The non-running GS450ET is now RUNNING!

[surviverguy]

Revy? heck yeah...3-5 Krpm she's perky...6-9 KRPM she's like a bat out of hell....at 9krpm in 4th gear she's movin' right along...(60ish mph)...just getting used to ridin' her...didn't push it too hard today as I didn't want to get pulled over on my first ride.... or loose control in a twistie!
She's just a little 450, but she's plenty of bike for me....I'm very happy today....
and want to put a windscreen on!
.....and do some proper plug chops.
I Just took the plugs out to see what they looked like after the ride. They're in the ballpark...right side looks a hair rich and left side looks a hair lean...currently jetted with 25 pilots and 125 mains...

[pete]

Mate it's good to see her out and about! Nice

I find my 450 has plenty of poke for what I want... had a look at the Acewell today and max rev's is 10K on the dot and max speed is... ummm I'm not sayin' in case I get in trouble

With your idle screw, does it have a spring on it?

Also, if it's not warmed up 100%, forget even trying to adjust your idle.

When I rode mine to get registered, it was the first time I'd gotten true heat into the motor as I'd only run it briefly a few times before that. I got about a km up the road and had to pull over and wind the idle down as it was idling at about 4K RPM due to me adjusting the idle when she was still cold.

I had to knock it back even further later on after she'd warmed up fully.

[surviverguy]

The bike ran well enough to give me the confidence to run it to work and home. It's a long ride....100 mile roundtrip.
I've found the idle screw is too much trouble to keep adjusting according to temperature. I'm just leaving it set for a proper hot idle and keeping it from stalling with a slight bit of throttle when cold. It doesn't take long to warm up. The bike starts without any choke needed.
I have a spare carb already dipped and ready for assembly. I'm gonna make a few changes from how the one on the bike is and then synchronize it and then do some plug chops. I don't have another pair of 25/125 jets. I'm gonna try one size smaller on both and raise the needles a bit. The midrange form about 1/3rd to 2/3rds throttle is a little rough.
I'd like a rear rack in black color. I think I'll weld something togethor as I haven't seen any aftermarket or used racks that would work good with the odd sloping angled back (over the toolbox area).
The fork seals are weeping slightly. I have some new seals to put in. I was waiting till after some rides to do those seals in case I wanted to add progressive springs at the same time. I am a lightweight rider and the suspension feels great as is...so no progressives and I can buy a new windscreen instead.
The brakes feel great also. No changes needed there.
The mirror fix worked out good enough, but I'll buy another perch when I see one cheap. The tachometer is a little bouncy but not too bad. The speedometer reads smooth and accurite. The odometer also works good. The tripodometer is all out of whack...showing about 10x the actual trip miles. I'll see if I can figure out a correction factor to use...
SO all in all very happy and still getting it better.

[pete]

Great stuff! Good to hear it

I didn't mean you should adjust your idle screw constantly... just set it once when it's completely warmed up and from then on use your choke while you warm her up for a minute or two then you should be good to go.

She'll start without the choke but won't idle until at least a little warm.

I typically start mine on choke and leave the choke on while I put my helmet and gloves on, then choke off and head for work.

[surviverguy]

Pete, thanks for explaining the choke operation. I'll try using it when the engine is too cold to idle without adding some throttle. I've only used the bike three times now and it hadn't occured to me to try the choke (since it would start fine without it).
I'm considering adding a trunk to the rear of the bike. The purpose would be mostly to hold my lunch on my way to work and a place to store my helmet. On my first and only commute, lunch was in a shoulder bag resting behind me on the seat. It worked ok like that and I carried my helmet to and from the "office". There is a helmet lock on the bike. I haven't tried using that yet. The helmet is nice and new.
There are lots of cheap ABS plastic trunks available but I am suspect of their durability- one or two years down the road. A fiberglass trunk would hold up much better. Either way a trunk will need support and that's a bit awkward with the factory rear and seat lock arrangement which I'd like to keep.
Rear racks commonly use the upper shock mounting stud. I'd like to avoid using them since it makes shock removal and rear wheel removal more troublesome. Lunch and helmet don't weight very much. I'm tinking about modifying the rear grab handle to make a rear rack/trunk support...
SO many little things I'd like to do- so little time and money!

[pete]

Take this:



Then this:



And bend to shape:



Weld it up (or in my case get a mate to do it who's better at it):



Paint it:



And there you go:







You have a reasonable facsimile of the optional sports rack that is made of unobtanium...

[surviverguy]

Pete, thanks again for posting. I'll be welding up something similar for mine soon. My handlebar got bent today as I had a low speed drop on my driveway.
I didn't get hurt from the fall- wearing ATGAT and crashing at about 10 mph. I was looking ahead and didn't notice that I steered into a mudhole...reactive steering got me wiggling like a snake and I wasn't able to regain control. Dropped the bike on it's left side. Bent handlebar, broken clutch lever, left front turn signal pushed in, and a few misc. scratches. Swapped out the broken clutch lever with one off a junk Yamaha in my yard and jumped back on again.
I could buy another handlebar off eBay or use the Yamaha's or repair the bent bar or continue riding as is.
Rode the bike to work with the bent handlebar. I think I'll take the bar off the bike, straighten it using a pipe and a vise and then weld a cross tube like motocross bars.
Assembled the spare carb today with raised needles and 20/120 jets. Fuel economy from first trip worked out to about 50 mpg. This second carb with raised needles feels better in the midrange and good at full throttle but rough at 3/4 throttle. It isn't synchrd yet. It feels less powerful also.

[pete]

Bugger! If it's only a light bend it should straighten out ok.

You may have made the second set of carbs a bit rich perhaps... that would explain why it's rough at 3/4 and feels less powerful.

You'll definitely have to shoot up pic's of how you do you carry rack, very keen to see other ideas besides what I did.

[surviverguy]

The handlebar is bent pretty serious. My left hand isn't confortable and there's reduced leverage. The tube kinked where it bent- no pretty.
The second carb is too lean not too rich. I feel surging not bogging. If I could find some needles to fit with more taper I'd put some in. I haven't been able to find any. I'm researching the xs650 Yamaha parts as it also used a bs34 carb. Maybe a larger main will help but it's mostly needing more tapered needles or possibly a larger emulsion tube.
I'm gonna do some plug chops at wot (full throttle) to choose the main. The 125 is likely best maybe 130.
I'm gonna get a black abs plastic trunk for the back. I'll build the rear rack to hold it after I have the trunk. Access to the seat lock is critical. The main support will be the black tube grab bar like yours for the front of the rack. For supporting the rear of the rack, I'll either use diagonal bracing to the same like yours or use the rear turn signal mounting or some other mod.
Need the trunk first to help me decide.

[pete]

Why don't you just chuck a set of motorcross 'bars on there that already have the brace? I love the ones I have on mine...

For the carbs, someone mentioned Mikes XS has a jetting kit for the BS34 carbs that appear the same as ours and that might be worth a shot, a hell of a lot cheaper than the Dynojet option from memory.

As for the rack, yes seat lock access was critical for me too and I can still get to it even if something's strapped to the rack.

[surviverguy]

I checked out Mike's XS for kits and for needles. Their jet kit has 4N8 needles and some jets and a drill bit. I didn't buy the kit as I already have jets. I bought a pair of the needles 4N8's and also a pair of 4JN19 needles. The stock GS450 1980 needles are 4N2. I haven't been able to find much information about those Mikuni needles. The first number (4) is the length 40-50 mm. The other letters and numbers refer to the tapering. Mike's needles were $6.50 each. I'll see how they compare with stock needles when they arrive in a week. I'll keep you posted on the jetting results.
New handlebars not decided yet.
Trunk- not decided yet.

[surviverguy]

I bought some used GS450 handlebars. I'm gonna weld a crosstube using 7/8 tube from the bent bars. There are lots of cool accessories for 7/8" bars. A crosstube of 7/8 will allow room for extra stuff. As it is the bars don't have much room for extras.

and bought another clutch perch




and bidding on an accessory switch

[surviverguy]

Bought this topcase (trunk). It was only $45.00 with free shipping. It's pretty large unlike lots of the small, cheap cases.

"
New, Never Used, (Still in box) Mat Black Finish

Case is 16" L x 20" W x 12" H. Because of the curvature of the case the dimensions may be off slightly. (outside dimension measurements)

Universal mounting hardware included. (nuts, bolts, washers and brackets to mount to luggage rack)

Case comes with a plastic mounting base plate that locks into the bottom of the case with the key lock.
Nice mat black finish. Make your bike look very sporty.
Large Helmet fits inside
Check out some of my customer installed cases below:
Check our Cool Gear Ebay store for other cool deals! "

[pete]

I checked out Mike's XS for kits and for needles. Their jet kit has 4N8 needles and some jets and a drill bit. I didn't buy the kit as I already have jets. I bought a pair of the needles 4N8's and also a pair of 4JN19 needles. The stock GS450 1980 needles are 4N2. I haven't been able to find much information about those Mikuni needles. The first number (4) is the length 40-50 mm. The other letters and numbers refer to the tapering. Mike's needles were $6.50 each. I'll see how they compare with stock needles when they arrive in a week. I'll keep you posted on the jetting results.
New handlebars not decided yet.
Trunk- not decided yet.

Cool, I have 4C2 needles in mine so they must've changed them for Australia like the mains. Pretty sure my main was a 117.5 rather than the listed 115... and my needles are adjustable too.

To determine the Mikuni needle dimensions, get a hold of the Sudco PDF catalog as it outlines the way it works. It's a bit confusing...

The motorcross 'bars I have are still 7/8" and they're wide enough I've been able to put my hand guards on no dramas as well as fit the later GSXR left control switch with choke too, and I could probably squeeze a throttle lock on the right if I want to go that path.

Good deal on the other stuff, should get you sorted.

[surviverguy]

Woops- Yeah they're 4C2 needles (stock)...my memory is poor.
For today's tuning exercise- I removed the 20/120 jetts and put in 30/130. I had to turn the idle mix down to 3/4 turns out to prevent hanging idle. I'm still using the stock 4C2 needles- shimmed up 1mm. My needles only have one slot. I am using 1mm thinner spacers on the top of the needles to raise them.
I just noticed today that the K and N filters say "oil before using". I never have oiled them! Oops! I've had them in my hands about twenty times already...and just now noticed the instruction!
Did I oil them? No...not yet! Going for a test ride now to fill up with gas.... again before my next trip to work.. to see how the new jetting feels. It's never been so rich before.
Carb 1 was 25/125/4C2 std. needle height / idle screw 2 turns
Carb 2 was 20/120/4C2 raised needle 1mm/ idle screw 2 turns
Carb 2 now 30/130/raised needle 1mm / idle screws at 3/4 turn.