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How is my choke supposed to connect? GS550LZ or LX?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mike_of_bbg
  • Start date Start date
M

mike_of_bbg

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This question is about my 1982 GS550LZ (or so sayeth the sticker - more on that below). I got the bike in non-running condition, replaced the twisted crankshaft, dipped the carbs, and am a few weeks away (I hope :pray:) from getting it running. That having been said, a question has been nagging me for a while - how is my choke supposed to connect? As I took the bike apart there was no choke connection. There appears to be a place for a cable connection which was on the choke bracket for carb #2. But there was no cable when I got the bike, and there's no pull either.

I went looking at fisches, and noticed on the carb fische for a 1982 GS550LZ (which my bike is supposed to be) that the throttle bracket on the carbs looked different from mine. However, it does match the bracket from the GS550LX fische. Also, the GS550LZ is supposed to have a choke lever under the left controls, held on with a screw. Well, I don't see a place for a screw on my left controls. Also, I don't see a place for a pull anywhere near the clocks, which perhaps should have been there on pre-82 models? The manuals show some routing information, but don't go into detail or give any pics. Does anyone:


  1. Have pics of how the choke should connect on GS550LX/LZ models?
  2. Think my parts are mis-matched (I know, wouldn't be the first time)?
  3. Have any suggestions for perhaps retro-mounting a choke cable?
Thanks in advance for your responses. I'll post some pics:
 
Pic of the left controls. Should there be a threaded hole here for choke lever?
 
Looks your that linkage is from a different year or model GS. The linkage should be on the #4 carb and look like the diagram in the fish. Not sure what to suggest other than look for the proper linkage. I'll look in my parts box and let you know if I find anything.
 
Thanks. Yeah, after looking the fiches over again, it definitely looks like I have 81 GS550LX carbs on there. Only they took the choke bracket off :mad:

I fired off an e-mail to an eBay seller I bought an exhaust from before to see if he still has the carbs from that 81 GS550L - but that was a while ago. If you can find something that would be great. I found another eBay auction for 81 GS550 carbs that has what I need, I'll attach a pic.

In the unlikely event that does work out, then I still have to figure out what to do on the handlebar side.
 
OK, the LX is an '81, the LZ is an '82 and the 'choke' cable arrangement is, indeed, different.

On the '81, the knob actually comes up through the steering stem. Look just below the handlebar attachement point. Is there a hole there? That is where the 'choke' knob should live.

The '81 cable attaches to the carbs differently, too. There is a bracket that goes to the two front screws on carb #2 that holds the cable and has a pivoting linkage that changes the up motion of the cable to a sideways motion of the 'choke' linkage.

The '82 cable goes through a curved guide that also attaches to the front of carb #2, but directs the cable sideways to an attachment point just inboard of carb #4's enrichener linkage point. I think the whole enrichener rod assembly is different between the two bikes, as well as the way the cable attaches to it.

At the top end, the '81 cable goes through the steering stem, the '82 cable is attached to the bottom of the left-side controls. Depending on your control housing, you might be able to get the parts and attach the mechanism. I was able to do that with a set of controls from an '81 450 that I installed on an '82 650.

Look at the bottom of this picture, you can see where the 'choke' knob goes:
IMG_8148.jpg

.
 
Thanks for the response, Steve. My interpretation of the fiches matches your description.

My clocks look totally different than your pic; the key is part of the clock assembly and there is no "bar" below (see the pic in my 2nd post). So there's no spot for the choke pull as you show. My choke eyelet is on #2, and the throttle bracket matches the fiche for an LX, so I conclude that I have 80 or 81 carbs on this bike. The choke connector which should be bolted on the #2 carb for an 80 or 81 model is totally missing, so now I'm trying to find one of those.

For actuation it seems that I'll have to either get a new LH control with the lever on the under-side, or find some universal choke cable with a bracket that I can bolt on to the handlebar - anyone have any suggestions?
 
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