GS550 '78 what exhaust will fit?

[Tsjop3]

Hello,

My name is Michiel, I've bought myself an old gs550 from '78. I'm new to this bike so I don't know wich parts are interchangable.

I've got an 4 in 1 exhaust I want to change to an 4 in 2. Wich models will fit my bike?

I know a 81-83 GS550 M Katana exhaust for sale, will this fit my bike?

What other parts are interchangable? F.i. do the newer 550 carbs fit my bike or do I have to chop the whole thing up if I want to do that?


Thanks!

[Dreef1999]

there is no reason to switch to the newer carbs. The carbs you have are good and are easier to tune/work with. I don't even know if they would fit up.

Exhaust port spacing is the same for the 550 77-83(?) But the hanger bracket changes after 81. The 81-83 650E exhaust port spacing is the same as well but once again the hanger issue.

I would caution you to slow down and ask yourself why you want to change things. There is a lot of work involved in getting one of these running right and if you mess with the exhausts/carbs/air supply you are in for a lot of trial and error before you get it running right. I can go on craigslist right now a handful of GS projects that people never finished because they just didn't have the patience or skill necessary. Don't become one of those people.

If there is a problem then fix the problem, don't go creating more by messing with every part of the bike at the same time.

[hampshirehog]

The later carbs won't fit your bike unless you change the head (and front part of the airbox if you're with the running standard airbox). From my experience unless you live on Mount Everest you're better off with a 550 running with VMs (the early carbs).

Which country are you in? It makes a difference with the exhaust fitment.

[Tsjop3]

Thanks for the advice!

I'm from The Netherlands but my bike's from Canada (i think). I thought the newer carbs were better to tune than the older ones, but I hear thats not the case (i'll stick with my old ones).

Since I'm not going to sell my 4 in 1 pipes when fiddling with the 4 in 2's till the bike runs well, I'll always have an escape plan. And this is my second bike, so I don't necesserely need to hurry up with it.

The reason I want the 4 in 2 are because I like 4 in 2's better, it suits the bike. And my 4 in 1 is just soooo quiet, I don't want to wake the neigbours but i surely want to hear my bike running (don't want a loud bike, just a little bit louder).

I want to keep the original airbox (if thats possible), and since I've got an aftermarket exhaust and want to exchange in for another aftermaket one I thought the work involved to get it running would not be that much, but time will tell.

By the way, I'm not worrying about the hanger bracket, thats something I can work with, it's the exhaust port spacing that's got to be right!

[Nessism]

The GS550 exhaust systems with the hanger bracket on top of the mufflers won't fit on your bike because the frame hits the mufflers. It's not a simple matter of just making a different mounting bracket.

Quite is good.