'82 GS550L transplanted igniter failure..

[BrianMcDonald]

I traded some garage space to a GoldWing owner (they need the room) for an '82 GS550L. The bike ran up until about 8 years ago when it suddenly died. The PO replaced the coils but it still wouldn't run. The bike was subsequently stored. When I got it, it had old gas syndrome which I cleaned up, so I'm now back to the original issue. Some investigation reveals that this is not the first ignition problem the bike has had.

Somewhere along the line, the stock igniter was replaced with a pair from an early 80s Japanese car (an '80 Corolla, or so).



Aren't they cute all nestled in there? The signal generator was hardwired into the new igniter, and the wires in the igniter connector that normally go to the signal generator were capped. I'm fairly certain this is the original signal generator for the bike:



So - we got fuel in the cleaned out carbs and started running through the Clymer checklist for hard starting. Time came to pull the plugs and look for spark, and I would classify it as "weak to non-existent". With the lights out at night, you could see it on 1-4, but not 2-3. The coils were brand new, so I went ahead to test the signal generator and ignitor as layed out in the book. To do so, I had to extract the transplanted igniter, and the wiring did not inspire confidence.



Plus, to get the igniter out of the circuit and test the signal generator, it had to be cut free. Given the amount of space the transplant surgeon left, this would going to entail some other surgery later. I went ahead and did all that and verified that the signal generator was good, and the igniter was okay (although the sparks still weren't all that great.) After that, I diligently traced stuff out, opened the igniters to get to the source wires, and rebuilt the thing so I'd have enough of a tail to reconnect the thing. I took the time to get it wired back in like it was originally (using the harness for connecting to the signal generator) wanting to at least make this thing testable in the future and try to restore the bike to some semblance of cleanliness. This is where my downfall lie.

I misidentified the common and signal lines from the signal generator. It was confusing as heck to figure out what's going on in there and I think I might have "assumed" that the wire with the red tape was signal and the one without tape was common. Apparently not. It was only later when I had a clear enough connection set to properply trace it out, but by then, it had already been hooked up to the igniter and tried (I'm impatient like that). As Clymer says - do not reverse the polarity on the signal generator side of the igniter or it will destroy the unit...

So - what now? We have an 26 year old bike that now requires somewhere on the order of $300-$400 in electrical parts just to get it back to some place that may be exactly like it was before.

My options appear to be the following:

1) Spend $350 or so on a NOS igniter and put it back in the circuit, reconnecting the signal generator to the wiring harness (properly) and hoping that fixes the problems.

2) Spending $400 or so on a Dyna ignition system, replacing the signal generator, finding a mechanical advance from an older bike (maybe? Is that required? There's no straight answer in the forums and the sites where you buy these things skip over '82 when they talk about what it works on)

3) Scrapping the thing for parts. There's some nice bits on there.

4) Beg/borrow an igniter to get the thing running so I can continue to test the bike for what needs to be done to it to get it running properly.

I'm very hesitant to put $400 into a bike that clearly has electrical problems, probably beyond what I've already seen. I'd like to do the R/R and stator tests to make sure things are fine on the left side of the bike, but all of those seem to hinge on having the bike running (at least somewhat) before they can be properly diagnosed. I'd really really hate to replace a $400 part just to find out it now needs $500 in stator and regulator work.

I'm also hesitant to scrap the thing, because, well, I'm not sure I could see my way to actually buying another bike to work on and I'm having a good deal of fun doing this (well, until the electrical system problems started to drag on..)

So - that leaves begging. Anyone know where I can buy/get a used but functional igniter for a 1982 GS550L? The part number is 32900-47020 and I think they're found on a number of bikes around that time frame (the 450L uses the same one, I think). Perhaps someone who replaced it with a Dyna?

Thanks!
Brian

[82Shafty]

http://www.amazon.com/Suzuki-Ignition-Pickups-Pulse-Generator/dp/B0013N9JZU

[BassCliff]

Hey Howdy Hey!

Hi Mr. BrianMcDonald,

I think you have all of the information necessary to make an informed decision. Sometimes it's a tough call when it comes to putting these classic bikes back into operation. I'm sure you've heard of ebay. Sometimes patience is required. Feel free to post in the "Parts Wanted" section too. I don't think I've given you a 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************
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)

Click here to visit BikeCliff's website.

[tkent02]

Ebay is your friend, along with the parts diagrams from babbitt suzuki or one of the others.