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Was my new bike abused?

  • Thread starter Thread starter jhibs
  • Start date Start date
J

jhibs

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Hi all. I've been reading posts on this forum daily since I decided to buy an '81 GS550L, and I am pleased to report that tonight I finally brought her home. However, I have a concern about her previous life.

The guy I bought the bike from told me that it sometimes has trouble starting when it is cold or it has been sitting. No big deal, I figured. However, then when he was showing me around the bike, he explained that the petcock has a "primary" setting (PRI) which he used all the time. He said that he didn't think there was a difference between ON and PRI. Now, I'm no genius so I'm not going to be hard on him, but... come on.

So the previous owner was leaving the petcock on the Prime setting all the time, which I assume means that the carb bowls were constantly full of gas, and from what I understand from this forum, most likely so is the oil now.

However, I just rode the 550 90 miles home (by the way, for anyone in or near Central PA, route 74 is a very nice ride) and I had no problems whatsoever. Like I mentioned earlier though, I am by no means a mechanical genius, and I left it on Prime also; and about 15 minutes after parking it in my garage I noticed a distinct gasoline smell (but no pool of gas on the floor or anything) and immediately switched it to ON.

So, my question is: what kind of damage should I look for on my new bike? Do I definitely need to drain and replace the oil?

I look forward to participating in this forum in the future; knowing that this resource was here made the decision to buy a "classic" GS much easier.
 
If the floats are seating right they should shut off the gas from flowing into the case but checking the oil is the only way to know for sure.
 
Personally, I'd change the oil and filter anyway. It's a cheap and easy job and a good way to check the condition of the bike.
 
As previously stated, as long as the needle valves were seating properly (and they should be) you shouldn't have a problem.

Regardless, whenever I get a car or bike, I go over everything. It's part of getting to know the new machine and it gives me a starting point for maintenance records and future maintenance schedule.

Change the oil and filter,
check the timing,
do a valve adjustment,
test compression,
bleed the brakes and flush out all the old fluid,
check the pads,
change the plugs, or at least be sure they are clean and gapped properly,
check the battery electrolite levels and top up with water if needed,
check tire pressure,
adjust clutch cable freeplay,
sync the carbs,
and clean and oil/grease everything,
etc, etc...

Making sure everything is properly adjusted and working well is the best way to ensure maximum safety and maximum fun.


Enjoy!
 
the other day i drove around all day not knowing the petcock was on prime, i changed the oil and filter today, could i have caused any damage to my engine from fuel in the oil in 1 day (60 or so miles)
 
Unless you smelled gas in the oil or it was really thin, don't worry about it....at all...really! When the bike is running there is no difference between Prime and On. When the engine is running and the petcock is on On, the vacuum from the engine holds the petcock valve open. Thr Prime setting is there so you can open the petcock valve without the engine running. Either way the petcock valve is open.

If the needle valves are working properly, you could leave it on Prime all the time. Whether the engine is running or not, the needle valves keep gas from overflowing the bowls and going where it shouldn't.

The main reason for the On setting is so if you crash and the engine stops, the gas doesn't flow. It also allows you to remove the tank without having to plug the line.
 
Could be rust in the tank blocking the pipe for on versus prime.


Change the oil and filter, cheap insurance and now you'll bond with your bike.
 
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