GS1000E or GS1100G? Opinions please

[Guest]

Hi all. I’m looking at purchasing a second bike. I want a larger displacement UJM style bike. I have experience wrenching on different vehicles and know the challenges associated with purchasing and running an older bike. I’m looking at basically 4 bikes. A ‘79 GS1000E, a 82 GS1100G, a 84 FJ1100, and an ‘86 K75.

I like handling. I live in West GA and have great mountain roads within 2 hours. Running the tail of the dragon happens at least once a year! :-D

what are the pros/cons of the different GS models? I know shaft drive for the G, how much does that hinder handling? Also both bikes have 4-1 exhaust and pods. I’m more concerned about this on the G because it has CV carbs, and putting pods on CV carbs can create flat spots in my experience with a Kawasaki 1100 Ltd.

also, thanks for putting up with someone who is just currently weighing options!18A3552F-1FCD-4941-944F-FA87858E34CC.jpg

[Fireball]

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this is the ‘79. All the description says is “fresh oil change, runs excellent “

[Fireball]

Here is the list of what has been done to the G. He says it leaks oil from the speedo cable, needs an o-ring?

[Buffalo Bill]

The GS1100G speedo output takes a couple oil seals, still available at BikeBandit.
Missing airbox is bad news IMO, some others disagree.
The G is mostly for long highway riding, the shaft system adds a lot of unsprung weight to the rear wheel.
Shaft drive is lower maintenance than chain & sprocket, but can wear out.
I've redone front and rear suspensions on my 1100G, and enjoy it's much improved handling, but I'd rather have chain drive on a track.

[Rob S.]

That E seems a tad expensive...especially for an "automatic transmission"!

[Baatfam]

I'd get the K-75...

[Steve]

I guess it would depend on your desired level of "handling" and how much adjustability you want in the drivetrain.

Buffalo Bill made a couple of good points. The shaft drive does add a bit of unsprung weight. That would mostly be noticed on very rough roads. I am not sure if it would affect handling on the Dragon. The 1100G is quite capable, though. Not sure that the 1000E has any inherent performance edge other than a bit lower weight.

The 1100G does have what I consider to be an advantage with the shaft drive. It's quieter and generall lower maintenance, but you can not change the drive ratio (much). The '82 ratio is 3.1, the '83 1100s had a ratio of 2.9, but that is not likely the direction you might want to go if you want to improve acceleration. For general use (including some "spirited" riding), the 1100G should be rather adequate.

One downside of the 1100G, the '82 year in particular, was that they had a ofter metal in the dplines for the final drive in the wheel. Still readily-available and easily changed, just hard to see with a quick visual inspection.

CV-type carbs can be tuned for pods, it's not as hard as most people think. Just need to make sure the jetting is correct, it should be fine.

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[dpep]

I am a big fan of the G models, but I think I would take a pass on this one. Your concerns regarding intake and exhaust are valid. I personally would not take on a G model without airbox. Better to look around for a bike a little closer to stock. Check out the For Sale section of this site.

Also I did not see any mention of replacement of the rear wheel splines which became problem starting with the '82 shafties. They are good for maybe 30-35 K tops. I don't know what the availability of 79-81 spline hubs (which don't have the problem) are at this point.
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[alke46]

If you check my signature you will see I am a bit biased. Having said that I would rather have the 1000E but only if I could get it at a more reasonable price. It seems a little high priced IMHO.

[Fireball]

Thanks everyone for the info. It is much appreciated!

[Steve]

Also I did not see any mention of replacement of the rear wheel splines which became problem starting with the '82 shafties. They are good for maybe 30-35 K tops. I don't know what the availability of 79-81 spline hubs (which don't have the problem) are at this point. ...

The splines were updated early in the '83 model run. The replacement part number is 64680-45113, which also happens to be the splines for the 2019 Boulevard (VZ800). Yep, brand, spanking new ones are still available for $161.99.

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[Buffalo Bill]

The splines were updated early in the '83 model run. The replacement part number is 64680-45113, which also happens to be the splines for the 2019 Boulevard (VZ800). Yep, brand, spanking new ones are still available for $161.99.

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About the splines, do the hard and soft metal splines look different? Different color metal? Wondering if a visual inspection on my 82 would be possible.

[gustovh]

I ride both chain and shaftie, and haul ass on all of them once and a while. My usual ride is a shaftie.


V

[Steve]

About the splines, do the hard and soft metal splines look different? Different color metal? Wondering if a visual inspection on my 82 would be possible.

Yes. The early ones, '79-'81 are black. The softer '82 splines are gold-ish, sort of a cadmium-plated look. The newer ones that are still used today are silver, basically the same color as aluminum engine cases.

Longevity can be enhanced a bit by proper lubrication. Honda Moly 60 paste has been the lube of choice for some time, but I understand it's being phased out. Possibly replaced by Moly 77, but more moly is better. Don't just use any "moly" grease, though. A grease only has to contain about 4% molybdnum disulphide to qualify as "moly" grease. The splines require well over 50%.

You should also inspect your splines. Unless you know what to look for, it's easiest to remove them from the wheel for inspection. When you first see them (while still installed), it appears that there is no wear at all, but the wear starts about 3mm back from the visible edge. There have been several threads here about how to properly identify and fix damaged splines, so it should be a relatively easy search.

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[Buffalo Bill]

Thanks Steve. The bike has 45,000 miles on it now, 10,000 over Don's estimated maximum.
I first inspected them 2 tires ago and each tire change. I believe they are silver gray. May have been replaced before I bought it at 19,000 miles.