Project:1980 GS1000g

[GSJohnny]

Hey everyone!

I've been lurking on the GSR site for a little over a month now. About 3 weeks ago, I picked up my 1980 GS1000g from the original owner for $250. It came with the big Vetter fairing, Sissy bar, luggage rack, air suspension fork and a Derale oil cooler.

So far I have removed the fairing, sissy bar and luggage rack, I drained the old gas as well. I went ahead and replaced the handle bars with Bikemaster sport bike bars. I performed an oil change as well. Oil seemed incredibly clean for a bike that has sat for 2 years.

I have a few problems with the bike. It starts and runs but when I try to give it any throttle it just dies. The carb to cylinder boot on the left side of the engine has been repaired with some kind of clear epoxy. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it. Also my choke knob keeps free spinning on the shaft near the handlebars. I have to grab the shaft to rotate the choke. Any insight to get the bike powering itself down the road would be greatly appreciated.

Also I would like to know if anyone knows what is entailed in converting the shaft drive to chain drive. I know, I know, a horrible idea but its the route I'd like to go if possible.


The day it came home:

After a little tinkering and cleaning:

Thank you all for your time.

 

[jwhelan65]

you shouldn't steal things... great bike

 

[duper850]

Nice bike, great price. There a list of things to do and someone will be along to tell you. This is a great site. I got my 850g in june. No more chains for me. Unless of course I change my mind!!

Good looking starting point!

 

[Steve]

... It came with the big Vetter fairing, ...

Don't know how to tell you this, but the Vetter in the picture is the SMALL ONE.
That's the Quicksilver model, considerably smaller than the Windjammer.

... Oil seemed incredibly clean for a bike that has sat for 2 years. ...

Most oil gets dirty with use, not time.

... I have a few problems with the bike. It starts and runs but when I try to give it any throttle it just dies. The carb to cylinder boot on the left side of the engine has been repaired with some kind of clear epoxy. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it. Also my choke knob keeps free spinning on the shaft near the handlebars. I have to grab the shaft to rotate the choke. Any insight to get the bike powering itself down the road would be greatly appreciated. ...

Sounds like you need the typical FULL carb cleaning. Don't just drop the bowls and spritz some cleaner in there, they need to be taken completely apart and dipped for a day each, then put back together with new o-rings from cycleorings.com.

Also appears that you need new intake boots. Repairs on those things are just not practical. Warning, they are not cheap, but the bike will never run right until you replace them.

Get a new "choke" cable.

Also I would like to know if anyone knows what is entailed in converting the shaft drive to chain drive. I know, I know, a horrible idea but its the route I'd like to go if possible.

There is only one way to convert that bike to a chain-drive. :-k

Sell it and get a chain-drive bike. There is NO WAY to convert that is within any reasonable budget.

Other than that, nice looking bike. :clap: :clap:

.

 

[Coolshaft]

Unbelievable, instant useable classic for SFA.
4 new intake boots here in Aus from Suzuki dealer $190.:-\\\

 

[Tim Tom]

Looks great! Did you find you had to replace the cables when you went to the lower bars? I have an 850G with similarly tallish stock bars and I'm thinking of going to superbike bars. Any comments / thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[tkent02]

Very nice bike!
Sounds like a good carburetor cleaning and you are on your way to having a nice bike. Make sure you do the other maintenance on Cliff's list. Would you want to sell that fairing?

 

[hampshirehog]

Well this is just getting blo*dy ridiculous. You paid $250 for that bike?

Have you got any more space for a bloke like me in the little old country of yours? I don't eat much and I'm housetrained (don't believe the missus).

 

[GSJohnny]

Thanks for the compliments guys.

Coolshaft - SFA?

Tim Tom - I did not find it necessary to shorten the cables on the GS1000 after installing the sport bars. Just a few adjustments and that was about it. It could be slightly different for the 850g. Just be patient with it and cover your tank with a towel or remove it so you dont scratch it up.

Hampshirehog - Come on over and bring your bikes and the missus too


I am sad to hear that its tough to convert it to chain. So I couldn't take the transmission from a gs1000e bike and throw it on my gs1000g? Or are they not interchangeable/removable. I understand the swing arm would have to be changed. Any more insight on this would be great.

If you guys couldn't already tell. This is my first "project bike" I am already enjoying it thoroughly.

Boots are ordered.

Where can I find carb rebuild kits? Can anyone link me?

Thanks once again.

 

[tkent02]

Just spruce it up and sell it for a tidy profit and buy a chain drive bike.
They are dime a dozen right now.

 

[salty_monk]

No easy way to swap to a chain. The 1000g shaft drive was light years ahead of the competition for it's time. I had one just like that (incl the colour) & will have another at some stage for sure...

I have a 781000E currently, there is not a huge difference. The G is more user friendly for day to day use & a little better in traffic in my opinion (probably due to the different head & carbs). Other than that there is not a huge difference. G is more comfortable too. Probably weighs a few lbs more. Gas mileage is about the same. G is much easier to get the carbs & Airbox on/off for service.

I'll give you $350 for it tomorrow :lol:

 

[Guest]

I gotta say that is just unfair. You can't even find bikes in that good nick in Oz, and if you did it it cost at least 10 times what you paid for an unregistered non-runner.

 

[GSX550]

SFA......Sweet.....Starts with F and rhymes with Duck......All.

Really, $250 is insane. In Australia that will get you a set of tyres fitted. Actually no it wont you would need to add another $35.

That bike would cost at least $2500-3000 over here.

 

[don_gibb6512]

Nice job on the bike. I like it.

 

[russr33]

Just spruce it up and sell it for a tidy profit and buy a chain drive bike.
They are dime a dozen right now.

+1. Listen to the man, he knows of what he speaks. Get it running, shining and stopping and make your money then buy a chain drive if you want. Once it is in good shape you probably won't want to change it anyway.

 

[Steve]

And why the urge for a chain drive? :-k

Suzuki managed to get their shaft drive right, once they finally got it on the road. All the magazine testers of the day were amazed that it had virtually NO "shaft-jacking" and felt that it could be ridden just like a chain-drive bike.

In other words, try it before you sell it. You may just like it.

.

 

[bigboresuzuki]

Keep it and buy a chain drive as well.I did 66,000 kms on my 80 GT in two years here in Australia.The bike is so comfortable and easy to ride,U-turns a breeze.The geometry is magic.You will regret it if you sell it.happy Riding.

 

[GSJohnny]

Ok I am keeping the shaft drive. The bike has been sitting in my garage for about a year and I have fallen very in love with it.

Waiting on O rings right now so I figured I would do some cosmetic things.

After I installed the sport bike bars I found that the headlight and instruments were too high. So I lowered the whole thing including the key ignition. I think I lowered it by about 1.25 inches. What do you guys think?

used some longer bolts on the ignition with a coupling nut and a couple washers to lower the ignition down.


~GSJohnny

 

[Digitus]

wow $250 for that bike, what a great deal ! The bike looks very neat !
But whats wrong with the shaft drive? Runs just like a chain, but without the maintenance.

I have seen shaft->chain converters on a Yam XS1100, but you'd have to change the swingarm as well..and the wheel..and maybe some other stuff...its not really worth it imho

 

[GSJohnny]

Long time no post

Long time no post

Well its been a while but its time start working on ye ol garage art. :lol:

I am on a 1.5 month long break from college so its time to get this beauty on the road.

Finally decided to get the new rack of BS34 carbs adjusted properly.

The float heights were way off it seems. They were set to around .800 inch and that seems way too low compared to spec so I brought them up a little.

Specs say .880 +/-.04 is where they are suppose to be at so here are the levels now.

Here is the reading at .890 (figured that was close enough):

Somewhat of a beauty shot before I put the bowls back on:

I hope I made the proper adjustment. If I didn't, someone please smack some sense into me

Thanks for looking.

~GSJohnny