What year is this engine?

[Guest]

I bought the motorcycle from a guy he said it was a 1978 Suzuki Gs550 but I think the engine is 1980 and up but I want to know if someone can tell me what year it is based off the numbers stamped on the engine

which are: GS550-127180

[Nessism]

'77-'79 550 has kick start.

[gsrick]

I bought the motorcycle from a guy he said it was a 1978 Suzuki Gs550 but I think the engine is 1980 and up but I want to know if someone can tell me what year it is based off the numbers stamped on the engine

which are: GS550-127180

Everything 80 and up had CV carbs.

[Cipher]

considering the question Ill answer NO.
Z1 enterprises used to let you dig down IDing a bike by engine serial but do not apeear to anymore.
A search for Suzuki motorcycle engine serials may bring back something.

[Crissy]

Thanks to everyone's reply I appreciate the help the engine is a kick start however when I bought it, it came with CV carbs and carb boots and the bike did not perform well so I bought some 1978 Suzuki VM carbs with the carb boots but the carb boots bolt holes do not align with bolt hole on the intake, but the mikuni cv carb boots pefectly align with the bolt holes on the intake so I'm so confused wether the CV go on this engine or not or wether the VMs go but I just have the wrong boots.

[jsandidge]

It sounds like someone may have put a later head on an earlier motor.

[Crissy]

The guy I bought the VM carbs from told me the heads are not interchangeable

[Nessism]

The guy I bought the VM carbs from told me the heads are not interchangeable

Incorrect. The later engines have one extra bolt at the front of the cam chain tunnel but you can mix and match the parts regardless. Look at the front of the head, where the head and cylinder come together. Is there a 6mm bolt coming up from underneath? If so, that means you have the later cylinder and head on top of the early bottom end with kick start. Also, the pre '80 engine came with points ignition. That's another easy tell.

[Brendan W]

You may have a 78 going by the engine numbers here.
I assume the number given is the start number for that model year.

http://www.ozebook.com/compendium/suzi/engine-nos/engnos.htm