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What RMP do you guys have your bikes idling at?

  • Thread starter Thread starter 80gs1000e
  • Start date Start date
Uh, guys, I'm a little brain-dead today (yawn, yawn). That recommended idle speed for a 550 GS should be 1-2k rpm.
 
Excellent, thanks for the info. If the 80gs1000e goes under 1000 RPM while cold the clutch basket rattles something fierce. But after she warms up, it totally goes away. I may invest in an Ape nut as suggested by others here eventually but for now I can live with it. Just glad to know that my settings are pretty normal among the GS crew. I may raise the 550 back to 1000 RPM since it sometimes hesitates off low idle when I goose it. It really does prefer to idle at 1K too. 8)
 
Pete's GS said:
Uh, guys, I'm a little brain-dead today (yawn, yawn). That recommended idle speed for a 550 GS should be 1-2k rpm.
Click to expand...


he he he, I figured :) It's all good man :)
 
80gs1000e said:
Excellent, thanks for the info. If the 80gs1000e goes under 1000 RPM while cold the clutch basket rattles something fierce. But after she warms up, it totally goes away. I may invest in an Ape nut as suggested by others here eventually but for now I can live with it. Just glad to know that my settings are pretty normal among the GS crew. I may raise the 550 back to 1000 RPM since it sometimes hesitates off low idle when I goose it. It really does prefer to idle at 1K too. 8)
Click to expand...

The GS1000 has a very noisy cam chain at low idle. However just so you know, my clutch basket made noise at low idle like yours too. Joe said the cam chain should and you just ignore it but the clutch basket should not and that it was most likely because it was worn out. When we rebuilt the bottom end we found out he was right. The basket was worn out right at the splines where it goes onto the end of the shaft. The play was very minimal but was noticeable when you would wiggle it. We replaced it of course. Sounds like your may be worn a bit too. But I can tell you that mine did that for almost 8 years and other than the sound wasn't an issue. Joe assures me it will not do it anymore when we bring her back up now with the new basket.
 
Hoomgar said:
The GS1000 has a very noisy cam chain at low idle. However just so you know, my clutch basket made noise at low idle like yours too. Joe said the cam chain should and you just ignore it but the clutch basket should not and that it was most likely because it was worn out. When we rebuilt the bottom end we found out he was right. The basket was worn out right at the splines where it goes onto the end of the shaft. The play was very minimal but was noticeable when you would wiggle it. We replaced it of course. Sounds like your may be worn a bit too. But I can tell you that mine did that for almost 8 years and other than the sound wasn't an issue. Joe assures me it will not do it anymore when we bring her back up now with the new basket.
Click to expand...

If you don't mind me asking, roughly how much did you pay for the new basket?

Is it a welded basket/modified basket/or an OEM stock basket?

Did you also invest in a new clutch, Ape nut? Stock or aftermarket?
 
80gs1000e said:
Hoomgar said:
The GS1000 has a very noisy cam chain at low idle. However just so you know, my clutch basket made noise at low idle like yours too. Joe said the cam chain should and you just ignore it but the clutch basket should not and that it was most likely because it was worn out. When we rebuilt the bottom end we found out he was right. The basket was worn out right at the splines where it goes onto the end of the shaft. The play was very minimal but was noticeable when you would wiggle it. We replaced it of course. Sounds like your may be worn a bit too. But I can tell you that mine did that for almost 8 years and other than the sound wasn't an issue. Joe assures me it will not do it anymore when we bring her back up now with the new basket.
Click to expand...

If you don't mind me asking, roughly how much did you pay for the new basket?

Is it a welded basket/modified basket/or an OEM stock basket?

Did you also invest in a new clutch, Ape nut? Stock or aftermarket?
Click to expand...

All stock and or aftermarket stock replacement. Nothing modified and I am sorry to say I actually do not know how much it all cost yet. But yes, all new clutch parts as well. I am spending a couple g's on the whole job so I do not have the price break down yet. Sorry bro :(
 
I set it as low as I can. But, I can't stand listening to my 400 juggle back and forth between each cylinder so it's usually around 1200. Waiting on carb boot o-rings as we speak. :)

Steve
 
My 83 1100E idles right around 1200 and loves it.
Gives her a nice rich purr :twisted: :twisted:
 
Tally another one up for 1200 rpm. I just got done with valve adjustments and carb rebuild,sync etc.
 
Okay, guys, one more time with feeling. Idle speeds for GS550s

8-valves: 1000-1200 rpm
16-valves: 900-1100 rpm.

That's more like it.
 
idle speed

idle speed

My 81 850 idles very nicely at 850 RPM, thank you very much! It makes a nice yuketa-yuketa-yuketa sound too! :D I Also get maximum engine braking from a nearly-closed throttle, an excellent benefit!
 
2000 is way too high! Both my GS650 and my GS750 official Suzuki shop manuals say 1200 +- 100 rpm. You have to realize that when the bike warms up it's going to idle higher than from a dead cold start. I only set my idle when the bike is warm so I don't overstress and overheat the engine at idle. I would hate to see what you're doing to your gear clunking into gear at that high rpm. And to the guy idleing at 2200, you're going to do some serious damage one day with clunking into gear at that high level. As a rule of thumb for a motorcycle stay under 1500 RPM. The larger the CC and/or the less the cylinders the less the RPM at idle. FOr instance my GS400 was rated to idle at 1300 or 1400 whereas my gs750 was rated at 1200 or 1300. DO NOT IDLE OVER 1500 when warm. When the engine is cold you may have to add some choke or a little pressure on the throttle's untill the engine is warm enough to idle properly on its own which is a bit of an inconvenience. But 2mins of inconvenience when the bike is cold may save you $$$ trying to fix a mashed first gear/tranny because you are idleing way too high. In the summer time I rarely have to add choke to keep the bike idleing when cold, and it only takes a couple of minutes to warm up properly anyway.

Never make adjustments to idle when it's cold, you want to have the bike at operating temperature for driving ,not a cold start to start fiddling with it. Also I highly suggest letting a bike warm up for a couple of minutes before starting to drive and put stress on the engine. Let the bike run for a bit so that the oil is warmed and circulating before trying to drive. I use this time to get my jacket and helmet and gloves on so you can let thebike idle while you are doing this.
 
1981 GS750L here.
My bike idles good at 1200 rpm.
I agree wholeheartedly on the "Warming up" issue. Totally different idle charachteristics once warm.

Dm of mD
 
my '83 650GL idles nicely at 1000, but I can slow it down to bout 800 and it still runs fine, much lower though and it sounds bad.
 
i can't believe there are 33 replies, oops 34 now, about idle.
So, my 1100gl idles smooth anywhere from 700 up. I keep it at 975.
Even then i get apretty good clunk when putting it in gear. Thoug it does not creep or grab. It is annoying and probably damaging. Think i will look at the clutch soon. What is an APE nut. don't they have two?
 
My 850 idles fine at 1000 or even less. I set it as low as I can to make shifting into first as 'clunkless' as possible.

It has to be killing the transmission components shifting the bike into first idling at 2300 RPM.
 
My 1100 idles great at 1000 rpms. I guess my crappy mercury sticks did the job.
 
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