Buy new or Keep

[Hayseed]

I bought an 82 GS1100GK a couple of months ago basically to see if I wanted more of a touring bike than my current Triumph Legend. The GS had 47,000 miles on it, decent shape for 24 years old and a good price. I did the normal maintenance like plugs, oil, fluids, hub greasing, etc. and started ridding it. I have since replaced the fork springs, fork seals, shocks and added a trottle lock and case guards. Much to my surprise after two 800 mile trips and 6 weeks, my Triumph has not been ridden. The GS was purchased for a trial tour bike and if I liked the bigger bike I planned on buying a newer bike next spring. Hence the problem. I can't find one that has the same appeal to me that the GS has. My wife, enjoys the ride much better on it than the Triumph but is not thrilled with the 24 year old GS with no arm rests. My only real concern with keeping the GS is the 50,000 miles now on it. The engine is strong, uses no oil, only leak I keep fighting is the tack cable fitting, [ which is small ] the carb boots look terrible, and over all it could use a paint job. [ clear coat is peeling badly ] Any opinions or suggestions would be appreciated.

[flyingace]

I'll probably speak for quite a few of us. I understand your problem - these bikes were made in the golden era of Japanese 4s, and they just don't make them like this any more. When I looked for a new bike, I wanted the smoothness of a 4, a traditional seating position, reliability, decent power and ease of maintenance. I don't want a cruiser (too slow and heavy) or crotch rocket (uncomfortable and difficult to work on), and that's almost all that's available today.

Join the club and just ride the wheels of your GS.

[wiredgeorge]

Well, if you analyze what you yourself has said, it sounds like your wife's enjoyment depends on the type and style of the bike you tour on. Same in my home. My missus enjoys riding two-up and we tend to put many thousand miles on a bike each year. When we buy a touring bike (currently ride a 1988 Voyager XII), it is a joint decision. One thing to be considered is that most GOOD touring bike platforms are not all that much fun to ride solo... That is why I have bike(s) for that purpose that my wife isn't much interested in riding on... (two 1976 KZ900s and two KZ1000E ST shafties 1979/80).

The GK model has a very reliable engine. The downside for the 82 model was a relatively weak crankshaft and clutch basket which don't hold up well in drag racing situations. I suspect that if you didn't drag race, you would never have a problem. The engine's top end and other components are otherwise fairly bullet proof. I had a 1982 GS1100E that I bought in early 1983 that I kep till 1998 and I put over a quarter million miles on... I did rebuild the engine a few times but it was never due to wear but to youthful foolishness (crank bending and clutch basket blow up due to missed shift and over revving).

I don't know much about the Legend but heard that it is a fine bike. Why not keep it as a solo rider and the Suzi for touring. When your riding season is over, replace the carb holders and repaint the bike and do some general clean up. I almost always have a bike in the "project" stages and enjoy working on them as time permits... good luck!

[Dave8338]

I'd keep it. Do the carb boots and orings, find a period correct Vetter or Windjammer set up for the rear passanger, up fit it with the latest in two way communication and stereo equipment and paint it...original color if possible or at least one of them if you don't like the color that it is now.

I've read and been told that these engines will easily run 100k or better with the correct maintenance. Keep it alive and on the road. Or you could buy a new or newer one and be just like everyone else on the road.

My never to be humble opinion! O

Dave

[chiphead]

Ride the GS until the wheels fall off.
The crank and clutch basket issues were on the E models, not the G models to my knowledge.

[8trackmind]

Any opinions or suggestions would be appreciated.

If you can do most of the work yourself, Fix it and keep it. I've put 10,000 miles on my GS550 this year alone. By the end of this month, my GS1000 will have yet another 1,000 miles on it. I wouldn't hesitate to take either one cross-country.

[DanTheMan]

:mrgreen:

If you can do most of the work yourself, Fix it and keep it. I've put 10,000 miles on my GS550 this year alone. By the end of this month, my GS1000 will have yet another 1,000 miles on it. I wouldn't hesitate to take either one cross-country.

Agreed. I bought mine last year with 25k on it and now it's got 41.5k, no major problems. Make your own custom trunk armrests with cupholders for you wife if that's what she needs to keep her happy. Keep up on the maintenance and it should be good for a long time.8-)
Of course, if you want to sell it to me for $900.00, I'll gladly drive down to your place with my trailer and take it off of your hands......:-\"

[Boondocks]

I bought an 82 GS1100GK a couple of months ago basically to see if I wanted more of a touring bike than my current Triumph Legend. The GS had 47,000 miles on it, decent shape for 24 years old and a good price. I did the normal maintenance like plugs, oil, fluids, hub greasing, etc. and started ridding it. I have since replaced the fork springs, fork seals, shocks and added a trottle lock and case guards. Much to my surprise after two 800 mile trips and 6 weeks, my Triumph has not been ridden. The GS was purchased for a trial tour bike and if I liked the bigger bike I planned on buying a newer bike next spring. Hence the problem. I can't find one that has the same appeal to me that the GS has. My wife, enjoys the ride much better on it than the Triumph but is not thrilled with the 24 year old GS with no arm rests. My only real concern with keeping the GS is the 50,000 miles now on it. The engine is strong, uses no oil, only leak I keep fighting is the tack cable fitting, [ which is small ] the carb boots look terrible, and over all it could use a paint job. [ clear coat is peeling badly ] Any opinions or suggestions would be appreciated.

Leaks where the tach cable join the valve cover are common. One of our members, Brian Wringer, made a very helpful tutorial to Replace Tach Cable Seals. I bought the referenced seal band and oil seal, but the sleeve to which the tach cable screws in was resistant to being levered out. After futzing around prying the tach sleeve and rotating it, I just tightened it back down. Rather than take a chance on breaking something, I decided to wait until I removed the valve cover to pull the tach sleeve and replace the seal band and oil seal. I have some socket head screws that I was going to use to replace the OEM valve cover screws, so it wouldn't have been any extra effort to pull the valve cover. The tach cables have a tendency to unscrew from vibration, so I did two things before I reattached the cable: I put a P11 (2.4 W x 10.8 ID) metric O-ring (from Harbor Freight part no 91512, 397 pc. nitrile metric O-ring set purchased for $6.99). Then I wrapped multiple turns of teflon tape around the cable threads.

Guess what, no more leak and a tight tach cable.:-) The end of the exterior cable has a flange that mates to the flat surface of the sleeve. I think that by inserting the O-ring the flange has sealed against the sleeve, preventing oil from leaking through to the exterior of the cable. Even if oil is still leaking past the seal band and oil seal, it has nowhere to go but up the interior of the tach cable which is probably not a bad thing. You might try the O-ring and teflon fix first and see if that works for you as it did for me. The mentioned O-ring set is no longer listed on the HF web site, but may be available at their stores.

I would keep the bike. They are classic and much more versatile than new bikes. 50,000 miles isn't much for these bikes. The engines have a well deserved reputation for being bulletproof. If they are treated decently and maintained, they are as reliable as cars.

[Hayseed]

Thanks

Appreciate the input and feedback. You have convinced me to do what I wanted to do. Just needed a slight push to get me there.