broken down

[beherenow71]

Hello all, I have a 1978 gs 550 that broke down yesterday and was told this site would be a good place to ask questions. My gf was riding and it died on her pulling into a parking lot. When I got there I noticed right away that there was oil on the ground, appeared to have come from the clutch. The gear indicator is stuck in 1 and you cannot shift the bike. The clutch lever has no resistance at all when you pull it and the bike rolls freely like its in neutral. When you try to start it, it makes a horrible noise, not sure how to describe it or even that I remember it but I think it kind of sounded like something was grinding. Can anyone point in a direction to start? Is the bike a goner?

[Nessism]

Wild guess is that the clutch basket nut fell off. You can check this by pulling off the clutch cover. Easy job. You will need an impact driver (the type you hit with a hammer). You also might want to pull off the drive sprocket cover to make sure the clutch release mechanism is working properly.

Before you do this work you need a manual. If you don't have one you can get one for free by going to repairmanualclub.com. Read where the various parts are before starting.

Good luck and welcome.

[beherenow71]

I tried to download the manual from that site, but it said it is more than my alotted bandwidth, I've been trying to find another place with one to download though. Also, do you know if parts from other years, '77 or '79 for instance will fit on my '78 gs550?

[tkent02]

I tried to download the manual from that site, but it said it is more than my alotted bandwidth, I've been trying to find another place with one to download though. Also, do you know if parts from other years, '77 or '79 for instance will fit on my '78 gs550?

those three years should be the same for most parts.

[Nessism]

I tried to download the manual from that site, but it said it is more than my alotted bandwidth, I've been trying to find another place with one to download though. Also, do you know if parts from other years, '77 or '79 for instance will fit on my '78 gs550?

Do a search here for "Basscliff", his sight has tons of good info - along with the same manual.

77-79 GS550's should have the same clutch cover (with kick starter). You are going to need this kind of gasket. Kick start was dropped in '80.

Good luck.

[SqDancerLynn1]

Usually if you rt click & down load target as IT will work

[beherenow71]

Do a search here for "Basscliff", his sight has tons of good info - along with the same manual.

77-79 GS550's should have the same clutch cover (with kick starter). You are going to need this kind of gasket. Kick start was dropped in '80.

Good luck.

Clutch cover with kick starter? Isn't the clutch on the left side of the bike and the kick start on the right side?

[beherenow71]

Got the bike apart a litte, the chain had come off and was bunched up in the front sprocket. Got a picture of a piece that looks bent. Anyone know what it is or how to fix it?

[Billy Ricks]

That's the pushrod for the clutch. It runs across the transmission to the other side of the engine where the clutch basket is. Pull it out, it simply slides out. You're going to need to order a new one. Bikebandit or Alpha Sports if you're in the US.

[Nessism]

Keep taking it apart. Find out what's bent/broken. Looks like the clutch pushrod is bent and one of the screws on the pushrod seal retainer is sheared off.

[Nessism]

That's the pushrod for the clutch. It runs across the transmission to the other side of the engine where the clutch basket is. Pull it out, it simply slides out. You're going to need to order a new one. Bikebandit or Alpha Sports if you're in the US.

Clutch pushrod on the 550's pull out from the clutch side. Going to have to cut it off before trying to pull it through.

[Billy Ricks]

Might have cracked the crankcase since there was oil under the bike. You need to look just forward of the bent pushrod at the cases.

[Billy Ricks]

Clutch pushrod on the 550's pull out from the clutch side. Going to have to cut it off before trying to pull it through.

All for the want of a master link or new chain.

[BassCliff]

Hee Haw Howdy!

Hi Mr. beherenow71,

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************
Every GS850 (and most other models) 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.
***********************************
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

***************************************
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
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
Salvage/Used
http://www.ricepaddymotorcycles.com

http://www.ozpowersports.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
http://www.bikepics.com
Basic motorcycle maintenance/repair:
http://www.dansmc.com/mc_repaircourse.htm
Online Clymer manuals:
http://search.ebscohost.com/ Click on "Small Engine Repair" then "Motorcycles". User=library, password=library. Note: This link may not work if you are on a school campus.

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)

[Sandy]

You'll need a new clutch pushrod seal also and make some sort of plate to hold it in place, hopefully that area isn't damaged to much. The oil may be just what leaked out the damage pushrod seal. ..let's hope.