gs850

[Xnavylfr]

I can't seem to find any MODS/kits for this bike . My son wants to punch it out some. Any links please

[marvinsc]

The 850 is not and never was a Hot Rod. A 4 into 1, Pods, and a Re Jet is about the best You will come up with. That said, a properly Tuned 850 runs very well stock and they are very sensitive to air leaks. A sealed airbox will do wonders for the performance.

[Xnavylfr]

Gs850

with that said , is it best to run the stock airbox because of the CV type carbs, I know they don't seem to work very well with after market pods..?

Xnavylfr

[bwringer]

You could also look for an 1100G, or an 1100G engine+carbs+airbox to drop in. It's the exact same chassis.


Or work on the suspension a bit, spoon on some Pirelli Sport Demons or Avon RoadRiders, and learn to ride... Trust me, an 850 can run away from the squids in the twisties if you know what you're doing. And it's sick fun besides.

Also, as Scott hinted, make sure the 850 is actually running right. Many of them aren't.

The other thing to mention is that the fun doesn't begin on an 850 until 6,000 rpm. You gotta spin it to get to the giggle zone.

[bwringer]

with that said , is it best to run the stock airbox because of the CV type carbs, I know they don't seem to work very well with after market pods..?

Xnavylfr

Yes. And make sure the airbox is sealed so that air only enters where it's supposed to.

[TheCafeKid]

It requires a good deal of tinkering and tuning, and for some reason the 850s were specificly intollerant of toying with the carbs. Cant explain why, but thats the general consensus. I would retain the airbox, hell, retain the exhaust, the bike is still pretty powerfull, with lots of low end grunt.

[blowerbike]

850's seem to be geared lower.
ive done a few st.3 jet kits and 4/1 pipes on 850's with good results.
for some reason i get the feeling some people aren't using jet kits w/CV carbs when they remove the air box???
you can shim the needles till the cows come home and you will never get the correct transition out of CV's w/ no air box unless you install a jet kit.
(unless you come up w/ a set of properly shaped needles)which is the most important part of the jet kit.

[49er]

It is true that there are no performance upgrades available. However, if you go custom 894cc, 10.5-1 JE pistons, 4-1 pipe and stay with the stock VM26SS carbs and airbox, you can bump the output to 74HP at the wheel. Torque is increased by 38% and HP by 25% over stock.
Blowerbike is correct when he points out that most tuners don't get the needle shape right when they slap pods onto their carbs.
With CV carbs, the output should be even greater with the above set up.

[bwringer]

An 850 will respond to tuning just like any other bike -- it's just not all that common, so the way isn't paved as smooth as it might be for other models. Those in search of power normally turn to a bigger engine and/or a chain drive bike.

With that said, I know for a sad fact that very few 850s are actually running right.

The airbox has four major pieces that all have to seal airtight, the intake boots and their o-rings need to be airtight, and the boots between the carbs and the airbox usually need to be replaced. For some reason, a lot of 850 owners badly neglect valve clearances. There are also a lot of crappy carb kits out there, so many 850s will never run right until the OEM jets and needles are back in place.

For other unknown reasons, it's rare to find 850 owners willing to rev beyond 4,000 rpm, even though the engine doesn't wake up until 6,000 rpm to redline. You can't ride it like a frightened old man, but many do.

Anyway, my point is that those complaining about the power of an 850 have probably not experienced an example that's running right, and/or never spin it hard enough to reach the giggle zone.

With the stock exhaust and airbox, an 850 can be deceptively fast in the twisties, thanks to surprisingly good ground clearance, stable handling (with a bit of attention to suspension), and creamy-smooth carburetion.

I've ridden a well-sorted 1100G, and the available thrust is actually quite similar -- the 1100G is geared much taller, and has more grunt in the "little old man" zone below 4,000 rpm. If you're willing to spin an 850 the way it should be spun, you can keep up in anything but a drag race.

Is the GS850 a power and torque monster? Certainly not. Other GS models and most modern bikes have far more power.

Does it have "enough" power? I think so. It's well-matched to the chassis, and very "high-quality", controllable power.

Before hacking up an 850 to turn it into some noisy and peaky abomination, I'd encourage you to first return it to stock (if you have the pieces) and get it running right before deciding to mess with it.

[49er]

Brian, this is one of your best Sunday sermons in a while.
It's true, you do need an accurate yard stick before you go looking for more performance.
Learning to tune the stock setup for peak performance is the best place to start. And, don't be afraid of the occasional WOT.
Cheers

[rustybronco]

With that said, I know for a sad fact that very few 850s are actually running right.

For other unknown reasons, it's rare to find 850 owners willing to rev beyond 4,000 rpm, even though the engine doesn't wake up until 6,000 rpm to redline. You can't ride it like a frightened old man...

Anyway, my point is that those complaining about the power of an 850 have probably not experienced an example that's running right, and/or never spin it hard enough to reach the giggle zone.
.

Get on it hard, the front forks will extend. and don't forget...the giggle zone starts again above the redline.
god do they run sweeet!!!!!

I wonder when i'm going to blow up mine
glad i've got two...

[jimfj]

This is a most interesting thread and I'm enjoying reading it.

I have the pleasure of owning two 850G's at the moment, one a 1982 bone stock w/cv carbs and tuned to factory settings evwerywhere.

The other is a 79 that was returned to srevice after being stored since 1991. Stock airbox and vm carbs. It has a Vance and Hines 4 into one exhaust. (And a Wes Cooley GS1000S fairing and dash...cool!!) I'm not sure of the actual numbers, but the 79 feels faster and more eager to rev than the 82. I have heard the vm carbs have a more direct feel because of the way they are made. The "faster" feel is more on the lower end of the rpm range.

Everyone here is correct in saying that you have to spin it up to get into the power. Shift at 4K and the bike is as docile as a little 400cc. Shift at 6-7K and things get a whole lot more interesting. I didn't start riding when i was 10, so I'm not as expirienced as the majority here, but 850 certainly keeps my interest, especially when exploring the limits of the bike.

I must also say that it took a couple of months to get everything "right" The carbs needed work twice. The first synch I did was close but the second was spot on. The valves have been done twice and now they are in spec (big difference by the way). The air box needed to be perfectly sealed as well. My bike (82) is now running beatifully and a blast to ride. Don't do the mods just get it right, you'll be glad you did.

[Pacman]

Jimfj is right that the '79 850 he currently has possession of (not for long?) is running very hard. It only has a V&H exhaust (and the carbs have slightly larger low range jets and the needles are moved up one notch) with stock airbox.

I have a semi-stock '79 850 which definitely seems to have more on the low end than his '82 850 but his '82 seems to have more on the top end. That may be due to the small carb throats in the '79 giving better torque on the bottom whereas his bigger CV carb throats give better flow at the top. But, the '79 with the V&H seems to have more on both the bottom and top than my '79. (I'm going to ride both back to back and try to tell).

All that said, any 850 that is properly running will give anyone a hell of a ride. But, you have to be willing to use the middle and top of the rev range to get the most fun out of it. This is the way it is with my FZR1000 as well so it isn't just the GS850. All japanese four cylinder motorcycles are like that. And believe me, if you hard shift a GS850 at 8000 rpm you WILL put a smile on your face. Or, better yet run a tight corner healed over with the motor spinning at 6000+ and use the throttle to pull out of the corner and you WILL have a smile on your face or there is something wrong with you.

Chris

[CCMcC]

Amen

The sermon is right on mark. Get it running right and feareth not the giggle zone.