Need help with an 82 GS1100G!

[JRiveraS]

I bought an old bike to learn before buying a new one. I like the bike but there is a problem about finding mechanics that work with them.
Please help me solve these problems;
1. Battery (new) stopped charging but bike works at a lower rate when disconnected. After 1 hour I have to recharge.
2. One spark plug is cross-threaded. Is it OK to put an extension?
3. What other types of ignition coils can I use on an 82? (other models/years)
4. Bike vibrates at high speeds, will balancing the tires help?
5. I have more questions and am willing to share answers with other owners.

I am making a pdf of the Service Manual, original for mechanics. Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!
(this message was posted in another forum with good answers)

[JayH]

I'll work on your bike for you. Send it on up to me :-)

[crc1214]

Wish I was closer to Florida, we'd get it figured out real quick.

Allright, first off I noticed you are scanning a genuine Suzuki manual. While they are AWESOME for engine work, they sometimes skip over steps and helpful suggestions that a Clymer manual has. I would definetely get a Clymer manual, especially if you are a novice mechanic. Use the Suzuki manual as a supplement. Some Clymer manuals don't cover some models. If you can't find your model, try to get a Haynes manual. If neither manual is available, then you're stuck with just the Suzuki manual. Check on www.repairmanuals.com to see what manuals are available for your model.

Secondly.... An 1100 as a starter bike?? - you got some balls dude.

Anyhow, on to the meat and potatoes.....

1. Are you sure the battery is new, or were you just told that it's new?

2. Not sure what you mean by cross threaded. Are the threads stripped (just spend 2 bucks on a new plug)? or..... is the spark plug hole stripped? If so, check this out, it may be the ticket for you..... http://www.starrproducts.com/newBT.htm. 50 bucks may seem like a lot, but I guarantee pulling the head and taking it to a shop will cost a whole lot more. You could probably even sell it on ebay when you're done with it.

3. Ignition coils - you can pretty much use any coil from any 12V bike that has the same ohm resistance (usually 3-ohm). The two other criteria are that the connecting wires are the same (they can be modified, but it's a whole lot easier if they are the same as the stock coils), and the mounting brackets are the same (again, can be modified, but a whole lot easier if they are the same as stock).

4. Vibration at high speeds could mean a whole lot of things. Wheel bearings, tires out of balance, swing arm bearings, steering stem bearings, and others......worst case is a bent frame.

Be more specific....

Where do you feel the wobble (handlebars only, your butt, your legs?)
Does the wobble get worse as speed increases (wheel bearings or wheel balance issues, maybe worn tires), or does the wobble only happen at a certain speed range (35-45MPH wobble would indicate worn steering stem bearings).

Does the bike want to travel to one side during braking (this could be worn swing arm bearings).

How many miles does the bike have? Has it been sitting for awhile? Was it in a garage, or outside?

Anyhow, let us know - we'll get you through it.

[JRiveraS]

GS1100G as a starter bike, problems

I really appreciate your comments. Let me try to cover all of them...

1. Yes, an 1100 as a starter bike. I am 42 and had driven almost everything in my life, a Gammagoat included. I am not scared of anything mechanical. Well, in reality is that I was looking for something cheap, $1500, and this bike came accross. I said, why not? and bought it.
2. I just bought the battery out of a box, charged it (done it before with other car batteries) and was working just fine for two weeks.
3. cross threaded, lol, I am trying to translate ad verbatim from spanish. What I mean is that the plug went in slanted and created a double thread and is very tight in the socket. I did go to your link and was impressed with the tool. Actually, in the video it mentions cross thread so the translation was correct. Now, before I buy the thing,
What size is the GS1100G plug hole? it says that 12mm is the size for motorcycles.
4. Ignition coils, I will buy a set 3ohms for the nearest match if I can't find the original.
5. I've had some old cars in my life, the vibration is not as bad as I may have portrait. It makes the mirror image blurry but nothing I haven't seen before on old stick transmissions.

Finally, as far as the manual goes, I just bought a Clymer manual online, thanks.

You had been very helpful!

Jrs

[crc1214]

A gammagoat? LOL!! You're hardcore dude!! Not many people can say they've driven a 6 x 6!!

Anyhow, I figured that's what you meant by cross-threaded, I just always use the term "stripped". I would say more likely than not that the 12mm is what you need, but just to be sure I'd say pull one of your plugs and take it to the hardware store and just put it end to end with a 12mm bolt. I don't know about the pitch of a spark plug thread, but there may even be a 12mm nut that will fit it so you can tell 100% for sure.

As for coils - it just depends how much you want to spend. Low end (anywhere from 10-40 bucks) would be to look on ebay for a set of used coils from a reputable seller. Just do a search for "GS* coils", and I can pretty much guarantee that if they look like your coils, they'll work.

Mid range would be aftermarket coils sold by Dennis Kirk and JC Whitney, and high end would be some aftermarket Dyna or Accel coils (I think around $180-200)

Sounds like the biggest hassle might be figuring out the charging issue. First off, I would suggest you have it load tested at AutoZone or the like free of charge. Believe it or not, I actually got a bad battery once.
Point is, if your battery isn't in top condition, you can't get accurate readings from the following diagnostic tests....

http://thegsresources.com/garage/gs_statorfacts.htm

Charge up the battery, leave it level off, and then dig in to the diagnostic tests. I could cover possible scenarios right now, but it will save a whole bunch of typing if you just get back to us with the results. Basically, if a component(s) need replacing, you have the low end, mid-range, and top-end replacement alternatives to choose from. I would suggest top end on this one if you can afford to do so. Electrex is good, Tony at oregonmotorcycleparts.com is really, really good. Take a look at his site, I've found real helpful stuff on his FAQ page. It's a fun site to surf too.

If the vibration is just that, a vibration - and not a wobble or a rocking horse type feeling, it may just be the nature of the beast. Almost all the old reviews I read on these bikes and others from the era talk about some nasty vibration issue somewhere in the RPM band.
You may want to check that all the engine mounting bolts are nice and tight, and also I've heard that carbs out of sync can actually cause some vibration issues.

Well, I'm getting long winded as usual.......

Hope this helps a little more, let us know what you find out about the charging issue.

Good luck.

[bwringer]

I believe the spark plug thread is 14mm diameter X 1.25mm pitch.

[JRiveraS]

Need help with an 82 GS1100G!; continued

I will take your advise crc1214 on the vibration.
Next thing I will do is to get the cross-thread fixed. I think I am going with the Back Tap deal.

Then I will change the coils and see how it works.
next I will replace the stator, I really think this is the problem.
next I am going for the other parts of the generator.

To work around the charging issue I bought an inexpensive battery charger and every night I recharge the battery. I use it only to go to work and back and it will last 3 days without need to recharge. I recharge daily anyway.

After I get the electrical part of it fixed I am going for the transmission. I am looking to replace all the gears. It is not that I love this bike more than I love to fix my own transportation. If I practice with this one, I will do fine with a more expensive one.

Last, about the Gammagoat, that thing rocks. I was the XO driver in the 197 ID in Ft. Benning and got to drive that sucker up and down the hills of the California desert. That thing bends in the middle and has a real 6x6 with independent traction in all 6 wheels.

[crc1214]

Sounds like you've got a good plan. I do urge you use the fault finding chart though in the stator pages before you replace the stator.

It may very well need replacing, but if your stator is fried usually something else is fried too, and/or you have some bad connections somewhere.

I'd hate for you to replace the stator and then find out a month or two later that this new stator got fried too.

You may also get lucky like a lot of people do and find out that your reg/rect isn't grounded properly (which is a step in the fault finding chart). Grounding it to the negative terminal of the battery is a solution that many here have benefited from. They do that and voila! - the charging issues are solved completely.

Good luck, and keep us posted. I've never done any major engine work. so when you get through this I may have to pick your brain a bit about the transmission rebuild.

AND TO ALL - HAVE A GREAT THANKSGIVING! BE THANKFUL FOR THE FOOD ON THE TABLE AND THE SWEET PEICE OF MOTORCYCLING HISTORY PARKED OUT IN YOUR GARAGE! And take it for a nice ride if it's warm in your neck of the woods!! 29 AND LETTING DOWN THE SNOW HERE IN C-TOWN

[JRiveraS]

Stator failed but...Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease, heeeeeeeeeeeelp!

I tried to perform all the voltage tests hoping I did it right.
To start, I measured the AC voltage on all three cables coming from the alternator as described in the Clymer's manual. As expected, the voltage was too low, from 20-30 depending on the cables. It is supposed to read above 75.
Now the problem is replacing the stator. Is there anything else I have to check before I buy a new stator so it won't get fried too? costly little gadget.
The three cables coming from the alternator are white connected to the mentioned W/G, W/Bl and Yellow. Are they supposed to be in a certain order? I checked the three cables coming from the stator not the colored ones.

Well, I will also need a link to the cheapest but faster delivery site for the stator. Haven't find anything on ebay but for different models, can I use a different year stator? they are cheaper!

Since my bike is functioning properly with the stripped plug as it is, I decided to go for the charging system first.

Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease, heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelp!

[Rocketjock]

Hey J. The fix for your cross threading (Yes, that is the correct term) is a helicoil. It is a kit you can buy where you carefully ream(drill) out the hole, rethread it and insert steel threads into that which are supplied with the kit. It really should be done with the head off because of the shavings falling into the cylinder. The consequences of doing it with the head on would be aluminium shavings in there which might just get blown out the exhaust when you start it up or might melt and stick to piston top or valves. I once ran an old Chevy six cylinder for five years without touching it after a nut from the carb fell into the cylinder, rattled around in there for a while and finally go spit out with the engine really no worse for wear. Good luck. Used to own that bike and it was (nearly) bullet proof.

[JRiveraS]

Thanks

I am more inclined towards the gadget that enters all the way in, expands and starts rethreading from bellow. It is more expensive but I don't have to take the engine apart and no need for new steel threads.
In a previous message is the website to buy it.

Thanks anyway!

Now my main concern was to get a fix for my charging problem. It seems to be the stator but I wanted to get another opinion. Now I have no choice, if I want the new startor to be home by next week, I'll have to order it right now.

jrs

[rustybronco]

YES other stators will work there was a post dealing with that i'l try to dig it up.
How about http://www.thegsresources.com/garage...atorrewind.htm

a little copper wire and some time what the hey...

[crc1214]

Sorry to hear about the stator

As for further checks, make sure you check the regulator/rectifier unit. It's a combined unit on your bike.

I don't recommend using the testing procedure outlined in any manual for testing a reg/rectifier unit. Most of these procedures were developed under the assumption that analog measuring equipment is being used.

I actually ran across this handy piece of info when peruzzing the electrex site (now electrosport industries) when I had to do some electrical fault-finding of my own.

Anyhow, use their procedure instead to test your reg/rect unit. Print this out and laminate the sucker. It's very, very handy.

http://electrexusa.com/Images/instr.diode.test.pdf

According to them, testing a reg/rectifier unit with a digital multimeter follwing the procedure outlined in many manuals will yield incorrect results. Many times the reg/rect will test bad when it's actually just fine.

I'd test this before ordering your stator. If it's bad, I'd just order both the reg/rect unit and the stator through electrosport industries if you can afford to do so.

I checked his website, and it doesn't look like Tony at www.oregonmotorcycleparts.com has a reg/rect unit developed for the GS's just yet. When I talked to him last, he was working on a prototype. You may want to contact him and see if he's got a unit yet. Maybe he does and just hasn't added it to his site.

I'd ask about the stator too, but I don't think he carries any stators. The only high-quality option for a stator that I could think of is electrosport.

If you're on a budget, just go to www.jcwhitney.com or www.denniskirk.com and find a reg/rect unit. They may even have a stator too.

There's always the option of using a CB750's (later 16 valve model) reg/rect unit (larger cooling surface, maybe higher amperage rating??), I think some people have done this on this site.

Also check www.oldbikebarn.com (Canada) and www.crc2onlinecatalog.com (same day shipping from Indianapolis if you CALL in your order). I think both of these vendors carry aftermarket reg/rect units AND stators both.

Good luck.

[floor45]

You bet

The consequences of doing it with the head on would be aluminium shavings in there which might just get blown out the exhaust when you start it up or might melt and stick to piston top or valves.

you bet! good job anyway..

[pntrdave]

I drove 5 tons mostly but I got to play in a Gamma Goat a few times. Kinda squirrelly if you ask me. But fun none the less. Semper Fi