Is it possible to ride these bikes too hard...?

[Rob S.]

Thanks for the reply. So does that mean the engine is done? Is there anything I can do without a teardown?

Did you change the oil and filter? If metal IS found, sometimes you can identify the source by examing the filings.

[jrdatrackstar]

Did you change the oil and filter? If metal IS found, sometimes you can identify the source by examing the filings.

Good point, only drained the oil and put new oil in. I’ll get a new filter this morning. Thanks.

[Gorminrider]

Did you change the oil and filter? If metal IS found, sometimes you can identify the source by examing the filings.

with a magnet,eh? that helps if you have any doubts of what you can see.

[rphillips]

If you had a roller bearing crankshaft eng., it would be a lot less likely to be catastrophic. But you have a plain bearing crankshaft eng., knocking due to low oil probably won't be good. Just my opinion.

[jrdatrackstar]

Man I really expected to be on this bike forever, being that it’s my first one. Ironically I was eyeing an SV650 as well because I want something with a little more torque and low end power. I guess this might be the stars aligning unfortunately, but I can’t bring myself to spend that much money on a bike. The only reason I even have this one is my wife surprised me with it last Father’s Day.

Gonna be hard to separate from this bike, I’ve had so much fun on it. Going to bring by a friends shop later (they work on vintage bikes) and if he says it’s toast then I guess SV650 it is....😩

[rphillips]

Evidently you weren't keeping up with the thread, a couple of months ago, by Rich82gs750tz, titled 750 TSCC Rebuild or Replace, it's in the 4 Cylinder Engine/Drivetrain/ Clutch section . Messed up eng. found replacement, got it bact together last month. From where you are today, it may well be worth reading.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

see post 5, this very thread. already linked it.

but here it is again

https://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?258421-750-TSCC-Rebuild-or-Replace

[John Park]

Man I really expected to be on this bike forever, being that it’s my first one. Ironically I was eyeing an SV650 as well because I want something with a little more torque and low end power. I guess this might be the stars aligning unfortunately, but I can’t bring myself to spend that much money on a bike. The only reason I even have this one is my wife surprised me with it last Father’s Day.

Gonna be hard to separate from this bike, I’ve had so much fun on it. Going to bring by a friends shop later (they work on vintage bikes) and if he says it’s toast then I guess SV650 it is....

I ride an SV 650 now and then, trading off with a former GS750B rider. He's always rather disappointed when he has to give me back my GS450T. In theory, I love the SV650; in practice I'm glad I didn't buy one.

The good news. You've been riding a GS; you know how they steer and feel. Ride an SV and be honest with yourself. I think that IF you find the right profile front tire - Michelin and /70 series? - it's liveable, but there's something about 120 wide tires on 17" front wheels and the steering geometry that goes with them that just doesn't 'dance' for me.

They're also not much for long distance comfort, especially the earlier model. It's a race bike for the masses. Light, 130 mph top speed, totally reliable. Adjusting the rear cylinder valves is 'Involved' so the drill is to check the fronts and if they're okay, keep riding. If they need adjusting.... have you considered buying a newer one? They have lots of low end power, but the redline is still about 10,000 with the main event above 6,000 so they aren't an 'American' style V twin; more like an affordable Ducati.

On the other hand, if you bond with one then you're on a great, long lived, much loved, great machine that has a deep following.

The GS650G - I've never been more than around them - seems prone to crank/rod problems that are common to the plain bearing crank fours. The plain bearing twins are less affected- probably because it's a same or similar oil pump feeding half as many rods. 650 gearboxes have been known to overheat the final gear pair to the bevel drive, as it's constantly under load.

I'd be looking for a GS500 myself. More comfortable, plenty fast enough, friendly, and a simple to service twin. Good seat, bars in the right place, and narrower tires that like to turn. Something to ride until you figure out what your dream bike is.

[jrdatrackstar]

I ride an SV 650 now and then, trading off with a former GS750B rider. He's always rather disappointed when he has to give me back my GS450T. In theory, I love the SV650; in practice I'm glad I didn't buy one.

The good news. You've been riding a GS; you know how they steer and feel. Ride an SV and be honest with yourself. I think that IF you find the right profile front tire - Michelin and /70 series? - it's liveable, but there's something about 120 wide tires on 17" front wheels and the steering geometry that goes with them that just doesn't 'dance' for me.

They're also not much for long distance comfort, especially the earlier model. It's a race bike for the masses. Light, 130 mph top speed, totally reliable. Adjusting the rear cylinder valves is 'Involved' so the drill is to check the fronts and if they're okay, keep riding. If they need adjusting.... have you considered buying a newer one? They have lots of low end power, but the redline is still about 10,000 with the main event above 6,000 so they aren't an 'American' style V twin; more like an affordable Ducati.

On the other hand, if you bond with one then you're on a great, long lived, much loved, great machine that has a deep following.

The GS650G - I've never been more than around them - seems prone to crank/rod problems that are common to the plain bearing crank fours. The plain bearing twins are less affected- probably because it's a same or similar oil pump feeding half as many rods. 650 gearboxes have been known to overheat the final gear pair to the bevel drive, as it's constantly under load.

I'd be looking for a GS500 myself. More comfortable, plenty fast enough, friendly, and a simple to service twin. Good seat, bars in the right place, and narrower tires that like to turn. Something to ride until you figure out what your dream bike is.

Thanks for that thorough breakdown man, I’m trying to find a dealership that will allow me to test one without having to be fully in with buying it. I also remember always hearing that you never buy new because these are expensive toys but I also want something that wouldn’t require much maintenance other than the usual (oil, chain, etc). I’ve never ridden an SV650 before, the GS and 2009 Harley Sportster XL 1200 are the only motorcycles I’ve ever ridden before. The Vtwin on the Sportster obviously blew my 650 out of the water in terms of low end torque, but I know the SV also has a Vtwin.

[jrdatrackstar]

So I ended up taking the bike to a friend’s shop who works on vintage bikes and they told me that it’s the cam tension screw that probably has a loose spring (also confirmed by my brother in law). I guess the good news is that it doesn’t require a top-end takedown like I expected, bad news it’s still a little more involved than I am used to.

Thank you to those who posted those reference threads as well, I will take a look at those and appreciate it!

[Rich82GS750TZ]

So, the TL/DR version is:

Ran bike sans oil.
Awful noise ensued.
Bike now at shop with diagnosis: Cam Chain Tensioner Spring Beyond Service Limit.

Do I have this about right? Anyway, it sounds like you have people close to you who are helping. I’ll hold my opinion and wait and see if this shop fixes your bike. Good luck.

[rphillips]

Sounds interesting in a good way, please keep us informed.

[jrdatrackstar]

So, the TL/DR version is:

Ran bike sans oil.
Awful noise ensued.
Bike now at shop with diagnosis: Cam Chain Tensioner Spring Beyond Service Limit.

Do I have this about right? Anyway, it sounds like you have people close to you who are helping. I’ll hold my opinion and wait and see if this shop fixes your bike. Good luck.

All correct but my brother in law said I should be able to do it myself (remove carbs, remove cam tensioner and clean it). He said the only possible difficult part is the assembly of the cam tensioner once I take it out and clean it because you have to retract it or something in order for it to go back in. He also said the reason it possibly got loose like that is the combination of no oil and riding it hard. The shop also sent me home because they are booked for 2 mons and they also said I could do it on my own and would rather not have time wait and then charge me so much money (again, very blessed to have a friend who owns a shop like that locally and also my brother in law).

Going to wait until probably tomorrow and get started taking the carbs off. The furthest I have ever gone is removing the gas tank to fix some electrical issues, but nothing ever involving the engine. Fingers crossed I don’t ruin something, I am going to take it day by day and do the research on here per each step I am on during teardown.

[cowboyup3371]

Check out Basscliff's site - http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff and read up on the information there. He has a link to BWringer's site where you'll find instructions on removing/installing the cam chain tensioner or you can just directly to http://www.bwringer.com/gs/camchaintens.html.

Understand, the instructions for maintenance you see on both sites are generally the same for all of our bikes. Be sure to also download the service manual from Basscliff's site and then read read read. Once you have read, come back here and ask questions.

[jrdatrackstar]

Got the cam tensioner off but more I am having troubling loosening it. The extended part is rock solid and won’t retract at all, which I am assuming that is the problem because all the videos I’ve watched show you should be able to push it in and it should spring back into place.

Accidentally got myself with a drill trying to loosen the flat part in the pictures...

920BF780-CB40-4336-B350-D56A627E6D2A.jpg