Newb extraordinaire: How to get to battery on GS450L?

[lossfound]

Hey everybody. First post, new rider, first bike. Bought an '87 GS450L from a local dealer yesterday. It runs great, or at least it did for the eight-mile ride home... but after I parked it, I am having issues getting it started again. The more specific symptoms and the bike's history would seem to indicate a crap battery right off the bat, rather than something more serious like the regulator, so since the battery needs replacing anyway, I went out and picked up a battery and a trickle charger today and have the new battery charging up in the pseudo-garage.

Now, this is my first bike, and I'm not really much of a home mechanic in general. I can see the old battery under the right-side side panel but can't quite figure out how to get it off to get to the darn thing to switch it out.

I had plans to order a service manual online this week; fat lot of good that does me right this second. My dealer is closed till Tuesday and in any event I'd have no way to get it to him if it won't start. I want to go get some practice riding on this thing! Thanks in advance to anybody who can clue me in on how to initiate the transplant.

[marvinsc]

Should be able to get to it by Unlatching the Seat and Opening it up. I'm not familiar with that Specific Model but on My 850 the Battery is located Beneath a Snap in tool Tray under the seat. Have You Checked out the Charging System using "The Stator Papers" located in the Garage section on the GSR Home Page? New Battery won't stay up long if there is a secondary issue. Good Luck and Welcome to the GSR!:-D

[snark]

The battery on the "L" is located under the right side cover. Pop the cover off and there should be a strap holding the battery in. Here's a little trick...pull the battery out a little bit and disconnect the negative cable, pop the left side cover off and disconnect the positive lead from the starter silenoid then slide the battery out the rest of the way to get to the positive cable.

What part of the country are you in? You may be able to get some help in person.

You have a great bike to start with. You will be happy when you find out how simple these bikes are to work on. I would see how long the new battery holds a charge be for you start looking for a secondary problem. A dead cell in the battery could be all that you have to deal with.

[lossfound]

Thanks so much, snark and marvinsc. My first search results for the problem pulled up this very website, and then of course I read "The Stator Papers." But I'm not going to freak out and test/order anything until I've tested things out with the new battery. It was an old beast that needed to be replaced anyway, that's the way I see it, and hopefully (crosses fingers) it's the only problem. I'll just keep the DMM handy the first few days and be careful not to drive too far from home until I suss it out.

snark, I'd already figured out that the right cover had something to do with it, and here comes the newb bit... but... how do I pop that cover off? How / in which direction should it be pushed and are there any screws or nuts I need to get to first-- does the seat need to come off to get to those? On feeling it up a bit, the cover kinda acts like it should come off sans tools but I swear I feel a bolt thread under there somewhere, built into the backside of the cover. It's not coming off readily and I don't want to force it unless I know in which direction it should be forced... I'm always a bit nervous with unknown plastic bits

[snark]

If there is a key hole, use the ignition key to unlock it. If there is no key, it just pops off. No screws, nuts, or anything else. Don't use any tools, just pull with your hand straight out. If you twist that could be bad, but its really easy. There are little posts on the cover that fit into rubber gromets in the frame...think of it like the hub cap on a car.

[Headspin]

I got one of these bikes a couple of weeks ago. Still having carb problems as it was sat a while.

Anyway, thats a different post..

I am assuming you are talking about the plastic end panel that is held on by the strap? Well It just pulls off, or it does on my GS450LH anyway \\/

The red wire isnt long enough to pull the battery out far enough to undo it there so you have to unbolt the wire from the other side. Make sure you disconnect the wire that goes to the fuse too.

Jeff

[lossfound]

Thanks, everybody, for your help. Got the covers off. I figured that was probably how it worked, but I needed a vote of confidence before I pulled harder!

Headspin - I see exactly what you mean about the positive terminal wire, and now I need to go get a decent metric socket set to get that puppy off (none of my econo-sockets will fit it). Is the wire going to the fuse on your bike coming from the negative terminal on a quasi-Molex snap connector? (I've already disconnected that.) Otherwise, are you able to clarify which is the fuse wire?

[Headspin]

I Honestly didn't know what that (as you aptly describe it) "quasi molex" connector was for.. I left mine off. My guess is something can quickly plug in and give you a battery voltage, or maybe to charge the battery with some gizmo.

Anyway.. mine is off and it's staying off.. for now.

The fuse wire is connected to the main positive wire and the fuse should be in a plastic case clipped to the frame under the LH side panel (if your sat on it) I disconnected the terminal lead from the block there and then had to unplug a wire that goes to the fuse.. the fuse actually stays connected.

We have the same year bike and I just went out for my first real blast yesterday.. MAN it was good to get on the road again.

Good luck with yours..

Jeff

[lossfound]

Thanks for your further help, Headspin. It seems that the new battery isn't helping matters. She started twice with the new cells in, and then wouldn't start again. Still too early to tell whether I'm another regulator victim... Time for a new thread, I guess... or a trip back to the shop.

[Headspin]

I havent quite got mine right yet too.. Plenty battery power but it just isnt sucking gas through when cold... it's very very VERY close.. but not cigar time yet.

Do you have a good spark? I had to remove the plugs then pour a little fuel into the cylinders (not much) then quickly replace them and VROOM. Good but not really practical.


Fitting new plugs helped me LOTS Now it starts on full choke and no throttle.. as soon as I give it some, it quits.

I just somesome Techron to a tankfull so hopefully that will sort the carb out .....eventually

Good luck

[snark]

I havent quite got mine right yet too.. Plenty battery power but it just isnt sucking gas through when cold... it's very very VERY close.. but not cigar time yet.

Fitting new plugs helped me LOTS Now it starts on full choke and no throttle.. as soon as I give it some, it quits.

Did you try replacing your carb boot O rings? A leak there causes many problems. A bike that has sat a while should have them changed as a matter of course to get it back on the road.

[Headspin]

No I didn't replace them.. they look great. Bike has only done 6,000

How can I check these.. (are we talking "airbox" side here?) or should I just do it as a matter of course?

Thanks.

Jeff

[snark]

They are on the engine side. You can't see them. What you see are the boots themselves. The O rings are the seals between the boot and the motor. They flatten out over time and from what I've heard low mileage doesn't mean good rings. I've redone two of these bikes and am working on a third and from now on I'd change them as a matter of course. As for checking them, I've heard that if they are really bad you may be able to spray WD40 on the boots by the motor while the bike is idling and if it sputters, they're bad. I've never tried this so I can't say if it works or not. I would just change them if I were you. They cheap and pretty easy to do. Put some grease on them when you install them to help hold them in place and replace the screws with hex nuts to make them easier to put back together.