83GS550E Sprocket Size For Increased Speed/Lower RPM?

[GQROD]

While riding i noticed that i was at 3500 RPM

In 6th gear

Speed 40 MPH

What is the normal cruising RPM for this model bike?

Don't know what size gear and sprocket are on there ( have not counted the teeth )

What would be a good size to increase my speed while maintaing a lower crusing rpm?

Thanks

 

[Nessism]

Simple answer is to go up one tooth size on the front sprocket. The bike will spin less rpm when cruising but your roll-on performance will suffer slightly but not horribly so.

 

[GQROD]

Thanks, what is a normal cruising RPM for most bikes? i ask because i don't find the idea of crusing at 8000 RPM comfortable unless i'm missing something.

 

[Nessism]

Get used to the high rpm cruising, it's normal. Most GS bikes are geared to spin and 6000 rpm at 70 mph is common for a 550.

 

[p_s]

It took a while for me to get used to cruising at high RPMs on my 550, but even at 6-7k I often have to click down a couple gears to pass on a two-lane road, especially if there's a headwind or an incline.

 

[GQROD]

Cool thank you so much for the answers.

I have one other question, i'm hearing a knocking sound at 3500 RPM

I don't hear the knocking on deceleration and i don't hear it from idle to 3500 RPM

Is this something to worry about? and what could it be?

 

[GS1100ez]

my 1100E
at 55 is at 3.5k

where my fathers 1100Ls seem to be higher then that
but they also feel like they are a little quicker rolling into the throttle


then there is my 73 s2a 350 3cylnder 2 stroke
that IS high reving
if you dont keep the revs up it will not go to fast
i am not really able to use 5th as the lack of power
so i keep it in 4th
it sees 10k in the rpms alot
pullin the front wheel off the ground without dropping the clutch, just by giving it more gas

 

[MelodicMetalGod]

+1 on the high RPM's for cruising. Coming from a more "standard" bike background, it took me a while before I got used to the fact that my bike seems to enjoy the mid- and high-mid-range revs. Once ya get used to it, it's a new kind of fun!

Don't know about your knocking sound. I'll be watching this thread to see what greater minds than mine have to say.

Best of luck!

 

[GQROD]

Thanks again for the help, I will have to ride more adn see if i can get used to it. But the info is priceless to know.

yeah the knocking is weird because it was there when i got the bike.

Then went away when i replaced the starter clutch, new rotor and new stator.

Then came back after i put in the new starter, it's just wierd and i don't want to rev to 8000 RPM and have something go wrong on me.

 

[Guest]

if the knocking also comes on while the bike is in neutral - try localising the sound

you can use a big screwdriver to use like a stethoscope

maybe the starter clutch came loose, if you didnt loctite it

 

[GQROD]

Thanks psguy, i used a tube and at idle could not hear it as pronounced as it is when at 3000 to 4000 RPM

One minute it sounds like it's the cams the next minute it sounds like it's coming from the stator cover ( talk about confusing )

I raised the RPM to 3500 in neutral and heard NO SOUND. Ran smooth no noise. Seems to only happen when in gear, riding.

I used locktite on the three bolts that hold the clutch to the rotor as well as the bolt that holds the rotor to the shaft. And let it cure fully before starting it.

It did not appear loose when i checked it before putting the new starter in. ( all torqued to specs )

Got the bug to take it tonight and got it to 6000 RPM

The noise HOWEVER was barely noticeable from 4500 to 6000 RPM and it smoothed out A LOT!

So now i'm really puzzled!! It sounds like a very loud slapping.

Any ideas will help.

 

[Guest]

consider the noise could come from any loose parts on the bike (when riding) and not necessarily the engine

i chased a hight pitch rattle for months before discovering it was the rectangular suzuki logo plate on the lower tripple tree cover - the plate was glued and in place and all LOOKED good yet it rattled anoyingly loud at cca 5krpm.
i took the plate off, cleaned off the glue and used silicone instead.
no more rattles


a good carb sync helps as well

 

[GQROD]

psyguy your suggestion makes a lot of sense i will start going over the front end and see if anything is loose.

It's just so odd that it only happens at a certain rpm range and only in gear.

 

[Old Colt]

How good is the sync on your carbs? Most of the time I hear knocking, the bike needs some service work. Clean & adjust the carbs.
If the carbs are out of sync the cylinders do not make the same amount of power so the crank rotation is uneven. This makes it shuck back and forth against other components such as the clutch or cam chain for example.
Each engine has certain harmonics that present this uneven running in narrow rpm ranges.

You will probably find your bike has a flat spot in the power band around 6K or so. I found that if I was trying to cruise around there my gas mileage dropped off and you need to shift to get out of that range for hills or passing.
The engine is plenty happy above or below that transition.

 

[GQROD]

How good is the sync on your carbs? Most of the time I hear knocking, the bike needs some service work. Clean & adjust the carbs.
If the carbs are out of sync the cylinders do not make the same amount of power so the crank rotation is uneven. This makes it shuck back and forth against other components such as the clutch or cam chain for example.
Each engine has certain harmonics that present this uneven running in narrow rpm ranges.

You will probably find your bike has a flat spot in the power band around 6K or so. I found that if I was trying to cruise around there my gas mileage dropped off and you need to shift to get out of that range for hills or passing.
The engine is plenty happy above or below that transition.

You make a lot of sense i did do a bench sync on the carbs when i cleaned them, valve adjusment and vac sync with a morgan carbtune.

I will check the vac sync again just to make sure it's correct.

Yeah i hit 5500 RPM in 6 gear and i was only going 45 miles per hour This is just too wierd. Unless the speedo is inaccurate.

I took the bike out again got it to 6000 RPM the noise dies off there but it's still present.

Nothing is loose on the front that i could see.

My fuel mileage is TERRIBLE. so i may have to pull the plugs and see what's going on. I know i only do short trips and it has to warm up for 10-15 mins but wow i figure i only drove about 35 to forty miles and the tank is half empy.

 

[Old Colt]

My 83 originally got about 55 MPG, with a larger sprocket up front I got 63 if I recall.
That bike will pull to about 120 and if you reverse the speed/ rpm from there I expect something is amiss with your tach or speedo. Been to long since I rode mine to recall and details and it is so far from stock now that I may never remember.
Either that or there is a 14 tooth on the front of it.

 

[C.V.]

consider the noise could come from any loose parts on the bike (when riding) and not necessarily the engine

i chased a hight pitch rattle for months before discovering it was the rectangular suzuki logo plate on the lower tripple tree cover - the plate was glued and in place and all LOOKED good yet it rattled anoyingly loud at cca 5krpm.
i took the plate off, cleaned off the glue and used silicone instead.
no more rattles


a good carb sync helps as well

Ha, mine is worse. I had an intermittent high piched shimmery, kind of chimey noise that i obsessed on for a coupla weeks. It finally went away when I took 3 of the four keys off my keyring! DOH!

 

[GQROD]

My 83 originally got about 55 MPG, with a larger sprocket up front I got 63 if I recall.
That bike will pull to about 120 and if you reverse the speed/ rpm from there I expect something is amiss with your tach or speedo. Been to long since I rode mine to recall and details and it is so far from stock now that I may never remember.
Either that or there is a 14 tooth on the front of it.

Thanks for your advice

I counted the rear sprocket teeth and it has 112 on it.

Seems like a lot to me but this being my first bike i would not know what is stock.

I will have to pull the front cover off to see how many teeth are on the front sprocket.

The noise is what is killing me since it went away when i put the first starter in ( new oem )

Then i got a starter back (since the replacement blew from an electrical problem...since fixed.) and installed it then the noise came back.

The noise sounds like knocking but i don't think it's a bent rod since it does not happen unless it's in gear while riding and between 3000 to 4000 RPM so this either something i will have to live with or trap the gremlin that is messing with my head.

Pulled the stator cover off and nothing seems abnormal, nothing broken nothing rubbing odd.

 

[GQROD]

Ha, mine is worse. I had an intermittent high piched shimmery, kind of chimey noise that i obsessed on for a coupla weeks. It finally went away when I took 3 of the four keys off my keyring! DOH!

I wish it were this easy i don't mind feeling silly over a simple problem but knocks and rattle would scare anyone while riding!

 

[MelodicMetalGod]

Thanks for your advice

I counted the rear sprocket teeth and it has 112 on it.

Seems like a lot to me but this being my first bike i would not know what is stock.

I think 112 is probably incorrect. Stock is around 48 for these bikes. :-k

A little reference:
http://www.bikebandit.com/suzuki-motorcycle-gs550esf-1985/o/m6075

Best of luck!

PS: Of course, if you do actually somehow have a 112 on the rear, that sure would explain the gas mileage and the low speed.