new poster question: oil filter 85 gs450L

[boathead]

hi all. am a new rider, picking up an 85 gs450L tomorrow. seller says oil hasn't been changed since last fall, so i guess that's my first order of business. question:

can someone tell me a brand name/size oil filter that this bike takes?

my local auto parts dealer only carries fram for motorcycles, so maybe that's what i need.

 

[Guest]

No Suzuki stealerships in your area or bike part shops? Check the yellow pages.

 

[boathead]

no. no suzuki dealer around. there is a bike shop around, but was hoping to avoid them. rather, i figured this being a gs dedicated site, someone might have changed their own oil at some point and know what oil filter to buy.

my local walmart has a bunch of fram filters, but i'd need to know the number to get.

anyone?

 

[BassCliff]

Hee Haw Howdy!

Hee Haw Howdy!

Hi Mr. boathead,

There's an oil change guide on my website with part numbers. I've never used them, but for some reason Fram motorcycle filters are not highly regarded (Fram part# CH6001). They'll be OK until you can order something else. I order Hi-Flo Filtro filters (HF133), or similar, five at a time from Bikebandit.com. With lots more information, here's your mega-welcome! :dancing:

Dear fellow GS rider,

Let it be known that on this day you are cordially and formally welcomed to the GSR Forum as a Junior Member in good standing with all the rights and privileges thereof. Further let it be known that your good standing can be improved with pictures (not you, your bike)!

Perhaps you've already seen these, but I like to remind all the new members. In addition to the carb rebuild series, I recommend visiting the In The Garage section via the GSR Homepage and check out the Stator Papers. There's also a lot of great information in the Old Q&A section. I have some documentation on my little BikeCliff website to help get you familiar with doing routine maintenance tasks (note that it is 850G-specific but many tasks are common to all GS bikes). Other "user contributed" informational sites include those of Mr. bwringer, Mr. tfb and Mr. robertbarr. And if your bike uses shims for valve adjustments, send an email to Mr. Steve requesting a copy of his Excel spreadsheet that helps you keep track of clearances, shim sizes and other service work.

These are some edited quotes from one of our dear beloved gurus, Mr. bwringer, with ideas on basic needs (depending on initial condition), parts, and accessories.
***********Quoted from Mr. bwringer************
Every GS850 (and most other models) has (or had) a set of well-known issues that MUST be addressed before you have a solid baseline for further troubleshooting. It's a vintage bike, and it's quite common (as in, every single GS850 I have had contact with) that there are multiple problems that have crept up and slowly gotten worse over the years. It's not like a newer vehicle, where there's generally one problem at a time.

These common issues are:

1. Intake O-rings (install NEW OEM or Viton only - common nitrile O-rings will quickly deteriorate from heat)
2. Intake Boots (install NEW -- these cannot be repaired)
3. Valve clearances (more important than most people think)
4. Carb/airbox boots
5. Airbox sealing
6. Air filter sealing
7. Petcock (install a NEW one)
8. On '79 models, install new points or Dyna electronic ignition (or at least verify that the old points are working correctly)
9. On all models, it's fairly common to have problems with the spark plug caps. These are $3 or $4 each, and often worth replacing if you're keeping the stock coils/wires.
10. Stock exhaust with NO leaks or holes -- good seals at the head and at the junctions underneath.
***********************************
Carburetor maintenance:

Replace the intake boot o-rings, and possibly the intake boots. Here's the procedure:
http://bwringer.com/gs/intakeorings.html
Here's an overview of what happens with this particular problem:
http://cycleorings.com/intake.html
You'll also want to examine the boots between the carbs and the airbox. There's a good chance these are OK, but check them over.
And finally, if things still aren't exactly right, you'll want to order a set of o-rings for BS carbs from the GS owner's best friend, Robert Barr:
http://cycleorings.com
Once you receive these rare rings of delight, then you'll want to thoroughly clean and rebuild your carburetors. Here are step-by-step instructions that make this simple:
http://thegsresources.com/gs_carbrebuild.htm

***************************************
OEM Parts/Online Fiches:

I would definitely double and triple the recommendations to use Cycle Recycle II and Z1 Enterprises as much as possible. These guys are priceless resources. Z1 tends to have slightly better prices, CRC2 has a wider range of goodies available. If you're near Indy and can bring in an old part to match, CRC2 has a vast inventory of used parts.
http://denniskirk.com - Put in your bike model and see what they have.
http://oldbikebarn.com - seems to be slowly regaining a decent reputation, but it's still caveat emptor. They don't have anything you can't get elsewhere at a better price anyway.
http://www.babbittsonline.com/ - Decent parts prices. Spendy shipping. Don't give you part numbers at all. Useful cross-reference if you obtain a part number elsewhere. Efficient service.
http://bikebandit.com - Fastest. Middlin' prices. Uses their own parts numbering system to obfuscate price comparisons -- can be very confusing for large orders. Cheapest shipping, so total cost usually isn't too bad.
http://flatoutmotorcycles.com - Slow. Cheapest parts prices, crazy shipping costs. Don't expect progress updates or much communication. Real Suzuki part numbers.
http://alpha-sports.com - Exorbitant parts prices. Different type of fiche interface that's quite useful at times, especially with superceded part numbers. Real parts numbers. Shipping cost and speed unknown due to insane, unholy pricing.

Stainless Bolts, Viton o-rings, metric taps, dies, assorted hard-to-find supplies and materials, etc:

http://mcmaster.com - Fast, cheap shipping, good prices. No order minimum, but many items like bolts come in packs of 25 or 50. Excellent resource.
http://motorcycleseatcovers.com - Great quality, perfect fit (on original seat foam), and available for pretty much every bike ever made. Avoid the textured vinyl -- it's perforated.
http://newenough.com - You DO have riding gear, don't you? Great clearances, always outstanding prices and impeccable service.
***************End Quote**********************
Additional parts/info links:

GSR Forum member Mr. duaneage has great used upgraded Honda regulator/rectifiers for our bikes. Send him a PM.
New electrical parts:
http://stores.ebay.com/RMSTATOR or http://www.rmstator.com/
http://www.ricksmotorsportelectrics.com/index.php
http://www.electrosport.com/
For valve cover and breather cover gaskets, I recommend Real Gaskets (reusable silicon):
http://www.realgaskets.com
Carolina Cycle
http://www.carolinacycle.com
Ron Ayers Motorsports
http://www.ronayers.com
MR Cycles
http://www.mrcycles.com
Moto Grid
http://www.motogrid.com
Salvage/Used
http://www.ricepaddymotorcycles.com
http://www.ozpowersports.com/
If all else fails, try this:
http://www.used-motorcycle-parts.org/
Used bike buying checklists:
http://www.amadirectlink.com/roadride/Riderresc/checklist.asp
http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html
Lots of good info/pictures here:
http://www.suzukicycles.org
http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/Motorcycle_Wiki
http://www.bikepics.com
Basic motorcycle maintenance/repair:
http://www.dansmc.com/mc_repaircourse.htm
Online Clymer manuals:
http://search.ebscohost.com/ Click on "Small Engine Repair" then "Motorcycles". User=library, password=library. Note: This link may not work if you are on a school campus.

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed of your progress. There's lots of good folk with good experience here.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
(The unofficial GSR greeter)

 

[boathead]

thank you! yes, i've heard fram filters are not highly regarded, but i need something to at least get me going until i figure my way. thanks so much.

 

[BassCliff]

no. no suzuki dealer around. there is a bike shop around, but was hoping to avoid them. rather, i figured this being a gs dedicated site, someone might have changed their own oil at some point and know what oil filter to buy.

my local walmart has a bunch of fram filters, but i'd need to know the number to get.

anyone?

Hi Mr. boathead,

An owner's manual and a service manual can be very, very useful. I urge you to obtain these items at your earliest convenience. Try alpha-sports.com for a Suzuki manual (Part# 99500-34025-03E) and clymer.com for a third-party manual. I have both a Clymer manual and a Suzuki Shop manual for my bike. They are invaluable resources. Haynes also publishes manuals for our bikes.
Click here to check out the Clymer manual at Z1 Enterprises.
Click here to check out the Emgo oil filter at Z1 Enterprises.

I also encourage you to get familiar with the parts menus and parts fiches at our favorite online vendors (listed above). You could save some time by looking up easily obtained information yourself.

Keep us informed. And don't forget pictures.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[bwringer]

The Fram filter number for most GS models (with the three-lobed o-ring) is CH6000, not CH6001. Advance auto parts usually has these, but not Autozone.

You can also get a nicer quality filter at any Napa auto parts store -- it's a PS4931, and it's made by Wix. I usually order these four at a time, since they often only have one or none in stock.

For some reason, the Napa goons often seem baffled when I simply ask for the part number, so you sometimes have to let them look it up by motorcycle model. Then, they say "Oh, PS4931" and proceed normally. I have no idea why.

 

[BassCliff]

Where's my editor?

Where's my editor?

The Fram filter number for most GS models (with the three-lobed o-ring) is CH6000, not CH6001. Advance auto parts usually has these, but not Autozone.

That's a big "Oops!" for me. I just verified the part number at fram.com. Thanks Mr. bwringer. I'll update the info on my little oil change guide.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[spots25]

normally I don't like Fram filters, but I do like them for motorcycles, mainly because they come with new o-ring gaskets, whereas OE or other filters don't

 

[NetBSD]

well if yiou need a filter and no dealers around, Advanced Auto actually has them or can order them if you have them anywhere close to you

 

[IluvmyGS]

I went to schucks, Napa last week to look for my GS650GL oil filter. None of them have this filter in stock or any DCs near by. So, they told me that I need to special order it. I live in Seattle, WA.

I guess I will have to visit bike bandit to order it.

 

[bdub416]

I would recommend getting an OEM one from bikebandit, probably the most hassle free way to go. I usually just order 2 or 3 to rationalize the shipping cost. You could probably get 2 for around $12, including shipping.

If you have never been to bikebandit just follow the prompts for 'OEM' to find your exact bike (yes, model is important) ... and you'll come across over 50 schematics that should be very useful for you in the future.

Regards,
bw

 

[bwringer]

I went to schucks, Napa last week to look for my GS650GL oil filter. None of them have this filter in stock or any DCs near by. So, they told me that I need to special order it. I live in Seattle, WA.

I guess I will have to visit bike bandit to order it.

Just make the Napa goons order several for you. No shipping costs, and you'll get them in a day or two.

The Napa filter also comes with a nice quality o-ring.

I have a drawer full of Fram o-rings, and they're junk -- several different thicknesses, like they couldn't decide or something. I usually just use an OEM o-ring and change it once a year in the spring.

I'll use the Fram filters if I have to, since the effectiveness of the filter doesn't matter much when you have to change the oil every 2,000 miles anyway. I haven't seen one collapse or fall apart. But I prefer to use OEM or Napa filters.

HiFloFiltro also makes a decent filter, and some shops sell K&N oil filters for twice the money just because they're pink.

I find it extremely hard to believe there's not a Suzuki GS oil filter anywhere in Seattle -- even the most arrogant "we hate old bikes" Suzuki dealers always have a couple of oil filters around because it's still used in a current model, the GS500.

 

[boathead]

you guys are the best. i got the bike today, and it has a few cosmetic issues that i'll need to eventually address, but nothing that must be done.

it's got a taped up seat. i'll try putting on a new seat cover this winter.

it does need new handlebar grips. are these fairly easy to put on?