Easy Questions for any 1984 GS550 Owner. - Petcock

[Anonymous]

Can anyone give me a correct answer for the petcock position on an 1984 GS550ES. I searched and couldn't find the answer. I have 3 positions. UP, Back toward tail, Down.

I ran out of gas while it was down. I hope that is the reserve.

Thanks.

[Jethro]

You sure it's not forward, down and rearward? Most all GS petcocks are the same, except for the vacumm line. Forward is reserve, down is ON, rearward is prime (on all my GS's anyway).

[Griffin]

Most petcocks are steel or aluminum handles with the position markers cast in the handle itself. Yours has the funky plastic knob that has (or had) the indicators painted on it.

Jethro is right. If you turn the knob all the way forward (clockwise as you look at it fromt he side), you are on reserve. Turn it anti-clockwise 90 degrees (up and down) and you are on the normal fuel setting. Turn the knob another 90 degrees, you are at prime.

[Anonymous]

Please use my example

If you are looking at the knob, I am telling you that I have a 12:00, 3:00 and 6:00 positions. So what you are saying is that 6:00 is Reserve, 3:00 is prime and 12:00 is normal.

Is this correct? This would make sense considering I ran out at the 6:00 position.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

My 80-850 is forward = reserve, down = normal, back = prime. And it is marked as such.

If yours is just rotated (?) counterclockwise, 12 = prime, 3 = normal, 6 = reserve.

schu

[Anonymous]

Thanks for trying

Forget it. I am going to do trial and error because knowone knows the the correct way for an 84 GS550ES. You are all guessing.

[Griffin]

Re: Thanks for trying

Forget it. I am going to do trial and error because knowone knows the the correct way for an 84 GS550ES. You are all guessing.

I'm looking at my owner's manual right now. Your knob has a raised portion on one end, which is supposed to be the indicator arrow. When it points straight down, it's "on". When the knob is turned anti clockwise 90 degrees, it's in the "reserve" position. The raised part straight up is "prime".

Isn't the indication painted on your side panel? The plastic is molded so that there are raised letters, painted black indicating on, res, and pri. If you don't have the side panel anymore, or it's been sanded and painted, I guess you wouldn't have a clue other than by trial and error.

Suzuki used a standard petcock in '83 for this bike with a trapdoor, but changed to the external knob for the '84-86 versions. My bike has an '83 tank, petcock, and sidecovers on it, so it doesn't match yours anymore.

But the Owner's Manual never lies, and doesn't guess.

[Anonymous]

Thanks

Thanks, that sounds more like my bike. Unfort, it was painted and sanded but I will try the trial and error method to be sure.