82 gs850gl lives (almost) yippee

[Harry P.]

Hello All,

Finally got my bike to go down the road, although it only runs well in 1st gear...going to 2nd bogs down and I can't seam to get any power, but go back to 1st and it seams fine. I'm kind of charged as I was finally able to go down the road. Any ideas? I'm thinking electrical and have yet to do all the connectors and wiring suggestions, coil relay mod ect, as I'm not real strong with electrical I've been hesitant to dive into it.

Thanks for all the help getting me this far, think I'm real close to having a good running bike.

[Big T]

When you say it runs fine in 1st gear, will it pull strongly to redline?

[Harry P.]

I did not really want to push it, so I'm not sure. And my RPM gauge is screwed up so I'm not sure how many RPM's I'm running at for sure.

[BassCliff]

Hi Mr. Harry P,

Are the carbs clean? New intake boots and o-rings? How about float heights? Is the petcock working properly? Good fuel and vacuum lines? Clean air filter, slightly oiled? New plugs and plug caps? Are all the electrical connections clean in the entire harness? Have the valve clearances been adjusted? There's a host of little details that should all be addressed. Click here for a list. Keep up the good work. Keep us informed.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Harry P.]

everything done except the wiring harness connections, that I have been holding off on because I'm not real comfortable with the wiring end of things. Guess as long as I go one wire at a time it'll be easy enough.

Any pointers? Moral support? lol

[waterman]

Congrats on getting it running. Now why is it not running with power. Do all of your exhaust pipes get evenly hot when motor is running? I would think even a gravely out of tune 850 ought to be able to pull through second gear with all four cylinders firing.

If all cylinders are firing, start checking things like brakes to make sure they are completely releasing. Easy way to check is after driving a short distance, check to see if rotor are hot. Good luck, you are almost there.

[Harry P.]

All pipes getting hot, rolls easy so I do not think the brakes are an issue....

[chef1366]

What's your voltage at the coils?

[twr1776]

Harry P. everything done except the wiring harness connections, that I have been holding off on because I'm not real comfortable with the wiring end of things. Guess as long as I go one wire at a time it'll be easy enough.

Any pointers? Moral support? lol

One wire at a time is the best way to go. Get some good contact cleaner and di-electric grease. The cleaner is for the bullets, terminals, and plug in connectors. The grease to keep corrosion out after re-assembly. Go through the headlight bucket and pay special attention to all grounds. Disconnect the main ground wire from the battery and clean it up by where it mounts to the motor and re-connect it. If you have not done it yet run the additional ground wire from the R/R and you should be good to test your charging system. It is a PITA to clean all these connections but it is a lot cheaper than replacing stators, regulator/rectifiers, batteries, or getting stranded out on the road.

[Harry P.]

not sure what the voltage at the coils is, but will attempt the wiring end this weekend and find out for sure. Thank you all for the help in getting me to this point and in advance for the help I'll need with the wiring. The site and its supporters is a great resource for us new owners of these classics, we'd be lost with out you.

[mcloud]

... Moral support? lol

Go Harry P. Go !!!!
Go Harry P. Go !!!!
Go Harry P. Go !!!!
Go Harry P. Go !!!!