Fuses pop when wet???

[Weston666]

I have a 1980 gs550L , The problem is I dont think the battery is getting charged or there is a short. I can ride the bike for about 3 hours, then stop to take a ****, and when I try to start it up again the MAIN fuse pops and the battery voltage is low. Also if the bike gets wet it has a hard time starting. Has anyone had this similar problem? thanks

[BassCliff]

Hey howdy hey!

Mr. Weston666,

The weakest system on these bikes is the charging system. But it's easily fixed. The first thing you want to do is connect a dedicated ground wire from your regulator/rectifier directly to the negative terminal of your battery. Then read through the Stator Papers (link below) to get familiar with the charging system. Be sure to clean every electrical connection (including the fuse holders) on the wiring harness, from the headlight bucket to the tail light. Oxidized connections are murder on the electrical system. And now, here's my totally annoying, totally spectacular, totally verbose (as in 'just about everything you need to know') mega-welcome! \\/

Let it be known that on this day you are cordially and formally welcomed to the GSR Forum as a Junior Member in good standing with all the rights and privileges thereof. Further let it be known that your good standing can be improved with pictures (not you, your bike)! Perhaps you've already seen these, but I like to remind all the new members. In addition to the carb rebuild series, I recommend visiting the In The Garage section via the GSR Homepage and check out the Stator Papers. There's also a lot of great information in the Old Q&A section. I have some documentation on my little BikeCliff website to help get you familiar with doing routine maintenance tasks (note that it is 850G-specific but many tasks are common to all GS bikes). Other "user contributed" informational sites include those of Mr. bwringer, Mr. tfb and Mr. robertbarr.

And here are some edited quotes from one of our dear beloved gurus, Mr. bwringer, with ideas on basic needs (depending on initial condition), parts, and accessories.

***********Quoted from Mr. bwringer************
Carburetor maintenance:

Replace the intake boot o-rings, and possibly the intake boots. Here's the procedure:

http://bwringer.com/gs/intakeorings.html

Here's an overview of what happens with this particular problem:

http://cycleorings.com/intake.html

You'll also want to examine the boots between the carbs and the airbox. There's a good chance these are OK, but check them over.
And finally, if things still aren't exactly right, you'll want to order a set of o-rings for BS carbs from the GS owner's best friend, Robert Barr:
http://cycleorings.com
Once you receive these rare rings of delight, then you'll want to thoroughly clean and rebuild your carburetors. Here are step-by-step instructions that make this simple:

http://thegsresources.com/gs_carbrebuild.htm

***********************************
Every GS850 has (or had) a set of well-known issues that MUST be addressed before you have a solid baseline for further troubleshooting. It's a vintage bike, and it's quite common (as in, every single GS850 I have had contact with) that there are multiple problems that have crept up and slowly gotten worse over the years. It's not like a newer vehicle, where there's generally one problem at a time.

These common issues are:

1. Intake O-rings (install NEW OEM or Viton only - common nitrile O-rings will quickly deteriorate from heat)
2. Intake Boots (install NEW -- these cannot be repaired)
3. Valve clearances (more important than most people think)
4. Carb/airbox boots
5. Airbox sealing
6. Air filter sealing
7. Petcock (install a NEW one)
8. On '79 models, install new points or Dyna electronic ignition (or at least verify that the old points are working correctly)
9. On all models, it's fairly common to have problems with the spark plug caps. These are $3 or $4 each, and often worth replacing if you're keeping the stock coils/wires.
10. Stock exhaust with NO leaks or holes -- good seals at the head and at the junctions underneath.
***************************************
OEM Parts/Online Fiches:

I would definitely double and triple the recommendations to use Cycle Recycle II and Z1 Enterprises as much as possible. These guys are priceless resources. Z1 tends to have slightly better prices, CRC2 has a wider range of goodies available. If you're near Indy and can bring in an old part to match, CRC2 has a vast inventory of used parts.
http://denniskirk.com - Put in your bike model and see what they have.
http://oldbikebarn.com - seems to be slowly regaining a decent reputation, but it's still caveat emptor. They don't have anything you can't get elsewhere at a better price anyway.
http://www.babbittsonline.com/ - Decent parts prices. Spendy shipping. Don't give you part numbers at all. Useful cross-reference if you obtain a part number elsewhere. Efficient service.
http://bikebandit.com - Fastest. Middlin' prices. Uses their own parts numbering system to obfuscate price comparisons -- can be very confusing for large orders. Cheapest shipping, so total cost usually isn't too bad.
http://flatoutmotorcycles.com - Slow. Cheapest parts prices, crazy shipping costs. Don't expect progress updates or much communication. Real Suzuki part numbers.
http://alpha-sports.com - Exorbitant parts prices. Different type of fiche interface that's quite useful at times, especially with superceded part numbers. Real parts numbers. Shipping cost and speed unknown due to insane, unholy pricing.

Stainless Bolts, Viton o-rings, metric taps, dies, assorted hard-to-find supplies and materials, etc:

http://mcmaster.com - Fast, cheap shipping, good prices. No order minimum, but many items like bolts come in packs of 25 or 50. Excellent resource.
http://motorcycleseatcovers.com - Great quality, perfect fit (on original seat foam), and available for pretty much every bike ever made. Avoid the textured vinyl -- it's perforated.
http://newenough.com - You DO have riding gear, don't you? Great clearances, always outstanding prices and impeccable service.
***************End Quote**********************
Here are some extra links:

GSR Forum member Mr. duaneage has great used upgraded Honda regulator/rectifiers for our bikes. Send him a PM.
New electrical parts:
http://stores.ebay.com/RMSTATOR or http://www.rmstator.com/

http://www.ricksmotorsportelectrics.com/index.php

http://www.electrosport.com/

The Rice Paddy (salvage/used)
http://www.ricepaddymotorcycles.com
Ron Ayers Motorsports
http://www.ronayers.com
MR Cycles
http://www.mrcycles.com
If all else fails, try this:
http://www.used-motorcycle-parts.org/
Lots of good info/pictures here:
http://www.suzukicycles.org
http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/Motorcycle_Wiki

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed of your progress. There's lots of good folk with good experience here.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
(The unofficial GSR greeter)

[Dave8338]

Busy day, Cliff ! \\/ Greetings...follow Cliff's advice and keep us posted. Keep the elects CLEAN.

[Weston666]

where is the regulator exactly?

[Dave8338]

where is the regulator exactly?

Below the air filter housing, on the right-hand frame rail. It is easy to get at if you pull the battery and work from the left hand side of the bike. I pulled mine completely out and cleaned it up, cleaned up the contacts, and gave all connectors a good cleaning and Dielectric Grease. Pay special attention to the black wire with the white stripe...it needs to be well grounded. (some run a seperate jumper wire to the neg. battery terminal).

[Weston666]

Also, where can I buy a new regulator

[BassCliff]

One more quick thing...

Mr. Weston666,

If I may make one more suggestion for the moment. I strongly urge you to get a manual for your motorcycle. It is absolutely vital for working on these classic bikes. Clymer, Haynes, Suzuki Shop Manual, get more than one if you can. Even with all of the helpful, friendly, experienced riders here, there's nothing like having the documentation right at your fingertips when you need it.

where can I buy a new regulator

If you read my first post, just about all of your questions can be answered.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[duaneage]

Also, where can I buy a new regulator

I offer a tested Honda RR replacement kit for 40.00. Beats most options hands down, especially since I've yet to come across a bad one .

PM me for details, I have loads in stock.

[BassCliff]

Satisfied customer

I offer a tested Honda RR replacement kit for 40.00. Beats most options hands down, especially since I've yet to come across a bad one .

PM me for details, I have loads in stock.

+1 for Mr. duaneage. He's a good egg!

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff