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Hello From Vancouver

  • Thread starter Thread starter stu78
  • Start date Start date
The other limitation is fuel. Because of the 10:1 compression ratio you need to run 92 octane gas. Mine would always ping on mid grade and regular was hopeless.
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I cannot tell the difference whatsoever. Certainly no pinging that I am aware of on two bikes. ...a slower burn is said to be good for higher mileage engines and hitest won't do any harm but when I see the price of it and that the pump does not get much used...well, I confess, I can't yet "see it".
But I'm open to argument- not saying you're wrong. We should probably revisit the thread on it...
 
Gorminrider said:
I cannot tell the difference whatsoever. Certainly no pinging that I am aware of on two bikes. ...a slower burn is said to be good for higher mileage engines and hitest won't do any harm but when I see the price of it and that the pump does not get much used...well, I confess, I can't yet "see it".
But I'm open to argument- not saying you're wrong. We should probably revisit the thread on it...
Click to expand...

The factory recommended 92 as I recall. The pinging only occurs when you get it hot going hard up a hill, which is hard to avoid up here in the Okanagan. 92 is always enough; lower grades are mostly enough. There will be minor variations depending upon engine tune and condition, as always. If you can get by with less than premium then by all means don't bother. I could, when the weather was cool, but it will hit 35 here today?..

The two valve 450 at 9:1 seems pretty tolerant and ping proof, but?. I had to use ethanol 92 a few days ago and I could feel and hear the difference when I put the 94 'real' gas in again. It's not a big difference, but the motor was more enthusiastic - almost louder. Maybe that's why the Harley guys like it.
 
I don't get any pinging on the lower grades, but I noticed a big change in mpg when running the premium fuels at the PNW rally. Even the higher octane, E10 gained me about 10 mpg. Of course, that could have been the continuous riding, rather than the stop and go riding of the city accounting for that.
 
The factory recommended 92 as I recall.
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I don't have an "owners manual" which is where it would easily be... but in the shop manual for gsX250 says "85-95 pump octane (R+M)/2 or 89 octane or higher rated by the Research Method" which pretty much says higher octane I suppose!
I guess I get away with it because I'm mostly on coastal road or benchland here on VI...unless I cross the island there's suprisingly few hills
 
stu78 said:
It would be interesting to find other GS's and try to sit on them to see how they feel. Are these bikes naturally top heavy? My 400 is about 425lbs wet.....i'm guessing. Honestly, I don't have very much trouble controlling it at a stoplight or intersection. How much heavier are the 600's? 750's? 1000's? I have never sat on a cruiser but would that be easier, because of the lower center of gravity, to manage at a stop?
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Are they naturally top-heavy? Yes.

It was one of the biggest differences I noticed between riding a Moto Guzzi and a GS, or even a Honda in-line 4.
I often stop momentarily on the Suzukis, with feet on pegs, but only momentarily. Not just early GS models, but also Bandits. The Guzzis I rode all had a very low centre of gravity and were MUCH easier to deal with when stopped. On my V7 I frequently did not bother to put my feet down at traffic lights or stop signs. It would just stand upright. .

That led to several embarrassing moments, as I just grew to accept that balance. They occurred when I stopped the bike in parking lots, turned off key and gas, then dismounted and walked away......usually I got about fifteen feet....before hearing the bike go over behind me I had forgotten to put down the side stand.



Weights on GS vary somewhat, as more support material is added to the bike along with the larger engine itself, when you increase engine size.

I have only been on 1100s, those being E, G, and GK models, the G and GK being shaft drives, which weigh more then the chain drives.

The G and GK check in at more than 600 pounds.....629 comes to mind for the G, and the GK has added crash bars, fairing and bags.
 
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Gorminrider said:
I don't have an "owners manual" which is where it would easily be... but in the shop manual for gsX250 says "85-95 pump octane (R+M)/2 or 89 octane or higher rated by the Research Method" which pretty much says higher octane I suppose!
I guess I get away with it because I'm mostly on coastal road or benchland here on VI...unless I cross the island there's suprisingly few hills
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My original owners manual reads that I should be putting 91 Octane in it. FWIW
 
ddaniels said:
Welcome to the forum. Don't worry about getting a larger displacement if you are comfy enough on yours. It will do fine on the highway.
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I totally agree. It has been good enough for what I do. It certainly does go well enough to keep up with traffic.
 
stu78 said:
Holy Macarel....That's heavy. I would crumble under something like that.
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You're welcome to test fit mine to see what it feels like.

My brother, who is somewhere around 5' 7" (he says) and an inseam around 29 inches found it a tad discomfitting the first time he did. He had a Honda Hawk, Honda CX650E, and more recently a NS250R, all of which he found way easier to maneuver on tip toes.
 
BigD_83 said:
You're welcome to test fit mine to see what it feels like.

My brother, who is somewhere around 5' 7" (he says) and an inseam around 29 inches found it a tad discomfitting the first time he did. He had a Honda Hawk, Honda CX650E, and more recently a NS250R, all of which he found way easier to maneuver on tip toes.
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I am only slightly above that elevation and leg length 1 inch on both.

I had no real problems with the G or GK and, once moving, it does not matter at all.


The only time I had problems was lifting one after it went over, which was usually my fault.

It is not that they are really difficult to lift, it is actually pretty easy, but the circumstances in which mine went over were embarrassing.


They are both smooth and easy to ride. At one time I put a freshly-baked and decorated birthday cake in the trunk of the GK and rode about five miles with it, over some rough pavement and at least 300 yards of gravel.

Not a mark on the cake.
 
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Welcome! Post pictures to Photo bucket and copy and paste the IMG code to SHARE. Fantastic bike by the looks of it. Go for a ride with BigD83.....
 
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