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Afternoon Ride in CO

cowboyup3371

cowboyup3371

Forum Guru
Past Site Supporter
So today I took the bike out for a long drive with the intention of running out of gas so I can see how big the tank really was. Unfortunately, I didn't get to the out of gas part but did have a good 140 mile ride (filled up at 109 as I was pretty much back home anyway). When I filled up I only put in 2.655 gallons and I didn't hear much else in the tank so I think my Clymers and everything else I am seeing is totally wrong on the size of the tank I have (Clymers says I have a 4.2 gallon but the L model had a 3.2 gallon so I don't know.

Either way, I took some pictures here and thought I would share. Here I am topping off the tank at my local gas station (the one 10 miles from the house) before leaving:

FuelingUp17Oct.jpg


When I walked out after getting my change from filling up I saw this parked at the diesel island; a 1927 Ford Pickup fully running and being restored. The 80 year old man who bought it has a Honda Goldwing Trike for him and his wife.

1927FordPickup.jpg


Took off down the road to catch the Elbert Hwy that runs up to Elbert CO and Kiowa CO. After running through a couple of small twisty sections, I took this picture. None of these were anything like what you folks out east have but at least they were something I could get started on.

ElbertHwy.jpg


This barn is the one I want to have when I finally retire for good. It's one heck of a nice setup and I think they must have several hundred acres behind it and on both sides of the hwy.

BarnIwant.jpg


When I take this route in the truck we are normally in a bit of a hurry so I don't get to stop to do much looking. Today, I pulled off in Elizabeth CO and looked at the old town section. Here's Main St.

ElizabethOldMainSt.jpg


A section house from an old railroad; it's the only one remaining.

HistoricHouseSign.jpg


HistoricSectionHouse.jpg


On the way back into town I just had to have this picture of Pikes Peak. Didn't rain on me but sure looked like it might.

ViewofPikesPeak.jpg


All in all it was a good day. Finished up at home and then took the horses out for a short ride with the eldest.

Thanks for looking
 
What a great day and place for a ride! I love the sky in the Pike's peak shot, thanks for posting.
 
Great pictures! Looks like a fun ride. I simply love looking at mountains in the distance, even when they aren't the size of Pike's Peak. That's a fantastic view. How far from Yoder were you when you took that shot? Or maybe I should ask, how close do you have to be to see Pike's Peak?

I got in about a 100 mile ride today in the "other" bike after resetting float bowl levels. Weather was perfect here (80F and sunny), but a little windy.
 
I see the mountain every morning from the back porch and then the entire drive into work. From there, I had driven 80 miles from home but was on the north side of the peak so really only about 40 from it.
 
Good pictures and story. I've been through Elizabeth and a few of those other roads you pictured in your story (a looooong time ago). It got boring so I had to head for the mountains......:D
I don't remember, is your bike an L? They do have 3.2 gal tanks up to '82, then went to a 4 gal tank. The 4 something gal tank seemed to be the standard for everything except the G bikes with the humongous 5.8 gal tank (somebody will probably tell me I'm wrong, but so be it.....:))
 
Dan, my bike is supposed to be a T but I'm starting to wonder if I'm seeing another PO issue. Of course the tank has GS550T handwritten on the bottom though.
 
cowboyup3371 said:
Dan, my bike is supposed to be a T but I'm starting to wonder if I'm seeing another PO issue. Of course the tank has GS550T handwritten on the bottom though.
Click to expand...
The T designation just tells what year it was made in from what I understand. Mine is a 1980 (79 on the fork tube)GS850GLT
Yours could also be an LT and all the PO remembered was the "T" part.:confused::) If the tank just says 550T handwritten on the bottom, it's probably a junkyard replacement tank.
On edit: One more thing. Looking at your tank, it does highly resemble an "L" tank.
 
Last edited:
DanTheMan said:
The T designation just tells what year it was made in from what I understand.
Click to expand...

No, he has a 1981 550T, it's not an L model.
Just like this one, at least in the before pics:

http://www.markmarker.com/photos/gs550/gs550.html

The T year designator was for 1980 bikes, 1981 are all X.
So technically it's a 550TX. I have no idea what size the tank is, but it's not very big.
Still a stock 550 should be over 50mpg, sounds like your is not quite there?
 
tkent02 said:
No, he has a 1981 550T, it's not an L model.
Just like this one, at least in the before pics:

http://www.markmarker.com/photos/gs550/gs550.html

The T year designator was for 1980 bikes, 1981 are all X.
So technically it's a 550TX. I have no idea what size the tank is, but it's not very big.
Still a stock 550 should be over 50mpg, sounds like your is not quite there?
Click to expand...
OK, I was just hazarding a guess. However, I think side by side, my old "L" tank next to his "T" tank would pretty much match up size wise. The only difference would be in the mounting bolts. Mine has the center mounting bolt.
 
I managed 40 miles to the gallon yesterday. I know I'm still running a little rich since I can definitely smell gas fumes from the tank. However, I picked up a new screwdriver from Sears after I got back into town yesterday and will try to work on tweaking the pilot jets this next weekend if the weather holds.
 
Which is also what my book says. Oh well, at least I will know what I have and can work with it. I just hated not knowing.
 
tkent02 said:
According to these, the "L" has a 3.43 gallon, tank, the "T" has a 4.36 gallon tank. I wonder if someone swapped an L tank onto the T?


http://www.bikez.com/motorcycles/suzuki_gs_550_t_1981.php

http://www.bikez.com/motorcycles/suzuki_gs_550_l_1981.php
Click to expand...
I guess 3.43 is probably right. I never was able to squeeze more that 3.2 something in mine when it was flat empty.
Judging from the fact that 550T is handwritten on the bottom of the tank I think it might be a swap.
 
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