Lovable, but cold-natured, GS

[RevRoy]

I love my GS50E, I really do. But I get a bit ticked when the temperature drops below ... oh, about 42. It's like pulling teeth to get her started, even though she sleeps in a heated garage. Warm weather? She starts right up at the touch of the starter button.

Is there ANY WAY to get the GS to not be so cold-natured? I am trying to get the 550 set up for my wife to ride (so I can get a bigger GS here on GS Resources).

Also, is there available anywhere a generator/alternator to boost the charging amps so that driving lights, etc, can be used?

Thanks as always, and Thank God for the GS.

[Nessism]

Have you played around with the mixture adjustment? Wouldn't hurt to richen up the mixture some.

[tkent02]

Poor cold starting is a sign of valve clearances being too tight.

[RevRoy]

No, I haven't tried richening the mixture, but I'll give it a shot. A neighbor of mine tells me that in 1984, he looked at a new GS. The salesman told him that the GS was horribly hard to start in cold weather. I've always heard that they are cold-natured, but I've never understood why they have to stay cold-natured.

What I want is a year-round GS rider, one that I can trust to start after sitting all day while I'm at work in the winter. This is the only reason I do not ride to work year-round (work is only four miles from home, but I've had to use the jumper cables to get home when it's cold).

Anyway, thanks. I'll let you know.

[Griffin]

Colder air is more dense than warm air, so when temperatures drop, an already lean condition is exacerbated.

Check the following:

1. Valve clearances. If they're too tight, harder to start.
2. Air intake leaks. Make sure all the carb and airbox boots are tightly clamped.
3. Make sure all your airbox seals are tight. Reseal the airbox with foam rubber adhesive strips.
4. Carburetor air mix screws. Enrich them 1/2 turn from where you run in summer.
5. Check your carb float heights.

The later GS550s were probably the leanest jetted GSes of all. Motorcyclist Magazine tested the last two valve GS550, an '82 Katana. They stated the factory jetting made the bike "borderline unrideable". They removed the needles from the carbs and reversed the spacers, putting the thick one on the bottom and the thin one on the top, thus raising needle height. They reported this helped considerably for riding down the road.

[Steve]

Motorcyclist Magazine tested the last two valve GS550, an '82 Katana. They stated the factory jetting made the bike "borderline unrideable". They removed the needles from the carbs and reversed the spacers, putting the thick one on the bottom and the thin one on the top, thus raising needle height. They reported this helped considerably for riding down the road.

I think they might have also been the ones that did the same thing to a GS 425 during the one year they were produced. They reported that because the needles were no longer produced with multiple grooves for adjustability, this was a cheap work-around for restoring rideability.


.

[8trackmind]

3. Make sure all your airbox seals are tight. Reseal the airbox with foam rubber adhesive strips.

+1 on that. The airbox and the boots have to be well sealed for the big CV carbs to be happy on the little 550. Having the Carbs in sync helps a little too.
My 80 GS550 will start first push of the button clear down in the 20's with stock jets. However, it would not do that before I got everything sealed up tight. Both the carb to engine, and the carb to airbox boots must seal well for it to run properly.