Idle screw - '81 GS850G and '82 GS1100G -- and new noise

[Bill Lloyd]

I've got idle problems on both bikes. A mechanic [30 miles north of here, of course] tells me there's an "idle adjustment screw" somewhere in the middle of the carb set, but danged if I can find it.... I have both the Haynes and the Clymer manuals, but neither of them says a WORD about any idle adjustment screw. Anyone know where it is and how to locate it by feel and what to do with it? The mechanic worked on the 1100's carbs and when I picked the bike up it was idling perfectly.... About 8 miles down the road it was screaming at over 2400 rpm at "idle." The 850 dies at idle. Help! [Obviously, I'm not at all mechanically minded. I've done well if I've managed to change a spark plug and change the oil.]

Oh, and now all of a sudden I have a new "noise" from the 850, a sort of "whine" over and above the normal engine noise. I'll be riding along after starting the bike when all of a sudden this new noise comes on, and won't go away until I come almost to a stop. ??? I looked into the airbox, found the remains of some sort of now-hardened white gunk in there.... ????

-- Bill

-- Bill

[Steve]

The idle adjustment screw is between the float bowls of #2 and #3 carbs. On my wife's '82 850L, I find it easiest to sit on the bike, reach below the carbs with my left hand and lift a finger between carbs 2&3. I can only reach the bottom of the adjuster head, but it turns easily enough that you can tweak it.

For a picture of the adjuster, look at the carb rebuild series pdf and look at the bottom pictures on pages 3 and 4.


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[Roostabunny]

Cheese with your whine

Oh, and now all of a sudden I have a new "noise" from the 850, a sort of "whine" over and above the normal engine noise. I'll be riding along after starting the bike when all of a sudden this new noise comes on, and won't go away until I come almost to a stop. ??? I looked into the airbox, found the remains of some sort of now-hardened white gunk in there.... ????

-- Bill

-- Bill

I have a mysterious whine (I'd describe it more like a growl) that's similar to yours in that it's intermittent and I often heard it when I was coasting to a stop, then it would go away.

I traced it to either the tach or the tach cable, as it didn't seem to change pitch with changes in speed and would stop when I touched the gauges with my hand. Haven't finished diagnosing it yet.

[Steve]

Bill,

I just looked back at this post and realized who started it. 8-[

If you need a hand, let me know, I can be up there in about half an hour. \\/


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[Roostabunny]

Oh, and now all of a sudden I have a new "noise" from the 850, a sort of "whine" over and above the normal engine noise. I'll be riding along after starting the bike when all of a sudden this new noise comes on, and won't go away until I come almost to a stop. ??? I looked into the airbox, found the remains of some sort of now-hardened white gunk in there.... ????

Also... found this thread since your question made me wonder if it was possibly doing damage to my bike...

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=102985&highlight=tach+noise

If this is the same thing you're experiencing then it's apparently annoying but not dangerous or damaging.

[themess]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that the idle adjustment screw is also called the "throttle stop screw". In my Clymers it is seen on pg 132, Fig 25 at the arrow.

[Steve]

Yup, same device, different names.


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[marvinsc]

Bill, calling it a "Screw" is Confusing. On Your 850 it should be a Knurled Knob located between the carbs. I can reach mine from the side by reaching in under the petcock. No tool needed, it turns with Your fingers once You find it. I had a similar "Racing idle" after I got mine out of the Shop once, I suspect they set it cold which causes the racing once warm.