850L Shifting sounds

[Guest]

Hi,
Please describe your shifting noise and feel on your GS850.
Father in-law gave me his 82' 850L w/ 26k miles on it, and the shifting seems pretty loud. It tends to be more clanky/notchy then I remember from other bikes I have had. With the clutch lever pulled back often the bike will lurch just a tiny bit for a short amount of time when shifting. Just changed the oil to Shell 15w-40 Syn T6 and it seemed to improve a little.
Just trying to figure if the bike is worth putting $$$ into. The local dealer around here gets $100/hr

Thank you,
Andy

[Gold01ca]

Hi,
Please describe your shifting noise and feel on your GS850.
Father in-law gave me his 82' 850L w/ 26k miles on it, and the shifting seems pretty loud. It tends to be more clanky/notchy then I remember from other bikes I have had. With the clutch lever pulled back often the bike will lurch just a tiny bit for a short amount of time when shifting. Just changed the oil to Shell 5w-40 Syn T6 and it seemed to improve a little.
Just trying to figure if the bike is worth putting $$$ into. The local dealer around here gets $100/hr

Thank you,
Andy

Hoping you meant Shell 15W40 Rotella?

[tkent02]

If you are paying someone else to fix it, no old bike is going to be worth putting money into. Most bike shops won't touch an older bike anyway, nor should they. If you enjoy doing the work yourself, it's probably a fairly easy fix. An '82 with 26,000 miles has sat a lot, it will need quite a few of these easy fixes to be safe and reliable, and quite a bit of money in parts and tools if you don't have them.
Those of us who restore old bikes generally figure $1000 to get one safely on the road again after a long time sitting, not including cosmetics. Tires, cables, some electrical parts, a few bearings and oil seals, it all adds up. Sometimes less, but sometimes more. Quite a bit of time and effort too.
An 850 should shift like butter. Very slight clunk from neutral into first, almost silent after that.

[jsandidge]

exactly

I just finished getting the same year/model roadworthy. Everything tkent said is correct. Do it yourself, you might find it fun and therapeutic. I know I did!

[850 Combat]

Sounds like you have a clutch slightly out of adjustment. That is the lurch when you put it in gear.

By the way, in my personal experience, 30000 miles is about when the transmission on an 850G should be nicely broken in. Low mileage examples don't shift quite as nicely. I have one with 10,000 miles, and one with nearly 50,000 miles, and the one with the higher miles is far and away the better ride, because the engine is a little smoother, and the transmission is quite a bit smoother.

[Mr.Mom]

Family member / motorcycle guru agreed to check the carb/valves etc. ! He is a lot less expensive than $100/hour.

I am a little intimidated by the heft of the bike. It's a bit heavier than I anticipated. Not sure my small frame (120 lbs.) can handle it.

[jsandidge]

leaning

Family member / motorcycle guru agreed to check the carb/valves etc. ! He is a lot less expensive than $100/hour.

I am a little intimidated by the heft of the bike. It's a bit heavier than I anticipated. Not sure my small frame (120 lbs.) can handle it.

Just don't lean over too far when you're not moving, you'll be fine.