Well, that was weird...

[Steve]

Steve would have caught it today as he was looking the thing over.

Possibly, but I did not open the tank.

Although your bike is a 10 cosmetically, ...

Al, I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you on that one.

I saw the bike today, it's at least an 11 or a 12.

The only real fault I could find was some REALLY OLD tires (won't mention the date code, but they were REALLY OLD).

On the plus side, a previous owner had installed a relay to cut out the headlight when the starter button was pushed.

.

[Big Si]

I don't know which petcock the 1000 has, but the GS850 has a vacuum petcock, and the diaphragm is rubber, subject the the same ageing process as the rest of the bike.

I had a problem with mine, the diaphragm would permit the carb bowls to fill, but on a longish run would not replenish the bowls. The bike would die very quickly due to fuel starvation, but would start again after sitting for a few minutes. The alternative was to disconnect the vacuum tube from the carbs and sucking hard (strictly a get-you-home trick) to refill the carb bowls.

Solution - new diaphragm / petcock.

Regards

Si

[ddaniels]

I don't know which petcock the 1000 has, but the GS850 has a vacuum petcock, and the diaphragm is rubber, subject the the same ageing process as the rest of the bike.

I had a problem with mine, the diaphragm would permit the carb bowls to fill, but on a longish run would not replenish the bowls. The bike would die very quickly due to fuel starvation, but would start again after sitting for a few minutes. The alternative was to disconnect the vacuum tube from the carbs and sucking hard (strictly a get-you-home trick) to refill the carb bowls.

Solution - new diaphragm / petcock.

Regards

Si

That's an interesting thought. And I remember another thread about this recently. I wonder if that could also be heat related because on my 1+ hour ride yesterday with no problems, it was a lot cooler than the other day. hmmm

[chuck c]

My 80 GS450L pulled that on my once. I guessed the petcock stuck closed. Flipped to "prime" for 5 seconds and in a couple of cranks it fired. I think it just stuck closed because it had been sitting. Around that same time I got a little fuel overflow meaning it stuck open. Neither has happened again since a few tanks of clean gas with a bit of Sea Foam.

[Buddy]

Your carb vent hoses are not too long are they? If they're too long fuel won't flow to the carbs properly on an extended long run. I think they should stop just below the airbox.

I had that problem on my 850 before.

Buddy

[blowerbike]

a fuel delivery problem has nothing to do with the carbs there self.
fuel valve/cap vent ect ect....

[ddaniels]

Your carb vent hoses are not too long are they? If they're too long fuel won't flow to the carbs properly on an extended long run. I think they should stop just below the airbox.

I had that problem on my 850 before.

Buddy

Nope. Pretty much just as you described.

[ddaniels]

a fuel delivery problem has nothing to do with the carbs there self.
fuel valve/cap vent ect ect....

Good point.

[Dogma]

This does sound like a fuel tap / vacuum problem. My 850 did this too me, but it was always a gradual death at steady throttle. A later intermittent problem turned out to be a crimp connector on the ignition wire that I had never noticed before. Just moving it a little was enough to turn the bike on or off.