I'm in the twin club?.

[Gorminrider]

Nice work from boxes of parts! Welcome to my world! (though I've yet to ride a 4valve 450 versus my 8 valve 400 and wonder if there's any noticeable difference)

I see you got rid of the instruments box? or did they come like this?

 

[tkent02]

Nice work from boxes of parts! Welcome to my world! (though I've yet to ride a 4valve 450 versus my 8 valve 400 and wonder if there's any noticeable difference)

I see you got rid of the instruments box? or did they come like this?

They came in the instruments box, stacked on top of the carburetors box, the engine cases box, the axles and foot pegs box the fork and shock box.....

No that's how the instruments come, I did nothing but put it together.

 

[Guest]

Great stuff Tom, and it looks like the PO has stuck some L or T gauges in place of the E/S gauges... E/S have a solid plastic enclosure as opposed to those separate ones... at least to the best of my knowledge.

She looks pretty good!!

Mine gets up and boogies around 5500 - 6000RPM, below that she still goes but not the same...

 

[Charlie G]

Nice to see you have this up and running.

cg

 

[tkent02]

Thanks guys, I think you are right, someone has altered the gauges. Oh well, they work just fine.

I have noticed the CV carbs are very slow to raise up the slides, a couple seconds before it starts to go after you open the throttle. I think this is actually what I was thinking was weak acceleration down low, it just wasn't getting going yet. If I hold the throttle pinned and hit the next gear it goes pretty good, even at fairly low RPM. Or if I short shift into a higher gear, open the throttle and wait, it pulls pretty good, just takes a few seconds. When I close the throttle to shift it takes this long time to get going again. Could be due to the elevation here, or a tuning thing as I have done nothing since going big bore except look at the plugs. (they look fine)

I guess the GS 500 carbs would fix this time lag, but maybe just drilling the hole in the slides bigger would help quite a bit. What is it, a 1/8" hole they recommend? Thoughts?

 

[Gorminrider]

The original guages that fit in the OEM box are actually smallerthan the T. At least that's for sure on my two bikes. The original oem tach failed so I when through conniptions trying to get a T tach to fit in and finally just put the whole T cluster on like your PO did.
I'm reading comments about "pickup" with interest..re cv carbs.
First thought I had reading yours was per my Honda GL 500. They are CV carbs with an accelerator pump.

for what it's worth per my GSX400...= similar to what Pete is saying per his 450...plenty of torque 1st-(shift anywhere) ,2nd (anywhere above 3000rpm depending on your hurry or your body weight I guess) and then it's just a matter of never much below 4500rpm , you are good to go.

I'm a less aggressive rider than you no doubt only get above 7000rpm passing but pinning the throttle on upshifts-never done here. I already goose too quick and the bike jerks (diveson the front) if I am not smooth. ...which is not impossible but the gearbox on these needs more finesse than the 5 speed GL...it is likely my riding hasn't much finesse and suits the trundling gl better than even this 400Suzuki. But the suzuki is a better bike seems to punch above it's weight versus other heavier breathers I've had.
The cv carbs seem pretty well matched to my GSX 400 engine. I don't note any lag given the above but of course they are not good if the engine is bogged ....if I do get caught, I just have to wait untill the engine is ready to accept the fuel. But Waaay better to drop a gear an' go. I use the gearshift a lot. at 4000 I am changing down for sure.
I think it's the nature of the CV. A big advance in clean-burning and mileage but without the pure grunt of more cc's or the faster demand of higher rpm, they just aren't going to pop...

You'd have to watch the Japanese Videos on these to see wheelies on these... they are likely at +7000rpm

 

[Gorminrider]

Would just lifting the slide needles a notch do it for you?

added:

or a tuning thing as I have done nothing since going big bore

I imagine you've already dialed in a little more idle mix and a little higher idle speed to get her up an running with the extra cc.

When I close the throttle to shift it takes this long time to get going again

this I don't get so maybe a little more of one of these above .

 

[tkent02]

No I really haven't done anything to it yet, it fired right up, I hopped on and rode a couple times.

Didn't even adjust the idle. It's pretty close already.

 

[Guest]

You can get better throttle response by trimming about 20mm off the slide springs and I went to just over 3mm for the vacuum ports in the slides.

Until the diaphragms died it was definitely giving much quicker response when twisting the wrist

I'm still tuning the 01 GS500 carbs as I've just gotten the velocity stacks on them, but so far they seem to give a better response than the stock 450 carbs ever did.

Edit: Forgot to add if you go the 500 path you won't be keeping the stock airbox... the inlet side is 60mm vs. 50mm on the 450 carbs so you'll need to either find a way to get the 500 airbox boots into the 450 airbox, make a custom airbox, fit pods, or find some velocity stacks... oh there is a K&N lunchbox filter that will go straight on too.

 

[tkent02]

I think for now I'm just going to drill those holes, 1/8" which is just over 3mm.

Kind of like the simplicity of the stock airbox. Just need to tweak it a little maybe.

 

[Gorminrider]

Maybe just a different rear sprocket if you can hunt one up.

Sounds like a lot of fun, anyways. I dig those first days when something runs again !

I've even got a stripped , seized gsx 400 that pretty easily could go again No way as nice as yours but I think need more funky stuff here.

 

[tkent02]

Maybe just a different rear sprocket if you can hunt one up.

I probably have a one tooth smaller front around here someplace....
On one of these extra 550 engines. I think they are the same.

 

[tkent02]

New clutch cable, almost new lever, it's working a lot smoother now. Even bought the two rubber bands that hold in the battery and the tool kit. Fixed the squealing in the speedo and it's time to go for a ride!

And after my little ride, I really like this bike!

 

[Gorminrider]

....And after my little ride, I really like this bike

!
That's what I say too -every time! Welcome to the club!

 

[Guest]

Glad to hear it Tom! The little twins are such fun to ride!

 

[tkent02]

It's a little bit quicker starting out than my 550, at least in the low to mid RPM range, the first few gears. That may be a tuning thing, the 550 isn't quite right yet. Top speed won't be as high, acceleration at higher speeds won't be as good, but it's close. Certainly lighter and more flickable.

Just a fun bike. I think I'll go ride it.

 

[tkent02]

OK, my 450 is missing one side cover, so a few months ago I bought a pair of silver ones of Ebay for a song.

This morning I grabbed some sandpaper, spray paint and the silver cover and went to town. Peeled the GS450 sticker, wet sanded through the top layer, and all the way through the black paint after finding out the original black gets eaten by Duplicolor.

Anyway, got it all done, paint is dry, looks OK for not much time or effort into it. Even installed new rubber thingys to hold them on the bike.

Whoops!! I painted the left one, I needed the right one! Doh!

Got some more work to do!

 

[tkent02]

Way more better!

I think the front fender is next..... Next week.

 

[Big Rich]

Looking good Tom. Glad to hear you're enjoying the little scoot so much.

Are those the "S" handlebars I sent you a while back?

 

[tkent02]

No, these were in the box when I got the bike. Don't like them much, a little bit bent and shaped kind of funny. I think I used those bars on the 650G a while ago...