Help!! Bike won't idle low, and gets hot then will not start

[Guest]

Hello,
i have recently (3-4 weeks) made a sale on a 1980 Suzuki GS850L? It have a big ferring and saddle bags that I have taken off. This bike had been sitting on its side for 6+ years and was in bad condition. i have done a lot of work in order to get it back into a working but not pretty condition. I have soaked carbs, replaced brakes/lines. New fuel Petcock for tank after cleaning and sealing the rusted put tank. bu I seem to have hit a wall. The bike seems to be able to start when cold. But idles at what seems to be 3-4k and if I adjust cables it will dive, bog out and die. About 10-20 minutes of this battle it will be hot. I did however drive it around the block a few times to see if it helped under the load. Which to be honest I am completely ESTATIC to even have come this far but I would like a mostly reliable bike. The boots from carbs to engine are great. The boots from air to carbs could use work but I have recently seated them better. My filter in there is NOT what it is supposed to be. I had taken some foam and fairly made it work with a few strips inside of rectangles shaped filter holder and that is all. after the bike ran for maybe 20-30 minutes it would not start on its own again. And I would have to wait to cool. Anyone have any opinions??

Thank You
v/r Grimmise

[steve murdoch]

Welcome to the site and good on you for salvaging another GS.
A proper air filter is an absolute must for good engine performance. Otherwise you are going to have to start making jetting changes.
Completely sealing the air boots is another requirement. The extra heat you are getting could be coming from the improper fuel/air mixture.
Did you change the manifold o-rings when you re-installed the carbs?

http://www.cycleorings.com/

[Grimmise]

Hey thanks for the comments. I have replaced and done (what i believe) everything up to good working order within the carbs. I am however new to the suzuki bikes. Specially the 1980 gs series. I am currently able to get her down the road, easily get in and out of gears on and up through 4th is as far as i have wanted to push her in her current state.
I am working on getting new boots from air to carbs currently and during so getting another air filter.

Could this be the cause of my bike not wanting to idle at a low level and stay running?
My other question was, is there and where is the air/fuel mixture screw in the bike? 1980 suzuki gs850L is what the decal on the side plate plastic piece. The L was in a cursive fashion. Is a gs850L the correct make or this bike?

[Steve]

My other question was, is there and where is the air/fuel mixture screw in the bike? 1980 suzuki gs850L is what the decal on the side plate plastic piece. The L was in a cursive fashion. Is a gs850L the correct make or this bike?

The mixture screw (correct terminology, according to Suzuki is "pilot screw") is on the top of the outlet of the carb. Even though you say you soaked them, there is no guarantee that they were fully-disassembled before they got wet. Suzuki sealed the opening over the screw, so you may see a flat disk, not a screw. Remove the disk, the screw will be about 1/4" in the hole. Assuming the rest of the intake and exhaust systems are somewhat stock, turn the screws IN untill they seat lightly, then back them out three full turns. That is three FULL turns, 1080 degrees of rotation. That will get the bike started. Probably won't have to use as much "choke", but it will start easier and you can turn the "choke" off sooner. When it is warmed up enough to not need the "choke", slowly turn one screw IN until you hear the idle speed drop, then back it out about 1/4 turn. Continue with the other carbs.

Yes, GS850L is the correct, although incomplete, designation for the bike. The proper term is GS850GL, but for some reason, Suzuki never put the G in the GL on the side covers. The G only showed that it has a shaft drive. Are you SURE it's an '80? The '80 850L was a one-year-only bike. The '81 styling changed and then pretty much stayed the same through the '83 model.
Without resorting to pictures or extensive comparisons, look at two things: 1. The assembly date on the VIN tag on the steering neck. 2. What size is the rear tire?

Why those two things?
1. The production for the '81 bikes might have started as early as August or September of '80, so they could get the bikes into the showrooms by about Christmas, so if you have an assembly date of September or later, you might actually have an '81.
2. The '80 850L had a 17-inch rear wheel. All other Ls had a 16-inch rear wheel.

There were other differences in the '80, like smaller gas tank, different side covers and a few other details, but the assembly date and rear tire size are easy to spot.

EDIT: If you click on the link in my signature for my wife's 850L, you will see a slightly-customized (more personalized) '82. If you have an '80, your tank will be smaller and will not taper back quite so gradually, and the chrome covers on the airbox will be rectangular, rather than the trapezoids on her bike.

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