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Page last modified: 08/22/08 EngineNote: Email addresses and links listed in this Q&A section may no longer be valid!
DATE: February 20, 2000 Hi, I have a GS850GN 79, which I opened this winter, as it leaked a bit between cylinder and top - I can see from the site that this has been seen before... Despite having run 85.000km, everything looks fine. Questions: Should I change the piston rings and have the cylinder honed while I am there?. How will it react if I only change the rings without honing it?. I also measured the camchain and it is also ok. Should this be changed anyway as a precaution ? (I have decided to change the chain guide and tensioner) brgds. joergen, Denmark RIDER: joergen olsen REPLY: Angelos Misiriotis 1. Camchain. 2. Camchain sliders. 3. Cylinder diameter. (if it is over service limit you should rebore and install new, ovesized pistons) 4. Pistons, piston rings and piston bearings. In any case it is better to install new piston rings, othewise you will loose compression. 5. Valve guides. 6. Camshaft bearings. 7. When puting back the head, tight the nuts following rigourosly the manual instructions. Check torque on head nuts after 1000 Km. If you dont do that, you will end up with another oil leak. If you value your money more then your time, you can try not to install new piston rings. I have done this myself when I was young and careless (and did not have much money). It worked fine, but I would not suggest it to anyone else. Cheers, Angelos. DATE: January 29, 2000 I want to rebuild a motor that has spun a main bearing. I have gone to my dealer looking for oversized bearings and they claim none exist. Is it true that no OS main bearings are commercially available? If not, what should I do? RIDER: Carl Strong REPLY: Darren Nottle DATE: December 12, 1999 Can you please tell me the Inlet and Exhaust clearances and whether I am going to encounter "shimmed or Locknut" type adjustments? Many Thanks!I believe the bike was a 78/79 manufacture but registered 82 (American Import) RIDER: Dave Stenson REPLY: John G. Bloemer DATE: December 12, 1999 My bike was manufactured Feb. 1982. How can I tell if it has a welded crank? RIDER: David S. Corwin REPLY: Scott Horner DATE: December 12, 1999 I'm thinking about installing a set of Cam Motion cams in my bike. The grind is a .320ish lift with 295 degrees of duration @ .006 in. of lift. Lobe centers are at 110 degrees. My main question is this: What are the recommended settings for max torque that will start @ about 3500 rpm? This is for a street bike that will not see any higher than 8500 rpm. Anybody have any experience with these cams or megacycle cams of a similar grind? Thanks for your help!! RIDER: Chris Marciniak REPLY: Scott Horner DATE: November 27, 1999 I have a 1982 GS1100G frame with a 1981 GS1100 engine in it, I was told by the previous owner that I had 1150 cams in it. He also said because it had those cams that it could handle 11500 rpm shifts is this true? Any info on this motor would be appreciated. RIDER: Mike Longstreet REPLY: Sandra Whitney DATE: November 7, 1999 QUESTION: Smoke, lots of it! - 1979 GS1000s When I start my bike from cold, it smokes a lot. It starts first time off the button, but people joke about it being a two stroke, or b-b-q! It takes a few seconds for the smoke to start, and it stays that way until it's warmed up. Any suggestions? I changed the valve seals to try and cure it, the bores looked ok, but there was a bit of play in the valves/guides. If this is the problem, is a second hand head a better option than new valves/guides- and any idea on cost? Or should I start it round the corner, and keep buying oil! It still pulls like a train! RIDER: Chris Kirk REPLY: Scott Horner DATE: November 7, 1999 I just bought my 86 GS1150E, and the guy who sold it to me mentioned that the crank can not be replaced due to the fact that the cases are machined to match the crank, or vice versa. He didn't get very specific. I've seen messages here that mention crank replacement, so I'm curious as to just what he was talking about. Thanks. RIDER: John Broderick REPLY: Scott Horner DATE: September 18, 1999 I recently purchased a 1980 GS1100ET with 9500 miles on it and a custom paint job (gray with black flames). It has 4 K&N filters, a stage 3 DynoJet kit and a Vance and Hines Supersport Pipe. I believe the rest of the bike is stock. It's a real head turner - I should send in a picture once the seat is re-upholstered. The problem I am having is with the oil light. As the engine idles down (about 1200 RPM) when it is hot, say after an extended highway run, the oil light will flicker on and off. The rest of the dash panel will also flicker on and off with the oil light. I can also make the oil light come on when I accelerate hard. The light will never come on at speeds over 1500 RPM except for under hard acceleration (read full throttle from a rolling start or a dead stop). The engine seems real sound and I don't hear any abnormal noise. There is the "GS cam knock" that I have heard of, but nothing else. I have noticed that the V&H pipe is actually touching the bottom of the oil pan in a few places. Could this be the cause of my low oil pressure - the oil is getting overheated in the pan by the pipe? The Clymer manual gives a specification of 1.5 - 7.5 PSI at 3000 RPM. Could I be at the low end of this range and be having problems at low RPM's? I am currently running Castrol GTX 20W50. Would I be better off to go to Mobil 1? I did have a CB750 slip a clutch after switching to synthetic. Is this a problem with a GS1100ET? Thanks for your help. RIDER: Dave Bock REPLY: Frank Perreault DATE: September 18, 1999 I looked at a GS1150 today, a grand old road burner with the BIG ENGINE!!!! It does need some work but every thing looks straight forward except for one thing. It had been sitting for three years so to get it started I added fuel, removed the filter, squirted starter fluid down the inlet of the air box, flipped on the choke and laid on the starter. It finally started and was a little rough, barely idling which was expected. What surprised me though was that after a minute or so, oil started to flow (splash) out of the airbox mouth, coming from the breather line that attaches to the top of the cylinder head. Is an internal valve in the head stuck causing this overflow? The oil was also very thin. Was it too thin for the mesh breather to separate? Could it have been too high of an oil level? I expected rough running and no idle, but what else besides carbs getting gummed up could cause problems with a sitting motor? RIDER: Craig Egan REPLY: Scott Horner DATE: September 18, 1999 I have a 1878 Gs1000 motor that needs new rings. I have heard that I can install stock 1100 pistons as a big bore kit. I would like to know if anyone has done this and what model the 1100 pistons came from. I have also found a 2 valve head marked (in felt)GS1100 in a salvage shop, this head has larger valves than my stock 1000 head and also has 36 mm inlet and exhaust manifolds (my stock is around 28mm I can't remember exactly ). I have heard that a 2 valve 1100 shaft drive touring model was offered, could this be the head from a shafty. Does any one have any suggestions or thoughts on the above ramblings? ( I found the engine and the head in Canada if that rings any bells) thanks in advance. RIDER: Jordan Rodier REPLY: Joe Lanfrankie The head might not bolt onto the stock bores because the larger valves could whack the edge of the bore as it opens. If you open it out to the 1100 diameter this should be no problem. A friend has one of these bikes (for a photo see http://www.ncia.com/~hkp/wl/cts99/cts99-3.htm labeled "Old Faithful") and as far as I can tell the upper ends are externally identical. Does the salvage shop have the rest of the motor? One of the pistons would be most useful while you figure out if it will work. This has the potential to either work well or be a disaster, depending on how you attend to the details. If you choose to pursue this please let us know how it works out. DATE: September 8, 1999 Are there any special tricks to removing the cylinder block? I have removed the cylinder head and cannot remove the block. I have beat the tar out of it with a rubber mallet and it still won't budge. I noticed that two of the four studs (between cylinders 2&3) that screw into the lower casing are rusted from about halfway, down to the case. Could this have seized the head not allowing me to remove it? I tried slipping a screw driver between the head and case in an attempt to separate them but there just wasn't enough space. Any suggestions? RIDER: Joe Zysek REPLY: Malcolm Evans DATE: September 8, 1999 I am looking for considerable more power from my cycle. I was looking at several larger bikes that would have more stock power to them than mine but they would only serve to triple or more my existing insurance rates. Thus I am looking into upgrading the one I have so I can stay at a reasonable rate. Ideas so far are fitting a 750 top end on, with a basic port job which I believe I am capable of along with filter pods and possibly smoothbores. Of course, it would be of much help if I new that the 750 top end would bolt onto the 550 bottom end RIDER: Robert Kay REPLY: Malcolm Evans DATE: November 1, 1998 I have a 1982 GS1100G that exhibits a "knocking" noise in the top end at speeds above 50mph. If it were a 1939 Plymouth (I had one), I would swear it was a connecting rod. The local Suzuki dealer advises it was a common problem with this engine and the noise is made by the cam(s) moving back and forth on the shaft. He thought there used to be a shim set available to correct the problem but couldn't find one in the fiche. Are you or any of the other editors familiar with this problem and a remedy? I love the bike and am determined to keep it, even if it means installing new cams (assuming they are available). RIDER: Tom Sayles REPLY: Malcolm Evans This is known as cam end float and is as your dealer describes, the cams are simply moving about due to low tolerance factory machining of the plain bearing shells holding the cams down. This can be cured by around £500 ($1000??) of precision machining, but all that does is cure the noise which is benign anyway. If it is a real major knock, then check the tightness of the
bolts holding the cam bearing shells down - one may be loose or have
have sheared off - on my '81 GS 850 this once happened with TWO
shearing off, the knocking you wouldn't believe but I rode home from
a rally with it, 50 miles, with no ill effects on the cams on
stripdown. I have a 1979 GS850 which also has the problem. It may be benign, but it is irritating as hell! The clanking at times is very loud and I can even feel it in the handlebars. It does seem to be coming from the exhaust cam area near cylinder 1 and 2. My question is this: Assuming it is cam end float, what part of the cam is hitting what part of the head? What machining is done to cure the problem? I've lived with this problem for at least 15 years and I can confirm that the noise never occurs when the engine is full cold or full hot--only when it's somewhere in between. So obviously it's expansion related! Before I had ever seen the GS Resources web site, I had decided that the noise was either camshaft related or perhaps a wrist pin knock. I thought that perhaps I'd cracked a piston pin boss. The piston would get hot and expand long before the wrist pin would, causing excess clearance between the wrist pin and the piston with the resulting knock until the temperature of the wrist pin rose enough to close up the clearance. Any comment on this scenario? I think I'd feel more comfortable with the cam end float diagnosis, but what evidence is there that end float is really the problem? Also, how is it cured by machining the cam bearings? Many thanks for any answers you can provide. DATE: September 6, 1999 I bought a 1980 gs450s from a family member for $50.00 The bike hadn't been ridden for at lease seven years before I bought it. I knew that he thought the engine was locked up, but I decided to take a risk on it. When I got the engine out and disassembled it, I discovered that one of the cam gear bolds had broken off and fell in the timing chain. Which in turn jumped the timing and made the valves slam into the pistons. Now I have no experience working on motorcycle engines. I've tried to reset the timing chain, but I can't seem to get it right. My question is what do I need to have replaced, or fixed. and how much do you think it will cost me to have a running engine? Thank you for your time and help RIDER: Christopher David Harris REPLY: Frank Perreault DATE: August 21, 1999 My problem is I have a loud whirring noise in my engine. It runs perfect but started making this noise about 300 miles after installing new clutch plates and a detent spring for crisper shifts. Clutch is working perfectly. I've taken the entire clutch basket to a local dealer and their head mechanic says it's fine. There are no knocks or any other noises but I am getting a small amount of what I believe are aluminum shavings under the clutch. I've pulled the rotor assembly and starter clutch on the other side to make sure the 3 Allen head bolts on the back of the starter clutch have not come loose, but now I'm at a stand still. The bike has 19k miles on it and I ride it hard but completely service it every 1,200 miles or so. I would appreciate any thoughts. RIDER: Matt Burgess REPLY: Jan Burke Perhaps you can put the bike on the side stand and let the engine run for a short time (watch the oil pressure indicator!) with open clutch cover and see what the clutch is doing? (Put off bracelets, tie your hair, etc.) Good luck; let me know if you solve your problem. DATE: August 21, 1999 I have a GS 1000 and just recently put the 100.000th km on it (HONK! CHEERS!); it runs quite fine still, but there is one thing I am a bit anxious about: At very low revs (1000 rpm or so) the engine rattles a lot, which disappears instantly as the revs rise; so I have adjusted the idle rpm to 1500 now. Does anyone out there know what that is? Bearings, pistons, sudden death in sight? Please drop me a note. RIDER: Jan Burke REPLY: Joe Amidon The Remote Diagnosis Award goes to Scott Horner (and to many others; I really received a lot of suggestions - thank you all!!!). By simply pulling the clutch lever one can make the noise disappear. When recently the clutch started slipping at high revs, I disassembled it completely to look after its general condition, besides replacing the disks and the pressure springs. Indeed I found that the three weaker springs in the basket are worn and rattle around; also, the stronger ones must have lost strength, or is it normal that the springs allow me to rotate the back and front part of the basket against each other by hand?? The rivets appear to be in good shape though (as they should, since according to the previous owner, the basket has now only 30,000 km on it). The Suzuki manual's advice reads quite funny: "Due to the strong engine, the clutch is subjected to extreme loads. Check the condition of the basket and replace if too badly worn." Why then do they install a part that they know does not last long? I re-fitted the basket without doing anything about it and will check it every year or so. This, however, brings me to another question about the GS 1000 drive train: The steel spline of the driven shaft has already started eating its way through the aluminum spline of the clutch basket sitting on it; currently it is less than 1 mm, but I expect it to get worse at increasing rate. (No, I'm NOT doing any wheelies, hardly ever squeeze the full 90 hp out of the engine - even here in Germany, we have few Porsches with real grunt -, and am used to releasing the clutch gently.) Yet even though I have fastened the basket's nut with the maximum torque of 70 Nm, I do not think this stops the hub from being kicked back and forth on the shaft, especially with those worn damper springs. (Via the primary gear ratio, the engine should hammer the clutch with some 160 Nm of torque, right?) One not-so-fine day the engine will destroy that basket and spin freely without the bike moving (or before, there will be unpleasant jerking from the drive train despite correct chain tension). In the "Drive train" section I read about fixes for that: baskets with steel insert, H.D. (is that Heavy Duty xor Harley Davidson?) back plates, etc. I had thought of having a steel insert made and fitted by an expert. Or maybe getting a racing clutch somewhere? Any other suggestions (and note that I live in Germany)? What is APE and Falicon? Offers welcome. Thank you in advance. DATE: August 21, 1999 I'm stumped. I've had this GS since 1987, and she's always been a rock solid performer. About 2 years ago I bought a VS1400 and took Suzi down (the GS off of the road) to rebuild brakes, replace stem bearings and replace the exhaust. Domestic problems forced me to move 3 times in the past 2 years, but I'll make this short. The brakes were no problem. The stem bearing s were no problem. #3 outer header bolt snapped when I was removing the headers, and Suzi sat for at least 9 months before I had the chance to do anything about that. I ended up removing the engine, draining the oil, and rolling the mill upside down on its head and back of the case. Then I was able to get at the broken bolt, but I had to get a Timecert (sp?) put in #3 outer bolt bore. I got the mill back in and made sure that the wiring was square. Adjusted the clutch too. Rejetted for altitude while I was at it. The engine turns over but sounds like there is NO compression. Obviously, Suzi won't start. Cold/dry comp test give 1-4 as 15, 25, 75, 30. Haven't done cold/wet yet. 4 years ago the same cold/dry gave 1-4 as 130, 125, 130, 135. She was running fine, albeit way rich, 2 years ago. Do I have carbon seized rings? Would sitting for 2 years cause rusted rings? I'm in CO, BTW. Cams turn and valves operate within spec. Found rust on the intake lobes, tho. I've applied penetrating oil to all the bores, haven't checked it in 4 days. Also, the kick lever isn't engaging. Too tight on the clutch adjust? BTW, the bike was moved from MD to CO in 1996, hence the rejet. What do any of you think? I love Suzi, won't let her go. RIDER: Eric Hess REPLY: Frank Perreault You might want to loosen up the clutch cable adjustment too. DATE: August 21, 1999 What's the normal operating oil temp? I just got a GS1100E and it cruises with a temp of around 250, that seems high to me. Has anyone fit an oil cooler? If so how much of a temperature drop was there? RIDER: Bill Patten REPLY: Frank Perreault I can't tell you how much it drops the temp but I can tell you
that I don't break down the oil anymore due to heat. Another theory is that the new fairing is providing more air
to the engine. These things run hot and part of it is the lean
jetting. Mine carburates beautifully stock and all my attempts to
richen it end up sending me back to the stock jets. The plugs say
lean but the bike runs spot on, so I settled for a cold plugs (9's)
and one size bigger on the mains (112.5's) and synthetic oil
(happier in the heat IMHO). If there's a rpm/speed/throttle setting
that you notice the temp gauge really start to climb you might try
to richen that area up with a jet change. Mine was in the main
range, which on these bikes is really flyin', 3-4 main sizes up
probably would work but it's not often I cruise at 100+ so I
compromised at one size up because I also enjoy getting 200 mile out
of a tank. Shimming the needles a hair proved to be too much and 1
size bigger pilots made the bottom end blubbery and load up at long
idles. DATE: August 8, 1999 I have bought an 83' motor for my 81 GS1100 that apparently has been built. As I was checking out the cylinder stamp (what size cm3) it says 1135 cm3. On my old motor it says 1075 cm3. Did Suzuki make a larger set of cylinders for these bikes. RIDER: Rob O'Halloran REPLY: Scott Horner Here are a few numbers if you pop the head off in the future. 1168cc kit 75mm/2.953", 1198cc 76mm/2.992". From most piston manufacturers, a flat top piston will be 10.25-10.50:1, anything with a dome will be 13.5:1 compression ratio. Good luck! DATE: July 31, 1999 The engine of my -79 GS850 sometimes makes a hard metallic kind of knocking sound while idling. If I raise the engine revolutions to approx. 1300 rpm the sound is gone. It seems to have its origins somewhere in the region of the exhaust valves/camshaft. I've changed the oil and the valve clearances are within their limits. Could it be that the timing chain is a bit worn, or the wrong tension? Is it possible to readjust the tensioner? I've thought about raising the idle to 1300 rpm just to get rid of the noise, that, however, doesn't seem as a solution of the problem at hand. Just a mere way of keeping my heartbeats at a normal rate. Spring is coming to our cold country (Sweden) so I'm very eager to here from you pros. Hope you don't find my spelling too awkward. I'd like to post a thanks in advance !! Keep on riding!! RIDER: Jonas Andersson REPLY: Malcolm Evans DATE: July 31, 1999 My question is similar to others but goes farther. I bought a 1980 gs1100e off the original owner w/ 20,000 miles. The bike had never had a valve job and had original head gasket. The valves were done by a Suzuki shop w/ new gasket installed. About 400 miles of riding and the gasket worked its way out in the center of the motor above tachometer cable. Oil started leaking badly. Suzuki warranted the job and a new gasket was installed. About 400 miles later, same problem, exact same location. No other gasket leaks. Dealer said two things. First off that an additional bolt was added to later models in this locale to hold in gasket, secondly my head cover H-cover they called it was warped. I removed an oil cooler which was always on the bike and it was set up w/ saddlebag, windjammer, and hard case, by older original owner. The cooler kept it cool he did not beat on bike, in perfect shape, original chain not even stretched badly. I've never had the engine to redline and don't see how it could be a warped cover. Sorry for the length but I really need a good opinion before I give them money to replace cover. Are they doing it wrong or could they be telling me the truth. I love the bike and just want it to be right. It now has 22,000 miles. RIDER: Pat Richardson REPLY: Joe Amidon DATE: July 31, 1999 I noticed leak on cylinder gasket (the lowest one) and I believe that opening the engine and changing all needed gaskets would result oil consumption because of spin of piston gaskets when opened. I also plan a long holiday trip and leakage occurs only when oil level is close to F. When level is in the middle between F and L then there is no leakage. Bike has 48000 km on and oil consumption is very little. Should I open it and change gasket or just take a 5000 km trip? RIDER: Slobodan Simic REPLY: Malcolm Evans What I did was caulk the bottom of the cylinder liberally with silicone, and it appears to have stopped the leak. I don't know if it will keep for 2,000 miles, but I'm going to try and am taking plenty of silicone with me. I plan to tear the thing apart this winter. DATE: June 18, 1999 The rotor has spun off the taper fit on the end of the crank and rattles. what is the fix? Does the crank need to be rebuilt, does it need to be keyed? Who does this kind of work in the Michigan area? Any information would be greatly appreciated. The Zuker will rise again!!! RIDER: Steve Laity REPLY: Scott Horner DATE: June 18, 1999 I have a 1979 GS1000L that I have a question about. I recently installed a Dyna S electric ignition and have been having problems since. The bike is harder to start and there is excessive engine noise as I try to start it. There is a spark in all 4 plugs but it seems quite weak and as the engine turns over trying to start the is a horrible clanking noise that seems to come from the left hand side of the engine. Any ideas on what's wrong and how to remedy it would be greatly appreciated. RIDER: Curtis James Smolen REPLY: Scott Horner DATE: June 18, 1999 Has anyone experienced a major oil leak, it appears to be coming from the alternator casing. There is a large amount of oil coming from what looks like the alternator casing and from inside the starter. I pulled off the casing covering the primary sprocket/shifter and noticed that it was coming from two places, one from a hole (a vent hole) where he starter goes into the stator housing. Where is it really coming from and what is needed to correct this problem ? Is this a main seal gone bad? The bike only does this when it has warmed up. Any help would be appreciated, as at present the only manual I have is an aftermarket one that doesn't show much and the local mechanic has no clue, due o the fact he has never worked on a Suzuki GS 1100. RIDER: Bill Surgenor REPLY: Scott Horner DATE: June 18, 1999 Hi guys great site! I replaced the head gasket on my gs750e the other day because it was leaking badly and running worse than usual. after putting it back together I did a compression test and found readings between 30-60 PSI according to the book that's way too low It still runs but wont idle and has almost no get up an go. should I be looking at piston rings or a valve problem I think I got the cam timing correct ( I did what the shop manual told me) any help would be appreciated. (oh and I noticed alot of blue smoke from cyl #1 but that was not the cyl with the lowest compression) RIDER: Terry Duchene REPLY: Frank Perreault DATE: May 21, 1999 I need to know if an GS110GK engine will fit into my 850L frame and if yes do I need any thing else like swing arm, shaft etc..? RIDER: Bart Reevie REPLY: Malcolm Evans DATE: May 21, 1999 My GS850G has 98000 miles. Original set of rings and cam chain though the engine gaskets were replaced 20000 ago The engine oil is making its way into the middle gear compartment. I discovered this looking for the source of a persistent oil leak. The oil fills the compartment and oozes out under the cap. The middle gear is obviously not getting the viscosity of lubricant recommended. But the leak is several years old, and there is no noticeable effect on the drive train. I use Mobil 1 20W50 oil. I do not drop clutch, ride two-up or ride mountains often. That may explain why I have not had to deal with middle gear problems so far. It does me great psychological harm to wipe $4/quart oil off the side of my motorcycle. My questions are these: Am I right in assuming that the this would not be a minor repair? If so, what other parts would it be prudent to replace while I am at it? My other choice is to cut some gaskets for the middle gear openings and try to keep the engine oil sealed in. Given my conservative riding style, something else on the bike may be more likely to break before the middle gear starts giving a problem. Any comments on the above would be greatly appreciated. RIDER: Don Pepe REPLY: Malcolm Evans Since the shaft drive runs hypoid gear oil this has bad ramifications for both engine and shaft drive (BTW you should be using 10W 40.....) and if this is so, or if oil is leaking from the engine into somewhere there shouldn't be oil then the seal needs replacing which is full engine strip and split the crankcases unfortunately. On a 100K bike this is a good time to check everything....... Hope this hits the mark somewhere.. DATE: May 21, 1999 GS 850 big end bearing failure The most left big end bearing of my gs 850 '79 is broken. What is the best thing to do (mechanically and financially): replace the bearing or look for another second hand crank. Which crankshafts could I use? Does the gs1000 shaft fit? RIDER: Arthur Aalsma REPLY: Malcolm Evans DATE: May 21, 1999 My timing chain tensioner leaks. Is there any trick to disassembly without springs flying out and losing parts? How difficult is re-assembly? RIDER: Gary Angelone REPLY: Frank Perreault DATE: May 21, 1999 I have a oil leak at the bottom of oil filter cover. When I changed oil and filter the previous time I used a little grease to hold the gasket in place. Could the filter cover have a slight warp or crack that i didn't notice? I am using Fram CH 6000 filters. Should I use a little bit of silicone with the gasket to help seal the area or try to purchase a new cover? You have a really great site with lots of useful information. Thanks in advance, Tim RIDER: Tim Coan REPLY: Frank Perreault It is possible to pinch a new O-ring when installing it, which most likely would cause a leak. The surface of the cover may also have a burr on it, or may no longer be flat (warped). Warpage can be caused by a burr or foreign object under the cover when tightened, or not tightening the nuts to the proper (equal) torque. To rid the cover of burrs or slight warpage it is possible to "lap" it on a piece of window glass with fine valve grinding compound. 400-600 grit "sand paper" could also be used to start, and finish with fine valve grinding compound. Window glass is pretty flat, but it will need to be supported while lapping. I use my kitchen table for supporting the glass. A Formica counter top would also work. Don't push too hard, the weight of the cover, your hand and arm is all you need. Pushing too hard will "flex" the glass and may even crack it. Also use a figure-8 pattern when lapping, and turn the piece often to get an even cut. Do NOT use a glass table top or a mirror that you intend to use again because the valve grinding/lapping compound will scratch the glass very badly. Be sure to clean all the compound off the cover before reinstalling it because the compound will also grind-up the inside of your engine. Also check the surface on the engine for dings/burrs. These
can be CAREFULLY removed with a fine file about 3/4 inch wide. Use
the full width of the file to ensure "flatness" is
maintained where the burr/ding was. DATE: April 23, 1999 Can ignition timing be changed? RIDER: George S. Butler REPLY: Zack Schultz DATE: March 28, 1999 A couple of days ago I noticed some oil seeping out near the cylinder head bolt. Is it a blown cylinder head gasket? My mechanic recommends that I replace all the cylinder rings and bore my block since I have to replace the gasket. My question is: 1.How soon do I need to fix it? This is coz' I am planning on a 400 mile trip soon and was wondering can I get it done after that. 2.Do I really need to fix it as the guy said it would cost quite a bit of money...(which I am rather short off now) This is my first bike and I love it. RIDER: Benjamin Goh REPLY: Frank Perreault Suzuki uses metal gaskets between the heads and cylinders so unless the bike has been seriously abused the gaskets should reseal for you. Make sure you use a torque wrench and follow the proper torquing sequence or else all bets are off. DATE: February 28, 1999 There I was, riding home from a New Years party, and my bike shat its self. I was sitting on 120 KPH coming down a hill and the bike jumped out of 5th gear, and into a false neutral (the instruments indicated it was in 4th). I stopped straight away. I hitched home, got a trailer and took it back, now I've got to fix it, on one hell of a tiny budget (I'm a student). The symptoms are: -The gears are extremely hard to change. -I can't seem to find neutral, but with the engine running in 1st gear and the clutch in it seems to run fine, with the exception of a clanking noise. -If the clutch is slowly released the clanking gets worse and the gear lever jumps around a bit . -Sometimes the clutch can be released completely but most of the time, just after the clutch has started to grab I can here an unpleasant grinding noise. Needless to say, I didn't listen to that too long. -The clanking seems to be emitting from the clutch housing, which I took off and quickly inspected it, everything seems fine, with the exception of a few metal flakes laying around. God know how much came out with the oil. I would be very grateful for any help on the matter. I'm intending on doing as much of the work on it as I can, to save money. Ironically, I was about to put the bike on the market due to lack of money :-( RIDER: Warren Butler REPLY: Frank Perreault About 1000km latter the bearing fell out again, this time causing a little more damage. When I went to order the new parts I found that there was supposed to be a key that held the bearing in place, so I'm now taking the engine apart to put it in. I was just wondering, while I have the engine apart, is there anything specific I should check or replace. PS, I've decided to keep the bike. Hopefully this won't end up being an expensive fix. Best of luck! DATE: February 9, 1999 I have been a long time fan of your site and you have helped me in the past, but alas the gremlins come again. (I don't know if you remember, but I'm the guy whose bike got run over by the dump truck a couple of months back.) Anyways, I have a 1981 GS650E with 30k on it and I am having carb problems. It all started when I put #100 jets in the carbs to beef them up a little and to account for the rusted out exhaust. That worked until the weather started to cool off and then all of the plugs started to get bleak. I put on the stock #97.5 jets back in and everything was okay. . . for awhile. Then the bike really started to run bad and I realized that they needed a synchronization and I also set the mixture screws to 1.5 turns. That worked until I realized that I didn't tighten the locknuts on the syncronyzer adjusters. After doing that, it ran okay. . . for awhile. Then the #1 plug started to get black and the #2 plug started to get wet (with gas). I don't know if it is winter setting in and I need to readjust everything again, or what. Please help me figure this out. Riding the bus to class is really cramping my style! RIDER: Tom Minton REPLY: Willie Rowe DATE: February 9, 1999 I am re-building a GS 550 engine and want to fit a kick starter assembly now that it did not have before. Everything works fine so far, except one thing: what spring do I need? I have one that does not reach all the way through the hole in the housing right under the shaft, so I doubt I have the right spring or know the right place. My dealer cannot help and the Suzuki GS 550 manual has a photo of the GS 750, nice trick! Where is the spring anchored? For now I chose a horizontal strut on the right, but this is maybe too little tension for the spring as I have to wind it up now by only 90 degrees. I want to put the clutch together and fit the cover - HELP! RIDER: Jan Burke REPLY: Henry Dedrick DATE: February 9, 1999 Having recently mortally wounded my 1977 GS550 while attempting to keep ahead of poorly ridden but much faster sport bikes, I would like more power. I have heard that a GS650 top end will bolt on. Is this true and what does this entail? Other mods beyond the usual K&N / pipe thing? PS: don't tell me to get a faster bike, this one handles better than my 83 1100e. RIDER: Willie Rowe REPLY: Henry Dedrick DATE: February 9, 1999 I wonder if you could please help. I have just seen your web site and think that it's spiffing. I have a 1981 Gs 850. I have a sidecar attached, which is great. The problem l have is that the bike takes ages to "warm up". It fails to pull cleanly when cold, bot appears much improved when hot. I recently fitted a MOTAD exhaust which "blued" the header pipes almost immediately. A recent plug chop failed to reveal any profound mixture problems. Can l adjust the float height to richen the mixture, or can l get to the mixture screws and effect the mixture this way. Is a main jet upsize a possible solution to this annoying little problem. Thank you very much for any possible advise relating to this matter. RIDER: Frederick Collins Smith REPLY: Zack Schultz DATE: February 9, 1999 I have a 1982 GS 650 L that has a little idling engine noise. It almost sounds like a engine knock in a car, but it only does it when idling, never at speed do I hear the noise. It isn't excessively loud but I am curious as to what it is. I use Spectro 4 oil (20w-50 in summer and 10w-40 in the fall). Is this simply a "GS noise" or should I worry about the bike. I bought it used, and it has 16,000 miles on it. Any info is greatly appreciated. RIDER: Damon Smith REPLY: Henry Dedrick DATE: February 9, 1999 The GS Resource is a very nice site an I read it regularly ! In Sweden (and maybe in other countries) GSX1100's have been sold with white weaker camshaft because of some stupid insurance rules but it is possibly to buy a "Export Camshaft" . Now to my question: I bought a GSX1100 -81 engine for one years ago and now I started to some renovation and found out that previous owner had modified cam shaft sprockets so they can be adjusted. First of all I must know what cam shaft type I have, is there some kind of ID mark ? and then I must know cam timing settings. I have Haynes repair manual but it says noting about cam types or timing settings. Is there someone who knows more about this ? Have own site about my Suzuki project http://home.bip.net/kenneth.nilsson RIDER: Kenneth Nilsson REPLY: Malcolm Evans They live at: Straightline Racing Garage Lane Setch King's Lynn Norfolk PE33 0BE UK Give them a call at +44 1553 811855 DATE: February 9, 1999 I feel that my 1980 Suzuki GS1000G runs too hot on anything that remotely resembles a warm day. In other words, anything over about 60 degrees. It has a Vetter Windjammer fairing and hard bags on the bike. I don't want to get rid of the fairing. The bike has no oil cooler and has the stock exhaust. The bike pings very easily on the warmer days. I helped the problem somewhat by installing larger mainjets. This has helped reduce the pinging substantially at wide open throttle openings. I tried to shim the needles to raise the needle position to give it slightly richer carburetion at partial openings too, but I think the way the needles are designed with the spring set-up they have that the shims serve no useful purpose then. What other measures might I try other than the obvious installation of an oil cooler? I did think how I should be able to retard the timing a few degrees by rotating the CD ignition pick-up plate down on the right side of the crankshaft. What other suggestions may I have overlooked. Your help will be greatly appreciated. It is a nice comfortable bike and makes a decent low priced sport-tourer now that I have installed good Dunlop K491's in the spring of '98. I'd like to keep the bike but I usually have to avoid situations where I ride thru city traffic and such. Thanks. RIDER: Terry Blair REPLY: Robert Del Riego DATE: February 9, 1999 I have no problem with my motor as it is but I'm always looking for that extra advantage. I love to have the power of deception on my side. Ii was looking at the 1100E motor....it looks close to mine, even the Katana's does...but my motor has the smaller motor in it, besides the ability to find nothing but straight from Suzuki parts its great, i could use a good place to find parts too....Please help me RIDER: Darcy Oickle REPLY: Arthur Aalsma DATE: January 26, 1999 I need instructions for setting the cam timing marks on a GS1100. RIDER: David Johnston REPLY: Frank Perreault 1) Remove the side timing cover and rotate the crankshaft
clockwise until the "T" mark for the Number 1 -4 aligns
with the mark. DATE: January 3, 1999 There I was, riding home from a New Years party, and my bike shat its self. I was sitting on 120 KPH coming down a hill and the bike jumped out of 5th gear, and into a false neutral (the instruments indicated it was in 4th). I stopped straight away. I hitched home, got a trailer and took it back, now I've got to fix it, on one hell of a tiny budget (I'm a student). The symptoms are: -The gears are extremely hard to change. -I can't seem to find neutral, but with the engine running in 1st gear and the clutch in it seems to run fine, with the exception of a clanking noise. -If the clutch is slowly released the clanking gets worse and the gear lever jumps around a bit . -Sometimes the clutch can be released completely but most of the time, just after the clutch has started to grab I can here an unpleasant grinding noise. Needless to say, I didn't listen to that too long. -The clanking seems to be emitting from the clutch housing, which I took off and quickly inspected it, everything seems fine, with the exception of a few metal flakes laying around. God know how much came out with the oil. I would be very grateful for any help on the matter. I'm intending on doing as much of the work on it as I can, to save money. Ironically, I was about to put the bike on the market due to lack of money :-( RIDER: Warren Butler REPLY: Frank Perreault DATE: January 3, 1999 Good day! You helped me before with my needles in my 1980 GS850GL bike. Thank-you, I ended up replacing all four with aftermarket needles. I now have a leaking head gasket. There is a "sweat" of oil around the top of the head. Can I repair this without having special tools? I don't have a shop manual for the bike, but a buddy tells me I'll have to disconnect the timing chain( due to the engine being DOHC) and get a valve lash gauge. Is this correct? I got all kinds of time to do this now that winter is here in Ohio. Thank-you for all your help and GREAT web page. RIDER: Kevin Blackstone REPLY: Frank Perreault If this doesn't work to stop the leak, then you'll have to replace the gasket. You'll need the copper crush washers and some other pieces like the gasket itself in order to do this job. I would also highly recommend getting a service manual if you find you need to rip the head off! Your Suzuki parts dealer can help with that along with some of the places listed on our Links page. As for setting valve lash, all you'll need for that is a feeler gauge and the disks if your 850 uses the cup and disks method of setting valve clearance. DATE: January 3, 1999 I have a similar problem on a 1982 GS750TZ (TSCC 4 valves per cylinder, no-shim valve adjustments) I just bought. It is showing only 4,300 miles on the odometer, so I figured how bad could an engine get screwed up in 4,300 miles. The engine starts well and idles well but there is a VERY loud ticking / clacking noise around #4 head/valve area. It sounds like it is tearing itself up inside. I adjusted the valves (0.004" gauge passes, 0.005" won't pass), so it isn't lifter/tappet noise. Besides this is way too loud for that The noise gets worse with speed, and the frequency increases with speed. Does anyone else have any ideas? My worst fear is that previous owners somehow let raw fuel flow into #4 cylinder then cranked the engine. Can't compress liquid, so bang..., bent connecting rod. Could be oil starved too, but how and why? Or, could a valve be stuck in the valve guide? Since this is an '82 with only 4,300 miles it probably spent a lot of time sitting somewhere. Any help appreciated!!!! RIDER: John G. Bloemer REPLY: John G. Bloemer My next thought is that a valve is partially stuck open and a
piston is hitting it. I am still hoping it is NOT a bent connecting
rod, or bad main bearing. To check the valve theory out, the head
comes off next..... Before buying your next used bike you may want to try this trick to check for connecting rod (lower engine) problems. On my engine #1, #2, and #3 were all good and tight (dowel stick DID NOT clunk down), but on #4 the dowel clunked down about 1/16 inch, or so. This tells me that my LOUD NOISE is a lower engine problem (most likely lower connecting rod bearing) and not a head/cam problem. I just hope now that the crank did not sustain any damage! Fixing this one is a Christmas break job. Does anyone know
where I can get connecting rod bearing inserts, gaskets, and seals
cheap, i.e., less than bike shop retail price? DATE: December 5, 1998 I wonder if anybody could help me resolve a problem with my ‘78 GS1000 I am tuning. I have fitted a shim under bucket conversion using titanium retainers and buckets but I have run into clearance problems. I am using the smallest shim available (2mm) in conjunction with stage 3 Kent cams (the same applies with stock cams) and have zero clearance between the bucket and the cam. I have ground a valve stem and taken material from the top of the retainer to gain clearance but to no avail. My supplier has been as good as useless suggesting I grind more of the valves and collets which I don't feel is a satisfactory resolution as I am tuning the GS for more revs and power!!. Do I need to change the valves from stock to shorter stemmed valves with differently positioned collet grooves? Or have I been supplied the wrong kit? I have already installed a Wiseco 1100 big bore kit and have a set of 33 mil smoothbores ready but at this rate I will be running the motor in with snow on the ground! Fabulous Web Site!!!! RIDER: Stephan Birtwhistle REPLY: Tim Noell DATE: December 5, 1998 My son took over my 850 and after a year [around 20,000 miles]. One of the engine gaskets started to leak badly. He bought a set of Vesrah gaskets and had them installed by a local shop near Ann Arbor, MI in August, 1998. After about 700 miles he retorqued the head bolts. In September we took a trip around Lake Superior and he had to constantly check the oil which we believe came from the base gasket. The shop was told to check the rings as they did the job. The engine leaks and it is smoking out the tail pipes. What do you recommend? Any suggestions would be appreciated. RIDER: Chuck Duarte REPLY: Frank Perreault Sounds like you need to bring the bike back and see what they say about it. Needless to say, it isn't normal. DATE: November 1, 1998 I'm a proud owner of a 1982 GS 650 L!!!! I love the motorcycle, and am planning on taking the bike apart this winter for some paint work, and minor restoration. I am also going to have the engine looked over. I was wondering if a GS 1100 engine will fit in my bike, or would it be easier to work with the shaft drive and the like and make the bike a terror by simply hopping up the 650? Any help would be appreciated!! RIDER: Damon Smith REPLY: Malcolm Evans GS 1100 G and GS 1000 G will go straight into GS 850 frames although you will have to get the swingarm and shaft as well for the 1100: GSX 1100 goes straight into GS 1000 GS 850 head bolts straight onto GS 750 bottom end GS 650 - get the GS 650 Katana carbs, try a hot pipe (Vance & Hines, Harris) with K&N filter in the standard airbox with a stage 1 or 2 DynoJet kit for more fun!!! DATE: September 27, 1998 About 35k miles, started noticing a sound that seems to be a cross between a knock and a chain slap. Does NOT happen in neutral. Normally hear it during accelerating after gear changes, from 2k-4k rpm, though sometimes also when downshifting. Slightly more noticeable when cold. I use Castrol 10W-40, and change oil every 3k-4k miles. Just checked valve clearances and they're spot on. Planning on doing a compression check sometime in the next couple of weeks, but would appreciate any other ideas and suggestions on what to look for. Don't forget to copy Frank <fperreault@mindspring.com> on any replies. Thanks. RIDER: Pete Peters REPLY: Zack Schultz DATE: September 27, 1998 I have a question about my GS1000GLX. I have talked to several people, here in Co. Springs, and they are all clueless. I hope that maybe somebody can help me on your Q&A page. My name is Jack McGee, and my address is jjvcr@webaccess.net My Dad just recently bought an 82 1100E. We didn't know how awesome that bike was until we read your 'HISTORY' page. My Dad is so excited about his bike! He tells everyone about your page now, and has them read the history on his 1100E (if they like it or not! lol). He just can't get over it! Here is my question: Hello! My name is Jack, and I have an 81 GS1000GLX. I love this bike! This is the only bike I have ever owned, and it is in beautiful condition! Unfortunately, I am having problems with the 40k mile engine. It runs strong, and uses NO oil, but it vibrates BADLY past 2.5k RPM's. It has been doing this for a long time, but I can't stand it anymore. I think it might be bad rod bearings, but I'm not sure. Nobody, around here, knows what can cause it. If I have to rebuild the engine, is there an 81 GS1000 rebuild kit I can buy? My Dad has an 82 1100E (with the 16 valve engine) and I love that engine! Is there any way I can put a 16 valve head on my 1000cc engine? If my 1000cc engine is gone, I want to try to rebuild it into a 16 valve engine (If that's possible). If I can't. Could I stuff an 1100E engine in my 1000 chassis? I have never rebuilt a motorcycle engine before, so any advice, tips, etc would be greatly appreciated. I work on a lot of cars with DOHC engines, but I have never done a complete rebuild. I have a lot of tools, and experience with mechanics though. Thanks! RIDER: Jack McGee REPLY: Zack Schultz DATE: September 26, 1998 How long is forever. These bikes" run forever" -right? Mine has just over 50k miles. It has had regular tune ups, frequent oil changes (2000mi intervals) with MOTORCYCLE oil and has run on premium fuel. It has been ridden aggressively, seeing the upper 1/3 of the tach regularly. An oil cooler was fitted at 25,000 miles. Compression readings are (warmed up engine per Clymer manual) 150/140/135/150 dry. "Wet" readings are 155/140/140/155. "cold -dry- readings are approx. 20 PSI lower. The bike still runs well, starts easily and looks good. The valve train (cam chain?) is starting to make noise, the clutch is possibly slipping when under full throttle/high rpm load and the engine is using about 1 quart of oil per thousand miles. I'm trying to figure out whether I want/need to rebuild this engine and is it economically feasible. I can perform disassembly/assembly myself. I would like to extract more ponies from the engine if I'm going to rebuild it. Any guidance? Price estimates? Parts sources (pistons)? Thank you for any assistance RIDER: Frank Perrine REPLY: Joe Amidon DATE: September 26, 1998 What is the best operating RPM? I just purchased a 1980 Suzuki GS850L. It has 7,600 miles. I have no owner's manual. Any information you could provide me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. RIDER: Andy Yelverton REPLY: Zack Schultz Seriously, what do you mean by best? Torque peak, horsepower
peak, fuel mileage? DATE: September 26, 1998 I own a 81 GS1000G with 32,000 miles. Problem: "Low RPM "PINGING" when ENGINE is hot, usually after an hour of steady highway speeds. I've tried the highest octane fuel, and tried a cooler range sparkplug (B9ES). I thought that I had found the problem when I discovered the "O" rings that seal the Intake Adapters to the Intake Ports had gone bad. After replacement, the engines' performance increased, but, the pinging stayed. I think that an Oil Cooler is the solution, but, I would be grateful for any other suggestions you might have, and, any information on where I can order parts from. RIDER: George Copeland REPLY: Tracy Presnell DATE: September 26, 1998 I'm from the UK. got a problem with my cat. it makes a whirring noise in time with the engine revs akin to the sound of bearings whirring around in a centrifuge. The engine runs fine and the noise appears to emanate from either the clutch or the center of the engine as I can't quite pin it down. In an effort to eliminate possibilities I replaced the clutch transmission springs which were loose and ratty and also the cam chain. The noise does not seem to be damaging anything else as its not a grindy type noise (?) Can anyone help with suggestions that I can explore. RIDER: Mark Glover REPLY: Scott Horner DATE: August 26, 1998 It appears that my GS850GL has a bad head gasket. It is leaking oil(?) out around one of the upper "fins" in a straight line. The bike will crank and crank but will not start, only backfire if you continue. Please tell me how I go about changing this gasket. The local shop guy wants $185.00 plus parts! I've worked on engines before but never one with DOHC. It doesn't seem too hard according to the Clymer manual, but it doesn't express whether this is something the average Joe can do with average tools! Please help. Thanks, your site is a great help! RIDER: Kevin Blackstone REPLY: Frank Perreault DATE: August 26, 1998 I have a 82 GS-1100. and I just took it out for a test spin after changing the oil and filter. At first it was fine then it covered my left foot with oil! It seems to be coming from somewhere around the starter? Is there a breather located around there. Also it has a 4 into 1 with smooth bores and I think it's cammed. What size pilot jets are normal? It seems to be lacking for fuel right off idle. But then it come on hard and runs decent. The main jets are 127.5's. RIDER: Jon Erwin REPLY: Jon Erwin DATE: August 24, 1998 My name is Victor Popovici, I'm from Romania and I own a Suzuki GS500E, manufactured in 1992. The problem with it is that I think I should adjust the valve clearance, however, there's no Suzuki service in my country! Therefore, I would like to know what the valve clearances are, in order to fix it myself. If you know where to order a technical book, I would be grateful if you could give me an address to order it. RIDER: Victor Popovici REPLY: Laila Jensen I have a GS 500 `90 and I have a technical book from Haynes, look at their home page and see if you can order a book from them. You asked about valve clearance and they should be 0.03 to 0.08 mm. DATE: August 24, 1998 The Suzuki manual shows a "piano wire" clip in the clutch area, but I am not sure if it is something that is normally replaced when replacing the clutch itself. I did not see any clip when replacing the clutch. Did I miss it, or is it behind the clutch somewhere? It is normal for the bike to clunk (more like a loud click) when put into first gear ? I hear it while stopped at a light and after being in neutral. It does this at normal operating temp. Oil level is correct. I also have a hard time putting the bike into neutral until the engine is warm. I am using 10W-40 oil in California (it's not very cold). After warming up just a little I can put it into neutral easily. RIDER: Paul Jones REPLY: Frank Perreault Yes, it is common for the bike to clunk when putting the bike into gear when at a full stop. You may want to try running motorcycle oil instead of car engine oil for that very reason. Motorcycle oil will make a dramatic improvement for this in addition to making the engine run quieter and smoother. DATE: August 24, 1998 I own a 1981 GS750EX. While riding around one day I heard a louder than normal ticking sound from the engine. It grew louder then there was a very quick metal squeal. The engine then quit suddenly. After waiting awhile it started up fine but 10 minutes later it did the same thing. It has less than 9000 miles, ran great, plugs tan and the oil changed recently. I've had the bike less than 1000 miles. I'm wondering if there is a way, beside opening up the engine, how bad or what has happened. Oil changes and carb rebuilds are as far as I've gone with motorcycle engines. Thank You. RIDER: Brian Vance REPLY: Frank Perreault DATE: August 24, 1998 I have just bought an old GSX 1100 EX 1981 (16 valve) which I am giving a (needed) overhaul. It has been modified to 1168 ccm (original 1075). As the engine now is disassembled (from bottom up - third, fourth and fifth gear to be replaced) I might as well do some additional adequate modifications.
To the editors: this is the best place I have found on the Internet regarding the old GS / GSX bikes - keep up the magnificent work ! RIDER: Jimmi Jorgensen REPLY: Scott Horner The clutch basket, or hub, is one of the weakest OEM components. The only logical solution to your situation is to obtain a heavy duty spring/backing plate kit (called Super hubs or Gorilla kits). These kits need to be installed by a knowledgeable shop. They have a thicker backing plate made from chromoly steel and heavy springs and rivets. The cost for these is about $200 US, with your hub as a core. Consider this purchase as an insurance policy on your motor!! Lastly, high volume oil pump gears do serve a purpose,
however, at a cost. The problem with the gears (don't buy after
market, they are the gears out of a two valve GS 750 77-79), is that
they OVERDRIVE the oil pump. This can, and has caused early pump
failure. When you put the gear on the oil pump, use a new circlip
and put a dab of semi hardening sealer over it to help retain it.
Use the same product you use on the case halves when assembling. The
best of luck to you with your project. Please feel free to contact
me with any further questions. 1) Welding is done where the weights are pressed onto the crank proper. This is to keep them from spinning while under >extreme< load. Picture your pistons off even a degree or two in reference to each other and you can see why that is not a desirable condition. The problem here is that you need to have a pretty talented welder to achieve a proper weld and then have the crank rebalanced so it doesn't vibrate from the added metal. IMO, unless you really plan on boosting performance, don't worry. If they (the weights) appear to be where Suzuki placed them (nothing shiny at the actual shaft to weight contact point), leave well enough alone. 2) The play you see is normal and taken up on the initial lever travel. If you like, shim with washers to remove some but not all. This will make the clutch start to disengage earlier in the lever travel. Too tight however, and when it warms up, it will always be slightly slipping. 3) Flow is sufficient for stock (or near stock) applications. Just finished an article by Kevin Cameron where Harley was doing design studies on their new engine and found that increased flow did more to heat the oil than to cool the cylinders. As long as sufficient lubrication exists, searching for additional flow isn't necessary - and the 1100 has adequate flow. 4) Don't know about the wheels. My advice here is, if you are going to change, to measure everything before setting the money down. Remember, you need to be sure that your rotors and calipers will also fit. Check bolt patterns and spacing on the rotors. If they are incompatable, get the rotors form the donor. Make sure that the donor rotors are the same diameter or the calipers may not work. Changing calipers affects the hydraulic leverage (something that is still magic to me) that the master cylinder has which may ADVERSELY affect braking. Something not to be taken lightly. Of course, you can have the rotors machined smaller to fit - larger is not so easy. You may need to have special spacers made to allow the calipers to bolt to yuor forks. Also, you will need to change the spedometer gear to have an accurate reading with the new size tire. Sometimes, it may be easier to get the whole front end including master cylinder off of a donor. Of course, you have to make sure that the forks are the same diameter or you'll need the triple clamp also. Sounded so simple 'till I started typing :-) Don't let it stop you, just take all this into account. An informed decision as it were. Good luck and hope the boss doesn't find an engine in the lab. DATE: August 24, 1998 I would like answers for a couple of questions; I have been riding and playing with cycles much of my life, and though I may not be a motorhead, I have explored my way in and out of a bike or two. I have recently bought my first Suzuki, an '82 GS400E (applause here). I love the way this machine handles, and looks, but I will now go on to say that it must be the most temperamental machine I have ever owned. Which leads me to suspect it was mistreated some time in the past. Or are they just generally that way? She only has 17000 km. So question one: I have some engine noise, it would seem to be in the top end, I'm thinking I'll check the tolerances of the shims first thing, but presuming they're all A-ok, what should be my next plan of attack? I experience excess vibration above 85 km/h (roughly 55 mph or say 4000 rpm) and I'm finding it a little worrisome. And I want to crank it open on the road and I hate having to restrain myself. Any ideas on how to safely get around that Suzuki brand tappet depressor? Incidentally I have recently acquired a Clymer |
