New GS700E owner !

[Gargoyle081]

Hello everyone....new guy here. I figured I just better join the forum after a few weeks of lurking.... As my title says I recently aquired a 1985 Gs700E and I have been trying to get it running properly. The previous owner is a guy I work with, and pretty much let the bike sit for about 2 years. The first thing I did was take out the carbs and clean them up...I also replaced what couldnt be cleaned to my satisfaction.Main jets were stepped up from 122 to 125 while I had them apart.I dont have much knowledge at all about carbs but the process seemed easy enough regarding cleaning and replacing parts. The previous owner also switched the tanks on the bike. Does that make a difference? I know the bike was given a different tank for the state of california, and I have a Cali tank on a non-cali bike.The tank is not in perfect shape internally and after cleaning it out some I made sure to add an inline fuel filter. At this point when I start the bike I MUST keep the choke completely ON and it will eventually starve itself of fuel.It will idle until it drains the fuel line. While the bike is running any attempt to operate the throttle results in the motor bogging down or completely stalling altogether. Im not really sure what to check at this point. I hope someone here can help.I will try to get a pic up as soon as I can. Thanks ahead of time and sorry for such a long post

 

[t3rmin]

Sounds like the vacuum petcock isn't hooked up or operating properly. Try switching it to prime and running it.

 

[bonanzadave]

after cleaning it out some I made sure to add an inline fuel filter.

If you didnt...I would pull that tank and drain it completly. Pull the petcock and clean the screen. If its rusty inside the tank then seal it and get rid of the in line filter. The screen on the petcock is good enough.

Welcome !! Lets see that machine (pics please)

 

[Gargoyle081]

Heres the only pic I took before beginning work on the bike a few weeks ago...

 

[spyug]

I agree with the guys and especially bonanzadave. Ditch the filter. I put them on all bikes as SOP but for some reason my 750 won't run right either. Too restrictive with it on.

Make sure the tank is clean and relatively rust free and pull and clean that p'cock. With the 'cock set to prime you should have good fuel flow and carbs won't suffer from starvation. If you're still having issues then you need to clean the carbs again. Sometimes it takes 3 or even 4 cleanings to sort things out in the carbs especially if they have been sitting for any length of time.

You could also try adding Seafoam to the gas and running that through. It does a great job of cleaning out the last little bits of gunk. Try 1/4 to 1/2 a can in a full tank. Once its running right cut back to a capful or two to a full tank for "maintenance".

Question: why the increase in jet size?

Once you check things over again let us know how it goes.

Cheers,
Spyug

 

[Guest]

There are screws that adjust the amount of fuel flow in the idle circuit. They are on the engine side of the float bowls, they have plugs covering them when new. Did you remove those when you were cleaning the carbs?

 

[Gargoyle081]

To answer your question, my only excuse for stepping up a size on the mains jets is that I am young and was in a bit of a rush I suppose. The dealership had the parts in stock that I needed with the exception of the 122 jets.....they did on the other hand have the 125's in stock. I asked if it would be a problem for me to install those instead and they said in would offer slightly more power and have no negative effect so I agreed.
Because the previous owner swapped tanks on the bike I had to replace the gas cap...dang if that aint expensive in itself but I couldnt find it anywhere else. Regarding the carbs I have a blow up diagram and parts list that I used when replacing parts. I replaced the float bowl gaskets,main jets, all 4 retainer screws, needle valve assembly,filter and I believe that is all...I cleaned the carbs with carb cleaner,blew them out with compressed air and I reassembled everything the following day.
I also ordered what I believe you guys are referring to as the intake boots(going from the carbs to the motor) The rubber peeled away from the metal flanges when I took it all apart so I bought new ones. Unfortunately I have no prior experience working on bikes and at this point Im about 300 bucks invested so I refuse to give up on this thing

 

[t3rmin]

Going to 125 mains is a good move on the 700. Very lean as stock. I also changed to a UNI filter at the same time. Noticeable increase in gas mileage and smoother power curve.

Don't listen to the anti-filter contingent. ;-) A fuel filter is cheap insurance and they flow more than enough. If you have any doubts, hook the filter to an auxiliary tank or funnel or something and drain into a can while observing the flow rate. Then take the filter off and drain without it. Not much of a difference. Then think about how long you can drive around on one tankful of gas. The motor just sips the gas, and unless you've managed to find some kind of funky filter, the filter will flow way more than required. I use universal Fram filters from the local auto parts store.

 

[Gargoyle081]

The filter I have is also the universal type. I did the flow test that your discribed when I initially installed the filter because I did have my own doubts about it. I didnt see a difference in the flow of fuel and so I left it installed....my questions are do I pull and clean the carbs again? Did I not replace something else that I should have in the carbs? And why does the bike require FULL choke to run? When the bike IS running any touch of the throttle boggs it down or stalls it. I have read alot on the bike and I realize there is whats called a fuel enrichment system involved but shouldnt that cease once the bike is warm?

 

[t3rmin]

Are you running without the airbox?

Have you tested flow of gas from the tank into a bucket?

 

[Gargoyle081]

Airbox is in place but I havent replaced the filter yet...the old one was absolutely deteriorated.....When set on prime the flow of fuel is constant and good...when set on ON there is no flow of fuel without a source of vaccuum

 

[bonanzadave]

Don't listen to the anti-filter contingent. ;-)

OK, go ahead and keep the filter :-D but make sure that if you modified the hoses (supply & vac) that you didnt kink them putting the tank back on or maybe the vac hose is sucking some air.

 

[t3rmin]

Airbox is in place but I havent replaced the filter yet

Ahah! You must have a filter in place or it'll be getting too much air. Hence the need for the "choke" (enrichener).

Don't touch anything until you've got a filter in there. It'll never run right. Seriously, these little motors are VERY sensitive. You MUST have the airbox, MUST have a filter, and MUST have ZERO air leaks.

Get a UNI brand filter to match your bigger main jets.

 

[Gargoyle081]

I THOUGHT that....I have asked 3 different people that have owned bikes(doesnt mean they worked on them, or knew a darn thing...obviously) If not having a filter IN PLACE actually mattered...each one of them said the same thing.."the air filter just keeps dirt out"....I suggested it could act like one big intake leak, or obviously mess with aif/fuel ratio. One of my poor sources of info suggested the carbs did all the metering of air and fuel and that the filter didnt matter...Ok so now that I know the lack of a filter is a problem where can I buy that specific brand?...do I order online and is there a chart or other means of knowing which one to choose based on the 125 jets?..........thank you so much this website is priceless

 

[BassCliff]

Hey howdy hey!

Hey howdy hey!

Mr. Gargoyle081,

It sounds like you are on your way to enjoying a classic GS motorcycling experience. Your bike looks sharp. I like that body style. And now, on with my "unofficial" official welcome! (Or is that my "official" unofficial welcome?)

Let it be known that on this day you are cordially and formally welcomed to the GSR Forum as a Junior Member in good standing with all the rights and privileges thereof. Further let it be known that your good standing has been improved because you gave us a picture! :-D


Perhaps you've already seen these, but I like to remind all the new members. In addition to the carb rebuild series, I recommend visiting the garage section via the GSR Hompage and check out the Stator Papers. There's also a lot of great information in the Old Q&A section. I have some documentation on my little BikeCliff website to help get you familiar with doing routine maintenance tasks (note that it is 850G-specific but many tasks are common to all GS bikes). Other "user contributed" informational sites include those of Mr. bwringer, Mr. tfb and Mr. robertbarr.

And here are some quotes from one of our dear beloved gurus, Mr. bwringer, with ideas on basic maintenance needs (depending on initial condition), parts, and accessories.

***********Quoted from Mr. bwringer************
Carburetor maintenance:

Replace the intake boot o-rings, and possibly the intake boots. Here's the procedure:
http://bwringer.com/gs/intakeorings.html

Here's an overview of what happens with this particular problem:
http://cycleorings.com/intake.html

You'll also want to examine the boots between the carbs and the airbox. There's a good chance these are OK, but check them over.

And finally, if things still aren't exactly right, you'll want to order a set of o-rings for BS carbs from the GS owner's best friend, Robert Barr:
http://cycleorings.com

Once you receive these rare rings of delight, then you'll want to thoroughly clean and rebuild your carburetors. Here are step-by-step instructions that make this simple:
http://thegsresources.com/gs_carbrebuild.htm
*************End Quote*************
**********Quoted from Mr. bwringer**********
Every GS850 has (or had) a set of well-known issues that MUST be addressed before you have a solid baseline for further troubleshooting.

It's a vintage bike, and it's quite common (as in, every single GS850 I have had contact with) that there are multiple problems that have crept up and slowly gotten worse over the years.

It's not like a newer vehicle, where there's generally one problem at a time.

These common issues are:

Intake O-rings (install NEW OEM or Viton only - common nitrile o-rings will quickly deteriorate from heat)

Intake Boots (install NEW -- these cannot be repaired)

Valve clearances (more important than most people think)

Carb/airbox boots

Airbox sealing

Air filter sealing

Petcock (install a NEW one)

On '79 models, install new points or Dyna electronic ignition (or at least verify that the old points are working correctly)

On all models, it's fairly common to have problems with the spark plug caps. These are $3 or $4 each, and often worth replacing if you're keeping the stock coils/wires.

Stock exhaust with NO leaks or holes -- good seals at the head and at the junctions underneath.
**********End Quote**********
***********Quoted from Mr. bwringer***************
http://denniskirk.com
Put in your bike model and see what they have.

I would definitely double and triple the recommendations to use Cycle Recycle II and Z1 Enterprises as much as possible. These guys are priceless resources. Z1 tends to have slightly better prices, CRC2 has a wider range of goodies available. If you're near Indy and can bring in an old part to match, CRC2 has a vast inventory of used parts.

http://oldbikebarn.com seems to be slowly regaining a decent reputation, but it's still caveat emptor. They don't have anything you can't get elsewhere at a better price anyway.

OEM Parts/Online Fiches:

http://www.babbittsonline.com/
Decent parts prices. Spendy shipping. Don't give you part numbers at all. Useful cross-reference if you obtain a part number elsewhere. Efficient service.

http://bikebandit.com
Fastest. Middlin' prices. Uses their own parts numbering system to obfuscate price comparisons -- can be very confusing for large orders. Cheapest shipping, so total cost usually isn't too bad.

http://flatoutmotorcycles.com
Slow. Cheapest parts prices, crazy shipping costs. Don't expect progress updates or much communication. Real Suzuki part numbers.

http://alpha-sports.com
Exorbitant parts prices. Different type of fiche interface that's quite useful at times, especially with superceded part numbers. Real parts numbers. Shipping cost and speed unknown due to insane, unholy pricing.

Stainless Bolts, Viton o-rings, metric taps, dies, assorted hard-to-find supplies and materials, etc.:
http://mcmaster.com
Fast, cheap shipping, good prices. No order minimum, but many items like bolts come in packs of 25 or 50. Excellent resource.

http://motorcycleseatcovers.com
Great quality, perfect fit (on original seat foam), and available for pretty much every bike ever made. Avoid the textured vinyl -- it's perforated.

http://newenough.com
You DO have riding gear, don't you? Great clearances, always outstanding prices and impeccable service.
***************End Quote**********************

Here are a few extra links:

Cycle-Re-Cycle Part 2
http://crc2onlinecatalog.com/

The ever popular Z1 Enterprises
http://www.z1enterprises.com

The Rice Paddy (salvage/used)
http://www.ricepaddymotorcycles.com

Ron Ayers Motorsports
http://www.ronayers.com


Lots of info/pictures here:
http://www.suzukicycles.org

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed of your progress. There's lots of good folk with good experience here.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
(The unofficial GSR greeter)

 

[catbed]

get a K&N air filter. i believe the part number is SU-1200. good quality and last pretty much forever.

 

[Gargoyle081]

Thank you Catbed, do I need a particular filter for the jets I have in the bike?...Stock is 122...mine are 125......By the way I notice you are local...I work out that way.

 

[TheCafeKid]

Going to 125 mains is a good move on the 700. Very lean as stock. I also changed to a UNI filter at the same time. Noticeable increase in gas mileage and smoother power curve.

Don't listen to the anti-filter contingent. ;-) A fuel filter is cheap insurance and they flow more than enough. If you have any doubts, hook the filter to an auxiliary tank or funnel or something and drain into a can while observing the flow rate. Then take the filter off and drain without it. Not much of a difference. Then think about how long you can drive around on one tankful of gas. The motor just sips the gas, and unless you've managed to find some kind of funky filter, the filter will flow way more than required. I use universal Fram filters from the local auto parts store.

Indeed. As long as its a fairly small filter, and you keep it in line (up and down with the fuel hose) you shouldnt have any problem. I was told mine would cause a problem...pulled it off, and then later when i cleaned the carbs, guess what i found in my floatbowls? Tank rust...booo! It will be going back on, especially with a tank that is questionable. It never seemed to starve prior when running it, so i dunno what all the hubbub is about with not running them.

 

[catbed]

Thank you Catbed, do I need a particular filter for the jets I have in the bike?...Stock is 122...mine are 125......By the way I notice you are local...I work out that way.

no, unless you want pods (individual filters). the part number i gave you fits in the airbox.

my 850 had the same symptoms as yours, just make sure your carb pilot passages are clean and make sure you adjusted your mixture screws, that helped a lot for me.

whoopsie daises, wrong air filter. here's the one you want. part number SU-7503
http://www.knfilters.com/search/product.aspx?Prod=SU-7503

i know you can get them at the pep boys in cinnaminson, probably elsewhere too.

 

[Guest]

There are screws that adjust the amount of fuel flow in the idle circuit. They are on the engine side of the float bowls, they have plugs covering them when new. Did you remove those when you were cleaning the carbs?

Ask for help.... and then not answer a question from someone trying to help you?