10,000 Miles on the GS650G

[MellowMoodz]

Ok guys, I just turned 10,000 on the 82 zuk.....is there any advice from the GS motorheads as to what I should look for or do to the bike at this stage of the game? I want her to keep running like a champ so I figured I'd ask here.....thanks in advance for any advice....

[Dogma]

How much do you know about the mechanical history of your bike? It's probably time to check the valve shims at least, and probably start looking for aging / deteriorating seals in the intake. You'd better get a service manual and find out what the regular maintenance is. For example, you're probably due to check the oil in the shaft drive gearboxes, and probably change them.

[Nessism]

Basic maintaince is spelled out in the service manual (you can download a PDF manual for your bike for free - do a search to find the link). You should compare the factory maintaince list to what's been done for your bike and take care of things as specified.

Things not on the list, that are highly recommended, include: replacing the intake pipe (boot) O-rings, tear down the brake system and clean it out if the fluid is brown (chunks are sure to be on the inside if the fluid is dark), and wire the R/R ground directly to the battery. I'm sure there are other things but these are standard items.

Good luck.

[MellowMoodz]

Thanks for the responses guys...

When I got the back last year, I went through everything, brakes, carbs, and fluids.....so those are all freshy....I was just wondering if there were any "trade" secrets that I should look into....like that direct ground you were talking about. I have a service manual and it is calling out for maintenance to be done at 11,000 miles, I just figured I get a jump on it and get some insider advice. Thanks again.....

[Nessism]

So you adjusted the valves right? Many people neglect these because of the shims...

[MellowMoodz]

No I haven't adjusted the valves yet......i'm a little hesitant to give it a try, as I don't want to fudge up the motor. I did tear down the brakes and give them the once over, and changed the carb boot o-rings last weekend (fixed my spiking idle problem) the boots were flexible and there were no cracks. But I just got done dropping in a new motor into my 4runner so this weekend is free for me and I was gonna have a go at it then....any advice?

[Roostabunny]

No I haven't adjusted the valves yet......i'm a little hesitant to give it a try, as I don't want to fudge up the motor. I did tear down the brakes and give them the once over, and changed the carb boot o-rings last weekend (fixed my spiking idle problem) the boots were flexible and there were no cracks. But I just got done dropping in a new motor into my 4runner so this weekend is free for me and I was gonna have a go at it then....any advice?

If you can put a motor into a 4runner you can adjust the valves on your GS without breaking it.

I just printed out the valve adjust pictorial from Basscliff's Bikecliff website and it guided this newb from start to finish. Course, I'm assuming your 650 is enough like our 850's for the guide to be helpful.

[themess]

At 10K, your engine is barely broken in. The rings in my GS650G didn't seat completely until about 7K miles. Mileage went from about 45 mpg to almost 60 mpg from one tank of gas to the next.

[MellowMoodz]

At 10K, your engine is barely broken in. The rings in my GS650G didn't seat completely until about 7K miles. Mileage went from about 45 mpg to almost 60 mpg from one tank of gas to the next.

So are you saying that I don't need to worry about he valves at this time or once I adjust them i'll be getting better gas milage?

[doctorgonzo]

I second valve adjustment. I had never done one, and with the basscliff guide I did it in about 3 hours which included cleaning up a dry stuck old gasket. I'm with you, I was nervous, but really no problem. Scout your local dealers, and shade tree bike mechanics to see if they have a box of 29.5 shims thrown in a drawer. That will prevent you from having the bike down with the cover off while you wait a week for shims (you won't know aht you need until you get in there and check them).

[doctorgonzo]

So are you saying that I don't need to worry about he valves at this time or once I adjust them i'll be getting better gas milage?

If I remember, they are supposed to be adjusted at 7K (at least on my bike).

[Nessism]

Adjusting the valves is EASY. The hard part is getting the old gasket off...and waiting for your new shims to come from Z1.

[JTsGS650]

Go ahead and check and adjust the valves. It's a piece of cake. To check the clearance, you'll need a set of feeler gauges that measure from 0.03 mm to 0.08 mm (I got mine at NAPA). Download the FSM from Mellowmoods website ( http://www.mellowmoodz.com/GS650GManual.pdf ) and follow the directions to check the valve clearances. Email Steve and he can set you up with his valve adjust spreadsheet. That can help you determine which shims need to be adjusted and will suggest what shims to order. To swap out the shims you'll need a tappet depressor tool ( http://www.z1enterprises.com/detail.aspx?ID=1696 ), and to put everything back together, you'll the need a new valve cover gasket ( http://www.realgaskets.com/ ). I checked the valves on my '82 650 over the winter with about 7K on the clock. Six of the eight were tight and needed to be adjusted. Good luck.

[Steve]

Email Steve and he can set you up with his valve adjust spreadsheet. That can help you determine which shims need to be adjusted and will suggest what shims to order.

I like this guy. \\/

Actually, I just beat him to the punch and sent him a copy. 8-[

.

[MellowMoodz]

Download the FSM from Mellowmoods website ( http://www.mellowmoodz.com/GS650GManual.pdf ) and follow the directions to check the valve clearances.

ha ha...yeah, thats my website.....


Thanks for all the help guys....i'm gonna dive into this over the weekend, from the looks of the weather forecast it's gonna rain here.....so i'm gonna give it a try.....thanks again...