1981 gs 850 engine life?

[semerm]

With good care, how long (roughly) will a 1981 gs 850 engine, tranny, clutch last? I know there are no guarentees but how long have you seen them to last? (miles of course) before major rebuilds arfe necessary?

[ruddy]

I've got nearly 37K miles on my '82, and everything is original and still running like new. :-D

[qslim]

I bought mine last august w/ 21k. I've rebuilt the engine (a lot of oil leaks), replaced the clutch, regulator and stator, fork seals, and a bunch of wiring. But to her credit, I know that the previous owner rarely rode her and before my rescue spent two years idle in a garage with no cover. I would expect one with more frequent use and upkeep to last much longer without the work that I have put in. I've put about 4k on since all the work, and she purrs.

[marvinsc]

There are Folks Here Reporting 80 to 100 Thousand Miles Before Any Major Engine Work Was needed. dpep comes to mind. I think Regular Use AND Maintenance Makes these Bikes Happiest!

[bwringer]

The 850 doesn't seem to wear out its bores and pistons as quickly as its bigger brothers. With maintenance and regular riding, an 850 will easily cover 100,000+ miles with no major work.

[Jethro]

The 850 doesn't seem to wear out its bores and pistons as quickly as its bigger brothers. With maintenance and regular riding, an 850 will easily cover 100,000+ miles with no major work.

You lucky bastages with your bulletproof 850's. My 81 1100 sat in snowbanks for years and went maybe 15000 miles without any sort of oil change. It's got about 45k on it and is finally getting some engine work but probably could have gone another 20k or more!