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Hi Everyone,
I have been trying to get an '81 GS550L running for the last several months (hasn't been started in 15 years). For the first time today, I got the bike to fire. The sound from the Sawzall-modified exhaust was deafening as the bike idled up to...6000RPM!?!? oops. After I got the idle to settle down, I hopped on a bike for the very first time and took it carefully down the street. After my first minute, I felt a lot more confident and decided to rip the throttle open to see what the bike could do. I was impressed by how well the engine responded and threw my body back on the seat and approached redline. COOL!!! I shifted into second and kept the throttle mashed. Now, I realize that the speedometer does not work, so I have no frame of reference as to how fast I was going. I was having a blast though. I got my first wave from another bike (which I always thought was a cool thing to see). My friend said that no matter where I went in my subdivision, I could be heard. Nothing quite feels like an engine roaring under you, like the wind in your face, or the feel of total control and freedom. Just knowing all of the hard work I had to put into the bike with all of the rusted-solid parts, all the times I had to pull the carbs, and everything else I had to do, riding that bike for the first time was the sweetest victory. Now, I just want to ride.
Thanks to anyone who helped me figure things out along the way, nd thanks for reading my story.
-Mike 8)
I have been trying to get an '81 GS550L running for the last several months (hasn't been started in 15 years). For the first time today, I got the bike to fire. The sound from the Sawzall-modified exhaust was deafening as the bike idled up to...6000RPM!?!? oops. After I got the idle to settle down, I hopped on a bike for the very first time and took it carefully down the street. After my first minute, I felt a lot more confident and decided to rip the throttle open to see what the bike could do. I was impressed by how well the engine responded and threw my body back on the seat and approached redline. COOL!!! I shifted into second and kept the throttle mashed. Now, I realize that the speedometer does not work, so I have no frame of reference as to how fast I was going. I was having a blast though. I got my first wave from another bike (which I always thought was a cool thing to see). My friend said that no matter where I went in my subdivision, I could be heard. Nothing quite feels like an engine roaring under you, like the wind in your face, or the feel of total control and freedom. Just knowing all of the hard work I had to put into the bike with all of the rusted-solid parts, all the times I had to pull the carbs, and everything else I had to do, riding that bike for the first time was the sweetest victory. Now, I just want to ride.
Thanks to anyone who helped me figure things out along the way, nd thanks for reading my story.
-Mike 8)
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