Hello, new member gs1100e?

[Squisher]

Hello,

Thankful to see there is a resource such as this online. I signed up as I just acquired a 1982 gs1100e I believe? Someone in the lifetime of the bike repainted it and decalled it as a gs1100s? I can grab a picture of the sidecovers which are removed right now and not in the pictures I've got to put up. I'm in my 40's and my wife and I both ride currently. Her on a ninja300 and myself on a cbr f4i. About twenty or so years ago when we met my wife was riding a ninja500 and I had a 79 gs750. It was pretty rough even back then, but still a whole lot of fun. So I've always had a soft spot for the gs's

Anyways. I found this bike local to me running but in need of repair and decided to take it on as a winter project. I'm hoping to stay or get back to as original as possible to qualify for collector plates(cheap insurance for a 2nd bike up here in BC, Canada). I'm quite experienced mechanically and have a lot of tooling but haven't delved to deep into bikes. I'm really looking forward to the process and challenge of it all. I plan to do all the work/painting myself. Currently the bike runs but has a hell of a rattle at low rpm. I've been researching on that and will be checking a few things over, cam chain, clutch basket, starter clutch bolts, etc.

Any suggested threads, reading, etc,etc is very much appreciated.

Really just wanted to introduce myself and thank everyone for all the information gathered here.

Thanks again, squisher(Justin)

[Nessism]

Welcome and be sure to click through the Welcome thread just above yours in this forum!

[steve murdoch]

Nice intro, Justin.
Welcome to the site.
Had an uncle that lived in Keremeos. You have a great area to ride.

[Squisher]

Thanks for the welcomes. I am kind of overwhelmed with all of the information here. But plan to do lots of reading/learning.

[Rob S.]

Welcome, brother 11EZ owner (the "z" means 1982).

"S" would mean a Katana, so no it looks nothing like that. Low rpm rattle could be the notorious "cam walk". I think it can be lived with, but wait another day and the experts will chime in.

I like your paint - I always thought the '82 red was too dark. In your 40's? That makes you a youngster around here.

Welcome aboard.

[Baatfam]

It appears you have '83 end caps on your '82 motor.
I find this amusing, because I have '82 end caps on my '83 motor.

Brown County 2019 by Bob Thieda, on Flickr

[Squisher]

Welcome, brother 11EZ owner (the "z" means 1982).

"S" would mean a Katana, so no it looks nothing like that. Low rpm rattle could be the notorious "cam walk". I think it can be lived with, but wait another day and the experts will chime in.

I like your paint - I always thought the '82 red was too dark. In your 40's? That makes you a youngster around here.

Welcome aboard.

Thanks for the info. That is what I had determined too from researching. 11EZ, so nice to have it confirmed.

Ive read too about the cam walk, and I'm reluctant to say that that is what I have because it's very loud. Louder then I think I or most could live with. But I'm a certainly not ruling it out. I may try to figure out how to make a video if I don't get it figured out with my initial going through. Unfortunately a pretty busy week for me so I may not have much time to tear into it until the weekend.

Ahhh and to be young again! I knew I signed up at the right place.


Baatfam, interesting on the endcaps. Mine appear to have been painted after the fact. A couple of them are chipping and showing the chrome underneath. So maybe it was just a accent a owner added at some point.

[Squisher]

I see what you were saying now Baatsfam. My end cap covers are the 83 style regardless of being painted or not. The lines and black/aluminum vs smooth chrome I believe?

I appreciate the input.

[Baatfam]

The lines and black/aluminum vs smooth chrome I believe?

Correct. I've tried both, and liked the chrome better on the black motor.

[Squisher]

Well some good news. I made an HR to look at the bike today because the noise I've mentioned was gnawing at me a bit. Using the ear to the screwdriver trick I felt it was coming from the left side bottom of the motor so I popped that cover off and found the nut that secured the rotor to the crankshaft was finger tight. So I looked everything over all the gears for the starter/clutch looked good. All the bolts securing it to the rotor/flywheel where secure so I put some locktite on the nut and torqued it down. Manual calls for 123 ft/lbs which to me equals a decent hammering with my rattle gun. Low and behold no noise. Purrs like a kitten. An amazingly smooth motor. Still gotta go through this old beast top to bottom but atleast I've sorted the awful rattle/knock.

[steve murdoch]

Congrats on getting it sorted and dodging an expensive bullet right off the bat.

[Baatfam]

Haha....That's how I got mine for $500. Starter clutch came loose, and spun.
The PO took it apart, didn't have a clue how to fix it, finally put it up for sale.
Came home with the parts in a box.

[Squisher]

Yah it sure put a smile on my face. The fellow I bought it from got it cheap from a friend of his as a project for his son and him to fix up. Then his son immediately bought a Harley he told me so he just wanted it gone. Also told me he had paid a motorcycle mechanic to listen to the sound who had diagnosed it as a cam chain tensioner issue. Being a cbr f4i owner I am intimately knowledgeable about cam chain noise with that model(one of few known issues with f4i's and I installed a manual tensioner in mine to solve it). So I had my doubts that that's what could be causing the noise.

Nice to know now I can focus on all the maintenance/restoring it instead of a engine rebuild right off the bat. Just researching still and starting a parts/to do list. The brakes, clutch and everything seem functional so I may just button it all back up together to take it for a little(slow) cruise on a backroad this weekend before I tear I start tearing it down in earnest. May not though too. I've got to reinstall the airbox and buy a air filter(missing) if I want to. And I imagine that'll be a order item in my locale.

[steve murdoch]

Post up in the Parts Wanted section before you head to the Suzuki dealer.

[Squisher]

I will do that as I see there are a number of Canadian members here, figured shipping from the us might kill a classified/wanted sale. I'll get a list going first as there will be a few things I need to source. There'll be a few bigger ticket items like exhaust and a centre stand. Keeping my eyes peeled on the local classifieds too. It's got s 4-1header and a supertrapp on it but I'm really wanting to get back to stock.