New bike issues - '81 GS850L

[T-ray]

Did a quick once over last night on the bike I picked up monday. Here are the issues that my unexperienced eyes and ears picked out. Pics are below. I've also added some overall pics on the owners threads.

There's one, possibly 2 oil leaks. I know that one is the tach cable seal for sure. The possible other I'm not so sure about. If there is one, I'm thinking its the head gasket but hoping its the valve cover gasket. Seems to be coming from the center on the engine.
Need new exhaust gaskets where they connect to the head. 3 of the 4 are leaking. Previous owner stripped out one of the bolts on these. I see he has different bolts in there now so maybe if I use the ones meant for it it'll be ok.
When I let off on the throttle the exhaust pops and every once in a while the carb will pop.
The exhaust connections underneath are loose. I loosened the back support brackets and tightened the pipes together a bit and retightened the bracket, but it still needs work.
2 of the carburetor boots have been jimmy rigged using some sort of silicone...need to be replaced.
On the lighted gear indicator only gears 1&2 show up. Have to check the bulbs and wiring on that.
The speedometer needle is really bouncy...is this normal?
Any and all suggestions are welcome.
I've already placed an order for the tach seals(o-ring and seal), valve cover gasket and breather gasket, exhaust bolts, and some misc hardware that was missing.


Front left side. You can see oil puddling on the fins after letting it run.


Here you can see the different exhaust bolts they put in. The one with the lock washer on the right is the one they stripped.


The exhaust connection that needs to be tightened up somehow.


Here's one of the cobbled boots and some more fresh oil back in there!

[chiphead]

Bouncy speedo is not normal. Try internally lubing the speedo cable that runs to it.
Popping could be caused by those Micky mouse intake boots. Replace all four now and clean the carbs while you at it.
If you clean and dry the oil leak area your unsure off then coat it with aerosol foot powder than run the bike the powder will pinpoint the source of the leak.
Welcome to the forums.

[Dave8338]

Another L It looks like the PO should have used his 'skills' for other projects!
As mentioned...a full carb clean may be in order and to that I would suggest a valve set as I'm sure it is looooong over due. The gear shift lights are simple and I may even have a set, though I'll have to look to be sure.
Welcome to the GSR, you have found the right place as far as the bike is concerned. Basscliff will throw out the mat and provide you with more info than you can imagine and on the bright side, his collection of info is correct!

[T-ray]

Bouncy speedo is not normal. Try internally lubing the speedo cable that runs to it.
Popping could be caused by those Micky mouse intake boots. Replace all four now and clean the carbs while you at it.
If you clean and dry the oil leak area your unsure off then coat it with aerosol foot powder than run the bike the powder will pinpoint the source of the leak.
Welcome to the forums.

Ok, so I'm guessing those boots are the "intake pipes" on here, items 25&26? http://www.bikebandit.com/suzuki-mot...x-1981/o/m6119

Those aren't cheap...

[rustybronco]

Ok, so I'm guessing those boots are the "intake pipes" on here, items 25&26? http://www.bikebandit.com/suzuki-mot...x-1981/o/m6119

Those aren't cheap...

Correct on both accounts.

[Baatfam]

Ok, so I'm guessing those boots are the "intake pipes" on here, items 25&26? http://www.bikebandit.com/suzuki-mot...x-1981/o/m6119

Those aren't cheap...

Try PartShark
They are a little cheaper there... about $23 each...

[KitKat]

beware of partshark.

its not that they don't get the order to you, but it takes a long time (personally) for the parts to arrive. about 2 weeks. i would have rather spend the extra 5 bucks and got them in half the time from my suzuki dealer or z1 or bike bandit.

just my opinion

Hope this helps

[BassCliff]

Hi Mr. T-ray,

Yes, refer to the mega-welcome (<<<Click) where most of your issues are addressed. Check my website for pictorial guides to a lot of regular maintenance issues.

There's one, possibly 2 oil leaks. I know that one is the tach cable seal for sure. The possible other I'm not so sure about. If there is one, I'm thinking its the head gasket but hoping its the valve cover gasket. Seems to be coming from the center on the engine.

If your cam chain tensioner (that knob on the back of the engine between #2 and #3 cylinders) is leaking, the oil will weep all around the engine. I have this same issue and plan to fix it shortly.

Need new exhaust gaskets where they connect to the head. 3 of the 4 are leaking. Previous owner stripped out one of the bolts on these. I see he has different bolts in there now so maybe if I use the ones meant for it it'll be ok.

Exhaust gaskets are not too hard to replace. The tricky part, as you have noticed, is getting the bolts off without doing more damage. Spray and soak with PB Blaster (or your favorite bolt loosener) for at least a couple of days to help get the bolts out.

When I let off on the throttle the exhaust pops and every once in a while the carb will pop.

This sounds like a lean condition, possibly due to the bad intake boots (pipes). Also replace the intake O-rings, check the airbox-to-carb boots, and the airbox itself. There must be no leaks in the intake system. Use weatherstripping to seal the airbox and air filter cage assembly.

The exhaust connections underneath are loose. I loosened the back support brackets and tightened the pipes together a bit and retightened the bracket, but it still needs work.

I can't really tell from the picture what's going on there. You may just need to take it to a shop and have it welded.

2 of the carburetor boots have been jimmy rigged using some sort of silicone...need to be replaced.

I would recommend replacing all of the intake boots and O-rings. Then you don't have to worry about it for another 25 years.

On the lighted gear indicator only gears 1&2 show up. Have to check the bulbs and wiring on that.

Good idea. Hopefully it's just dirty connections. Those are odd bulbs, but they can be found. Try the search feature because I don't think I have that info on my website yet, sorry. I'll add it when I find it. That question comes up periodically. Brian knows. Where are you Mr. bwringer?

The speedometer needle is really bouncy...is this normal?

Try lubricating everything. Use a light household oil or WD40 if that's all you have. Lube the speedo cable. Remove the gauges from the bracket and turn them upside down so that you can put a few drops into the cable inputs and let it soak in. This works better than just spraying WD40 up in the holes. I've done this a few times to my gauges (every few months) and it helps every time.

Keep up the good work and keep us informed.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff