Back in the saddle after 35 years with another GS

[ldolamore]

My first bike at age 16 was a Honda CB350F. In 1978 I bought a new Suzuki GS750. Loved it and rode it for several years in central Florida back when population and traffic were way less than now. When my daughter was born in '81 I decided to be "responsible" and not risk riding. Plus I had bought a 5 acre home site and traded my GS for a '49 Farmall Cub Lowboy tractor. Ha, ha, talk about going switching to a very different set of wheels! I thought about my GS750 many times over the years and now that my kids are grown and I live in a fairly sparse population area northwest of Asheville, NC I thought "time to get another bike". But should I go with a modern bike? Hm.m.m.. well, first off I didn't want to spend a large sum of cash, and the look and feel of my GS750 still appealed to me so I ended up buying a similar bike - a 1979 GS850G (I think it's a G, although the side labels state only GS850) with 24k miles. The bike is mechanically sound, in good cosmetic condition (not fantastic but good), and seems all stock except for engine guards and an aftermarket seat. I took delivery of it today. I won't be able to register/tag it for several days but I took manyl short rides on my cul-de-sac. Couldn't go beyond 3rd gear because of the short road but that's OK as I readjust to riding again. Kind of deja vu, kind of eerie to ride because the bike is so much like my GS750 (other than the obviously larger bore and shaft drive) that even after 35 years I feel right at home. This is a happy day for me and I'm glad to have discovered this forum!

 

[glib]

Glad to know you're back in the saddle. Hope you stay safe and enjoy!

 

[dorkburger]

Wslcome, and welcome back to riding. Enjoy.

 

[alke46]

Welcome to the site. Good looking bike by the way. I know the seat is comfy but it is hard on the eyes :-\\\.

 

[GS1150Pilot]

Welcome back to two wheeled happiness! Good bike choice. Yes, it's a G, and yes, you need to get a stock seat. That one ... belongs on a mechanical bull.

 

[argonsagas]

Glad to have another member on our forum!

Sit back, read, participate and enjoy!



Now for the hard part.

If you have not been riding for so many years, I would strongly recommend you take a motorcycle course to get yourself re-adjusted.

There is not one of us who does not lose riding skills over time, (it happens to most of us every winter) but after many years of abstinence, it is almost like starting over.

It will be far better to hone the old skills under the guidance of a trained instructor, and possibly using their bike, plus you will very likely get a bonus discount on insurance for one to three years.

 

[Burque73]

Kind of deja vu, kind of eerie to ride because the bike is so much like my GS750 (other than the obviously larger bore and shaft drive) that even after 35 years I feel right at home. This is a happy day for me and I'm glad to have discovered this forum!
View attachment 46890

Good morning. I know exactly what you mean. I just recently got a GS850 like I owned over twenty years ago. Wish I felt twenty years younger on it!
Welcome aboard.
Roger

 

[Doug]

Welcome and ride safe.

 

[ldolamore]

Thanks y'all for the welcome and insights. I agree the aftermarket seat isn't pretty. Makes the bike look camel like! But for now that's what I've got. I've had the bike for 24 hours and have now been able to inspect it more closely. It's fundamentally in good shape but someone did some less than admirable work on a few things that luckily are not major items and easy to fix. Mostly this involved loose bolts and/or the wrong type in some non-critical areas that I've already taken care of. I did find the front brake won't activate the brake light (rear brake does turn it on). I removed the front brake light switch and the housing is broken. I believe there should be a small spring as part of the switch but it's gone. I placed a jumper across the two contacts and the brake light still did not come on. Later I noticed the instrument panel and all lights are dead so I either jumped incorrectly (don't think so but maybe) or ... ?? The 10A fuse label Signals is blown. I don't have any of the old style fuses so will have to buy some. But I read online that the fuse labeled Head Lamps actually ties to the instrument panel so I need to run a few more tests. I am fairly mechanically/electrically inclined but not a pro in either category. The bike presently starts and runs but no instruments or lights. Hopefully I haven't created a big problem in my first day of ownership!

 

[Burque73]

Thanks y'all for the welcome and insights. I agree the aftermarket seat isn't pretty. Makes the bike look camel like! But for now that's what I've got. I've had the bike for 24 hours and have now been able to inspect it more closely. It's fundamentally in good shape but someone did some less than admirable work on a few things that luckily are not major items and easy to fix. Mostly this involved loose bolts and/or the wrong type in some non-critical areas that I've already taken care of. I did find the front brake won't activate the brake light (rear brake does turn it on). I removed the front brake light switch and the housing is broken. I believe there should be a small spring as part of the switch but it's gone. I placed a jumper across the two contacts and the brake light still did not come on. Later I noticed the instrument panel and all lights are dead so I either jumped incorrectly (don't think so but maybe) or ... ?? The 10A fuse label Signals is blown. I don't have any of the old style fuses so will have to buy some. But I read online that the fuse labeled Head Lamps actually ties to the instrument panel so I need to run a few more tests. I am fairly mechanically/electrically inclined but not a pro in either category. The bike presently starts and runs but no instruments or lights. Hopefully I haven't created a big problem in my first day of ownership!

I had issues like that on my 82 1100. The GROUNDS were not making good contact. It drove me mad trying to figure it out.

 

[Guest]

Hi,
and Welcome, you should be right at home here, great history which may be quite similar to a lot of us and love the seat!!! looks so cumfie, with the sun on your back, looks like you could fall asleep on it. After 35years you may not be on top form just now, enjoy your new bike,,,,,,and the seat!

 

[Redman]

All 850s of all years are shaft, so either a G or a GL.

79 850 is a G, only was a G, GS850G, but side panels just say GS850. Was not any GL then.

In 1980 and after there was then a G and a GL, so then the 850G had the 850G on side panel, and the 850GL had 850L on side panel (just to clear up some confusion and create some other confusion).

Yah, get some fuses. You will want 15s for the one main fuse, and 10s for all the others.
Dont bother with those assortment packs that have many other sizes and not enough of what you need. If the store only has the assortment pack, you probably need to go to a bigger or more specific store. Get at least a pack of five 10s.

No, I dont think you could have caused a problem by jumping out the contacts of the front brake switch. If maybe you did jumper to ground, that would have blown the fuse, but you say it did light the brakes, so you are okay, fuse okay on that circuit.

If the signal fuse blows as soon as you plug in the fuse and turn on key.... try disconnecting the horns. (yes, even if you didnt press the horn button) (we can discuss in more detail later if that is the case)

Yes, the brake light switch should have a spring that pushes the U shaped contact across the other two contacts. It is very similar (if not the same) as the switch on the clutch. Other thing that is similar to both of them is their ablilty to launch that spring and contact when you disassemble the switch. SOme folk recommend taking them aprt inside a large plastic bag to be able to catch the ejected parts. Other folks recommend rotating the controls around on handle bar the the switch is pointed up when you take it apart.

Other note: I think you can get a complete replacement switch, compete with the wiring leads and conntector into the headlight shell for something like $19, or at least I did a couple years ago.

Glad to share your excitement.
(I was not so responsible,.... I got bike just a short time before first was born.)

I have inlaws in Arden.
Visited them a few years ago, in April, and found myself in need to rent a mo'cykle for a day. Was great.

.



.

 

[ldolamore]

I found a glass fuse to replace the blown SIGNALS fuse and the lights and panel indicators are back to life. So what I had read about the HD. LAMP fuse controlling the panel indicators was wrong. The weird thing is that the head/tail lights also did not work with a blown SIGNALS fuse so I'm developing suspicion that someone has goofed around with the wiring.
I've ordered a replacement switch with wire leads and connectors for under $9. Hopefully that will cure the brake light issue (and not blow the fuse). Good idea to open the brake switch inside a plastic bag! Several of you have reminded me that I'm not in the top form I was when I previously rode. Man, I'm aware of that and while I'm not fearful of the bike I don't feel invincible as I once did. That's probably a good thing and makes me take things slowly.
The yellow banner at top of this page says general discussions shouldn't happen in this forum, and should be taken to the General Discussion forum. I'm probably now yacked enough to be in General Discussion territory!
Thanks again for your feedback!