1983 SUZUKI GS850GL / 36,000 miles

[Guest]

I just had the carbs gone thru, new plugs, caps, the air filter cleaned & new gaskets. I treated the gas with Seam foam cleaner also.I have been having some hesitation problems; more noticeable when cruising along at 45 mph or more. I would try to accelerate at times & it would hesitate for a few seconds or more, then it would smooth out & go.It seems like it has lost some of its power. My mechanic said he is not sure what else it could be. Maybe some blockage in the pipes or a jet problem.

[Phred]

When you say that you had the carbs gone through, did you do it yourself or did someone do it for you? Check out Bikecliff's website for a tutorial on carb dismantling, cleaning and re-assembly. If Berrymans cleaner is available you can try that or the other option is sonic cleaning. I started out with Kleen flo carb cleaner - nasty smelling stuff and then bought a sonic cleaner. A lot more dirt came out of the passages with the sonic cleaner. If they have not been totally taken apart and cleaned since 83 it is time to roll up your sleeves. Robert Barr on this site has the O ring kits available. Keep all the parts for each carb separately so that they are re-installed in the same carbs you took them out of. I studied Bikecliffs tutorial several times. It looks daunting at first but as you go through it you will have a deep and profound appreciation for the engineering that it took to build these.

[Who Dat?]

"Carbs gone thru" really does not say what was done to them. You can even replace all the parts, you still need to adjust them properly.

And, as important as clean carbs are, you did not mention checking valve clearances. VERY critical on these bikes.