Help identify year please

[aidan]

Hey guys I have a gs550 and am trying to identify what year it is. The frame says GS550-100214. I measured rear sprocket bolts and get @84mm c to c. This leads me to believe it is a 77. But the title says it is a 79. But the c to c bolt pattern on the rear sprocket should be @ 100mm on a 79 according to Z1's sprocket diagram.

I am in need of rear drum shoes (The ones on there now are stamped "ASK A17FF")
Front and rear sprockets 530/15 and 530/50
new chain 530/110 link
Tires: I am torn between shinko 712 $113 set or bridgestone s11 $177 set.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Steve]

According to this page at Z1, you have a '77.

Is there a letter at the end of the serial number at the steering neck? The letter would designate the year, for sure.

Although a bit unlikely, it's possible that the bike might have been a leftover unit and first sold and titled in '79, therefore, that year is on the title.

.

[ChicagoBob]

Suzuki titled its bikes in the US in the year they were sold, not the year they were built, so it's not unusual to have title dated a year or two after its build date.

[aidan]

No there are no letters at the end. I was leaning towards it being a 77 from the rear sprocket size. But wanted a second opinion before ordering parts. Picked it up at end of last ridding season and the chain wasnt just loose, but scary loose!

[Steve]

No there are no letters at the end. I was leaning towards it being a 77 from the rear sprocket size.

You are somehow of the opinion that 30-some years of previous owners have left things STOCK?

.

[mike_of_bbg]

Is it an "L" or an "E" model?

JT Sprockets' database shows the plain 'ol GS550 B, C, and N (77, 78, and 79) all using 84mm bolt spacing on the rear sprocket. The GS550"L"N (1979 "cruiser" model) or "E" C/N has 100mm bolt spacing:

http://www.jtsprockets.com/catalogue/model/5692

http://www.jtsprockets.com/catalogue/model/5694

http://www.jtsprockets.com/catalogue/model/5693

http://www.jtsprockets.com/catalogue/model/5695

My GUESS would be (and I don't have time to research this further right now, and don't trust my guess) that the DRUM models use 84mm bolt spacing (JTR814 type) whereas the DISC rear brake models use 100mm (JTR816 type).

[aidan]

Good point Steve. So then do I order brake shoes for a 77, 79, or both and send back the one that doesn't fit? And please don't say Heck just order a 78 also. Is there any way if one was unsure of the year to order the correct shoes the first time around?

[mike_of_bbg]

I think in the case of the shoes you are in luck, as 77-79 all used the same ones IIRC. Let's see what Alpha-Sports.com's cross-reference says:

1976 SUZUKI GT550A (Indy) - REAR WHEEL
1977 SUZUKI GS550B - REAR WHEEL (GS550B,C,N)
1977 SUZUKI GT550B (Indy) - REAR WHEEL
1978 SUZUKI GS550C - REAR WHEEL (GS550B,C,N)
1979 SUZUKI GS550N - REAR WHEEL (GS550B,C,N)
1980 SUZUKI GS550T & ET - REAR WHEEL (FOR SPOKE WHEELS)
1982 SUZUKI GS550LZ - REAR WHEEL (MODEL Z)

Last bike on the list is mine. Just replaced my shoes with EBC model 611.

Good point Steve. So then do I order brake shoes for a 77, 79, or both and send back the one that doesn't fit? And please don't say Heck just order a 78 also. Is there any way if one was unsure of the year to order the correct shoes the first time around?

[aidan]

Thanks guys for the quick help and for one more supplier bookmark.

[mike_of_bbg]

aidan,

I have a bit more time now.

I see you have a post count of 4, and all of those are in this thread. You should introduce yourself in the GS Owners forum, and get your free welcome from BassCliff. There's all sorts of vendor information in there and lots of other goodies. Alpha-sports.com is a great site for checking parts because they use real Suzuki part #'s (unlike some other sites, ahem, BikeBandit), have a cross-reference tool, and list all part #'s whether they are still available new or not. Their prices are not very good though, so I usually buy OEM online from Boulevard Suzuki. Z1 is a very well-reputed vendor and they can also get OEM parts, but you have to call or e-mail them. Their web site doesn't list all they can sell or get. They're not usually the lowest-priced vendor, but they're usually pretty close and if they have parts in stock they'll ship them FAST.

The 77-79 GS550s were 8V DOHC motors with Mikuni VM carbs. Lots of parts are bound to be interchangeable between many of these models. In 80 the 550s got CV carbs, and therefore modified heads. They also lost the kick starter in 80. Points went to an electronic ignition system with mechanical advance. There are other changes, of course. In 83 the 550s got more displacement, different carbs (the Siamese twins), 4 valves per cylinder, and electronically advancing ignition. A totally different beast.

You can check this page for model lists:

http://www.thegsresources.com/gs_modelchart.htm

In 77 (model year "B"), there was just a "plain 'old 550". In 78 ("C" model year) they introduced the E model with cast wheel and rear disc brake. In 79 ("N" model year) they added an "L" or cruiser model, which also had a rear disc. So you have:

GS550B
GS550C
GS550EC
GS550N
GS550EN
GS550LN

I'm not up enough to tell you if there were any substantive differences between the "plain" B, C, and N models (I do believe that somewhere in that set of years they switched from straight gears on the crank/clutch basket to slant teeth). There might be some information in the Suzuki service manual: look in the back for model-specific information (available at BassCliff's site). It does appear that the "plain" B, C, and N all used rear drum brakes (those got handed to the T and in 82 the L model). As you can see the parts reference shows those models using the same shoes.

According to JT Sprockets' site, all of the 77-82 GS550 drum models do call for a type JTR814 rear sprocket with the 84mm bolt spacing. All of the disc brake models call for JTR816 with 100mm bolt spacing. The stock number of teeth varies slightly by model: there's a chart on BassCliff's site. Looks like the plain ole 77-79 use 15T front/50T rear. I have a 50T rear myself, as nobody makes a 49T replacement as was the stock sprocket.

Oh, BassCliff's site is here:

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/

[Steve]

Thanks guys for the quick help and for one more supplier bookmark.

If you are talking about Alpha, they are best used as a supplier of INFORMATION ONLY, not a supplier of parts.

Example: I just placed an order today for intake boots, o-rings and gas tank mounting hardware for my son's 650. The total of all the parts was $240.32 from Alpha, but only $148.04 from both Boulevard Suzuki and G&S Suzuki. Would you willingly pay an extra 62% for something when you knew it was available at the cheaper price?

.

[7981GS]

...for my son's 650.

650? When did that join the family? Where is a link to the thread/pic's?

Sorry about the hi-jacking.