82 GS1100GK wont start

[mailman556]

I have 1982 GS1100GK that I'm trying to restore, the engine has only 5300 original miles but it wont start. I have rebuild the carbs, new battery, new fuel tank (because the original owner left fuel in the tank for 20 years) and it still wont start. It was running once before but now after I did all that it wont even start with starting fluid. The spark plugs are brand new and they have spark, I even sprayed starter fluid directly into the cylinders and the spark will not ignite it. I'm losing my mind PLEASE HELP!!!!!!

[tom203]

We wouldn't want a mailman to lose his mind! Anyways, WELCOME; first ditch the starting fluid, unless its really cold where you are. Lots of stuff to check, does fuel get to carbs, etc. Do you understand "choke system" ?No sign of life with starter fluid?? maybe spark plug wires aren't on right plugs (happens all the time - unless you have single cylinder bike). Follow this link to get you started, be methodical.

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/storagecliff/images/electrical_odd-n-ends.html#A17

Edit; put your location in your signature- maybe someone here is close by

[mailman556]

Thanks for the link. Fuel is getting to the float bowls and the choke works thats another reason I'm stumped. My dad who has 32 years of automotive tech experience was telling me it might be a compression issue and he wants to do a compression test but the intake side of the carbs has a lot of vacuum, it will suck your hand to the back of the carbs when you hit the start button. I have tried swapping the plug wires but I have 2 short and 2 long so I dont think you can put them on the wrong plugs?

[Larry D]

How about the airbox and filter ?? Are they installed ? If not, you're taking in way to much air.

[tom203]

Sitting on bike, the left ignition coil fires #1 (extreme left cylinder) and #4; right coil fires #2 and #3; some folks mix and match wires,so length is not a good guide.
When you activate "choke", do NOT apply any throttle or you defeat its function. These carbs are fussy to clean right, taking shortcuts or using inferior rebuild kits results in mailman-losing-his-mind-syndrome.

[mailman556]

Ok cool I will retry with the plug wires. I used all suzuki parts from alphasports.com. Yea the airbox is on I took it off just to see how the vacuum was.

[BassCliff]

Greetings and Salutations!!

Hi Mr. mailman556,

Welcome to the forum. Read all of the information in the links below to get some background on your motorcycle. It's thirty years old and needs at least 20 years worth of proper maintenance; clean carbs, tight air intake system with no leaks, etc. Hint: To properly clean/rebuild your carbs, do not use the aftermarket "carb kits" because they are incomplete and usually contain inferior parts. There's lots more greasy goodness in your "mega-welcome".

Let me dump a TON of information on you and share some GS lovin'.

I just stopped by to welcome you to the forum in my own, special way.

If there's anything you'd like to know about the Suzuki GS model bikes, and most others actually, you've come to the right place. There's a lot of knowledge and experience here in the community. Come on in and let me say "HOoooowwwDY!"....

Here is your very own magical, mystical, mythical, mind-expanding "mega-welcome". Please take notice of the "Top 10 Common Issues", "Top 15 Tips For GS Happiness", the Carb Cleanup Series, and the Stator Papers. All of these tasks must be addressed in order to have a safe, reliable machine. This is what NOT to do: Top 10 Newbie Mistakes. Now let me roll out the welcome mat for you...



Please click here for your mega-welcome, chock full of tips, suggestions, links to vendors, and other information. Then feel free to visit my little BikeCliff website where I've been collecting the wisdom of this generous community. Don't forget, we like pictures! Not you, your bike!

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[mailman556]

Thanks for the welcome and all the info. Im going to try and get a pic of my GS1100GK tonight.

[cowboyup3371]

Just a note, Alpha Sports is about the most expensive place out there for parts. Look at places like Z1 Enterprises, G&S Suzuki, and Boulevard Suzuki for starters.

[tom203]

Just a note, Alpha Sports is about the most expensive place out there for parts. Look at places like Z1 Enterprises, G&S Suzuki, and Boulevard Suzuki for starters.

Yeah, but they are nice folks to deal with in person (half hour from me). very small outfit with lots of NOS parts hanging on walls and stuffed into bins- ATV's seem to be their bread and butter.