Test riding a bike im going to be buying.

[kparkfan]

Hey all. Tomorrow im going to go test ride a 80 gs1100 that my wifes co-worker is selling me. I know some of the odvious stuff to look for but is there anything particular i should look out for on the 1100 series?I know that he has put new tires on and just did the carbs although he said that he hasnt done the valves yet. I've heard it run and it sounds good. For 800.00 i cant pass it up. thanks for any input you guys might have for me. For those who live near me , the guy commutes from piqua to tipcity almost every day. he did do one thing wrong he went and bought a yammy lol.

[bonanzadave]

he did do one thing wrong he went and bought a yammy lol.

FZ1 or FJR. I wish I could be so dumb.

[kparkfan]

its an 89 virago. does look pretty sweet though.

[TheCafeKid]

if its an 80 1100..then its a 16v chain drive bike. Only thing to watch for really is that he hasnt managed to twist the crank on it, but you'll hear it cause it will run like poo. Not much else out of the normal GS stuff i can think of...anyone else?

[chef1366]

If it runs, shifts through all the gears and goes down the road buy it for $800.
It's a no brainer.

[jknappsax]

You might take a multimeter and check that the charging voltage is proper.

[Larry D]

If it runs, shifts through all the gears and goes down the road buy it for $800.
It's a no brainer.

The only thing I would add to Chef's list is, that it stops too !!

[Big T]

You might take a multimeter and check that the charging voltage is proper.

Ditto on that - 12+ V at idle and about 14V when you rev it up

But, at $800, if it goes straight and turns well when you ride it, buy it!!!!

[kparkfan]

Well i went and test drove the bike today,and let me tell you lol that thing has way more balls than my 450. the only real thing i seen wrong with it is that it has a slight backfire when slowing down. but there are a couple of things that i know of that could be causing it. 1: there is an aftermarket air filter on it cause he doesnt have the bracket for the factory air filter to stay in place. 2: one of the airbox boot clamps didnt even have a screw in it. 3: and the biggest reason i think its doing it is it hasnt had a valve clearance check done on it.

Ok guys im now the proud owner of a 1980 gs1100L. yes josh another L lol. just got to make a couple of payments and it will be here with me , and i'll get pics for you all.

[kparkfan]

bumpity bump

[Nessism]

bumpity bump

Bumping why??? I don't see any photos.

[kparkfan]

I will hopefully have the bike here next weekend. I'll get pics for all to see i promise lol. just bumping to see if any one thinks that my findings could be causing it to backfire. its just a weak backfire though.

[hikermikem]

Congrats, great bike - I just sold my '82 1100G.

While you're waiting for your "baby", buy an OEM valve cover & breather cover gasket for your upcoming valve adjustment...

Maybe some new plugs & give the fuel tank "insides" a good look - may need to be cleaned & sealed with POR-15.

[kparkfan]

thanks man. the po just put new plugs but im definatly going to have to do a valve job. he just had the carbs redone for 200 and tuned for another 32.00 ?? all in all the bike is strong. kind of scared the crap out of me when i cracked the throttle in second gear lol. needs a new tank from where it fell over in his ruck when his ratchet strap broke. loong story there. it has a big dent on the top of the tank. also needs a new left hand control switch.

[chef1366]

Shafty or chain drive?