New guy with a GS550e : Front light switch question.

[excellentlunch]

After looking for a summer ride (on a budget) I just picked up a GS550e. On the one day I've ridden it to attempt to get it registered I have found it to fire up beautifully and runs sweet, even on the 35 degree C day I was riding it on, so I am so far very pleased.

I have named her Fast & Sassy as an homage to this great old ad I found :

Aside from a little fork seal weepage I thought the bike is all good for a roadworthy check until I noticed the brake light is a bit funky when engaging the front lever - strangely, the light came on only shortly after releasing the lever: not at all at the right time. After popping the screws off I have found this:

A bit broke, and would explain the inconsistent, yeah? Is the best option to just replace these bits? Seems these parts aren't too hard to find.

I should introduce the bike, too. Will be finding old pipes/making new ones and replacing the decals. Apart from a few nicks and scratches the paint is quite good.

Cheers!

 

[steve murdoch]

Welcome to the site.
Even thought the switches are cheap you might get away with a light scrub and some contact cleaner.
If not...http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-SUZUKI-...m2ee83620f3:m:mDVyfqW9ZufAWfpLrmjZOnw&vxp=mtr

If you put your location in your signature you might find a helpful GSer nearby.

 

[excellentlunch]

Hey Steve! Thanks for the welcome.

I gave it a clean after these photos were taken and it worked marginally better, however, the light came on on when giving the lever a BIG squeeze, pretty much at an emergency braking/locking the front squeeze level.

So I'm thinking it isn't contacting soon enough along those two lines, probably due to that corroded section pictured above.

That link above doesn't list the '78 GS550E, is it still good for my bike? I don't have a parts fiche yet and, having only got the bike, haven't read a lot.

 

[excellentlunch]

I went ahead and ordered from Niche Cycle, they confirmed fitment and the price was right Should get it in a couple of weeks max and get the Fast & Sassy registered for the rest of summer here in Melbourne.

 

[mikerophone]

They are all pretty similar, good looking bike btw. Make sure you read up on the site about the electrical woes our old GS's suffer from, particularly the R/R, (search term Polaris SH-775) and clean/check firm up your electrical connections and fuse box.

And before you pony up the dough and tear into your fork seals, make yourself a "seal mate" type tool out of a margarine tub lid. For zero cost, you just may fix the leaky seal.

 

[Brendan W]

Your kill switch and ign switch are probably the same and could do with a clean. They are generally easy to get at and give back extra volts for better starting and running. Get a bag or pillow case around these switches just in case bits make a dash for freedom.

 

[excellentlunch]

Cheers all. The margarine fork seal fix looks like a goer - thanks for that. I will go through the electrics when I've got it back home after getting the paperwork in order - fingers crossed it eats up the 750 kilometres with ease. Might run it past my mechanic before hand and have a chat.

Now I have just come across the petcock issues these have, most obviously the prime-on-res situation. The bike is interstate - has been since before new year - and it just may have been left in PRIME by some unknowing chap (me). I guess I should drain the oil and get some fresh in there but is there anything else I should do?

 

[excellentlunch]

Also, in the perfect situation where all carb floats and valves are operating as they should, can fuel still get into the crankcase via PRIME on a 78 GS550?

Thanks for your help, guys. I'll be making sure there is no fuel in there before I fire her up again.

 

[Guest]

In a system that's operating perfectly, the float valves should stop any fuel passing through the carbs. But it's a 37 year old machine with unknown history, so as you say, best to check the oil.

 

[Rob S.]

Good-looking bike. How many miles (kilos?) on the clock?

PS It's winter, not summer. :biggrin:

Welcome to the site.

 

[jdvorchak]

Always a good idea to get into the habit of shutting off petcock, in this case put in on position , on these old bikes, every time you shut the engine off. My sons never do and every time they ride one of my bikes they make it about half way down the block.....I just laugh..

 

[excellentlunch]

Good-looking bike. How many miles (kilos?) on the clock?

PS It's winter, not summer. :biggrin:

Welcome to the site.

75k kilos on the clock, Rob, which from what I've read means the engine still has some life in it. As far as I know the top-end had some attention by the previous owner, an elderly Honda mechanic who tidied it all up as something to do in retirement.

 

[excellentlunch]

In a system that's operating perfectly, the float valves should stop any fuel passing through the carbs. But it's a 37 year old machine with unknown history, so as you say, best to check the oil.

Cheers Steve. Will do!

 

[excellentlunch]

As I may have previously mentioned, there is some cracking up on the single brake hose from the lever. I will replace this hose before taking it for a roadworthy because I'm sure they wouldn't like the look of it.

I have read a lot across the site about replacing and bleeding brake hoses and it seems straight forward. Any tricks or tips? Also, since I am interstate from the bike and will be ideally getting it tidied up, and registered, in something like a 3 day turn around, I'd like to order extra parts. Any foreseeable parts, apart from hose, needed during the hose swap?

My limited experience with old bikes is once you start taking bits off you almost always find more things to fix.

 

[excellentlunch]

(Not sure if I'm hallucinating, or my settings are wrong but the following that I just posted is showing up as post #5 on this thread, not at the end. So I'm reposting.)

As I may have previously mentioned, there is some cracking up on the single brake hose from the lever. I will replace this hose before taking it for a roadworthy because I'm sure they wouldn't like the look of it.

I have read a lot across the site about replacing and bleeding brake hoses and it seems straight forward. Any tricks or tips? Also, since I am interstate from the bike and will be ideally getting it tidied up, and registered, in something like a 3 day turn around, I'd like to order extra parts. Any foreseeable parts, apart from hose, needed during the hose swap?

My limited experience with old bikes is once you start taking bits off you almost always find more things to fix.

 

[jdvorchak]

Now it's at the bottom... twice...LOL

No problem. Bleeding the brakes is pretty straight forward. Now if the brake fluid looks like Starbucks coffee you have more work to do. If it's just a little dark flushing and fresh fluid is all you need at this time.

Tip? pull the calipers off the mounts and fully compress the pistons. That pushes most of the fluid out of the calipers. Drain the Master Cylinder as much as you can. Plenty of plastic sheet, old shopping bags etc to cover painted parts under the brake hose fittings. Remove and replace the brake lines. Careful not to drip old brake fluid all over the place. I like to have a bunch of plastic bags and rubber bands to cover the MC output and each line you remove. Doesn't matter start at the top or the bottom and pull all lines.

Put the new lines on and re-fit the calipers to the mounts. Plenty of brake cleaner around the calipers making sure you clean the brake dust and crud around the piston prior to compressing them. If you got all of the old fluid out of the MC then you will have to bleed the MC prior to hooking up the brake line. I use my finger/thumb over the output fitting and pump the lever. You will feel vacuum then after a few pumps pressure. Then you know your MC has been bled. Hook up the lines. Keeping the reservoir full with fresh fluid then go to the farthest part from the MC and open that bleed fitting. Personally at this point I'll leave that fitting open a turn or two until I see that gravity has allowed the fluid to drain all the way down and starts to drip out of the bleeder. Tighten that bleeder and open the next closer (if dual pistons). Then just like always pump and hold, release bleeder, tighten bleeder, release lever and repeat. With your calipers fully compressed it will take a few pumps to get the pads back into contact with the rotors. Pretty straight forward process.

 

[terrylee]

The brake light switch is adjustable. loosen screws on bottom and move switch a little one direction or the other, then pull on lever till light comes on when you pull slightly on lever. Repeat till it comes on where it should. Tighten screws back.

 

[excellentlunch]

That's good info, cheers Terry.

I ended up draining the oil and popping new oil in. Couldn't smell any fuel in the old oil but figured I'd change it out anyway.

Brakes are sorted. New lines installed and system bled. The caliper were a bit cruddy but should be good now. Worked on it with my mechanic and happy with how it's turned out.

Bike is stopping and running well. Once registered I will be running it about 750 kilometres over two days - it should prove an interesting shake down for a new to me bike.

 

[excellentlunch]

The brake light switch is adjustable. loosen screws on bottom and move switch a little one direction or the other, then pull on lever till light comes on when you pull slightly on lever. Repeat till it comes on where it should. Tighten screws back.

Cheers Terry. I did note the slots allowed for some sideways movement. I received the part anyway and banged it on and it works a treat. I'll keep the old one as a spare as I think it would work if moved sideways.

 

[excellentlunch]

Special thanks to jdvorchak for that overview of installation of the lines. Reading it in the hindsight of doing the job, it is a clear bit of instructions. Thanks mate!