starting problems

[Anonymous]

Hey there. I'm new to the forum, and am just trying to get my 1979 GS1000 back on the road. I just bought it, and have a couple probs. I'm trying to do the work myself, but am having a small problem with starting. When the battery is even a little low, it won't start. When I'm trying to start it with one of the plugs out , the spark is low, kinda weak. I'm suspecting that it's the coils, but figured I'd throw it out there to get a second opinion. Also, it runs kinda rough, and tends to backfire after I rev the engine. This, I suspect, is because the timing is off. What do you guys think? Thanks for your time.

Steve
Albuquerque

[Joe Nardy]

Since you say you want to get the bike 'back on the road' I'm assuming it has been sitting for some time. A good place to start would be a THOROUGH carb cleaning and sync. Also, it would be a good idea to go through the entire wiring harness and clean EVERY connector.

Joe

[SqDancerLynn1]

The # 1 thing you need is a good battery, I had a 78GS1000 If it sat for a few days you could crank it for 5 minutes & it wouldn't start New battery fixed the problem. If it is more than two years old replace it. To start Put the fuel valve on prime for 2-3 seconds, don't forget to turn it back to the on position, Give it Full choke Don't give it any gas and it should fire right up. If it dosen't then we ned to start checking other things. check the voltage at the coils-- block the points open when checking the coil voltage. Clean the carbs, check the intake boots & replace the o rings on the intake boots. Should fix all of your running problems. If you decide to replace the coils get some from a late mode GSX Bandit (3 ohm coils) and run them with a 2 ohm balist resistor for the correct 5 ohms for the point. This way if you ever upgrade to elect ign you can use the same coils

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Since you say you want to get the bike 'back on the road' I'm assuming it has been sitting for some time. A good place to start would be a THOROUGH carb cleaning and sync. Also, it would be a good idea to go through the entire wiring harness and clean EVERY connector.

Joe

I agree. It's often better to go through the whole bike and see what condition things are in. This will help you to not break down on the road and will minimize troubleshooting problems. The carb clean/synch and every electrical connection cleaned as Joe said, is STANDARD MAINTENANCE that needs to be done anyways. So do yourself a favor and take this advice.
Lynn has some good advice too. Ask us if you don't know something and need help.

[Anonymous]

Well, I'm working my way through the electrical system. The battery is brand new, so that shouldn't be the problem. All I know is that, at the moment, I have little to no spark. I'll be cleaning/replacing everything, starting with cleaning the connectors, new plugs/ points, etc. The last thing I want to deal with is spending the money on new coils, but I will if I need to. Anyway, I'll keep you all posted!

[Guy]

All the above advice sounds good, here's something else: If your spark is weak check to see if your points are arcing. Condensers could be at fault, causing difficult starting and misfiring.