1985 GS550ES questions from new owner

[DBSS_Gohan]

I just picked up a 1985 GS550ES and I road it home... but I've noticed a few problems. It didn't want to idle on the way home, at first it did, but I'd get to a light, and it would die on me. It had been sitting for a while apparently, but they started it and it ran pretty well. But so I get it home... and it's leaking some fuel from the airbox side of the carbs, like fuel is kinda backing out of the carbs and into the airbox. I start disassembling, and I am wondering what kind of mess I have gotten myself into... From the searching that I've done... the airbox can't be removed on my model? And the carbs need a hose and the clutch cable taken out before they can slide out?

Well, first question is, can I take the clutch cable out of where it connects into the engine, without any fear of problems, so I can get the carbs out to clean them?

Next, I took the tank off, and Every way but off, or... actually, I didn't find an off setting on the fairing, but when it's all the way down, on run, or on I think(sorry, can't look at it now, bike is at home, I am at work.), fuel does not come out. But on the other two settings, it comes out like crazy. I was wondering if this is a vacuum petcock and if it might be broken, and the cause of the fuel leaking back into the airbox? And if so, is there a rebuild kit I can get for the petcock?

Next is... I've got a replacement gauge cluster, but it uses a mechanical tach, the current bike uses an electric. Can I find a way to convert this so it will work?

If the petcock is not the problem, what could be causing my carbs to be flooding back into the airbox?

Also, in the main intrest of saving the space, and making it easier to take apart, is there a way to remove that airbox and use anything else? I've heard pods require rejetting, and I don't really wanna do that, but does it require a complete rejetting, or just the pilots and mains? Or are the pilots the mains? I havent touched a motorcycle carb in 2 years. Also, these seem to be double carbs... I'm new to that, anything special I need to know? Theres not 4, just 2, 2 barrel carbs I believe.

Spedometer and tach are out on the current gauge cluster too, are there any known issues with the cable, or the gear teeth on the axle bolt going out?

ty all, I appreciate the help.

--John

[p_s]

Okay, in no particular order.
I think you can run a tach cable. You have a cap over where the tach cable would normally come out on the valve cover. The '85 GS550 EF and EG had a tach cable, so you just have to order those parts. It might be cheaper to look for a speedo on ebay, though. The electronic tach is one less thing to mess with. If your replacement is from an EF or EG there is a chance the electronic tach from my nasty spare speedo might fit, in which case it is yours for shipping.

The petcock is a vacuum petcock with 3 positions: prime, reserve, and normal. There are rebuild kits, but many suggest just buying a new one. I dunno.

I don't think you have to remove the clutch cable to get at the carbs. The choke and throttle cables, yes. There are fewer parts in these double-barreled carbs, and it's a two-way sync instead of four.

I don't know what to tell you about the airbox. If there are any air leaks between the filter and the engine, it'll run badly if at all. People usually have to replace the weatherstripping between the air filter and the air box. The o-rings on the engine side boots are another thing you should replace. There are strong opinions pro and con on pods. I would be nervous about rain, myself. (I don't know if that is actually a problem with them, but it seems like it would be.)

You might want to strip down your brake calipers, depending on where you live. I found that half the brake pistons on my bike were pitted, and all the pistons on my parts bike were pitted. Apparently that is common on these models. New pistons are still available from Suzuki.

If you have the stock R/R, of course, you'll need to look for something better. Duaneage here sells a nice Honda RR kit with all the connectors you'd need.

Well, basscliff will be here shortly with a useful introductory message on what you have to do to have a reliable bike.

[skreemer]

to get the airbox out of the way... remove everything off and out of the battery box. Then remove the battery box. This will allow you to slide the airbox back a good 3 - 4 inches out of the way...

If it idles fine while you're going and for a few seconds at a stop light then dies it sounds like your flooding the engine... while you're figuring out your leak take a look inside the carbs and make sure you're jetting is proper.

[DBSS_Gohan]

So the fuel pouring out of the tank when it is in the 12 and 3 oclock positions is normal? Or no? Cause at 6 o'clock it turns off. Bike dealerships will be open tomorrow, so I'm planning to get either a replacement petcock, or rebuild parts, depending on whats cheaper. Unless anyone has any good reasons to get one or the other.
Right now I'm thinking i'm going to have to get...
Valve cover seals, New chain, something for the petcock, carb rebuild kit, and a tach cable. And from the suzuki dealership near me, I probably need to go ahead and hand them over my arm.

I finished removing the clutch cable, the main reason I had to remove it was because it was between the two carbs. where they form a square. Loop type deal, it wasn't coming out any other way, unless I separated the carbs.

Is there a problem with the current R/R? And do I need to replace it before I get it back out on the road?
Also, the previous guy took care of the brakes, all new everything it seems front and back.

And by the time I'm about to send this message, I've torn down the carbs, they're not terrible, but could use a good cleaning, I'm getting to that now.

ty again guys.
--John

[p_s]

Gas should only pour out in the prime position and not in the other two. If you look carefully you can see what each position is on the petcock. If I remember right, 3 is prime and 9 is reserve.

You'll also need a tach gear and maybe some other grommets and bits and pieces. Your dealer can help you there--they may have an online parts order system like mine--then you can look at the parts diagrams and put in the right order and just pick it up when it gets in. My dealer actually has very good prices most things. Check Z1 first though, at least for the chain..

And you're supposed to replace the two sprockets with the chain if they show any wear.

GSes are known for electrical problems. See the "Stator Papers": http://www.thegsresources.com/garage/gs_stator_ref.htm
The common mod is a Honda R/R. Cheap on ebay or $40 tested & wired through GSR member duaneage.

Somehow basscliff missed you, but here is his normal welcome with everything you need to know:

http://www.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/images/GSR_Greeting.html

[BassCliff]

Hey howdy hey!

Hi Mr. DBSS_Gohan,

I would suggest that you get a manual for your bike as soon as you can. That way you can take the wisdom so freely given here, look at the pictures and procedures, and become a first rate bike wrench. In the meantime, here is my very own, patented, copyrighted, notarized, registered, licensed, but tax-free 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/
Used bike buying checklists:

http://www.amadirectlink.com/roadride/Riderresc/checklist.asp

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html
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)

[MelodicMetalGod]

DBSS_Gohan,

I just found this thread. Looks like we've got the same bike. Where are you with it? On the road (with any luck)? Let's have an update. Thanks and welcome to the GSR forum!

[BassCliff]

Need a 550 manual?

Just to let you know. Mr. first timer has provided us with a very complete GS550 manual. I'm hosting a copy on my little BikeCliff website.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[MelodicMetalGod]

Just to let you know. Mr. first timer has provided us with a very complete GS550 manual. I'm hosting a copy on my little BikeCliff website.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

Dude, your site is truly a precious resource. Well done!

FYI: I too have a GS550 series manual in pdf format. The version I have is a 1983 edition.

[mostholycerebus]

Just to let you know. Mr. first timer has provided us with a very complete GS550 manual. I'm hosting a copy on my little BikeCliff website.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

Is the site down? I get "error, page not found". Looking for a 1985 GS550l manual...

[Calvin Blackmore]

manula is for an 83 I think
search for suzuki 550 then narrow things down

[Scotts]

Hey hey. I have an 86. Search out my posts and there are lots of pictures on there. If you need some more pictures let me know. I can get some off my photobucket.

Scott