Hi from Canada...

[maisf]

Hi there!

My name is Frank, I'm from Montreal, Quebec. I'm 56, motorcyclist since 2012, vintage bike fan.
My current ride is a Yamaha FJ09 2016.

I just bought this nice suzuki GS850 last week. Paid 3000 CAN$. She's at 39600 km and she's so incredibly clean.
I'm currently sorting her out...

Problems as of now:
- Carbs were cleaned out as I thought it was why it leaked gas...
- Petcock seal leaking (from outside of it), I tried rtv'ing the diaphragm thingy but I think I messed the sealing action, so know its leaking in the carb. Finally read about it and ordered a new one from the stealer. Arrival date unknown. Did put a cheap shut-off valve in there but I thinks it's chocking the flow of the gas. Not sure how to handle this while waiting for the stealer as I'm cranked at riding this thing out...
- Air box was open a like a god damn barn door. Weather stripping was installed all around side covers and on the air filter.
- Battery was dead, new one is in.
- Charging problem with the booster pack while waiting for the new battery (12,5 volts @ any rpm). After checking stator and regulator, plugged everything back in, and the problem just vanished... Guess I understand now why the Stator pages were first talking about connections.. lol
- She's a bit rough idling and have some sort of odd firing when rpm are @ 4000. But it maybe related to the petcock and gas line problem.

Here is a photo:

gs850 1979 1.jpg

She's so nice!

Thanks for your time...

Frank

[Brendan W]

Hi Frank and Welcome
Great looking bike. Many happy miles and safe arrivals.
If I could suggest, get the electrical system sorted first. Connections, connections, connections.
Particularly the fusebox, the kill switch and ignition switch internal contacts and the coil supply plugs.
Here is our library http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/
There is a thread here somewhere Top Ten Newbie Mistakes well worth a read. I'll look for the link later.
Once again a very nice looking machine.

https://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?171846-Top-10-Newbie-Mistakes/page17&highlight=Newbie+mistakes

[Redman]

.....
...... and she's so incredibly clean.
....


....

Certainly is !

Thanks for the introduction and picture.

Welcome to TheGSR.

[Redman]

Note: If check the stator, and need to replace it, keep in mind that the 78 & 79 stator is different than 80 and after. (were a lot of design changes for the 1980 model year.)

Later note: Oh, your charging problem was probably a connection somewhere, not the stator.

[GSXR7ED]

Welcome Frank!

Nice bike...you've done quite the EVAL on all the preventative/safety maintenance. Brendan provided a link to Basscliff's site...great source to use for your bike!

Seems as though you and I started riding around the same time (I'm 54)...my time was late 2011...and the bike...a 2000 GSX-R750!!! (Sold it after 6 months)

The following year, I acquired my "T" from a guy in Glenn Burnie, MD. I couldn't pass up a "titled" identical "T" from Palmerton, PA soon after...which is now my parts bike!

Enjoy your way around here and get a photo hosting site so you can post pics of your bikes. I'm sure that FJ09 looks fancy.

See you around.

Ed

****

[rphillips]

Shoot, that thing looks gooood. Seems you're almost there as far as the problems listed. rough idling could be a wee bit of build-up in a pilot. You're wanting to get it out, Why not about a half can of Seafoam in a tank of gas & about a 100, or so, mi. spin? Certainly couldn't hurt & for $7.00 if it were to get rid of a little build-up in a carb. it'd be great. Congrats, welcome, & good luck.

[ddaniels]

Nice! And look....a kick starter. Very cool. My favorite color on these bikes too. Welcome aboard.

[maisf]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the welcoming!

I have read a lot about the newbies pages and also Bass Cliff pages, these are full of very great infos!

I finally could ride the bike last Friday... Sorted out the petcock and got her running nice and smooth.
I went sailing around the house for 40 km. Everything was great, lot of power great idling and all. Not much brake but that maybe normal, not sure.

I was back, just half a km away when I had a big drop in power, very sluggish throttle response. Motor would just died if dropped below 2000 rpm. I was like WTF!!!

Did manage to get back home, barely...

Now... well I first thought it was some crap from the gas tank that got stocked in the petcock as the filter / strainer was just gone.
I have ordered a new petcock assembly and right now I'm running on "PRI" position on the old one so it's on reserve and bypassing the damaged diaphragm thing.
But when I removed the gas tank and got the petcock in the "PRI" position, gas was flowing right through...
And since I added an inline gas filter, I think gas isn't a problem as of now.

So I'm a bit lost now... I know I had charging problems (connections) so could this be related?
I know coils could use some love, what are the symptoms of these kind of problems?

Any troubleshooting advices are welcome!

Frank

[Brendan W]

Watch those inline filters. Some are intended for pumped systems and will struggle to give adequate flow in a gravity system.
Coils are fairly bulletproof.
Best be methodical on the electrical system, checking and cleaning and measuring.
In my own case, misfiring went away after a day or so spent cleaning fusebox, ign and kill switch contacts and coil supply plugs.

[maisf]

Watch those inline filters. Some are intended for pumped systems and will struggle to give adequate flow in a gravity system.
Coils are fairly bulletproof.
Best be methodical on the electrical system, checking and cleaning and measuring.
In my own case, misfiring went away after a day or so spent cleaning fusebox, ign and kill switch contacts and coil supply plugs.

Hi Brendan!

Well, fuel filter should be ok, since the bike was running great for 40 km... I don't expect occasionnal problem of this sort from a fuel filter... And I had a lot of bad things in the tank so it wasn't a real choice until I put a new petcock with a correct strainer in there.

Kill switch would... hum kill the engine I guess...

I guess it leave the ignition as a possible winner.
I'm not sure it is just misfiring... It's sounding like it's choked out. It just respond to throttle very slowly, having a hard time reving up.
My bike has some sort of electronic ignition, the points system was upgraded at some time. Any ideas how this stuff is aging? How do I test these, any how-to on the forums?

Gosh, another newbie question: Is there a place I could order some new connectors? I already broke a wire on the gas tank meter and local hardware store only has the very cheap ones...

[zuluwiz]

It's important NOT to leave the petcock in PRIme position. This will cause a fuel build-up in the carbs and then in the crankcase. Not a Good Thing.

[Big T]

Vintageconnections.com

Sounds like a pair of cylinders stopped firing

Time to move your issues to the technical forums

[maisf]

It's important NOT to leave the petcock in PRIme position. This will cause a fuel build-up in the carbs and then in the crankcase. Not a Good Thing.

Hi zuluwiz, Thanks for the advice, I figured this out, I turn the petcock to "on" to shut it off... Even if this sounds weird...

[maisf]

Vintageconnections.com

Sounds like a pair of cylinders stopped firing

Time to move your issues to the technical forums

Hi BigT,

Thanks for the link, I've got a few connectors on the way!

What section of the technicals forums would that be if I may ask?

[maisf]

I'm gonna start a thread in the electrical section...