1982 Gs850l

[ChevyBoy]

I found a Very Nice looking 1982 GS850L.

The guy says that that it Doenst run and has NO spark.
Would $550.00 for this bike be a good DEAL?

What could be the posible causes of this?

Thanks.

I have a 1985 GS550L, Will any of those Parts Fit?

[doctorgonzo]

Depends, if it's a rust bucket, no. If it's in decent shape, but just doesn't have spark, then not bad. Many potential causes, bad plug wires, bad plug caps, bad plugs, bad coils, bad wiring, bad igniter, you get the picture. Any of those or a combination probably can be fixed for a few hundred bucks, IF the rest is pretty sound. Do a compression test on the cylinders and make sure the engine is sound.

[psyguy]

the problem that i see with the bike that doesnt run and the history is unknown is that you cant do a road test... - the best tool there is for getting a general impression of the mechanical side of things

[BassCliff]

Hee Haw Howdy!

Hi Mr. ChevyBoy,

None of the important parts from your 550 will fit an 850.

How many miles are on the 850? Does it have a title? When was the last time it was registered? What kind of cosmetic shape is it in? How has it been stored? "No spark" could be easy to fix. Check the information below for more information.

Of course I'm talking about your 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 if your bike uses shims for valve adjustments, send an email to Mr. Steve requesting a copy of his Excel spreadsheet that helps you keep track of clearances, shim sizes and other service work.

These 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**********************
Additional parts/info 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/

For valve cover and breather cover gaskets, I recommend Real Gaskets (reusable silicon):
http://www.realgaskets.com
The Rice Paddy (salvage/used)
http://www.ricepaddymotorcycles.com
Carolina Cycle
http://www.carolinacycle.com
Ron Ayers Motorsports
http://www.ronayers.com
MR Cycles
http://www.mrcycles.com
Moto Grid
http://www.motogrid.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 greete r)

[ChevyBoy]

Ok, Thanks Guys. The guy has the Clean title in hand. He says that it has been sitting in his Garage. I dont see any rust on it, But I have only seen pictures.

The speedometer reads 30,000 Miles.
Cosmeticaly it is in Great Shape.

[doctorgonzo]

Ok, Thanks Guys. The guy has the Clean title in hand. He says that it has been sitting in his Garage. I dont see any rust on it, But I have only seen pictures.

The speedometer reads 30,000 Miles.
Cosmeticaly it is in Great Shape.

Clean title, and cosmetically in good shape I'd probably go for it AFTER putting a full battery in it so it will crank and checking cold compression on the cylinders to make sure one isn't like 9 lbs (heh... or 60, or 70, or anything less than 100).

[ChevyBoy]

Thanks,

SO I need at Least 100 Lbs. of Pressure on all cyls. Cold?
What is the maximum differance between cyls?

Thanks Alot, Yall are VERY helpfull

[psyguy]

Thanks,

SO I need at Least 100 Lbs. of Pressure on all cyls. Cold?
What is the maximum differance between cyls?

Thanks Alot, Yall are VERY helpfull

iirc, a diff more than 15-20psi is a worry

[duaneage]

Without it running it could have stator or RR problems, especially with no spark. A faulty RR could have toasted the ignitor that triggers the coils.

I would offer him 400 to cover the expense of a charging system replacement ( stator and RR) since that is a common failure on GS bikes.

[ChevyBoy]

Ok, Thanks.

He is going to send me more pictures of the bike Soon.
but Yall Really helped me out, as far as what a good price would be.

[ChevyBoy]

Also, What kind of Fuel milage should I expect on this bike.

Should it Cruise comfortably at Highway speeds?

[duaneage]

Tuned up and running properly, mid 40's. Maybe 50 on the hiway if you don't twist the throttle too much.

[ChevyBoy]

Ok, thanks. That is what I was hoping for.

He is going to send me some More Detailed pics. I will keep yall posted.

Thanks Alot

[kvgarrison]

I have the same bike and once you get it runnin' it is a blast and a pleasure to ride, these guys here will make sure it's runnin' right if you give 'em a chance, good luck and post some pics if you buy it:-D

[ChevyBoy]

Ok, Thanks.

I also found a 1981 GS1100 locally for sale. I might go check that out.

He wants $500.00. Runs Good, Lost the keys and Title, BUT has all the paperwork to get a new title.

What do yall think about this "deal"?

What years are the best for the 1100?

Thanks Again