1979 GS1000 Project

[azr]

It's pretty normal for non-fuel injected bikes to have to give it gas to keep it from stalling with the clutch out, you'll get used to the old school way quickly. I appreciate having a colourtune and I think for someone that is new to an older bike it can be very useful. You need to vacuum synch the carbs first before you do any fine adjusting with the fuel and air mixture screws. Sounds like you're really getting your bike maintenance done, congrats. Bike is looking great and that custom seat is really going to help keep you planted.

[hannibal]

Looks good!

I think you're missing the cam end covers.

[tinactin]

Looks good!

I think you're missing the cam end covers.

You are correct! I have a silicone Real gasket on there, and the end covers chew it up. I'm not super happy with the real gasket, so I'll probably end up swapping it for a normal gasket and throwing the end covers back on.

[hannibal]

Does your bike have the tach drive in the front of the head? I read that these bikes shouldn't use the thicker silicone gaskets.

[tinactin]

Yes, the tach drive is in the front of the head; however, the problem bikes are the ones where the tach drive is located in the front of the valve cover itself, rather than the front of the head, so I'm all set. The real problem with the gasket is that it doesn't seal very well and is a huge PITA to install because it's so flexible.

[hannibal]

Gotcha. Thanks for setting me straight.

[tinactin]

Quick update: I noticed some circumferential cracking along the sidewall of the front tire. Picked up some new Bridgestone Spitfires and had them installed yesterday, along with new wheel bearings since I had the wheels off. Apparently several spokes were loose on both wheels, so I had them trued up. I also bought some new mirrors that are much closer to the OE Suzuki mirrors. Ended up setting me back a cool $400 in all.

Wheels are back on, and I washed the chain, hubs, rims, and other choice dirty spots. I'm about done with the RealGasket and perpetual oil stains on the front left corner of the head. They just don't seal well.

When I opened the petcock to go for a test ride, I heard what sounded like a lot of fluid being spilled on the floor. #4 carb was dumping fuel from the overflow drain. I gave the bowl a good smack and heard the float pop up, so I'll pull the bowl off and see if I can adjust the float slightly to keep it from sticking.

[chuck hahn]

Just bend the tab that hits against the post and actuate the float up and fully down to see that the needle doesnt bind with the float itself. The tab stops the float from falling too far down..if it does the spring loaded pin on the needle reaches a point where it jams up.

[tinactin]

Thanks Chuck. It's working great now. Took a picture of the tab for posterity:


Pro tip: re-install the bowl drain plug before opening the petcock.

[hannibal]

Who did you trust to do your wheels and tires?

[tinactin]

I took it to Performance Cycle in Denver. Pretty big shop, good reputation, reasonable prices. After watching some videos about how to do the tires and wheels myself, I decided to let somebody else handle it.

[chuck hahn]

Yes thats the "drop stop tab" ..as I call it...LOL Very important to check them when you redo a set of carbs or have float hanging problems. That and see the gaskets arent rubbing on a float

[tinactin]

Rode about a hundred miles yesterday up in the mountains, and it was running great. I think I need to replace the battery and check the charging system. I put in a new stator, R&R, and coils when I bought the bike, and I went through the charging system then, but it's been five years. I also think I'll give the coil relay mod a shot.

I have to admit that I haven't vacuum-synced the carbs yet. Does anybody near the Denver area have a sync tool I could borrow for a day? If not, I'll probably try to build my own tool with bottles and whatnot.