I am new to the forum and have learned a bunch already but couldn't find anything quite like what I am experiencing. I am really happy to have purchased a 1983 GS1100E and an ES this month. I have wanted an ES since I rode one a few times back in 1983.
The red E runs beautifully and just need front fork seals. The ES however has some plain weird behavior. The carbs were rebuilt a year ago--the PO had a mechanic do the work but unfortunately, based on what I have read on one of the links here, he did use the rebuild kits. When I first started the bike, it idled very rough (so rough the clutch basket rattled like it was loose) and it would just bog and die when I twisted the throttle. It required a lot of choke to run at all. When I tried to ride it I could feel it was down a cylinder so I parked it and pulled the carbs. The carbs were very clean and I could see the parts from the rebuild kit inside. (How do they expect those little screens about the float valve to stay on? I found a couple had just fallen off. Terrible design). I did have to adjust the float height so I was hoping that was the problem. I got the o ring kits from Robert Barr and replaced them. They were pretty dried up. Re installed the carbs and it did exactly the same thing. Next I adjusted the valves. No change in behavior.
Especially weird part: I checked the compression and number three was down to 80. I wasn't surprised since it seemed to be down a cylinder when I tried to ride it. The others were 150. So I put some oil in #3 to do a wet test and it came up to 150. Crap, I figured I would have to tear the engine down. I talked to a local shop and the guy told me not to be so quick to tear it down. Maybe a ring was stuck and the wet test broke it loose so go home and try to start it again (which I hadn't done since the wet test). So I went home and started it and no change. Disappointed, I went in the house for a couple hours and thought about a plan of action. I went back out and tried it again and it started right up and ran smoothly. I drove it around the neighborhood and was elated that I had such great luck. A couple hours later I started it again and again it was smooth. I pulled it around to the front of the house to show it to the neighbor and turned it off. When I turned it back on it was back to running like crap again as though nothing had changed at all.
When it ran smoothly, I thought it was the compression issue being resolved. But now that it is running poorly again, it seems like it must be a carb issue. But what would affect the flow to all carbs equally--essentially turning on and off like that--not having changed anything in-between good and bad behavior?
The red E runs beautifully and just need front fork seals. The ES however has some plain weird behavior. The carbs were rebuilt a year ago--the PO had a mechanic do the work but unfortunately, based on what I have read on one of the links here, he did use the rebuild kits. When I first started the bike, it idled very rough (so rough the clutch basket rattled like it was loose) and it would just bog and die when I twisted the throttle. It required a lot of choke to run at all. When I tried to ride it I could feel it was down a cylinder so I parked it and pulled the carbs. The carbs were very clean and I could see the parts from the rebuild kit inside. (How do they expect those little screens about the float valve to stay on? I found a couple had just fallen off. Terrible design). I did have to adjust the float height so I was hoping that was the problem. I got the o ring kits from Robert Barr and replaced them. They were pretty dried up. Re installed the carbs and it did exactly the same thing. Next I adjusted the valves. No change in behavior.
Especially weird part: I checked the compression and number three was down to 80. I wasn't surprised since it seemed to be down a cylinder when I tried to ride it. The others were 150. So I put some oil in #3 to do a wet test and it came up to 150. Crap, I figured I would have to tear the engine down. I talked to a local shop and the guy told me not to be so quick to tear it down. Maybe a ring was stuck and the wet test broke it loose so go home and try to start it again (which I hadn't done since the wet test). So I went home and started it and no change. Disappointed, I went in the house for a couple hours and thought about a plan of action. I went back out and tried it again and it started right up and ran smoothly. I drove it around the neighborhood and was elated that I had such great luck. A couple hours later I started it again and again it was smooth. I pulled it around to the front of the house to show it to the neighbor and turned it off. When I turned it back on it was back to running like crap again as though nothing had changed at all.
When it ran smoothly, I thought it was the compression issue being resolved. But now that it is running poorly again, it seems like it must be a carb issue. But what would affect the flow to all carbs equally--essentially turning on and off like that--not having changed anything in-between good and bad behavior?
