Oregon newbie is a new dad now...

[Guest]

...and she needs me. Just got back from Portland, picking up the 1983 GS1100E I spoke of earlier. I will post pictures tomorrow but for now I have some observations. She runs fine, shifts great, no unwanted noises from her bowels, starts right up when cold with choke, no noises from the top end, all valves sound within adjustment, chain adjusted correctly, good rubber, front and rear brakes working good, no noise or sponginess, overall initial impression is good. I will be checking valve adjustment and other vital measurements tomorrow after going to DMV and getting her insured, registered and titled.
The paint is rattlecan, okay but with runs and orange peel. Pinstripe is good, seat is needing replacement as the tongue at the front has been removed. Electrics seem okay, will do a stator/ R-R test tomorrow. No high beam, the owner said he tried to get it to work but it kept blowing a fuse so...time for electric diagnosis. All the original wiring still seems to be there but will have to look deeper when its light outside. I plan to look at all the wiring and replace/repair whatever needs to be done to get her back to close to stock. The tach is electric so the tach drive on the motor is exposed, plan to find a rubber cap as a temporary fix until new instruments can be had.
She came with some original parts. Rear plastic fender with original sticker still in good shape. Headlight bucket slightly damaged, I believe I can repair it with some judicious ball peen/wood block work. Headlight is there, glass cracked and ring damaged, don't know if it's fixable. Three turn signals, one damaged headlight bracket, some assorted plastic pieces, have no idea what they are for, will post pictures tomorrow for identification.
No instruments, no chain guard, no front fender, just what I have described.
12,500 miles on the damaged original speedo says the owner so I have to take his word for it as the original speedo is no longer of this earth. The motor feels and sounds like it has low miles, a compression check and leakdown test is planned.
That's all for now, tomorrow afternoon I will take some good detail pix and post them.
Oh, I discovered quickly I am too old for clip-ons.

 

[ZXtasy]

You are only as old as you act, fast bikes make you younger, but comfort is important...thus my ZX-10R has a flat/drag bar and a new prostate friendly seat, LOL! Can't wait to see more pics. Bikemaster makes about every bar config in black or chrome for real cheap.

 

[Rob S.]

About the '83 1100e:

When Suzuki brought out the 16-valve 1100 in 1980, it was a world beater. According to Cycle World, the quickest (1/4 mile ET) and fastest (top speed) production motorcycle in the world. This may have been due to it's TSCC (twin swirl combustion chambers), taken from Cosworth race car engines. Cycle World named it Suberbike of the Year.

Nothing much changed for '81 (including Suberbike of the Year).

There were only two major criticisms: styling, which was addressed in '82 (along with a lower seat height), and a non-welded crank, which was fixed in '83.

So yes, you have the best of the best.

 

[Guest]

Well, the shakedown ride went smoothly as I made it home with no problems. I am posting new pictures and would like feedback, suggestions, advice and critique please. Here is what I found on a 75 mile ride today...
No oil leaks, transmission is smooth and does not make any noises. Clutch is good BUT when starting out from a dead stop, if I don't have the rpms up over 2K the clutch chatters. What could it be? It does not slip or make noises, nor does it smell like burned clutch, just the chatter. Any ideas?
Brakes feel spongy, will bleed the system but I am not sure if it could just be new pads breaking in. No scoring on the rotors and calipers seem clean and dry, no brake fluid present on the outside of the caliper or master cylinder.
Anti-dive has been bypassed, looks like then usual fix; plate behind valve to close off the system. Seems to work fine, a bit more stiction than I like but it does have new fork seals.
Now comes the puzzler. If I use smooth throttle roll-on the motor spins up just fine. If I crack the throttle it feels like at least one, maybe two cylinders are not firing. The power is just not there if I crack it, not sure if it is ignition, carb or something else. I had her up to about 90 and she liked it, but only if I use smooth throttle. Any ideas?
The tach has been replaced with a digital unit, not sure if this may be the source of the hesitation at full throttle. I notice this tach does not run above 4500rpm, it just stays there no matter how fast I go or how I accelerate. I'm thinking incorrect wiring, as the needle does fluctuate at around 3500/4000rpm.
Okay, that's it for now, I am going to do a bit of exploratory work tonight and tomorrow after class, but any advice or babbling is appreciated.

OK, I don't know how to upload all the pictures, any advice?

 

[Guest]

Thanks for giving my ego a boost. Now I can taunt my buddie with his MotoGuzzi and Ducati.

 

[Rob S.]

Your tach is digital, yet it has a needle? I thought they were mutually exclusive.

 

[Guest]

Oh dear, my ability to distinguish between analog and digital seems to be slipping. What I meant to say was that the tach is not cable driven, it is wired to the coil. Thanks for making me clarify. Now, I just have to remember the difference between a spanner and a wrench...hmmm.