No Power

[Ian Stickel]

I just got a '81 gs650g when I got it it would not start. I rebuilt the carbs, it finally started and then wouldn't idle with the choke off. Replaced tone of the rubbers between the carbs and the motor. Now it starts right up and idles great. Well I tried taking it up the road and it's got no pick-up, I had a 78/79 550 years ago that would have blown this away the way it's running. It seems like I've got about a half a throttle when I'm trying to ride. I turn the throttle and it will speed up but rather slowly,and it doesn't want to go above 50/55 mph. Do I need to synch the carbs or I've been doing some reading and I'm wondering if it's a vacum problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated, specially since I'm so close to having a nice bike that I paid very little for. Thanks.

[lurch12_2000]

check the valve adjustments first before doing the carb synch

[Nessism]

Did you take the carbs all apart and replace the o-rings? Sounds like you did not get them properly clean - pilot jets in particular have really small holes though them that are often plugged.

Sync and valves need to be checked of course but typically do not cause the type of problem you noted.

[Steve]

You say you 'rebuilt the carbs'. Exactly what did you do to them? Some people say they 'rebuilt the carbs' when they pop open the float bowls and squirt a little carb cleaner on the parts they can see. Others don't think they have 'rebuilt the carbs' until they have taken them completely apart, dipped them overnight in Berryman's, replaced ALL the o-rings and put them back together.

So...which method did you use? Personally, I think the second one is correct. Also, a typical problem for any of our 25+ year-old bikes is the o-rings in the intake boots. These are the tubes that hold the carbs to the engine, the o-rings go between those tubes and the cylinder head. When they get old, they leak, causing exactly the symptoms you are describing. You will have to remove the carbs to get to these o-rings, you this would be a good time to do them right, if you didn't do it right the first time.

.

[Ian Stickel]

I rebuilt the carbs using a rebuild kit so I'm sure thats not the problem, specially since it didn't run before I did that. The rubbers between the carbs and motor are pretty old. I replaced one that was completly loose and that solved my problem of it only wanting to idle with the choke on. I guess what I need to do is replace the rest of them and see what that gives me. Also which is better the stock airbox or the filter pods that go on the individual carbs. Thanks

[BassCliff]

Hee Haw Howdy!

Hi Mr. Ian Stickel,

I rebuilt the carbs using a rebuild kit so I'm sure thats not the problem...

Bwaahaaaahaaaa! Foolish mortal! :twisted:

Click here to see the proper way to rebuild your carbs. Then order yourself an O-ring kit from our friend Robert Barr at http://cycleorings.com. Those so-called "carb rebuild kits" are bunk.

Hopefully I haven't horked you off with my kidding, because I want to give you your 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)

[slowride]

Ian,
Listen to these guys. They're good!! I did everything they said I should and my 850 is running better than it has in a loooooong time.

Ed

[waterman]

Ian,
I agree with BassCliff, the rebuild kits can be suspect, usually the gaskets and orings are okay but the jets that come with them aren't always the same as the factory jets. Most people here, myself included have great success replacing the rubber orings in carbs and utilizing the original jets after a nice carb cleaner bath. The jets in the rebuild kit may not flow same as stock jets even though they are numbered the same.

My suggestion would be to reinstall original jets into carbs and give it a go. The intake boots should also be replaced if cracking or worse. If not sure of stock jetting check here http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...ad.php?t=73723 .

More than likely, you will need to go through motor, check valve clearance, set idle mixture, synch carbs. My 650 will outpull my 550. Good luck.

[Ian Stickel]

Thanks for all the help guys. I believe I've narrowed it down to the boots and o-rings I'm gonna get a set tomorrow. And according to all I've read that should fix my problem.