Opportunity to buy a GS650G cheap

[IanFrancisco]

Does anyone know any history on these bikes? I found a GS650G here in SoCal for only $400. Supposedly a runner. Are these 650's merely bored out 550's, sleeved down 750's or ??? I know that people badmouthed the Honda CB650's, they were bored out 550's and had problems with the valves and overheating due to not enough metal between the cylinders.

I know the 550's have a reputation for being the most bulletproof of these bulletproof 8-valve GS fours, some examples doing 100k miles or more.

I have never lusted after a 4-cyl. bike, they seem too complex with a min. of 8 valves and 4 carbs to service. More carbs than wheels? But, for $400 I might be tempted to dive in. Worst case scenario, I should be able to at least break even on the bike. And, I may decide I like the old girl!

[cloudbreakmd]

Hmmm.... I always thought the 850 was supposed to be the most bullet proof model... Live and learn?

[ddaum]

Look up and send a private message to Snowbeard. He's a member on this site who owns an '81 GS650G. I would think he'd be able to tell you a little bit.
Good luck.

[skreemer]

we took the head off an 80 GS650G and more or less dropped it onto a GS550E...

Seems plenty reliable though not so sure about it being a bored out 550...

No problems with it over heating yet and Nerobro's put close to 3K miles on it since we did the swap mid-year.

[IanFrancisco]

Look up and send a private message to Snowbeard. He's a member on this site who owns an '81 GS650G. I would think he'd be able to tell you a little bit.
Good luck.

Thanks, I mentioned this bike in another post, "petcock repair on the cheap" and he did reply but not with the kind of design history I'm looking for.

[snowbeard]

sorry, I'm certainly no afficianado this is the first bike I've ever had, and it was just a fortuitous hand-me-down that I got a GS! no research or intention on my part

[duaneage]

I have had mine for four years and really like it. The shaft drive is great, power is enough for me. Mileage is around 45 city/55 highway. The G has a 3.8 gallon fuel tank, unlike the L which is around 2.8 gallons.

Top speed around 120mph. 1/4 mile in 12.5 and 0-60 in around 3.5 if your working it hard enough.

My only complaint is the rear tire size. The stock size is a 17 H 110/90 and the only one I have found is IRC duotours. A 120/80 is pretty close and most time people load 120/90 although the tire is 3/4" larger in overall diameter when mounted. I prefer to have the correct tire sizes on bikes (my pet peeve, that's all)

Brakes are great, same as an 1100 with 100 pounds less weight. Same basic engine design as the 850/1100 2V motors, same shims, stators, probably a few other items.

The Katana version is the same engine with different bodywork, had the distinction of being the only shaft drive Katana model.

Supposedly 68 or 73 HP depending on what spec sheet you read. Feels like 70 to me.

[IanFrancisco]

sorry, I'm certainly no afficianado this is the first bike I've ever had, and it was just a fortuitous hand-me-down that I got a GS! no research or intention on my part

No worries and no need for embarrasment! I'm thinking you could consider yourself lucky your hand-me-down is a GS650G and not a Honda 400 Hawk! I have been close-to-obsessed with motorcycles for the last 4 yrs. or so and prior to that had been away from biking for almost 15 yrs. What got me out of biking in 1985, besides a girlfriend and parents pressuring me to stop before I was maimed or killed, was the 1977 Yamaha XT500 that broke its camchain at only 13k miles, and just after a top end rebuild at that! To be fair, being young and ignorant and poor, I didn't spend the extra money for a new camchain when I probably should have. The XT500's were/are actually fairly reliable if used appropriately. 75+ mph down the freeway for an hour at a time probably isn't appropriate.

Anyway, the reading and corresponding over the last 4 yrs. has been a good education and finding the GSR shortly after I found my GS450 was perfect. I owned a CB360 among others in the '80s and liked the small size and handling of that bike. The GS450 is a step up from there in every dept.; looks, handling, power, longevity - I really am happy with it and don't really need another bike but I've put on 7k miles in 9 months. Major engine parts like crank bearings, pistons, rings, etc. are already scarce. My bike may end up having some collector value being the rarer S model with the factory fairing and bar-end mirrors and I don't want to run it into the ground but I can't stay off it !! So, I guess I need to find some room in the garage for another bike, a beater that I can rack up some miles on without concern. I was, and still am, looking for another thumper like the XT500 but now this GS650G has shown up... I was just curious about the development of the 650 motors. According to this link:

http://www.suzukicycles.org/All-Suzuki/all_suzuki_models.html

The 750's, 550's and 400's were the first GS's introduced in Oct. '76 and the first 650E was introduced in '81 and made for only 3 yrs. so that might make parts a little harder to come by. But, no info about how the 650 motor was developed. Does it share parts with the 550's or with the 750's? Bottom end, crank, trans parts, etc....

[duaneage]

It does not share bottom end parts but then again the odds of a failure there is very low. As long as you keep oil in it what can go wrong? It has a roller bearing crank, something your 450 does not have, and the shaft drive has a high pressure oil pump, the chain drives were low pressure.

You can drive these bikes for years and years.

[tony23]

Re: Opportunity to buy a GS650G cheap

I found a GS650G here in SoCal for only $400. Supposedly a runner.
---
I have never lusted after a 4-cyl. bike, they seem too complex with a min. of 8 valves and 4 carbs to service. More carbs than wheels? But, for $400 I might be tempted to dive in. Worst case scenario, I should be able to at least break even on the bike. And, I may decide I like the old girl!

Given when you posted (11/22?), I think I just bought your bike :?

Did you happen to see it on Recycler.com (909 area code)?

[IanFrancisco]

Yup, the number was (is) 909-882-1089. I figured I might lose out, but hadn't convinced myself I really wanted it bad enough, still doing research as you can see. Did you see the $200 GS650G parts bike? You might want to grab that one too if you have room for it...

Anyway, even if you got a different GS650G, you came to the right place for info! Lots of years of experience here. Welcome to the club!

How is your new (old) bike?

[tony23]

Yup, the number was (is) 909-882-xxxx. I figured I might lose out, but hadn't convinced myself I really wanted it bad enough, still doing research as you can see. Did you see the $200 GS650G parts bike? You might want to grab that one too if you have room for it...

Anyway, even if you got a different GS650G, you came to the right place for info! Lots of years of experience here. Welcome to the club!

How is your new (old) bike?

I missed the parts bike - I'll have to take another look.

The one I bought seems pretty decent - it had been sitting for 2 years, but started fairly well and ran smooth. Some trouble with low idle and when accellerating quickly (the engine begins to stall out), but slow accelleration is fine; Front brakes have no fluid in the MC & line; Turn signals are dead; clutch doesn't fully disengage (still in friction zone when lever is fully pulled in); and the seat is pretty torn up.

Seems the seat is actually the biggest fix, though - the clutch cable clearly needs adjustment, the jets are probably fouled & need cleaning, and the front brake system needs to be basically rebuilt & refilled. But none of those sound like serious problems.

Engine & trans work pretty good, engine runs smoothly, chassis appears sound, and the tires & battery are new.

I'm planning on doing some work over the holiday weekend - we'll see how much of a project it turns out to be!

[IanFrancisco]

I'd say it was a bargain. Congrats! You might find yourself wanting to upgrade the suspension with some fork springs and decent rear shocks. I just got done doing that to mine and it was money well spent. The comfort is way up and the handling - I can carry lots more speed thru the corners - but I have good tires. You'll also probably want to invest in tires - anything older than about 4 yrs. will be starting to harden and/or dry rot.

[Planecrazy]

One of my best friends had a 650GL that was completely trouble free. I was *@%^$*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$ed when he sold it without me knowing, because I would have purchased it from him in a second.

At least he sold it to another friend of his!

Regards,
Steve 8)

[dcaswell]

According to the Clymer manual and the pictures the shaft drive GS650's have plain bearings on the crank and rods. The chain drive GS650E's have roller bearings. I know that very few parts on my GS650E engine is interchangeable with the shaft drive bikes. Yet the dispacement and horsepower is shown as identical in all sources.

Dave