The journey of GS550C

[reliant_turbo]

glad the bike is back together. happy riding!

congrats on the new son!

Brian

[hakim5857]

Your friend the mechanic seems to really know what he is doing.
I'm certain that his nut design was superior to the one that it replaced.
Eric

I hope so as he said that the nut just to hold gear shifting plate or bar, forgot to tell that after we put back together everything... Ah Guan found the missing nut when he wanted to put back the starter motor were i screw it at starter motor holder... . Ah Guan curse me like hell....

glad the bike is back together. happy riding!

congrats on the new son!

Brian

Thanks brian.., 3 days without my GS feel so lonely and sad to see that she need to be admitted in the hospital (workshop) and surgeon by amateur doctor (Me)

[hakim5857]

Hi all,

Im bit busy lately, my GS journey haven't start yet thou im eager to do. I plan to do it next year with few of my friends as they plan to go to Karabi, Thailand March next year. Since i ride this bike from work to home I make new friends or should i say fellow GS bikers. I meet Zack & Rozie who ride GS550 different year. here some pic of their bike;


Zack bike GS550E 1982. 4-1 exhaust hmmm....



Rozie bike GS550 1980 (Police Spec same with my bike). Rozie bike have some issue where he need to buy new petcock & new carb boot. He complaint that his bike can speed to 100km/h only even he pull the throttle fully. when i check found out his throttle cable nut at the carb fell off , the thread also lose. I said to him He need new throttle cable but we manage to fix it up for temporary. I told both of them to visit this site to get info or if their have any issue with their bike so that they can DIY.

I pay a visit to my friend workshop-Ah Guan and saw this GSX1100 at his work shop for repair;

Such a beauty but this bike can speed 100km/h only & the 1000 gone with the wind... Previously the owner repair the issue with other workshop but the problem still occurred. i wish i can help the owner of this bike by referring him to this great website so that he can DIY it rather than he left his bike at the workshop. Not that my friend workshop-Ah Guan not good but his workshop full with bike for repair and i think his bike will be done latest by 3 months or more. My bike 1 year at Ah Guan workshop.

Im now buying part to prepare my GS for his journey such as clutch & brake lever, clutch & throttle cable etc. Currently my ignition switch have an issue where the first turn switch without any warning cut off the electric while i speed at 130km/h on the bridge highway where im on my way to work. I was at the fast lane when it happen, i unable to turn on the signal to warn any vehicle at the back that im going to make a turn to the road side. Luckily there's no car at my back as my bike drop down the speed rapidly & 1st & 2nd lane all car & bike bit further & i quickly move over to the roadside. Really scare s*** out of me feels like my ball on my head already . Check the kill switch was on run (Happen to me before where it was not properly on run-between engine off / run) Check plug cable all attached. Turn off the ignition switch & on back to 1st one - no power, turn 2nd - still no power, turn 3rd switch - idiot light on, push the start button engine roar... what a relief. I was thinking to repair it but after remembering the terrifying experience better i buy new ignition switch.

[Charlie G]

Hakim,

As always , nice to have an update on you and your bike. Good you've met some other GS'ers. 550's are nice bikes. The 1100GSX looks like someone has put alot of time and money into it. Take care.

Charlie G

[hakim5857]

Hakim,

As always , nice to have an update on you and your bike. Good you've met some other GS'ers. 550's are nice bikes. The 1100GSX looks like someone has put alot of time and money into it. Take care.

Charlie G

Thanks Charlie G . If the owner of GSX1100 want to sell it i'll be the first to grab it. I think i'm addicted with GS already...

[hakim5857]

Hi all,

Another disaster happened to my GS, #1 my swing arm bearing give way already.., 34 yrs bike...



The spacer cannot be used... no further comment.


Now it worked superb with new bearing & spacer.

[hakim5857]

Why... why...!!! why this happening to me..!!! here's the stories...

When I ride my bike as usual going to work and suddenly power loss, it seem like my GS run only with two cylinder & moment later the power back again. The gas cap i already drill 2 hole so no issue on gas with new petcock plus dip clean the carb. Check the coils found out coil for cylinder #2-3 not firing. Suspect that my wiring might got problem, I check and clean up all the connection. After that the bike run good but not to long. The symptom its like on & off the coil for cylinder 2-3 not firing.

Ok... maybe the wiring got problem due to age, so i did the coil relay mode but not event a mile ride going back home from work the symptom came back again. I'm p*** off and some more kapchai (100cc) rider pass me, honking & with a kind of look smiling at me as I can only speed up the bike at 30mph . (I think i know him & think he recognize me because I always pass him on the highway - You wait I'll mark you).

Now it left only the dyna s electronic ignition, I opened up the right cover to check wiring all in good order. Start the engine the symptom still occurring. With engine running, i knock a bit with screw driver butt the electronic ignition for cylinder #2-3 & to my surprise the coil firing . Within a minute it back to square one. I knock it again & saying to it "Hello, wake up.., wake up..!!!" & coil firing. WTF...!!! confirmed electronic ignition for cylinder #2-3 faulty as it not sending the signal to the coil.

Luckily I still keep my old contact point, put it back & both coil firing ~ back to old school. Send an email to Dynatek about the problem and waiting their reply as i just bought it on Feb 12 and not even a year yet so I still got warranty.

[hakim5857]

In a place where parts are scarce and the places for help between point A and B can be quite far, I would run points anyway, and keep a spare set on the bike. The advantage of electronic ignition is the lack of maintenance, but I trust the ole points over electronic ignition and igniters anyday, less to go wrong, easy to fix.

Yep.., i agreed with your statement old_skool back to old school. Keep it as simple as possible or maintain as it is & when trouble comes we can fix it with a flick of a finger . Learn my hard lesson

[Charlie G]

Hakim,

Always nice to have you stop by and share your latest events of your journey. You could carry a rubber hammer and just smack the ignition cover once in a while .

cg

[ptexotik]

I'm p*** off and some more kapchai (100cc) rider pass me, honking & with a kind of look smiling at me as I can only speed up the bike at 30mph . (I think i know him & think he recognize me because I always pass him on the highway - You wait I'll mark you).

.

love your updates too H! great stuff

[hakim5857]

Hakim,

Always nice to have you stop by and share your latest events of your journey. You could carry a rubber hammer and just smack the ignition cover once in a while .

cg

was thinking of that too Charlie G but carrying the hammer make me look like "Thor" riding GS. Thought of to drill one hole near to electronic ignition #2-3 & slot in metal rod & when it happen i can kick it to wake up the ignition #2-3. "Knock.., Knock.., are you with me.., I'm riding now.., you idiot..!!!"

love your updates too H! great stuff

thanks

[reliant_turbo]

glad to hear you fixed it pretty easily.

its a bummer when the parts that are to make the bike more reliable, make the bike less reliable.

now go find that 100cc dude and blast by him with a wave.

brian

[hakim5857]

glad to hear you fixed it pretty easily.

its a bummer when the parts that are to make the bike more reliable, make the bike less reliable.

now go find that 100cc dude and blast by him with a wave.

brian

yeah.., sophisticated + complicated = ^#%@$@@)(#^*%
On my way going back home today, saw this guy (100cc bike) at the highway. I slowly catch up with him and when I'm at his side, I honk 2 times (he's shock) looking at him like T2 Terminator " I'm back, hasta la vista baby". He honk me back 2 times and I gave him thumb up. off i go leaving him behind.

[hakim5857]

What did you end up doing, I just bought a points setup of eBay, just to have, I think I want one bike with an old setup, going to save it for a bike with a kick start option as well. Will probably make some kind of light weight 4 stroke scrambler/enduro eventually, maybe a 2 stroke.

That's great, I'm also looking for contact point keep for spare because my current point had shown wear & tear already. Now still searching the part local & ebay. I found one in the local online store Daiichi point about $59 but I'm still searching for best price.

Dynatek still not reply my email regard about the faulty Dyna S electronic ignition. Maybe because of Christmas holiday .

Before I forgot.., wish you all Merry Christmas...!!! but I've to work on Christmas & New year

[hakim5857]

I'm still waiting for an update from Dynatek team about my Dyna S as they said they yet to receive the item. They told me that maybe because of bad weather causing of the delay. Hope that my Dyna S not going missing... Anyway I took 3 days off from work and painted my bad looking tank.




looks good & shining in the picture but when look live close up ~ armature job.

On my second day off received sad news from my wife saying that her father not feeling well. So we went to visit him and to my surprise his left lower neck swollen about 3 inch. So I told him that tomorrow i will pick him up to send him to the hospital to get medical check up. At first he refused but i said to him that I don't care & if I have to lift you up, I will do so. then he agreed to go. (My father in law got a stroke 3 years ago and his left body part cannot function well furthermore he's an ex army sergeant so maybe he don't want to trouble me & my wife).

Next day early in the morning, me & my wife send him to the hospital and the hospital put him under observation for 3 hours and after that he been given a referral letter to set an appointment to see specialist doctor as the doctor on duty cannot determine what the cause of the swollen. So we went back sending my father in law home and after that me & my wife went back to our home. On the way back i see my wife sad face and I feel bad. I said to my wife after we reach home we go for a ride round the Penang Island.

We start our journey to the island by using the ferry and going back home using the bridge to the mainland. Some picture below;





It's 2pm & it is hot. We stop at the water treatment dam.




Make another stop to take picture on top of the island hill. Normally when you use this road you can smell durian fruits along the way of the hill but the durian season was over.



All the way down are the durian trees, it is a durian farm actually down there.

The journey went well but my wife complaining about the rear shock (Time to change already).

2 days later my brother in law took my father in law to the hospital to see the specialist doctor. After the check up found out the cause of the swollen was due to the blood vessel clog causing infection and build up pus. He require urgent surgery to remove & clean it up before it getting worse. On that day my father in law admitted and the doctor performed minor surgery to removed the pus. The surgery went well and now he need to do the medical follow up.