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Hi Mr. Rudi,
Please forgive me if I seemed flippant or curt. Of course, the number one issue with these old bikes are the carbs. But as it says in the "mega-welcome":
"Every GS850 [and most other models] has (or had) a set of well-known issues that MUST be addressed before you have a solid baseline for further troubleshooting. It's a vintage bike, and it's quite common (as in, every single GS850 I have had contact with) that there are multiple problems that have crept up and slowly gotten worse over the years. It's not like a newer vehicle, where there's generally one problem at a time."
Once you've finished with the carbs you'll move on to the electrical system, then the valves, then the tires, then the brakes, then the fork seals, etc. Until you've gone through the entire bike it will be an ongoing process. Every system is pretty much interdependent. Failure in any one can cost you life or limb.
You can be prudent and perform just enough repair and maintenance to see if it will be worth your while to do the complete job. I can see the logic in that. Just know that until the job is completely done, and done correctly, you stand the chance of always having problems with your bike. I'm not talking about a factory fresh mint restoration, just fixing your bike so that it is a safe, reliable, functional, fun machine. For example, the carbs may never be right until they are completely disassembled, dipped, cleaned, worn needle valves and seats replaced, and all the O-rings replaced during reassembly. The same goes for the intake boots and O-rings. Your bike may never run right until those are replaced. Then you'll probably need to start on the wiring and the charging system. And on and on.
I'm not trying to discourage you. I'm just letting you know that it is a 30 year old machine and needs a lot of TLC to be safe and reliable. We'll take it one system at a time. Keep us informed.
Thank you for your indulgence,
BassCliff
Please forgive me if I seemed flippant or curt. Of course, the number one issue with these old bikes are the carbs. But as it says in the "mega-welcome":
"Every GS850 [and most other models] has (or had) a set of well-known issues that MUST be addressed before you have a solid baseline for further troubleshooting. It's a vintage bike, and it's quite common (as in, every single GS850 I have had contact with) that there are multiple problems that have crept up and slowly gotten worse over the years. It's not like a newer vehicle, where there's generally one problem at a time."
Once you've finished with the carbs you'll move on to the electrical system, then the valves, then the tires, then the brakes, then the fork seals, etc. Until you've gone through the entire bike it will be an ongoing process. Every system is pretty much interdependent. Failure in any one can cost you life or limb.
You can be prudent and perform just enough repair and maintenance to see if it will be worth your while to do the complete job. I can see the logic in that. Just know that until the job is completely done, and done correctly, you stand the chance of always having problems with your bike. I'm not talking about a factory fresh mint restoration, just fixing your bike so that it is a safe, reliable, functional, fun machine. For example, the carbs may never be right until they are completely disassembled, dipped, cleaned, worn needle valves and seats replaced, and all the O-rings replaced during reassembly. The same goes for the intake boots and O-rings. Your bike may never run right until those are replaced. Then you'll probably need to start on the wiring and the charging system. And on and on.
I'm not trying to discourage you. I'm just letting you know that it is a 30 year old machine and needs a lot of TLC to be safe and reliable. We'll take it one system at a time. Keep us informed.
Thank you for your indulgence,
BassCliff
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