My new 1982 GS1100G

[Supercub]

I picked up a 1982 GS1100G with 3800 miles on it. It was a one-owner bike. It is in great shape, the only blemish is a small dent in the tank. The tires are from 2008, so I will be replacing them. It has 100/90-19 front and 140/80-17 rear Michelin tires on it. I found Bridgestone BT45, BT46 tires in these sizes. Are the sizes correct, or as close to original in size as the stock spec of 350-19 and 4.50-17? I want to keep the stock diameters so that the speedo and gearing will be as stock. 279035767_709856047035850_9036759667650271330_n.jpg

[Suzukian]

That's a nice really clean looking bike. You will get many years of service out of it.

[dpep]

What a great find.

[Supercub]

Yes it is a sweet bike. The tank looks like new inside.

[bwringer]

The rear is incorrect -- it's supposed to be wearing a 130/90-17. Front is correct, 100/90-19.

Why people do this I'll never know; with the right rubber, these things handle beautifully. With wider stuff, they turn into weird pigs.


And yep, it looks gorgeous! Great find -- they're sure not making any more!

[Supercub]

Thanks for the info. The rear looks a little wide. Either the dealer only had that tire in stock or the guy wanted to make it look cool.

[Supercub]

For this size bike I imagine the tires should be heavy duty? Many are coming up as bias ply tires. Any recommendations on brand and model? I mostly ride back roads.

[bwringer]

As far as tires, I'll give you the very quick summary. There are several longer discussions around here:

- There's no such thing as "heavy duty" tires.
- All the tires in these sizes are bias ply. This is normal for motorcycle tires.

- If you want cheap, great traction and handling, but somewhat short-lived, Shinko 230 or 712 tires are an excellent choice. (Shinko is a Korean company). I ride very hard in all weather, but I don't put that many miles on my GS850G these days (my other bikes get a lot more miles), so that's what I use; I usually spoon on a fresh set about once a year, and I get around 3,000 miles a set. Normal people get about double the mileage. From the saddle, there's little to no difference, so take your pick. The 230 has a higher speed rating (which doesn't matter in the least) and looks weird. The 712 looks more conventional.

- If you want the best traction bar none, never mind the cost, Pirelli Sport Demon. Short-lived, though.

- If tread life matters to you, then the Avon RoadRider MKII is the usual choice.

- The only really "bad" tires these days are Kenda. Avoid anything Kenda; they are dangerous garbage. Bridgestone, Michelin, Continental, and other known brands also make great tires.

- I'd also avoid the Dunlop D404; they look "right" on vintage bikes, and they're fairly cheap, but they are VERY soft and short-lived, and turn evil as they wear.

- Replace your valve stems along with the tires; Napa sells high-quality tubeless motorcycle valve stems at a very reasonable price. You cannot use car valve stems because they are fatter at the base.


If you're mounting your own tires, good suppliers include Dennis Kirk, Revzilla, RockyMountainATVMC and a few others. scAmazon and fleaBay are strictly "buyer beware"; a lot of leftover tires with really old date codes get dumped that way. Sometimes you can end up with a good deal, sometimes not.

I'm currently fighting a ridiculous warranty issue with American Moto Tire (defective Avon for one of my other bikes), and I think they're going to drop off my short list onto my fecal roster... but up to now they've been a good source of tires with great prices.

If you're NOT mounting your own tires, then check with the shop before ordering; many will flatly refuse to mount tires you supply, or will charge a ridiculous amount of money.

[bwringer]

Here's my torture test report on the Shinko 230. Please note that the prices given are from many years ago, but the basic idea is about the same.

https://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/forum/technical-forums/tires-suspension-brakes/60481-shinko-230-torture-test

At that time, I put a lot more miles on my GS850G, so the more expensive but longer-lived tires made better financial sense on a cost per mile basis. Nowadays, since I ride this bike far less, I prefer to spoon on a fresh set every year or so rather than take three or four years to wear out a set of Avons.

[Supercub]

Thanks for the post. I found a package set of Shinko 712s on ebay sold by Chapparal for $168.00. I was wondering about bias ply in some of the descriptions. Since I ride multiple bikes, my tires may start cracking before I wear them out. I have a local guy that does my mounting for $20.00, tire off bike, bring your own. I feel good about him working on my stuff, a real detail oriented guy. I may grab tbs Shinkos. I put s set on my Yamaha XV750, I like the looks of them.

[Supercub]

Does anyone know a source for a clutch cable 2" longer than stock?

[rphillips]

Not sure how many inches longer, but the "L" models had longer cables than the standard models.

[Supercub]

I can buy one and try, they are cheap enough. If not long enough, I can make a bendy that would go into the lever perch and send the cable straight down away from the gauges. I would have to braze a new knarp on the cable.

[rphillips]

Just wondering Supercub, The "G" baes are relatively tall already. Taller bars on the "G"? ... I don't think I've seen that before.

[Supercub]

I put a low rise bar on it and the cable has nowhere to go except over the ignition switch. I have it routed as best possible. I just found this cable on ebay that has a bendy. With the bendy, the cable can be routed thru the triple tree a little lower where there is room for it. Should be here in a week. Suzuki p/n 58200-49300.