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gs850 popping ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mrmoon
  • Start date Start date
M

mrmoon

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Hi all. I need some help with my 82 gs850. I just bought this bike as a project/ daily driver. It runs still needs some work to be road worthy.

It has the stock air box and stock pipes but it looks like someone welded the mufflers on :mad: it pops out of the muffler at idel and when ridding but not as bad.

Also I took it for a quick spin around the block it was
Ideling at around 2000 I set it to 1100 but it was kind cold when set it should it be done when its hot ?
 
Best to set idle after bike is warmed up. Your popping might be due to lean condition when bike is running on idle circuits- could be clogged,or you might have a air leak in the carb boot area. Best to find out why and correct- running too lean is a no no!
Chances are that this bike needs overdue maintenance - don't count on PO's!

Go here and do some reading
http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/images/GSR_Greeting.html

That link might be experiencing technical problems,so be patient !
 
Yes, the idle is set with the engine warmed up and off choke.

Are you sure your exhaust is stock? Baffles intact? If the previous owner removed the baffles, you could be running lean.

If you have not sealed up the airbox and replaced both sets of carb boots, you could be running lean.

Do you find that the idle speed creeps up as the engine warms up? If so, you are definitely running lean.

If you haven't seen it yet, take a look at the forum's Mega-Welcome which has pointers all sorts of tips and information to help you get the bike running right: http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showpost.php?p=1689496&postcount=1
 
I looked at my air box to see if any for the boots where cracked and they are all good but I'm a dummie and forgot to tighten the clamps from the air box to carbs. I still need to get it started and see if that fixed the problem
 
Popping is also commonly caused by an exhaust leak. You mentioned the exhaust might be sort of cobbled together, so look for a leak anywhere from the cylinder head to the collector under the engine (if the bike has one).

The stock mufflers do not separate from the pipes -- the middle pipes join with the outer pipe/muffler assemblies underneath the engine. There are some sleeve gaskets where they join that often leak and cause popping. The gaskets where the pipes bolt to the cylinder head are another common cause of popping, but riders usually report a rapping or tapping sound from these.

You might want to post a photo or three of the exhaust, and we'll be able to tell you whether it's stock.
 
Ran the bike after tightening the air box clamps and its a little better although after a short ride (1 mi) it will kill itself when stopped.

I got to looking for an exist leak and there is a major leek on one of the inside pipes.


Here are some pictures












Its not dun so don't poke fun I need to fab the seat bracket its a little to tall and I have a different finder I'll be using and I'll eventually repaint it
 
Do yourself a favor and find another exhaust system. Unless you are a stubborn SOB like me. I pulled mine off and found it a mess, so I eliminated the collector under the middle, fabbed in and welded up some exhaust pipe pieces and got rid of all those damn gaskets underneath. So now I have a pair of 2 into 1 pipes. What I don't have is a leaky exhaust or any popping. If I had the dough, tho, I would gladly buy a new after market header.
 
Yeah, you've definitely got a system where someone has sort-of-attempted to weld some aftermarket mufflers onto a stock exhaust.

However, this can actually work fine... just make sure it's not leaking under there. I see a couple of spots where the sleeve gaskets are out of place or missing.

There are several GS owners who have welded on a pair of Harley stock mufflers (you can get them really cheap on CrackList, and they're very high quality) with good results. For some unfathomable reason, Harley owners almost all remove their stock pipes, so you can pick them up for $20 a set or so.

Also, you have (what remains of) a 1982 GS850GL, not an 850G. It makes a difference sometimes.
 
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I'm try to fix that leak when it drys up or try to get it to one of my buddy's shops I don't like working in the mud.
 
An exhaust valve leak usually only pops on over run. Popping at idle, I would be more likely a tight or burned valve.
 
Idle pop out the exhaust could be valves. Ultra lean would tend to pop in the intake. Have the valves been adjusted recently?
 
Valves not be adjusted that o know. Of that will be where I go next. After I address the leak I will post some picture on how I fixed it when I'm dun welding it up
 
Similar bike, same popping...

Exhaust leak, that would make sense. I have a header bracket flopping around.

As for lean-popping, you feel that between the knees as your carbs exhale fuel-air mix into your air filter. Popping out your muffler is actually also normal, and if your baffles are gone, it's definitely normal.



'82 GS 850GL, cut and bobbed by a bored friend over two days. He put on a Harley muffler he had laying around, and wouldn't ya know, the 4-1 he'd cut and welded from the headed was shooting fiberglass out the baffle. He went through the STOCK carbs a week later, modded the jets (same size, beveled the edges with a hand drill). Now my block is blacker than usual from hitting 12K rpms too many times. Shannon the Cannon?she stayed like that for a matter of hours. Pretty sure he didn't want me to Darwin Award myself. Instant throttle response, no flat spots in the curve, and he'd just ball parked the syncing. It burned out through 2nd gear, no more wheelies.
I named her Shannon, after a friend, for being cantankerous and stubborn. The cannon was added after we bobbed it, because now, unless you're running way too rich, with almost a 4-1 straight pipe, you hear every pop, pretty distinctintly. My understanding is that carbs, exhaust, and modding enters the gray ether of engineering and fuel mixtures. Every engine pops, most are too muffled to notice. If you open up your 850, she will scream and tear into the night, stock carbs, jets, airbox. Or she won't, especially if the carbs aren't synced or tuned right. There are some good resources on tuning carbs on YouTube that breakdown how and what to address based on what part of the carb is responsible for that part of the engine curve.


its an 850, it'll pop, it'll howl, just make sure to hang on when you're working through the gears and finding you've run out of engine. I picked up my second last week for $500 in better condition than this one was last year when I got it for $650. Yours looks great. Based on the popping, probably sounds pretty good under acceleration too. I was shooting 6" flames out that Harley muff... Now it sounds like a chainsaw with the custom can he threw on there. I'm a little nervous about running too lean, but if I'm really worried I run with the choke out. My bike really only pops on decel, and doesn't half out, but 2500 is a bit high for idle. Pull your plugs, check them. Change out your exhaust, stop the leaks, go through your carbs and sync them, maybe jet them, but just have fun, and don't worry about it. Also, find a friend who owns a shop.

*stock idle is a lean idle, also elevation and climate will affect your tuning. If it goes, ride it. If something makes it run better, good, doesn't, figure out why and change it.


Make moves.
 

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