Wow!!!

[bigobobo]

I just acquired a 1982 GS850G from a friend, ( I traded a kipor generator for it ), I've had no experience with suzuki's but I could not pass this deal up. It had been sitting in his garage for about 3 years and has the normal laundry list of problems, rust, decay, etc. The main problem is a leaking gas tank, has anybody ever used the k b s system? I see a lot of you talk about por-15, but it sounds like the k b s might be a better solution, ( if their hype is accurate ). I will be replacing the intake boots, o-rings, etc, the bike turned over but didnt want to risk a fire with the leaky tank so it has'nt run yet, at least it is not seized up. Also I see you recommend connecting the R R ground to the negative battery terminal, there is another ground wire that I believe is grounded to the frame under one of the rear battery box hold-down bolts, should that be left alone or should it be connected to the battery also? Well that will give me a start on getting this beast running, I'm sure i'll be on here many times before that happens!!

Thanks,
Bob

[BassCliff]

Hee Haw Howdy!

Hi Mr. bigobobo,

You have acquired one of the best all-around classic motorcycles in the galaxy. Congratulations! And it also seems that you've been doing your homework. Nice! :-D

Still, it's my tradition to treat all the new members to their very own 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 greeter)

[bigobobo]

Thanks!!!!

I cant tell you how great it is to be on this site, I had no idea when I got the bike that it even existed. I have already gotten a bunch of useful info and am looking forward to meeting everbody and sharing whatever info I can to help others out. Thats the way it should be!!!:-D:-D:-D

Bob

[spyug]

Welcome aboard Bob. So you are a freeman again with lots of time on your hands.....and not much cash I'll bet. Good enough cause these old scoots need lots of time spent on them, either riding or wrenching.

I haven't heard of that tank product yet but have used Kreeme, PoR-15 and recently Phenol Novolac sealer from Caswell Plating http://www.caswellplating.com/aids/epoxygas.htm

Of the 3, I really like the Caswell product. It is designed to bond better to a rough and rusty surface so it takes less prep work than the others. With the others if you don't do it right it doesn't take well. The Caswell stuff is also a good deal as it costs about the same as the others but will do 2 good sizes tanks. Make sure if you use it not to pour in the whole amount as you might end up witha big lump in the tank like I did. In this case, more is not necessarily better

Well let us know what you end up doing and post pics when you can. We like to see what the brothers from other mamas are doing.

Cheers man,
Spyug.

[bigobobo]

Thanks, I will post some pics soon as possible. I guess k b s must be new or something but their website makes it sound pretty good.

[spyug]

Bob,
I checked out their website and read the instructions and I have to say it looks like a bit more work than the Caswell stuff. More like the rigamarole you go through with POR or Kreeme. With this product, I think you will need to pay close attention to the methods and procedures, especially drying the tank. Pay close attention to your air humidity as it states the product is very humidity sensitive. This seems to be the downfall of these kits, guys don't follow instuctions closely enough and the kit fails to take.

One piece of advise with all of these kits is that once you put in the sealer liquid keep moving the tank around to make the liquid coat all the surfaces...top and bottom. If the seal doesn't cover all, a full tank of gas starts to cause problems. Over time it will get in behind the skin and it will cause it to peel away from the tank.

If you're keen on it give a whirl and let us know how it goes. Its always good to hear about new stuff.

Cheers,
Spyug.

[bigobobo]

k b s coating

Yeah I think I will give them a shot, I like the part about cleaning and getting rid of the rust inside the tank! It seems like even though you coat the inside of the tank you would still have a layer of rust between the coating and the inside wall of the tank. There is a place up the road from me that sells it and they say they have had good luck with it so we shall see. Thanks for your input. I guess I need to learn that when you ask a question you need to be sure and have it in the title because I kind of was saying how great the site was and asking questions too. I tried to edit it but I guess once its posted the title stays. I need to find out about the ground wires on the R R and the battery box so I will have to go with another thread.

Thanks again.

[TheCafeKid]

Where exactly is it leaking from?

[bigobobo]

There are several rusty pinholes on the bottom of the tank! The bike sat for 3 years in a garage and must have had some bad gas or water inside.

[TheCafeKid]

While you may have luck with a sealing product, i would suggest at some point maybe hitting up Fleabay for a new tank. I am currently looking for an 82/83 850G/1100G (both will fit either bike) as a spare, and have only found one, which has "slight rust inside, and a dent in the lower quarter" but i will wait for a better, as they show up from time to time. Just a suggestion.

[bigobobo]

I've been watching too but my funds are kind of low right now and I can get this stuff for 32 dollars from a local business that restores old cars. I will give it a try, the testimonials say it lasts for years so if it lasts 6 months it will give me a chance to save up. I will be watching it like a hawk though, I dont need to be going out in a blaze of glory! :shock: