutch is not about to fail. You'll easily get your 1000-mile summer and more out of that clutch. And, unless you do lots of drag-race style starts, wheelies, etc., that clutch will probably last longer than you will!

When you get older, you'll make noises in the morning too!

 

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Stock carbs are VM26SS. If you had a choke pull knob mounted in a rubber cover on the bars, it sounds like you have the ''E'' model but the carbs off of a base model(GS1000C), which has the thumb lever choke. The ''E'' also has mag wheels and dual discs up front and self cancelling signals. Your clutch noise is the basket damper springs. Mine did the same thing for several years and I had mine modified/welded at Vance&Hines. You don't need any adapters for your carb sinc tool. Just remove the 4 allen screws at the intakes and connect the threaded tubes that come with your tool. Most important up grades: Electrex R&R, Dyna 'S' ignition/coils. Watch the petcock/float valves for leaking into the crankcase. Pingel makes a nice fuel valve. These are great bikes! I've owned mine since new and have 117,000 miles so far. As for tires, I've had good luck with the Bridgestone 'Spitfires' and the Dunlop 'Elites" are good too. They are higher mileage/average handling tires. Any more questions, were here to help. KK.
PS: I'm sorry to hear about your friends father.

 

[Anonymous]

Keith

Yes, my bike is a GS1000E. I'm really glad about that since the dual front discs on my bike scare the crap out of me compared to the newer sportbikes I have owned, I cant imagine riding that tank with a single front disc. I guess you just have to look further ahead, not a bad idea to begini with.

Did the carbs from the E have any advantage over those from a C? I thought they were the same size. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the shaft-drive model (L?) have larger carbs? I'm not too worried about getting more power from the engine, I love the torque it has as it is.

I seem to remember my carb sync tool coming with those threaded adaptors when I bought it about five years ago. I also think I remember not needing them on the bike I had then, so I probably threw them out or something really smart like that.

I cleaned the carbs using carb cleaner, brake cleaner, and compressed air to blow out the internal passages. I was surprised how clean they looked inside, very little stuff in the float bowls. My bike seems to take quite a while to warm up to where it will idle smoothly. I usually end up turning the idle up so it will idle smoothly, and then turning it down a few times as the bike warms up and the idle rises by itself. I've never owned an air cooled bike before, do they take a long time to warm up? I usually try to turn the choke off as soon as possible when I ride any of my bikes. Should I be riding with the choke partially on until the bike warms up fully?

Thanks for all the help

Jeff

 

[Anonymous]

Now my 79 G1K came with the bar mounted choke, but I have single disc Spoke wheels. I beleive Maroon was the original color.

 

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Now my 79 G1K came with the bar mounted choke, but I have single disc Spoke wheels. I beleive Maroon was the original color.

Interesting. Are you original owner? People do swap parts. All 'E' models had a bar choke and mags with dual discs in front. Spokes and single disc were the base 'C' model, also with thumb choke and manual signals.

 

[saaz]

I am in Australia, and have a 78 EC model. Mag wheels, dual disks, carb lever on the side of the 26mm carbs. We never got the basic model here, except as a production bike racing special with the 18inch spoked wheels and otherwise E bits.

I did not get the air shocks (came with the coil spring adjustable ones) or the self cancelling indicators. So there may be bikes out there with not all the "standard" features.

From tests I have the single disk basic model braked as well as the twin disk one, was lighter and handled slightly better. I have had Akront alloy spoked wheels (18 inche) for years now. Seems to work ok.

 

[KEITH KRAUSE]

JDChalfan, I re-checked my factory manual and all '78,'79 1000's have VM26SS carbs. At least in the U.S. the only difference was the thumb lever on the 'C' model. As for the idle problem, it can be several things. My bike used to be a bit 'cold blooded', but I never had to adjust the idle to keep it running. Since I re-jetted for my mod's it warms up faster. My first guess would be you are running lean due to an air leak somewhere, most likely the o-ring(s) in the rubber manifolds. If you have to raise the idle at start-up, but turn it back down at normal operating temperature, that is a common result of those o-rings when they fail. It could also need adjustments at the pilot and air-screws,etc. I know it's a bit of work to check them, but I would guess the o-rings first. They can fail in just a couple of years, even on a 'runner'. Some say you can spray a fine mist of water on the rubber intakes and if the engine speed drops noticably,then you have a leak. But it can be hard to spray the manifolds completely. I have seen people do tests with water and other things such as starter fluid(I DO NOT RECOMMEND)and not find a leak, but after taking the carbs off, find that the o-rings are bad. If you change the o-rings, be sure to put some grease on them. I personally do not know what the best grease would be, but it should obviously be good for rubber and heat resistant. I tries white lithium grease and my o-rings started cracking in about 3 years. This time I tried some regular marine grade bearing grease. I don't know what luck others have had but I would like to hear suggestions.Also,do not over-torque them. About 9 ft/lbs torque should be fine, according to my manual. These bolts are not mentioned in it, but the bolt chart suggests about 8-10 ft/lbs. Replace the phillips with Allens if you can. Let us know how it turns out. KK.

 

[Anonymous]

Keith, when I had the carbs off to clean them, I checked the o-rings and they did not have any cracks and were still somewhat soft. When I re-installed them, I put a little silicone all around it, not sure if that was a good idea or not... I had the same thought about the high idle being caused by a lean condition. It still may be from a different source. I probably would not have to turn the idle speed up when cold if I left the choke on longer, I am in the habbit of turning the choke off as soon as possible on all my bikes. It may partly be that I just need to get used to this bike, and syncing the carbs wont hurt.

When I had the carbs off I seem to remember that the screws (idle mixture?) still had some sort of marking stuff on them, and it didn't look like they had ever been changed.

I am out of town until tuesday, but after I have a chance to ride the bike some more I'll let you know what I find.

Thanks for the help

Jeff

 

[KEITH KRAUSE]

The pilot and air screws heads are coated with a sealant that is kind of 'whitish-yellow' and gets dirty over the years. It was put there by the factory to disscourage emissions tampering. It can get in the threads and make the screws tight enough that you can strip the slotted head if you're not carefull. If they have never been touched AND bike has stock pipe and filters, then I would leave alone for now. The pilots are underneath and in front of the bowls. You turn them in to lean, out to richen. The air screws are on the sides. Turn them the opposite, in to richen, out to lean. Generally the air screws should be adjusted to achieve the highest idle, around 2 turns out on stock bikes. If you are certain the pilot system passages are clean, I would try sincing the carbs. If they are way off they could make the idle pretty rough at warm-up. As a second thought, how is the float height? They should be between .90 to .98''. I set mine at .95''. Measure with the bowl gasket removed. Do you have a manual? If those are good, how is the ignition timing? I'm going on vacation and won't be back until July 12th. Hope when I get back you will have problem fixed. If not, we'll keep trying. I'm sure someone here can fix you up. Later. KK.

 

[Anonymous]

The bike does have stock exhaust and airbox (no filter...), so I figured the carbs had never been messed with. That coating over the pilot and air screws sounds like what I saw. I didn't even think about measuring the float level when I had the carbs open.

The bike didn't have an air filter when I got it. On a stock motor is there any advantage to a K&N filter over a stock one? I wouldnt think it would make a performance difference, and probably costs 3-4x as much.. the biggest mod this bike will ever see will be a 4-1 pipe and jet kit.

Is the ignition timing adjustable on this bike? I thought most bikes had fixed ignition timing, but again I've never owned a bike this old.

Unfortunately I do not have a manual for the bike. I've usually never been satisfied with Clymer manuals and the other aftermarket ones.. The factory manuals are always the best, but they're never cheap.

Thanks.

Jeff

 

[KGB]

WOW sounds like a beauty, too bad about how your got it.


I have a 1980 GS1000S. I gought it about 15 years ago from the original owner. He put it away correctly. But it was in storage for about 5 years.
The valve guides were dry and allowing oil to blow by. Not really bad, but enough so it was noticeable. Anyway I did a complete rebuild about 7 years ago. The only thing left from the factory is the crank and cams. It's been bored 20thousand. Yes I rode it for quite a few years. I also had the carbs rebuilt.
The jets were $200.
These bike are cold blooded, be patient.

In the last couple of years, normal maintenance. Lots of oil changes, about 2K-3K, new clutch, Barnett, and gaskets. I just had ALL the gaskets replaced 3 weeks ago.
Even after the clutch replacement, yes, it rumbles from the clutch. I did springs,steel plates and fiber plates. Still makes some noise, only when cold or very hot.
The cam chains are easy to adjust, but if they need replacement, it can be expensive.
As for tires, I have a set of Dunlop GT501 on my bike. I really like them.
Good grip, even in wet/rain. I replaced my stock brake lines years ago with braided steel lines. Huge difference. It won't stand on it's nose, but it stops a heck of a lot better. I have Progressive shocks and fork springs.
I also have a steering damper and fork brace. It still wobbles over 110mph.
You said it had a choke on the dash and it is actually on the carbs.
Was the dash replaced?
My advice, give it a good once over. Replace ALL fluids, get a manual and ride it :!:
There is an incredible amount of information on this site, all of it good.
There is a great group of people here dedicated to keeping these great bike running. Just ask.

Ride safe
Keith

 

[KEITH KRAUSE]

The bike does have stock exhaust and airbox (no filter...), so I figured the carbs had never been messed with. That coating over the pilot and air screws sounds like what I saw. I didn't even think about measuring the float level when I had the carbs open.

The bike didn't have an air filter when I got it. On a stock motor is there any advantage to a K&N filter over a stock one? I wouldnt think it would make a performance difference, and probably costs 3-4x as much.. the biggest mod this bike will ever see will be a 4-1 pipe and jet kit.

Is the ignition timing adjustable on this bike? I thought most bikes had fixed ignition timing, but again I've never owned a bike this old.

Unfortunately I do not have a manual for the bike. I've usually never been satisfied with Clymer manuals and the other aftermarket ones.. The factory manuals are always the best, but they're never cheap.

Thanks.

Jeff

With NO air filter you will run lean and be sucking in dirty air. Years ago when I had the stock box, I bought a K&N filter. It was about $5 more than stock and is washable and should last the life of the bike. The stock paper filter is a throw-away. Too bad I don't still have it, I'd give it to you. Also,I'm just curious, is the top metal cover still on the box? If not, this will make it run even leaner. ALL ignitions are adjustable. If you still have a points ignition I would swap it for a Dyna 'S' electronic.(about $125) If the points/condenser are in good shape, you can stay with them to save money. I got rid of my points when the bike was new, so I have no experience adjusting them. Someone here can probably explain it for you. If not, I'll look it up when I get back from vacation and send you the adjustment procedure if you still can use it.

 

[Anonymous]

KGB, fortunately my bike was not truely stored, it was started and ridden around the block every coulple months. It seems to have kept everything in pretty good condition.

Keith, I'll have to check about the air box cover, but I dont remember taking it off or on, so its probably not there. Ill have to look into the electronic ignition, I have never been a fan of points.

Thanks

Jeff

 

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Well, I'm still here. Turns out we will be going on vacation Monday AM. It's very probable that our discussion has revealed why your bike is lean and cold-blooded. With no air filter alone, it will run leaner. And I know because of past experimenting, if the air box lid is not on it will run even leaner. So before you do anything else, get an air filter and if you cannot find a lid, you can make something that will go over the opening that will be reasonably air tight. After the air box fix, make sure the timing is correct. Then sincing the carbs is still a good idea. At start up it will now run richer than before, causing the idle to drop, so you will have to adjust the idle. After all this the bike should run and idle right.

 

[Anonymous]

I ordered a foam cleanable filter from J.C.Whitney a couple years ago that replaces the stock one in the air box. Just have to wash it in some gasoline and oil it up and it will go forever. One time purchase.