Trying to determine if there is a problem

[MAJikMARCer]

The are HVC Cycle in Lincoln, NE. Their focus is on old two-stroke bikes but also on restoration so maybe... we'll see when I talk to them later today.

 

[MAJikMARCer]

Good luck with that. I have actually heard of it working once or twice.
Usually what comes back is a parts bike.

My problem is that while I'm willing to learn and understand the concepts I have little to no experience actually working on engines. I just want to make sure the bike is SAFE and not going to have some catastrophic failure that could have been avoided if I had maintained things properly.

This bike/year is a learning project too. I need to learn if maintaining an older bike is worth it to me or if I should just sell it next year and get a new bike that I can just ride. At this point I just don't know. The idea of working on the bike is sounds romantic and some of the builds I've seen on here look awesome. I'd love to do that too. I'm just not sure if I have the chops. Again...time.

 

[tkent02]

My problem is that while I'm willing to learn and understand the concepts I have little to no experience actually working on engines. I just want to make sure the bike is SAFE and not going to have some catastrophic failure that could have been avoided if I had maintained things properly.

This bike/year is a learning project too. I need to learn if maintaining an older bike is worth it to me or if I should just sell it next year and get a new bike that I can just ride. At this point I just don't know. The idea of working on the bike is sounds romantic and some of the builds I've seen on here look awesome. I'd love to do that too. I'm just not sure if I have the chops. Again...time.

GSes are noisy engines. They always have been, it's just how they roll. There are very few things that will fail suddenly. Don't want to sound like a smart ass but you won't learn much taking it to a shop except how expensive it is to pay someone else to screw up something you could have screwed up just as good yourself.

Have you thought of having a local GSR member help you figure out this noise?

 

[MAJikMARCer]

Have you thought of having a local GSR member help you figure out this noise?

I'd love a local GSR mentor/buddy for sure. Like I said, I'm not unwilling to learn but reading about doing something and doing it are two different things.

I think what I'm most scared of is that I have a running bike now. If I go an screw it up then I don't, and the wife isn't going to be happy and when the wife isn't happy ...

 

[MisterCinders]

My problem is that while I'm willing to learn and understand the concepts I have little to no experience actually working on engines. I just want to make sure the bike is SAFE and not going to have some catastrophic failure that could have been avoided if I had maintained things properly.

This bike/year is a learning project too. I need to learn if maintaining an older bike is worth it to me or if I should just sell it next year and get a new bike that I can just ride. At this point I just don't know. The idea of working on the bike is sounds romantic and some of the builds I've seen on here look awesome. I'd love to do that too. I'm just not sure if I have the chops. Again...time.

I, too, picked up my GS (from a dude on this forum, no less) as a cheap rider, and feared digging into the mechanics of it for maintenance and small fixes. My plan was to tool around on a cheap bike (as a newb rider) and see if this "mid-life crisis/motorcycle thing" took before spending more money on a "real bike." Now that cheap "test bike" is my baby.

Chasing down some maintenance and small issues led me down the rabbit hole.

Changing oil and plugs revealed dirty carb issues.
Trying to "Seafoam" those issues out led to even more need to rebuild and clean the carbs.
Reading any post on this forum revealed the need to check and adjust valves.
Doing all those things revealed that my valve seals and piston rings needed attention.

Bear in mind that before this bike, I had never worked on a vehicle except to add gas or change a car tire.

Each time the rabbit hole got deeper or my progress hit a wall, I looked into getting a shop involved. The dollar amounts quoted and the encouragement from this forum were my saving throws against the bike shop.

To recap, with a Clymers manual (whch kind of sucks BTW), this forum and the materials from BassCliff's site, this soft-handed yuppie went from "nothing but gas" through the following:

• complete carb rebuild (multiple times)
• valve adjustments (multiple times)
• top end tear down and rebuild (once, but had to double back a few times in the process)
• converting points/condensers to electronic ignition, with timing, etc.
• rewiring to change out all lights and signals
• rewiring to add a coil power relay
• changing all brake pads
• custom building SS brake lines, installing new front MC
• rebuilding brake calipers
• changing clutch and throttle cables
• changing bars
• converting the back end for a new seat panel, tail-lights, signals, etc.
• painting and re-painting tanks and body work, etc.

To be clear, I have fumbled early and often along the way. You can follow my trials and errors in several threads I have hoisted on this forum.

Basically, if someone with as little mechanical background as me can tackle these things, anyone can.

Just take your time and dig into the information here and on Basscliff's site. Read the Service Manual. Get your head around how these bikes work as you dig into their guts. Knowing more about how your bike is supposed to function typically and where its rough edges are will provide as much confidence in riding than relying on a new bike. Indeed, I am less interested in another newer bike, because modern engines are more complex. Hell, I barely understand my old school 8-valve, so fuel injection goes way above my pay-grade.

So keep at it, and good luck.

 

[MAJikMARCer]

So keep at it, and good luck.

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm not so much having buyers remorse as much as, "What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

I've done home DIY (Kitchens and baths multiple times) and I've built computers from nothing but a pile of parts, so I SHOULD be able to handle this.

 

[Killer2600]

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm not so much having buyers remorse as much as, "What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

I've done home DIY (Kitchens and baths multiple times) and I've built computers from nothing but a pile of parts, so I SHOULD be able to handle this.

Yeah but those things don't involve fuel, fire, and going over the speed limit :lol:

 

[BigD_83]

I'd love a local GSR mentor/buddy for sure. Like I said, I'm not unwilling to learn but reading about doing something and doing it are two different things.

I think what I'm most scared of is that I have a running bike now. If I go an screw it up then I don't, and the wife isn't going to be happy and when the wife isn't happy ...

A member search by location turned up a number of GSers in your area. Maybe you can start a Community page on here to rouse up some interest in group wrenching.

 

[Guest]

Surely you're capable of pulling the plugs and looking at them, if they're dirty you may want to replace or clean them, put some miles on it and pull them again and see if they look "normal." This is for that running rich indication you were talking about.

 

[MAJikMARCer]

Surely you're capable of pulling the plugs and looking at them, if they're dirty you may want to replace or clean them, put some miles on it and pull them again and see if they look "normal." This is for that running rich indication you were talking about.

Yup I can. I'll do that this evening. I have a plug socket and all that, so that's something I should be able to handle no problem. What about gapping (if necessary)? How is that done? I'm assuming I'd need a caliper to accurately measure the gap.

I had their tech take a listen and he thought it sounded just fine. His possible explanation for why I felt like I had to shift earlier than I would have thought is that it's a Reagan-era bike so it was geared towards the 55 MPH limit. Not sure if that's true or not but it sounds plausible. He did say to expect it to be loud and a bit more vibration at the higher speeds but that it was fine and the bike could take it no problem.

The ride to the shop and back was fine. I took the city streets going up and the highway heading back. It felt/sounded better. My confidence is much higher after that ride. I definitely need to get better handle-bars though. These (stock?) ones suck.

 

[BigD_83]

Feeler gauge and handlebars

Feeler gauge and handlebars

Yup I can. I'll do that this evening. I have a plug socket and all that, so that's something I should be able to handle no problem. What about gapping (if necessary)? How is that done? I'm assuming I'd need a caliper to accurately measure the gap.

If you have a tool supplier in town you can pickup a feeler gauge with spark plug gap tools for around $5.00

I had their tech take a listen and he thought it sounded just fine. His possible explanation for why I felt like I had to shift earlier than I would have thought is that it's a Reagan-era bike so it was geared towards the 55 MPH limit. Not sure if that's true or not but it sounds plausible. He did say to expect it to be loud and a bit more vibration at the higher speeds but that it was fine and the bike could take it no problem.

Not sure about the 55 and gear ratios, but these bikes like to be high in the rev range. Don't putt about.

The ride to the shop and back was fine. I took the city streets going up and the highway heading back. It felt/sounded better. My confidence is much higher after that ride. I definitely need to get better handle-bars though. These (stock?) ones suck.

I thought the stock E bars were lower than those on the G, but either way, consider picking up superbike or Daytona bars, or a Euro bar. That will put you into a more forward stance and turn your wrists out less. The only thing is that the less expensive bars may not have the bar end plugs in them and may transmit more vibration than the stock bars. I know my new eurotour bars do not dampen vibration as well as the stockers.

 

[Guest]

Yes, you'll need a feeler gauge if you want to check the gap. .024-.028 iches, NGK D8EA is the standard plug (normal temp range). I use a little anti-seize on the plug threads, and those are aluminum heads so don't over torque.
There is a service manual on BassCliff's site, you can download it,
page 2-10 concerns info about the plug. Click on this link and it will start downloading.
http://www.mtsac.edu/~cliff/storage/gs/GS650E_Service_Manual.pdf

I like the tech's comment about the Reagan Era bike so it was geared for the 55mph limit! I don't think I'll have to tell you what I think about that.
The only thing it affected on these bikes was the speedo which max'd out at 85mph.

 

[MAJikMARCer]

Yes, you'll need a feeler gauge if you want to check the gap. .024-.028 iches, NGK D8EA is the standard plug (normal temp range). I use a little anti-seize on the plug threads, and those are aluminum heads so don't over torque.
There is a service manual on BassCliff's site, you can download it,
page 2-10 concerns info about the plug. Click on this link and it will start downloading.
http://www.mtsac.edu/~cliff/storage/gs/GS650E_Service_Manual.pdf

I like the tech's comment about the Reagan Era bike so it was geared for the 55mph limit! I don't think I'll have to tell you what I think about that.
The only thing it affected on these bikes was the speedo which max'd out at 85mph.

Yea I've downloaded the service manual for my bike already. Thanks!

I didn't swallow the 55mph thing. I think he was just trying to make me feel better. LOL It did 55-60 on the hwy, on the way home, with no problem at all. I'm sure it would have gone faster but there were a lot of sheriff cars on that stretch today.

 

[Guest]

These bikes like to run at higher RPM. On my 1100 I'm always shifting for the higher gear to find I'm already in it. I think once you get some miles under your belt you'll feel alot more comfortable with the RPM's and the gearing. Enjoy!

 

[MAJikMARCer]

Enjoy!

I'm finally starting to. The first couple of rides were short and exhausting because I was all nerves. I'm finally starting to relax and enjoy the ride.

 

[MAJikMARCer]

Yeah but those things don't involve fuel, fire, and going over the speed limit :lol:

Well there is electricity and maybe natural gas/propane involved, so there COULD be fuel and fire, but the only way a kitchen is going over the speed-limit is when it's on it's way to Oz. LOL

 

[MAJikMARCer]

No checking the plugs tonight. First I found that both plug sockets that I own are SAE and not close enough to fudge it, so on the bike I go to Ace. I get the 18mm socket and DOH! my socket wrench is 3/8 not 1/2 like the socket needs and I don't have the adapter.

Too frustrated to go back to Ace tonight. I swear I can never just go to the hardware store once for a project.

 

[mike_of_bbg]

?????

I use a 13/16" plug socket on mine all the time... NGK B8ES plugs, right?

25.4mm * 13 / 16 ~= 18.3mm

 

[MAJikMARCer]

?????

I use a 13/16" plug socket on mine all the time... NGK B8ES plugs, right?

25.4mm * 13 / 16 ~= 18.3mm

I used this website to get the specs for the NGK B8ES (not sure if they ARE B8ES plugs but they are NGK): http://www.gsparkplug.com/shop/ngk-d8ea.html

It said 18mm, so that's what I got. Regardless all my SAE sockets didn't fit so I had to get a new socket regardless.

 

[cowboyup3371]

Yea, 13/16 spark plug socket is the correct one. Good luck though. I'm the same way, everytime I walk out of Ace, Sears, or Lowes, I always need to go back for something else I "forgot"