GS850G gas tank

[Sausage7]

Hello everyone. I have some major rust problems in my tank. It looks really nice but has serious scaling going on inside. I found this tank on Ebay and was wondering if someone who has more knowledge than me can confirm if this will fit a plain 1980 GS850G. The ad says it is for a GS1000g and a GL model. I thought the L's had a different tank than the regular models. What years of GS1000's have interchangable tanks with a 1980 GS850G? The auction number is 260278717093 . Please help, my wallet can't afford all these carb cleanings. Thanks.--D

[76FJ55]

An inline fuel filter will same having to remove the carb on a regular basis, at least until you get the fuel tank contamination taken care of.

There are two 850 and 1000 tanks I am not sure if the styles are interchangable but of like styles 850 and 1000 are the same minus paint. the two styles can be differentiated by gas cap location the GL series bike has the cap located in the center of the tank the G series bike has the gas cap offset to the right side of the tank.

[Steve]

Yes, the cap location is different, but so is the rear attachment.

Not sure about the 1000 interchangability, but '79-'81 850G tanks (not the GL) will fit. I know the outside of the '82-and-up tanks changed, not sure if the mounts changed.

The only two 850s that I have to check don't help much. I have an '81 G and an '82 GL.


EDIT: I just looked at the eBay listing. There is a decent chance that it will fit.
Hopefully you get it for considerably less than the Buy It Now price.
.

[TheCafeKid]

Yes, the cap location is different, but so is the rear attachment.

Not sure about the 1000 interchangability, but '79-'81 850G tanks (not the GL) will fit. I know the outside of the '82-and-up tanks changed, not sure if the mounts changed.

The only two 850s that I have to check don't help much. I have an '81 G and an '82 GL.

.

Mounts on the 82 and up 850s are different. They are two down-bolts in back and have front mounts much like an L model.

[psyguy]

any 1000g tank will fit on an 850g (years 79-81)

because 79-81 850g and a 1000g are practically the same bike

L model tank wont fit to a non-L model or vice versa, not without modifying the brackets that is

[psyguy]

the tank in that auction will fit your 850

now, the question is how much money is it going to go for, its NOS!

[BassCliff]

Greetings and Salutations!

Hi Mr. Sausage7,

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 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.

[SqDancerLynn1]

It willfit your standard 80GS850 WIll not fit a GL. Expect it to go for $200 maybe more So how bad do you want it

[Sausage7]

Thanks for all the replies. I don't want to have to spend that king of money but i have to do something. I don't know how far gone a tank has to be to be considered unfixable. Mine looks great but had alot of rust inside towards the back. It looks great inside when you look down the filler hole. When i cleaned it out, some of the flakes were as big as dimes. Is $250 really that much for what it is? If i find a great looking tank on Ebay, it might be no better than what i have. The repair shop put an inline filter on the bike when the carbs were completely dissassembled in the spring. They plugged up about a month after i got it back. Since then i've pulled the tank and got all the rust out that i can. Hopefully after they clean them again they won't plug up too quickly. Thanks.

[Larry D]

If the tank is in good shape externally, then you may consider por-15 or a similiar product. Just be careful to follow the instructions to the letter. The por-15 cost me $45 or so delivered to the front door. Again follow the instructions. It was really pretty easy, except the tank gets heavy with all the shaking and rolling around. Better than $200-250 for a new tank.

[indybob]

I've been looking at rust treatments for my 1100e and come across a couple that I think might be effective. One is called Evapo-Rust and cost about $20.00 per gallon. Could probably get by with a couple of gallons and keep rotating the tank. The other is called Rusteco and looks to be about in the same price range. Both are less caustic and will not harm the outside of the tank - I've got a great paint job on mine so don't want to risk damage to the outside.

Bob

[Nessism]

Thanks for all the replies. I don't want to have to spend that king of money but i have to do something. I don't know how far gone a tank has to be to be considered unfixable. Mine looks great but had alot of rust inside towards the back. It looks great inside when you look down the filler hole. When i cleaned it out, some of the flakes were as big as dimes. Is $250 really that much for what it is? If i find a great looking tank on Ebay, it might be no better than what i have. The repair shop put an inline filter on the bike when the carbs were completely dissassembled in the spring. They plugged up about a month after i got it back. Since then i've pulled the tank and got all the rust out that i can. Hopefully after they clean them again they won't plug up too quickly. Thanks.

Cleaning the carbs yourself will save you a lot of money. Check the GSR homepage or BassCliff's web site for the tutorial.

If the tank is structurally solid, there are various methods on how to clean the inside, or radiator shops will typically do it for you. I've used both the POR-15 products and the Caswell epoxy product. Check the archives here for lots of information on the process.

Regarding that tank, $250 doesn't sound too bad to me for a brand new gas tank, assuming the color scheme matches your bike.

Good luck.

[SqDancerLynn1]

You have to remember a paint job would Cost $150+++ NOS tank would be great