Detroit (Livonia) MI '78 GS550 New Owner

[Guest]

Hello All,


I picked up a 1978 GS 550 a couple weekends ago.


So far it seems like it's in decent shape. It looks to me like it's had some major work/restoration done based on the engine paint & other things so I'm hoping whoever did the work did a good job.


The headlight isn't working currently but I think I've narrowed it down to a specific part of the harness and hopefully I'll be able to clear that up later today.


The carbs seem like they could use a good cleaning. I'm getting some serious power loss at WOT when the engine is cold (and maybe warm too).


Other than that one of my main concerns is a rattling sound I can hear. I can't give ya many details but it kinda sounds like it's coming from near the gear box or under the bike. I can't tell if it's just something simple on the outside, or a major problem inside.


I've looked through your resources here on this site a bit and it's been a huge help already. Thanks for collecting all this information and helping newbs like me.


Also, the GSR Greeting's list of 10 items look like a great idea to me so I'm planing to make my way through that list.


Here are some pics:

[Wine]

Well, I haven't been able to upload any other pics so I guess you're stuck with just one for now.

[John Park]

One of my maxims is that 90% of carburation problems are in the ignition system - or used to be back when we had points. Those old slide pull carbs are primitive so at WOT all you need is an unplugged main jet and that's about it. The float bowls will come off easily enough if you can get an appropriate length screwdriver and then the general state of things will become more obvious. If the bike idles reasonably - the idle jets are the smallest and are usually the first to plug up - I'd be inclined to service the fuel tap and clean out the tank before taking the carbs off.

Another simple fix is the ignition advance mechanism. If a bike has been sitting, the point cam can rust to the shaft and not advance; then if it does advance it may stick in that position and cause all manner of grief. The usual symptom is that the engine just bogs and stutters past about 4500 rpm. I've seen people pay major amounts of money trying to fix this and sell the bike cheap when the fix was free. If you take the mechanism off, put a little loctite on the bolt when you put it back.

Rattles can be exhaust related. I remember meeting a guy going from Texas to Alaska on a GS who was deeply concerned about this engine knock which more than one shop had told him was a loose rod bearing requiring a complete engine rebuild. So he was babying the thing hoping to get the trip done before it blew. One of his heat shield beauty covers was loose and rattling; I put a hose clamp over it and he roared off with a grin on his face.

[Wine]

Those are some great tips. I'll definitely be looking into your solutions, even if only to get more familiar with the bike.

I think you're right on the rattle actually.

I hard-wired a patch to bypass the plug that connects the main harness to left-hand control and this temporarily fixed the headlight. I'm thinking there are connections on that same plug that are compromised. I'll do a little more research first, and put some thought into it, but I may end up just removing the male & female plugs entirely and soldering the left-hand control directly to the harness.

[eil]

Hi there, I'm in Ypsi/Arbor here.

If you haven't seen BassCliff's massive website of useful information (including the Suzuki service manual for your new trusty steed), the link to his mega-welcome is in my signature below.

All of the electrical connections on that bike will likely need to be cleaned. You'll find that many of the bike's issues will magically be solved from this one simple task. The rattle could be something non-engine-related like the exhaust. Sometimes it's the clutch hub nut coming loose or the starter clutch going south.

Remember to get the bike caught up on all of its regular maintenance before you deem it road-worthy, regardless of what the previous owner said or did not say was done recently.

If you ever need a hand with anything, I'm not far away and have been known to drive or ride over to help a fellow GSR member.

[Wine]

Hey Charles, I have seen BassCliff's site and it's fantastic!


I think you're right on the rattle, it seems like it probably is the exhaust.


I'm going to have to get a new set of brushes to clean these plugs and I'll need a whole host of new tools to get caught up on everything else.


I used to work in Ann Arbor just south of the airport up untill a couple months ago. Thanks for the offer to help and all the info! Do you know of any local meet ups or rides or clubs that are worth going to? I went to the Ypisi Ton-Up fest a few years ago but I haven't gone to any meets since.

[Steven Conlan]

Hi there, I'm in Ypsi/Arbor here.







If you ever need a hand with anything, I'm not far away and have been known to drive or ride over to help a fellow GSR member.

This is one of the things I really love about this place.

[bestfamilyl]

That was great and amazing information on your forum with good discussion. Thanks

[eil]

I used to work in Ann Arbor just south of the airport up untill a couple months ago. Thanks for the offer to help and all the info! Do you know of any local meet ups or rides or clubs that are worth going to? I went to the Ypisi Ton-Up fest a few years ago but I haven't gone to any meets since.

Supposedly there's a bike night in Ypsi (depot town) every Tuesday but I'm ashamed to say I haven't been there yet even though it's quite close to where I live.

Not aware of any local rides that aren't Harley-fests but if you happen across any, let me know!