Where to start

[chrisj]

Howdy all,

Newbie to the forum here, with what I think is a straightforward question for the experienced many out there!

I've got a 1983 GS650L, with about 40K miles or so (probably more, but thats what the odometer says). The bike sat for quite a while until my father-in-law adopted it and restored it to decent looking and running shape. I eventually got it back, but with the (popular, as I've now learned) caveat that the new battery would not hold a charge.

Easy enough, right? Read the stator papers, go through the tests, replace the failing wiring and parts, and be on my way.

The problem is that as the battery would not hold a charge, the bike got ridden less and less. The less it I rode it, the harder it would be to start and run. Now it's sat for several months, and I imagine that even with a brand new battery it won't start, so I can't do most of the electrical testing.

So the question is this: where do I start?

I know the carbs need to be pulled, disassembled, and fully cleaned.
I know I need a new battery.
I know I need to check all the wiring.
I *think* I probably need a new regulator/rectifier.
And the same may hold for the stator.

But I don't want to replace any electrical components without first testing the system. But I can't test the system if the bike doesn't run. But the bike won't run without most of the above being done first. Following the moebius strip of logic here?

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

--chris j.


(PS -- These are the RR and stator I expect to purchase from Electrosport. They don't list my exact model, as far as I can tell. Are these the right part #s?
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]ESR090 -- R/R[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]ESG010 -- stator)[/FONT]

 

[frosty5011]

Howdy all,

Newbie to the forum here, with what I think is a straightforward question for the experienced many out there!

I've got a 1983 GS650L, with about 40K miles or so (probably more, but thats what the odometer says). The bike sat for quite a while until my father-in-law adopted it and restored it to decent looking and running shape. I eventually got it back, but with the (popular, as I've now learned) caveat that the new battery would not hold a charge.

Easy enough, right? Read the stator papers, go through the tests, replace the failing wiring and parts, and be on my way.

The problem is that as the battery would not hold a charge, the bike got ridden less and less. The less it I rode it, the harder it would be to start and run. Now it's sat for several months, and I imagine that even with a brand new battery it won't start, so I can't do most of the electrical testing.

So the question is this: where do I start?

I know the carbs need to be pulled, disassembled, and fully cleaned.
I know I need a new battery.
I know I need to check all the wiring.
I *think* I probably need a new regulator/rectifier.
And the same may hold for the stator.

But I don't want to replace any electrical components without first testing the system. But I can't test the system if the bike doesn't run. But the bike won't run without most of the above being done first. Following the moebius strip of logic here?

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

--chris j.


(PS -- These are the RR and stator I expect to purchase from Electrosport. They don't list my exact model, as far as I can tell. Are these the right part #s?
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]ESR090 -- R/R[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]ESG010 -- stator)[/FONT]

First step would be to get a new battery. You don't need a "working" R/R and stator to get the bike running. The carbs may or may not need cleaning, since you say it's only sat for several months (depending on what state they were in when the bike was put away). I'd install a new battery, drain the old fuel in the tank (and carb bowls), put in new fuel, maybe a little bit of carb/injector cleaner and start from there. While the new battery is getting it's initial charge, use that time to go through and clean up all the connectors you can find on the bike.

Then, if the bike won't run satisfactory, you may want to tackle the carbs. Chances are, it will probably run well enough for you to do the checks on the stator pages to see if, in fact, the R/R and/or stator are bad.

 

[chrisj]

Thanks for the thoughts, Frosty. New battery and a can of carb cleaner it is!

Two quick follow-ups:
1) if the stator or RR or wiring are bad, do I run any risk of damaging the new battery?
2) I'm planning on getting an AGM like this "BigCrank" from BatteryMart.com. Can anyone vouch for (or against) said battery?
http://www.batterymart.com/battery.mv?p=BIG-ETX15L

--cj

 

[nichols750]

you won't hurt the battery if you just run the bike long enough to do the tests. but, i wouldn't be going for any long rides, until you know what is causing your problem(s).

 

[koolaid_kid]

You could also jump start it just to begin the tests. I do it all the time with my bikes. I also bought one of those little trickle chargers that has wires you can permanently attach wires to the battery and leave on all the time. It works great and is only $15-$20. You just unplug the connection when you are ready to go.