new to the GS, new to this forum, new to riding!

[Anonymous]

hi everybody!!

i'm new to the suzuki GS, new to motorcycles, and new to this forum!

i live in the california bay area and recently bought a 1986 GS 450 - now i know nothing about this model and did a little searching on this forum but wasn't able to find much! is this a good or reliable bike? from what i read it's a great "first bike" but i may quickly "outgrow" it!

anyhow, now the other thing - well i sort of dropped it as i was making a turn on the gravelly part of this parking lot, and immediately afterwards it worked fine but the the next day it wasn't running so well. we were able to actually start the engine the next day, but i believe once we put it in gear it wouldn't run - my memory's a little hazy on the actual details because this was actually a few months ago.

well, then somebody stole the battery right out of our bike - i live in an apartment.

so first thing's first, buy a new battery. any ideas on what i should do next? should i pay to have the bike towed to the nearest mechanic to get an estimate on what's wrong with it? or is it common for mechanics to make "house calls"? (that seems expensive!) anyone know any cheap or good mechanics in the bay area?

sorry this post is so long and so general!! i can hardly remember what was wrong with the bike and it's been neglected for the past few months - but now i want to get it up and running!!

any tips for newbie riders? is it worth it to by a clymers manual?

thanks everybody!! ya'll seem like a cool crowd.

[Anonymous]

Probably fine for you.

It's probably a fine size for you to learn on. If you don't do a whole lot of riding you may not need a bigger bike. Sooner or later though a 650 or larger will be in order.

It wouldn't hurt to atleast do the battery yourself. If you dont have too many tools you may want to get it tuned up or looked at by a shop. I would start by just adjusting the Idle. After that we would need more info to help you. The carbs could need more adjusting, or it could be any number of things.

You might want to cover or move the bike around from time to time. If its stuck in a corner and looks neglected it may be mistaken for abandoned. Hey look free parts!

I bet who ever took the battery watched the bike for a while to see if it was just left to sit. Probaly a person in your building.

[Mastiff]

I think the GS450 is a great beginner bike. Its lightweight, comfortable, and easy to handle. In California, lane splitting is legal, and a narrow bike like the GS450 is a good bet. It fits between the lanes better. If you want to learn how to work on a bike, the GS450 is a lot easier to work on than a 4 cylinder. I think its a great choice.
If you can get to one, I suggust you take a MSF Beginner course. If you can't, invest in the books David L. Hough has written. They are "Proficient Motorcycling", "More Proficient Motorcycling", and "Street Hazards". It may save you a lot of grief. Maybe your library has them.

[Anonymous]

Welcome to GS Resources and welcome to riding! Fair warning, riding is an addiction!
As previously mentioned, take a rider skills course. It may mean the difference between life and death! I think most people on this site would agree with me that you will learn invaluable lessons on the course that will make you a better rider.

[SqDancerLynn1]

Welcome to the forum When you dropped the bike you may have got dirt in the carbs(all the junk in the fuel bowls), try removing the drain plug on the bottom of the fuel bowl Let them drain, refill them and drain again. If that doesn't help you may have to remove the carbs and clean the jets. The starting problem? I would check the saftey switch on the side stand IT will stall the engine if you put it in gear with the side stand down If you have more questions put them in the techinical section of the forum
Safe riding


opps we are already in the tech section

[Anonymous]

thanks for all the replies everyone! and thanks for all the suggestions and advice.

yeah i was just gonna buy a battery and try and put it in myself - shouldn't be too hard with some basic tools? also, how do i adjust the idle?

i remember that you can't engage any gears with the kickstand down - i'll watch out for that. i guess after the battery i should have the bike checked out by a mechanic - is there any easy way to load a bike into a pickup truck?? it seems much too heavy to lead up a ramp, i guess i can get something from uhaul for motorcycles?

i took the CC-rider course last summer but haven't ridden since then. so i'm hoping to get this thing up and running and finally make some good use of it.

thanks again guys and gals!

[Anonymous]

Get the trailer.

If you can't get the bike in the truck a trailer would be good.

For $16.00 a day + deposite you can get a low one with a ramp.

Tighten the idle screw a turn or two. It should be a knob like screw that you can turn by hand. If that doesn't work don't fool with it more than that. Once the bike starts you can back it out till it idles right.