• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

How long does your bike take to warm up? (older GS owners)

  • Thread starter Thread starter houldsworth1
  • Start date Start date

How long does your bike take to warm up? (older GS owners)

  • 5-10 minutes

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 10-15 minutes

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Over 15 minutes

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    13
H

houldsworth1

Guest
Early this year I took delivery of a 1982 GS650L which I plan to fix up. It is in need of some serious TLC, but it does at least run.

So far I have only run it for about 5-10 minutes and it would not run without the choke (it was about 40f on that day). Every time I turned the choke off it immediately died.

My thought was that it needed the carbs to be taken apart and cleaned - something I just don't have the time to do right now.

However, a friend of mine with a GS650 said that his bike takes about 15 minutes before it will run reliably without choke - so maybe I am just not waiting long enough...and I thought I would ask the people on here.

Thanks.

Barry
 
Nope. once it starts with choke, if the carbs are clean and all is well, you should be able to shut the choke off and keep it running in about 5 seconds at most. My 1150 needs one sec of choke, thats it.

Earl
 
Your first instinct is correct: clean the carbs. If you pull them together and don't separate them, you'll be able to put them back on and run without having to sync anything. I'm not saying that they don't need synching, but you will be able to clean and replace them as a unit without messing them up.

You have to remove the float bowls, clean the jets (all three of them) and all passages, make sure the floats aren't sticking and are set at the correct height. You may have to replace the float bowl gaskets. Be sure to use good hollow ground (parallel tip) screwdrivers to remove those jets! They are soft brass, and an ill-fitting screwdriver will damage the slots.

While you're at it, you can remove the tops and make sure the slides move freely and that the diaphragms are OK.

You can find step-by-step instructions on this site for more information.
 
Mine runs fine without the choke, but I usually leave it on a bit to raise the idle speed if I have to stop right away (to open the gate on my driveway). If not to raise the idle speed with a cold engine, I can turn off the choke shortly after starting with good response.
 
Since it's usually cool where I live, choke to start it.
Once it's running, I ease the choke off.
Usually less than 1 minute. Enough time to helmet and gloves.

The less the better.
 
My bike will start and idle good after about 3 min, but my 15+ vote simply stems from colder spring temps, and i'm thinking I am needing a richer pilot jet. My bike will have a slight hesitation for about 10 min then goes away when the engine is fully hot.
 
if its warm out(60 or above)I only need half choke to start and quickly turn it off or it will load up.Its ready to go quicker than I am!
 
tconroy said:
if its warm out(60 or above)I only need half choke to start and quickly turn it off or it will load up.Its ready to go quicker than I am!
Ditto tconroy.
 
Thanks.

Seems like my first instinct was correct.

I have bookmarked the carb cleaning instructions on this site (which has to be the most comprehensive step by step instructions I have ever seen!) and will get around to it eventually. Right now that looks like it won't happen until next season :-(

It seems a shame as I feel the longer I don't do anything with it the more I am going to have to clean/fix once. If I could just get it on the road...

As an interim solution is there anything I put in the gas or directly into the air intakes to flush the carbs to get it working to a reasonable degree (red-X or similar?) I have memories of my Dad doing this with on old van many, many years ago and watching the huge clouds of smoke this thing blew out.

Thanks.

Barry
 
I use enough choke (about 1/4) to keep idle at 2-3K for a while to give the battery a good charge and return it to no choke as soon as I pull away , about 1-2 mins later. But I,m in Texas.
 
choke

choke

I see it is related to the temperature outside. Before I have the stock airbox back on it would take 10 minutes, now less than 1 minute. Those pods made the stock jetting all messed up.
 
You can try adding some fuel injector cleaner to the gas. That will not harm the "O" rings in the carbs and if the gumming in the carbs isnt too severe, will probably help.

Earl

houldsworth1 said:
Thanks.

Seems like my first instinct was correct.

I have bookmarked the carb cleaning instructions on this site (which has to be the most comprehensive step by step instructions I have ever seen!) and will get around to it eventually. Right now that looks like it won't happen until next season :-(

It seems a shame as I feel the longer I don't do anything with it the more I am going to have to clean/fix once. If I could just get it on the road...

As an interim solution is there anything I put in the gas or directly into the air intakes to flush the carbs to get it working to a reasonable degree (red-X or similar?) I have memories of my Dad doing this with on old van many, many years ago and watching the huge clouds of smoke this thing blew out.

Thanks.

Barry
 
I'm in the five to ten minute group, which I thought was normal ... now I guess I'm going to have to pull my carbs and clean them thoroughly ... and see if I can join the five to ten second club!!

I'm also going to try the fuel injector cleaner step as a short term solution.

Regards,
 
Racers will comment that "in theory" you require one jet size change for every 10F ambient air temp change. There are however MANY variables to jetting changes. IMO, here in New England, where morning temps will be 40F, and same day afternoon temps can top 70F, that a HUGE temp variation to try to jet. Jetting has to be a compramise. you can't get your bike to run optimum at 40F, and 70F. The fact I currently have a off idle "stumble" for about 15 min is my compramise, i'm sure it will diminish come the warmer months.
 
On my '79 GS1000 on a cool morning, say about 50F I use about 1/2 choke for about 15 - 30 seconds then reduce it so it's on just a bit to keep the idle up at around 1200 rpm. Once I push it out of the shed and suit up it's ready to ride. Once I get rolling I just turn the choke off. Before I pulled the tank off this fall I actually tried to start it one morning when it was about 25F and the bike had been sitting for about a month, lever on prime, full choke, pushed the starter for about 4 seconds and it fired right up. Woo Hoo!
 
Less than a minute for me.
But my idle mixture is slightly rich just for that reason. I like to be able to get on and go. The other circuits take a little longer to get going but by then I'm down the block and ready to shift anyway.

:p
 
Currently, it is still in the 20's every morning when I start my 850 and it takes between 5 and 10 mins before I can take the choke off. However, in the afternoon when it is in the 60's, start at half choke and then off I go.
 
carb cleaner

carb cleaner

in the mean time you could try Yamaha's carb cleaner..( it is in their motorsports/watercraft cataog).. there was a write up about it in a motorcycle mag.. I have it at home and not in front of me... mix with equal part gas and pour into bowls .. leave in no longer than over night ... drain bowls.. and it should clear it up some.. I have not tried this, but I will check the magazine and send info later,..

Joe
 
Yamaha Carb Cleaner

Yamaha Carb Cleaner

From "Motorcycle Tour & Cruiser" magazine, March 2002
pages 62-3. tech and how-to: Cleaning Carburators
Article Titled Carb Cleaning 101. by Fin korhonen

"enter Yamaha's Carburator Cleaner. This stuff is an
absolute wallet saver."

The article further states it was designed for powersports
equipment that had long periods of storage, and sufferred from
blocked carbs.

I have a copy of the mag and the article.

Joe
 
here is what I do.

pull choke all the way out. tap starter. 10-15 seconds or so push choke in just a tad. let it run that way for about 30 sec to a minute.push it in to about 1/4 for another minute or so then ride.

thats when its ~60* F
 
Back
Top