I recently got a 1978 GS1000E for a price too good to refuse. It ran (poorly), and needed a ton of work. This weekend I traded the 78 GS 1000 E for a 78 GS 550 that is in decent running condition!
(The thread about the previous bike is here)
I've rode the bike around town and let a friend practice in a parking lot for about 45 minutes, and so far I've had NO major problems!
The bike has 9,400 miles on it, has a kickstarter and electric start, all of the turn signals, gauges, etc. work.
The previous owner's hobby is fixing up old motorcycles and he's got a lot of experience. He walked through the whole bike pointing out things to keep an eye out for when we traded. When he fixed it up, he put a Harley exhaust on it that he had laying around (the original was no good after it sat for a while)
Problems to work on:
- Need new front tire
- Fix Clutch pull arm where the cable became disconnected
- May need new rear tire soon
- Rear brake pads should be changed soon
- Front shocks bottom out easily (seals might be blown, drain & replace oil) (do they need more a new seal, oil?)
- Backfires when running above 4k RPM
- Air filter is homemade and should be replaced (have UNI replacement filter, need filter oil, but I'm worried that it will mess with how the bike runs)
- Air filter cover is missing, replace with plastic with holes drilled in it, or OEM part
- The seat could use a recovering
- The glass on the tachometer gauge has a couple of cracks (can superglue to keep together)
- Adjust the ride height down a tad so I can touch the ground a little more easily
- Heat shield on exhaust pipe is missing a bolt
- Headlight on/off knob fell off
- Right-side side mirror glass is cracked, not too bad
Things I'd like to improve:
- Keep some proper tools and supplies with me (any suggestions?)
- Maybe Plasti-Dip it to make the paint more durable and good looking. Maybe Plastidip?
- DONE Safe place to store a second helmet while riding
- DONE Figure out how to lock my helmet to it when I'm not riding
Things to keep in mind:
- Previous owner said it may have been rejetted
- the VIN on the engine doesn't match the numbers stamped on the frame neck (not a problem)
- The chain tension should be checked (and adjusted if needed) regularly
- A previous owner tried to adjust the idle set screw, the guy who sold it to me tried to set it back.
- Points might need to be replaced? (the previous owner said he filed something down last season, but there might not be enough left to file down) (Big T recommended the Dyna S DS3-2 Electronic Ignition System)
Upgrades I've done:
- Added a luggage rack/sissy bar from the old bike
- Got a cheap cover for it
- Put together a first aid/supplies kit to keep on the bike (first-aid, poncho, writing utensils, etc.)
- Put together a first tool/parts kit to keep on the bike (wrenches, zipties, extra spark plug, etc.)
- Got a padlock for locking a helmet to it, etc.
- Got a second full-face helmet for passengers to wear
Questions I'm almost embarrassed to ask:
- What are possible causes of the front shock bottoming out when I go up the lip to my driveway? How do I drain and reflill the shock? What kind of oil to use?
- What are possible causes of backfiring when above 4k RPM
- What symptoms indicate that the points need to be replaced?
- Any suggestions on buying used gear for the casual rider that isn't too hot, or expensive?
Questions I'm glad I got help with:
- What exact model is it? (1978 550E model (GS550EC) with the later seat from 1980 GS550 fitted <-Thanks Big T & Ton1959! )
- What way the petcock should point when I'm done riding? (leave the circle down (ON) when riding, move the circle clockwise to 9 oclock (res) when you run out of gas)
- Does it have tubes in the tires, and should I replace the tires? (Yes Tubes, replace if older than 5 years <-Thanks Big T!)
- What gear should I be in for what speed? (higher than car RPMS are good, 4k+ when riding, 5k-6k is more efficient)
- What kind of points to replace it with? (I think the previous owner mentioned he filed something down last season but that there isn't much left to file down) (Big T recommended the Dyna S DS3-2 Electronic Ignition System)
- Why does the VIN stamped on the neck of the frame not match the vin on the engine? <-OK pre-1980 VIN was on engine in Wisconsin
Parts I'm looking for:
- Rear brake pads
- Air filter oil
- Top to air box, right now it's just open
- Replacement glass for tachometer
- Headlight switch knob (mine fell off)
- Bolts for the heat shield
- Windshield (maybe a slipstreamer? Any other suggestions?)
- Newer tires
- Highway bars & pegs
- New points, or something like the Dyna S DS3-2 Electronic Ignition System
- Extra master chain link (previous owner said it might be size 50?)
- New seat cover (maybe from saddleman? Other suggestions)
- Summer-weight gloves
- Motorcycle boots
- Leather bike jacket (currently have a mesh joe rocket one)
- Extra tube for tires
- Mini flashlight to keep on the bike
- Extra fuses to keep on the bike
- Paracord to keep on the bike
- HAVE Extra oil to top it up if needed
- HAVE Air filter
- HAVE Extra sparkplug to keep on the bike
- HAVE Rain suit or poncho to keep on bike
- HAVE Luggage rack w/ sissy bar and mini zipped bag (from the previous GS1000)
Where I am with the top 10 Newbie mistakes (Originally Posted by Nessism):
- Buy New Oil: Using the wrong oil and/or gasoline. Diesel engine oil is cheap and contains lots of high pressure additives appropriate for our engines. Shell Rotella oil is even certified for use with wet clutches if that makes you more comfortable, although just about any diesel oil is fine. As for fuel, Suzuki calls for use of Regular gas.
- To Do: Complete clean carbs
- To Do: properly adjusted valves
- To Do: make sure the entire airbox system is 100% sealed (airbox, carb boots)
- To Do: properly functioning petcock
- To Do: Replacing the intake boot O-rings. The classic "hanging idle" (or idle speed that increases on it's own as the bike warms up)
- Check: Trying to clean out the brake system full of brown gunky fluid by flushing the system. If the fluid is dark and brown the only way to clean the system is a full tear down and clean out otherwise chunks will remain behind in the system. While your at it the old rubber brake lines should be changed. Suzuki call for replacing the lines every 2 years, so if your bike still has the originals you are 28 years overdue. The old lines will lead to spongy brake lever feel and contaminate the fresh fluid you just installed.
- Waiting for the charging system to fail, instead of cleaning up the old wiring.
- DONE: a clean gas tank (no rust)
- NOT A PROBLEM: Trying to run the bike without the airbox...or installing pods, or a header, w/o rejetting.
Pics of the bike:
I'll try to keep this updated as I learn/improve things.
Thanks for reading!
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